UT Austin vs Georgia Tech vs UIUC

cosmicfish
Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:07:37 +0000

Please remember that “top department” is different than “top department for specialty X” - I would generally say that UIUC > GTech > UCLA, but each of those schools has a few professors who are at or near the top of their specialty, and as such the precise ranking is going to depend on the individual and the scope of their interest. When I was initially looking at PhD programs I was encouraged to look at Northwestern and Ohio State, where some of the powerhouses of my intended specialty were residing. That these departments were less reknowned than some others to which I applied did not stop those individuals from being exceptional, and did not make them any less the correct place to go (that I did not do so is a story for another day).

Anyway, all three schools are excellent, and which one is “right” is dependent on factors far more individual and important than any general ranking.