<p>Take UIUC. The money is in their favor and the strength of their EE program is equal or in their favor. You lose out on weather (nothing you can do about that) and proximity to SV. You can compensate for the last one by flying out to the Bay Area every summer and doing an internship - this will position you for good jobs and allow you to graduate debt-free if $8k/year is all you need to worry about. Make sure to include some CS in your curriculum to improve your job prospects.</p>
<p>If you were lucky enough to get CA residency in one year and reduce your loans by $20k/year I would suggest Cal. But as it stands it is silly to accrue $90k more in debt (and remember you’re paying interested on the unsubsidized loans).</p>