<p>I would like to throw something out there- my undergrad department was rated amongst the top three in its discipline, though the university at large probably wouldn’t raise that many eyebrows. This probably didn’t mean a whole heckuva lot when I applied for graduate school. However, after undergrad I worked for a few years in industry where the reputation of my former department held quite a bit of weight; I got one job pretty much on the strength of my undergraduate preparation. It was through the professional research experience that I gained my competitive edge for graduate school.</p>
<p>I guess I am trying to make two points
-the department matters quite a bit more than the university in general
-a good undergraduate education will be pivotal in your education and career, whether or not it is used as a stepping stone to a Phd program</p>