Admitted directly to CS major at both, and I’m a transfer so I’ll be going for just two years most likely. The cost is similar, about ~$7-8k cheaper at UW, but it’s not a huge factor for me.
I care mainly about career opportunities and strength of program. I like the campus/city of both equally, and things like weather/fit/culture etc. honestly don’t matter to me. Which one you taking and why?
Congrats on your acceptances. Where do you want to live after graduation?
Have you looked at the major requirements and courses? Profs? Does either appeal to you more across those factors?
UWashington or UWisconsin?
If you truly mean it doesn’t matter, and the cost difference is not an issue for you, I would pick Michigan
Sorry, UW-Seattle! (The real UW ;))I always forget there are a dozen or so UWs it seems like.
Probably SF tbh!
The reqs and course offerings are more or less the same, with the difference that UMich is mostly taught in C++ while UW is mostly taught in Java. The courses are basically even in terms of interest to me.
Assuming that the W in “UW” means any of Washington, Wisconsin, or Waterloo, both UW and U.Michigan are very good for computer science. I have worked with graduates from all four of these schools, and been impressed by all of them.
Okay, W is Washington. This does suggest a bit of a weather difference between the two schools.
For computer science you are comparing excellent with excellent.
You might want to think about where you want to spend the next couple of years of your life. You also might want to look at the graduation requirements for a CS major for both of these schools.
Where you want to live after graduation may matter a bit – companies often recruit from local schools. However, graduates from these schools (all four of them) will get jobs in Silicon Valley, Massachusetts, and pretty much anywhere else where high tech jobs are available.
This is a tough decision specifically because you are comparing excellent to excellent. For me the specific graduation requirements and where you want to live for the next few years might be the most important considerations, with price being a third thing to consider (although it sounds like the price difference is relatively small).
There are three that seem to be most likely for a CS major. However, Wyoming also comes up. One of the best professors that I ever had was a University of Witwatersrand graduate, but this one has otherwise never come up. I think that there are at least seven or eight more UW’s if you include England and Australia and Canada, but I have never seen any of them come up on this web site. “A dozen” is probably correct, or even low.
You are absolutely right, that’s why it is so difficult! It feels like I’m passing up a great opportunity to not go to UMich, but it sounds like they are held in the same regard in the tech industry? I think UMich is a slight notch above overall, but does the overall name matter or is it literally just the program specific reputation?
For your point on location, I would prefer SF, but I definitely wouldn’t dislike staying in Seattle if I had to. Fair points on curriculum, it may come down to that in the end.
The one you want, that you could see yourself at.
No wrong choice. Two kids could pick two different schools.
Congrats on such wonderful opportunities.
UWashington.
For overall brand name benefit long term vs just the CS specific program brand name from UW?
There isn’t a meaningful difference between the strength and reputation of Michigan’s CS program vs Washington’s. But Michigan’s overall brand is far stronger, even globally, and it’s located in a great college town. It also has a far larger alumni network.
So my vote goes Michigan if cost and region don’t matter to you.
I am being biased with a recently graduated son and being involved on the Michigan thread. If you don’t care and money isn’t an obstacle then Go Blue! If you take advantage of it the Alumni network alone is worth it. There are also many opportunities at Michigan. Think they started one of the only AI used daily for students etc. Ann Arbor is always rated one of the best college campuses yearly and the town also.
Plus I get to tell my neighbor who Flys his UW flag that we got another one 
.
You really have two great choices. With all else being equal Name recognition (I say Go Blue to someone several times a day in Chicago), and reputation regionally and Nationally are bonuses.
Good Luck.
I generally agree with the above points - both of these are excellent CS programs at excellent universities, and if you make the decision based on external factors (location, weather, cost, a friend in a city, whatever), you’ll be fine either way.
That said, if it was my decision - and my bias is really just regional, in that I’ve spent more time as a hiring manager in CS fields in the PNW than I have anywhere else - the UW computer science reputation on the west coast is extraordinary. UW is literally at the heart of cutting-edge research and has connections to the software industry that are just frankly stronger, more durable, and deeper than you will get in Ann Arbor. UW CS graduates are the cream of the crop at a difficult time in the industry, and the limits put on the Allen School means that there is a chance to focus on engaging every student (including non-traditional and transfer students).
The Michigan brand may be stronger in the general and global sense, but in the technology field in the US (on either coast, but especially on the west coast), it’s certainly not.
Michigan, always Michigan. Just Go Blue! already. Excellent points made about Michigan above.
Thanks for the feedback, I really value hearing from people in the tech field either in or close to hiring roles about how they see the two. The rankings come and go so I try not to put too much stock on that, I try to attribute more weight towards hearing experiences like yours. So even if they may be tied or close on one of the rankings, you would expect on average the UW CS grad to be a slight cut above?
IN CS, both colleges have the same reputation, and U-Dub may have the edge.
However, as others have written, Michigan has the edge when talking about the school as a whole.
SO, if the person who is deciding to hire you is from CS, a UW degree may have an edge, however, if the person who is hiring is not from CS (including other fields of engineering), UMich would have an edge.
Seriously, though, these are two of the very very best CS programs in the USA, and, as @DadTwoGirls wrote, you have Excellent versus Excellent. Still, because of how the career world looks, I would put a feather more weight on the scales for UMich.
PS. If you had written that you were thinking of doing a PhD in CS, UW would be the best choice.
OP, for whom did you cheer during the college football championship game?
ETA:
Both are quality schools with excellent CS programs. So – if you can’t decide on the program, location/weather, or setting you prefer, go with the school you backed during that game: the one in white and purple with gold helmets, or the one bedecked in blue with yellow trim? It’s a potential tie-breaker.
This is such an interesting thread. I live on the west coast and out here UW is considered the very best for CS. It has a 2% acceptance rate for OOS students.
I think of Michigan as a great school for Business!
I think it is a good thread as well, I love hearing from people’s different perspectives! Do you think UW CS name carries strong to SF as well in addition to Seattle (which like you said, is pretty obvious that it is well known there). While Michigan is definitely strong for Business, I think they are right there for CS as well. We can talk about rankings being superficial or not, but the fact is they are 1 spot behind UW – so essentially tied. However, I put more stock in the anecdotal perceptions and experiences of people who are actually “in the know”, which is why I’m genuinely curious if UW is a clear step above in terms of CS, because rankings wise being 1 spot above does not mean too much.
But what UMich has that UW does not – I’m being objective here because I live in Wa – is an overall strong brand name that carries nationwide.
I think people are way over thinking. Both are great for CS and five years into your career no one will care if you went to UW, Michigan, Iowa, UNH or anywhere else.
Go where fits today. Finances are a part of fit.
No school guarantees anything and these two schools are splitting hairs, especially in the major. No matter where you want to end up.
UW has a better CS program and is right next to Microsoft. Michigan’s CS program is not in the same tier. While many might suggest that UMich’s programs are better overall, they forget that you will be studying CS specifically, and all other alternatives offer less value.