<p>I would say the better choice depends largely upon your goals and set of circumstances. We can give recommendations and suggestions but ultimately you need to do what is right for you.</p>
<p>Visit both schools. I know RHIT has some kind of summer program that you might be interested in. I never really looked at UIUC so I have no idea what they offer. When will you start college?</p>
<p>What is your financial situation like? If you don’t anticipate much in the way of scholarships and/or you don’t have parents ready to pay for tuition, you might want to look more into UIUC (which I’m assuming is in-state for you). Tuition might just sound like some random number at this point in time, but it will become a VERY REAL number when it comes time to start paying student loans back. Having to pay back $60,000 (just a number I made up, it could be more or substantially less) doesn’t sound like that big of a deal when you’ve never really had to worry about things like rent/mortgage, utilities, etc. but it really is quite a large number and will require you to make some lifestyle adjustments compared to graduating debt free.</p>
<p>This is not to scare you away from student loans and a more expensive school, but rather something you should be aware of. If you visit RHIT and like it and like the idea of smaller classes then it’s probably worth the debt. If you really cannot decide between the two, then the cheaper option is probably the best. Both are great schools and you cannot go wrong with either.</p>
<p>Getting into UIUC for graduate school will depend more on you than the school you choose to attend for undergrad. If you do well you will be able to get in even if you go to some obscure university. The reputation of your school does matter a bit, but RHIT is a well-respected school so you will have nothing to worry about.</p>