Is UCLA engineering worth the OOS tuition?

mikemac
Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:32:04 +0000

IMHO he UC system is not worth 40-45K/year. These estimated costs, BTW, come right from the UCLA page [UCLA Undergrad Admissions: Fees, Tuition, and Estimated Student Budget](http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/prospect/budget.htm) While the UC system is a great deal for in-state students, for that amount of money you can attend a private with much smaller classes and more personal attention and counseling. Or, as the OP can, you can attend an in-state school for much less.

I’d also add 2 things, since the OP is interested in engineering. First, engineering programs are nationally acredited by ABET. So what you learn is much more standardized across the country that with, say, history or english. Within a given tier of schools, you’ll learn pretty much the same no matter where you go. Second, the drop-out rate in engineering at most schools is well over 50%.

the majority of engineering undergrads drop out or flunk out of the curriculum within the first two years. With a few notable exceptions, U.S. engineering schools typically have attrition rates hovering between one-half and two-thirds.
[EETimes.com - If I’m happy, can this be EE school?](EE Times - Connecting The Global Electronics Industry)

While nobody can predict what will happen to the OP, given the odds I’d give serious thought to a lower-cost alternative to the $40+K cost of attending UCLA.