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What colleges are good for engineers?

What colleges are good for engineers? #engineer

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Ken’s Answer

There are many colleges that are good for engineers. It really isn't much of an advantage to choose one over the other, with two major caveats. The first is that you should attend a college close to where you want to work. Employers are biased towards schools they are familiar with and tend to recruit from nearby schools. The second, and less important caveat is that if you attend one of the few very elite schools that are nationally recognized as among the very top dozen or so in the country you will also have an edge. These include the likes of MIT, CMU, Caltech, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, etc. But the vast majority of people would be best served by attending a school in the area in which they'd like to work and live for a few years after graduating.
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Drew’s Answer

The education you receive in engineering school will be more determined by your aptitude and how hard your work than what school you attend. I add one caveat, go to a school where most of the professors speak English as a native language. I've attended two engineering schools for master's degrees. Both were local. At the first, most of the professors were native speakers. In the second school, most of the professors were foreign-born and some were difficult to understand. Schools that are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) have a distinct advantage of meeting established criteria. When selecting a school, be aware there is a significant difference between engineering and engineering technology degrees. When you graduate, becoming a Licensed Professional Engineer will make your school choice irrelevant. (Four years experience and an ABET-accredited engineering degree is prerequisite for sitting for the written exam; engineering technology graduates require at least eight years experience.) If there is an advantage to top-tier engineering schools it would be that they attract the best faculty and allow you to make contacts that may be helpful as you begin your career. You will have to decide if the additional education cost is worth the benefit.

Drew recommends the following next steps:

Find information on the difference between engineering and engineering technology
Find out the value of a Professional Engineers License
Look up information on ABET
Contact several schools to learn about their faculty.
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Sarah’s Answer

I would look for ABET accreditation, which helps ensure your degree will be broadly recognized by employers. Ken has a great point about targeting schools where you may be interested in living.

I disagree with the advice about seeking professors whose native language is English. While accents can certainly be challenging, the reality of engineering is that global teams are extremely commonplace. I work with people from all over the world every day. I would encourage you to expose yourself early and often to this type of environment, and see it as a learning opportunity. Ability to communicate effectively across culture barriers is a very marketable skill and is personally rewarding.
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