Is leaving California worth it for Industrial and Systems Engineering? (USD vs. WashU in St. Louis)

College Search & Lists
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So I am a junior at Claremont McKenna College (CMC) pursuing the 3-2 Engineering Program (one spends 3 years at a liberal arts college obtaining a BA in Economics and then spend 2 years at a different university to obtain an Engineering BS). I was accepted to the University of San Diego (USD, not to be confused with UCSD) for Industrial and Systems Engineering and Washington University in St.Louis (WashU) for Systems Engineering. WashU is an incredible school with incredible resources but of course is located in Missouri. USD, on the other hand, lies within the city of San Diego, a city I want to work in after graduation. Although I still want to pursue the engineering degree, I am hesitant about pursuing each school for these reasons:

  1. People have told me that transferring to USD after attending CMC looks bad on a resume because CMC has a much higher ranking.

  2. I am not sure about the networking opportunities that USD offers for engineering and I am unsure how solid USD’s Industrial and Systems Engineering program actually is. (Any advice or information on the program?)

  3. I have been told that transferring to Missouri for my last two years of school will make finding a job in California MUCH more difficult and isn’t worth it since I definitely want to work in Southern California after graduation. (Suggestions?)

  4. WashU’s systems engineering program seems to lean more heavily towards mathematical modeling and electrical engineering classes. Although I am interested in math, I have no intention of working a job in electrical engineering.
    (Does anyone have any information or advice regarding WashU’s systems engineering program and the networking opportunities available?)

USD is a school that I know and am comfortable with but is the program is worth pursuing? WashU has an incredible reputation but I am unsure if the program is useful for what I want to do in the future. For example, will I actually use those mathematical modeling classes in my future job? Is the program practical?

Summary of my thoughts:

USD Pros: San Diego network, warm climate, I know people at the school already so the transition will be easier
USD Cons: Engineering program lacks prestige

WashU Pros: Great reputation, quantitative program that offers valuable hard skills, new experience
WashU Cons: Missouri location, cold weather, transition will be difficult

Side note
I am unsure what job I want to pursue after graduation but I am interested in finding out which engineering classes were most useful during college. I want my engineering education to be as practical as possible so any information on USD’s and WashU’s engineering programs is appreciated.

If I choose to not follow through with the 3-2 Program, I could instead stay at CMC and be an Economics/Math, Data Science Sequence major. Is this major also a good option for pursuing jobs related to systems engineering? I don’t want to have any regrets, but staying at CMC saves money.

Thank you for your help in advance!

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Didn’t you ask this question already?

Why not just stay at CMC?

And no, being a WashU grad won’t hinder you from finding a job in CA.

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@PurpleTitan I just found out from CMC that the Data Science Sequence title probably won’t be available officially until 2018 so I won’t get the title on my diploma. This makes me nervous because I would only get an Economics major from CMC with potentially a math dual. I don’t know how much employers actually care about titles, but my parents were concerned.

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@PurpleTitan And in this question I am just trying to find out more specifics about USD’s and WashU’s system engineering programs. But thank you for helping me in both posts.

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Honestly, since CMC has a strong enough name, your ability and skills would matter most, not whether you actually get that data science major or IE major.

I would not spend the extra money if I were in your shoes.

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@PurpleTitan Thank you! That’s great to hear and I appreciate the help.

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I wouldn’t worry that going to WashU will hinder your chances of finding a job in SD/SoCal after graduation. Unless there’s something specific about the USD program that’s important to you, I’d go to WashU. Plus some time in the Midwest could give you a new/different perspective - always useful. Since you don’t know exactly what you want to do after school, I’d go for the better known school.