<p>So I was thinking the other day and I started wondering, why would I want to make my parents pay multiple amounts of money just for me to study in the states? (I live abroad but I’m American).
So whats the catch? Is the education really much better in an American college than that at a college in, lets say Jordan or even UAE ? I’m going to be doing engineering by the way.</p>
<p>Especially in engineering you would do best in a university where the professors are connected to modern engineering practice, ideally contracting/advising part time with industry. You would do best where by the time they are seniors, most engineering students have acquired some practical experience working as interns, ideally at a potential employer.</p>
<p>There are excellent engineering programs at Universities in the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, etc. so its not as though you need to go to an American university. I’m not familiar with the programs in Jordan or the UAE. To the extent that they match the engineering programs in other countries, they will serve you well.</p>
<p>I am sure you are going to get many answers, but where do you want to live when you graduate? Jordan or UAE? or the US? Jordan or UAE will accept US degrees with great willingness, US employers faced with a US university applicant or an unknown Jordanian university applicant will prefer an US degree unless they want someone with Arabic skills who is a US citizen. I am going to guess that even a Jordanian or UAE university might prefer US degree (or at least not question it) when compared to a Jordanian U, especially if it is a recognized US university.</p>
<p>Also, if you look at the list top 100 Universities in the world, only a couple in Israel make it, no one else in the middle east.</p>
<p>As mazewanderer said, an american degree will be internationally recognized. As long as you study at any of the prestigious universities in the US, you will truly get the chance to choose whether you want to work in the US or anywhere else (say Jordan or UAE). </p>
<p>I would say the real question you need to ask yourself is where do you see yourself living in a decade?</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there are real differences between the quality of a degree from the United States and those from many developing nations. </p>
<p>This is not just an issue between choosing a “top” engineering program.</p>
<p>Yes. American colleges and universities offer the best in terms of the education and experience. Elite private schools can do whatever they want, including hiring limos for their students during formals so ladies don’t have to walk three blocks in heels (at least in past years at some Ivies, probably not anymore). Even public flagships that are not among the top ranked (UW-Madison, University of Washington, UofM-Twin Cities, etc.) offers a quality education that exceeds the ones offered at the best university in all countries with the exception of the UK and Japan (maybe France, Switzerland, and Germany).</p>