Berkeley EECS vs CMU SCS vs UT ECB Honors

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You can see this thread while waiting for responses to your specific questions. My best guess recommendations on CC will be similar.

Help me decide! - UT Austin CS [in-state at 32k] vs UC Berkeley EECS [84k] vs Northwestern [97k] vs Duke [98k] for CS

Hi! I’m a CS student from Texas who’s looking for advice about which school to decide on. UT Austin is ~32k/yr (in-state), UC Berkeley is ~84k/yr, Northwestern is ~97k/yr, and Duke is ~98k/yr. My parents are willing to cover all scenarios (no loans, etc.), but the cost differential is still pretty substantial (and it makes me feel personally a bit weird opting for a more expensive option given the relative accessibility of my state school). I’m not 100% certain about my post-graduation goals, but I either plan to enter industry (big tech, startup) or focus primarily on research and potentially enter academia. Currently, Berkeley is my top choice given the access to research opportunities, proximity to Silicon Valley (I have a relative there), and overall quality of its EECS program (also its reputation as one of the Big 4). I know UT Austin’s CS department is also pretty solid, but I’m unsure if I would get a similar experience as with Berkeley. I also included Northwestern/Duke sin…