<p>So for the nerdy industry firms, Swarthmore is a big name. [For instance, almost all CS majors who want to work at Google after Swat gets a job there. I’ve not seen anyone go to Facebook, however.] You probably have more trouble getting a back office job at a bank, but I’m not sure you’d want such a job (apparently they’re treated pretty poorly). </p>
<p>I think Penn’s name might help you secure a job more than Duke will –– also its graduate engineering program is ranked higher than Duke’s, it seems. </p>
<p>Despite that, liberal arts college will give you a more interdisciplinary education, it seems. For instance, a major in computer science + math/physics would prep you pretty well, it seems for PhD study, while the BSE at Penn, for instance, will prep you very well for industry, and possibly for academia. Swarthmore places really well into PhD programs in this area, so it probably shouldn’t be a deciding factor.</p>