The time has rolled around again for high school seniors to begin applying to college, and among students going into engineering and computer science related majors, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (or UIUC) seems to be the most discussed school in the the Midwest. But between its high cost and far distance away from Iowa, many students wonder if going to the “Harvard of the Midwest” is really worth it.
The most well-known school for engineering and computer science in Iowa is Iowa State University (ISU), so it should be comparable to UIUC to. In-state tuition for Iowa State is around $10,100 per year before aid, whereas out-of-state tuition for UIUC is a staggering $36,000 per year, over three and a half times as much as Iowa State. Other four year universities like University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa also have very affordable tuition for in-state students.
However, with higher costs come better outcomes and more connections but does that mean a better return on investment?
The average starting salary of a mechanical engineer with a bachelor’s degree at ISU clocks in at $75,000 whereas UIUC is only $67,500. Computer science, however, shows a staggering difference between ISU’s graduates and UIUC’s graduates. The starting salary at ISU is a decent $73,400, but at UIUC it spikes to $129,400.
However, there are plenty of other reasons one would choose to go to UIUC over an in-state university.
Senior Jack Cabay is looking at going into quantum computing, something that UIUC specializes in. “UIUC’s Computer Science + Physics major is centered around quantum computing, which I’d like to eventually get a PhD in. They’re also part of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, which is a research institution for students, and there are several other ways to get into research as well,” Cabay noted.
It’s students like Cabay that plan on going into new and innovative fields like quantum computing that get the full benefit of going to a prestigious university.
Jackson Weatherspoon is also looking into going to UIUC for Computer Science but is also considering ISU. He contemplates, “UIUC has a lot of prestige, so it’s definitely high on my list. Iowa State is closer and much cheaper, though.”
These are difficult decisions that many going into these two very popular fields must consider, and weigh college status and connections against your student loan debt and return on investment.
