So I am looking at engineering schools, and the rankings and other people keep recommending big, usually state schools (Umich, gt, ect). my question is, if I decided to go to a smaller private school for undergrad (jhu, Princeton, duke, rice), would it be harder for me to get a job (I gues due to less alumni connections and recruiting). I think a smaller school might be better for me, but I don’t want to go to one if it will lessen my future job opportunities and I just want to know if this worry is a legitamite one. Thanks
Duke is the #2 engineering school in the country. JHU is #1. I don’t feel like going to one of the top engineering schools will lessen your employability. If anything, it will help for grad school, research programs, and networking with the best engineers on the planet. If you can get in, I would go. If alumni connections worry you, consider a school with inter-university programs or in a main location (NYC) with a ton of other colleges. You can meet others like that as well.
When did JHU become the #1 engineering school in the country? Did I miss a few decades?
OP, going to a small engineering school will not hurt your employability.
@Erin’s Dad sorry, i was looking at the BME ranking, thanks for the correction
My study into this from interviewing Employers, Professors, Data and 4 year or less removed from undergraduate students I came to this conclusion.
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Research is the most important thing. Typically a smaller college or one without Graduate program will give you the most opportunity. Being part of Honors College will help increase your opportunities. Employers want experience not a name on paper.
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Fit, if the college doesn’t create an atmosphere you enjoy it will not be productive. This is from social, climate,etc.
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What you put into it, is what you’ll get out of it. No such thing as a magic wound. Do search on some of the most successful people and you will be amazed of their college.
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Last note, if your looking at Graduate school you will probably not do it at your undergrad school. As in 3, the successful people search out the best Grad school for THEM.
Elite, Rankings, Prestige, Rich, etc. is just that. Words that mean nothing. To me wealthy, endowments, industrial partnerships, research, labs, etc. is what I look for.
Thank you very much for your responses
@nitro11 How can I best determine if a prospective school has those important qualities you mentioned at the end of your post?
School website, Industrial leaders website, edu.gov, common data sets, couse schedule for your major from that particular college
*course schedule
Rose-Hulman, which is relatively tiny, gets HUNDREDS of companies on campus each year recruiting.
If you excel in Engineering, you will have multiple job offers no matter where you attend.
Good luck!
Re #3, RHIT is arguably the highest ranked school in the country for undergraduate BME.
Smaller engineering is harder to find. The best job opportunities will come to you where you can perform at your best. Check out placement rates and ask which job fairs students have access to. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Jobs prospects for undergraduate BME majors are terrible, period. This is an engineering major that pretty much requires a graduate degree.
Olin has more companies recruiting on campus then they have graduates in each class.
@nitro11 Where do you get the theory that research is the most important thing? As someone who has an engineering degree and who has worked in engineering related fields for 30 years, I have to disagree with that. This obsession with undergrad research on CC is not reflective of the real world. Sure there are specific cutting edge fields where research may help you land a job, but for the vast majority of engineers it isn’t necessary.
Mudd has no challenge getting recruiters on campus, either. And research opportunities abound, if that is what you want. But you will work for it.
You can check out the list of recruiters that come to Mudd (as well as other interesting info regarding job placement) here: https://www.hmc.edu/career-services/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2013/08/OCS-Impact-Report-JUL16-singlepgs.pdf
I will agree to disagree. In your 30 years in the field how did you get hired and how do you hire employees?
My information is not coming from this site rather contacting professor, employer, students,etc. The RIGHT research is the key for both employment or grad school. Your curriculum is important too. Do you have labs ever semester or only after? What semester do you take courses in your discipline.
This is key for internship and COOP.
Cal tech anyone ? Small, not a hindrance.
As far as research, we visited a small LAC, one of the few that had an engineering program.
It was Union College in NY. Has 200 students in engineering, 50/class. No grad students.
Yes there were undergrads doing research. But there are very few research projects going on there,
you take whatever they have. Very few advanced specialty classes for Junior/Seniors as a large
eng school would have. A prof told us “you can get that training on the job from large employers”.
Of course you have to get the job first 
I don’t think this was an engineering specific issue,
my other kid was interested in econ, and one small college we visited had THREE econ profs and
very few classes to pick from each semester, beyond beginners econ. If you thrive on personal
attention and training and relationship with the prof, I do think a small schools is a great choice.
My older one switched from econ to eng at a large U and the profs do not care about the students much.
The TAs are no help. You must learn completely on your own for Fresh/Soph classes.
To me the ideal is a small school for Fresh/Soph year, then transfer to a big school for the degree and
upper level classes !