<p>I really hate all the talk of rankings, and really don’t think the differences are significant between the top 50 or so. I do believe that you will have more wonderful opportunities at Rice than at UT, because UT has huge departments and many fewer professors per student. Rice has incredible resources and many profs doing research - and they like to use undergrads to help with it and they form closer relationships with their students. My son was admitted to UT honors engineering and was delighted to turn it down. (He didn’t like the rabbit warren engineering facilities, and felt like the place was a huge engineering mill.) Go to the school that is the best place for you socially and economically and that you are most enthusiastic about. Any of the ones listed will provide you with a good engineering education.</p>