Purdue vs Vanderbilt vs USC for engineering

College Search & Lists
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  • taking cost out of the decision
  • biomedical engineering major but considering computer engineering
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Large vs medium vs smaller medium.

Rural vs city

Cold vs warm

Ocean vs not ocean

All are fine.

By ā€˜pedigreeā€™ Iā€™d say Purdue, then Vandy, then USC.

But look at things like major size, AP credit, dorm and food quality and all the intangibles listed above.

Three different schools. Take our opinion out. Which school is right for you?

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You canā€™t take cost out of the consideration, because they each have strengths and weaknesses, like all schools do. None of them are worth paying dramatically more than the others.

By pedigree, Iā€™d personally say Purdue, USC, Vandy, but weā€™re really splitting hairs.

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You are right about the $$

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Factors listed above, such as location preference, would heavily influence a decision between these very comperable schools. If a student has a chance to visit, the feeling of ā€œfitā€ and ā€œbelongingā€ would likely be as meaningful as the difference in program quality.

Overall, Iā€™d agree Purdue has an edge, but the Biomed major is relatively new/smaller. The Computer Engineering program is strong.

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You also need to look into how difficult it is to switch majors. Purdue starts undeclared, and is competitive to get the major of choice after first year. I canā€™t speak for the rest. Earnings and job opportunities will be similar between them all.

And, when I said you canā€™t take cost out of the decision, certainly you can. Given what the money could do if not used for school, and the equivalent outcomes though, itā€™s not unreasonable to consider it at least as a factor. If debt would need to be incurred thatā€™s a different story.

Good luck.

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Cost is your first consideration. If you canā€™t afford it, it doesnā€™t matter how good the school seems to be. You canā€™t go there.

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I agree, but presumed the OP can afford it based on the instruction to disregard cost. That said, if leverage is required, or there are substantial cost differences, there wonā€™t be outcome quality differences to justify it. If it is indeed affordable, without leverage, the OP would potentially be buying a better fit, as @RichInPitt alluded to.