<p>Purdue is definitely top-tier. Top-tierness is not just based on selectivity. State universities are by nature slightly less selective than comparable privates simply due to size (this varies depending on the state — in CA, I am sure this may be different). Purdue EE has a top notch reputation and many faculty members from these aforementioned schools are Purdue Ph.Ds. </p>
<p>WPI is also exceptionally good for ECE (I go here), although I have a feeling that for some majors (CS, Civil Engineering, Chemistry, for example), WPI lags behind peer schools. If you get a scholarship and its more “regional” rep doesn’t bother you, WPI is a good place to go.</p>
<p>I would also suggest considering your state flagship. Most state flagships have very good engineering programs (I am thinking Michigan, California, Texas, but many others as well) at an affordable price and give out scholarships as well. State U undergrad is often harder than tech school undergrad because they don’t mind weeding out students as students can switch out of engineering.</p>
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<p>No offense; RPI is a good school but this statement is laughable. Surely, many RPI students could survive at MIT but SAT’s don’t say everything (MIT students with poorer SAT scores probably had some other exceptional quality such as creativity or hard workingness that enabled them to be admitted). I am sure that leaving aside a full scholarship (even then most of the time), very few if any would pass up MIT for RPI.</p>