<p>@falcon5000. OSU is 8th or 9th in the Big Ten in engineering, but that’s actually very good, because the Big Ten is just outstanding in engineering. Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan are top-ten engineering schools. Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Penn State are top-20. Minnesota, Maryland, and Ohio State are top-30 (OSU #26, Cincinnati #82, Dayton, and Toledo tied at #139), Michigan State, Iowa, and Rutgers are top-60.</p>
<p>I am not that fond of Columbus (probably my Michigan prejudice) and would like to see my son at a smaller school that focuses more on undergraduate education. That’s what got us looking at Miami. US News ranks Miami tied at 29th among engineering schools that do not offer PhDs. Rose Hulman and Harvey Mudd are tied for first. My son has been accepted to Rose Hulman, but he is not as excited about it as he used to be. It’s in Terre Haute, all of the students are STEM majors, and 80% are men. I want my son to focus on his studies, but I would like that he have at least a little opportunity for fun and to broaden his horizons.</p>
<p>Rankings are not as critical for engineering as in some other fields. Engineering programs are accredited, so there are minimum standards. Further, even if you went to MIT, to practice engineering you must first pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, then you must get four years of professional experience, then you must pass the Principals and Practices of Engineering exam to be certified as a Professional Engineer. Further, there is still a shortage of engineers, so there are jobs and graduate school opportunities for just about any engineering graduate who worked hard, got good grades, and passed the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam. A friend of mine here in Arizona has a son who just graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from Northern Arizona University. N.A.U. is an unranked public university and its engineering school is ranked 63rd among engineering schools that do not offer PhDs. His son is now working for Boeing!</p>
<p>So overall, I would like my son to attend a school that can give him a strong engineering education with good opportunities for internships and maybe for co-oping. But I would also like my son to get a good, well-rounded education, make some friends, maybe even meet some girls (he’s a good-looking kid, but very shy), and overall be able to eventually look back on the best four years of his life.</p>