Why are most top engineering schools large state schools?

“How do you know if a college has a good engineering department? Is accreditation all you need to be considered a good engineering school?”

I would also want to know the drop out rate for their engineering program, placement rates, and average salaries for the major you are considering. In my experience, if 80% of the students who start engineering graduate, that is good. Top engineering programs may have placed 80%-90% or more of graduates by graduation. Average salaries can vary more than you might anticipate by school.