Not to nitpick, but I just paid $44k for freshman year at GT, including new dorm and unlimited meal plan. It’s a lot of money, of course, but GT is pretty reasonable compared to other top engineering schools.
Definitely check out Auburn if your looking at University of Alabama.
Or don’t 
Or don’t?? They are rivals, correct??
Yes, they are football rivals - I don’t think Auburn worries too much about Alabama as a school rival, although Alabama seems to like to think so. 
@Chardo I’d be the first to agree that UA and UAH are very different. Likewise for UAH and UMD. However, my D2 has visited both of them and really likes them both, for different reasons. Size doesn’t matter to her, nor do sports (as she just ignores them, unless they have a marching band she can participate in.) That’s why I suggested to the OP that she at least take a look at UAH.
UAH has a marching Band? Univ of Alabama and Auburn have 2 of the top marching bands in the country - both +/= 400 members! I have to leave for work but here’s a link to an AU pregame - just grabbed the first one I ran across and their halftime shows are incredible as well - the entire school gets behind the band, it’s not just a band parent thing. The 4 corners pep rallies are amazing. You can search YouTube for better videos - Alabama’s Million Dollar Band will have tons of videos as well.
And of course I forgot to paste the link - here’s a pre-grame link but again, check out YouTube for AUMB Auburn University Marching Band and MDB, Alabama’s Million Dollar Band. They are both fantastic bands!
I can’t seem to get it to paste - one last time:
Apparently Auburn hasn’t worried enough about the academic rivalry, since it’s slipped to 8 spots below Bama on USNWR.
I think the rivalry is related to sports not academics.
See, I told you so!
I guess I can’t argue with that!
@usualhopeful USNWR??
Florida Institute of Technology, known better as Florida Tech, in Melbourne, FL. Yes, this private school is expensive, but they are also very generous with scholarships. The alumni network is awesome (which helps with internship and job placement.) And it is getting very exciting around here, especially for aerospace engineers. Sure, the Space program kept things going around here, but now, major defense companies who have been here for years are expanding at an incredible rate (i.e, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed, Harris, etc) In addition, Elon Musk’s company is down here,and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is breaking ground at Cape Canaveral. If you are open to considering Huntsville, you should consider Brevard County, FL. It is smaller around here, but there are advantages to that. If you can get the scholarship money from FIT, then it would be a compelling choice, but there is absolutely no way you would not have internships while in school and a job immediately upon graduation. And if you stick around after graduation, that engineering salary will go far.
@Michthebeech U.S. News & World Report, the source of the most widely-used college ranking system. (Not that I’m a fan of USNWR, I think the idea of college rankings is pointless.)
USNWR rankings are directional at best and really the factors used to rank are so manipulative a Uni can make some changes that affect the rankings which have no bearing on the quality of education.
Anyway - for what it’s worth Auburn Engineering is ranked 30th undergrad and 36th graduate among Public Universities. And regarding Aerospace in particular, recently Boeing Network & Space Systems named an Auburn engineering grad as their president (got his masters in business at Univ of Alabama) and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center named an Auburn engineering grad as their newest director. There are a lot of Auburn grads in the Aero/Space industry.
Although Auburn and Bama are pretty much peers now, Auburn definitely has had the historical edge in STEM, so there’s definitely a point there about Aerospace alumni network. Doesn’t necessarily make a big difference, or else you couldn’t look at small schools, but it’s a small factor.
@usualhopeful I assumed that’s what you meant. I did buy the book. 2016 Find the Best Colleges. I know the rankings are manipulated somewhat but it is a guide. Nevertheless it’s so hard to make these major life decisions. I know cheaper is not always better but is it good enough?? I’d hate to steer her in the wrong direction.
I wouldn’t stress too much. They’re both ABET-accredited and could get your daughter where she wants to go.