The University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign

Date: Mar 20 2011
Major: Aerospace Engineering (This Major's Salary over time)
For a highly ranked public university, UIUC is really not that great. The only thing that separates Illinois from other lower tier state schools like Illinois State University is the College of Engineering.

That being said, despite the high rankings, the College of Engineering isn't all I thought it would crack up to be. I am in a #6 in the nation department here, so I would expect to be a competitive job applicant and have an edge over students from other universities.

Right now I'm working at an aerospace company known for being highly selective with its interns, so I guess you could say UIUC has done some good for me. But one thing this internship has taught me is that UIUC is without a doubt a research oriented university. Don't expect to gain much practical workplace experience here. Without the name recognition, I probably wouldn't have this job. I am constantly showed up by students from smaller universities, and I feel as though my education at UIUC has been a waste so far.

So if you are looking to become a research scientist or professor, or if you're just a rich kid who wants to party and study some joke humanities degree, then this is the place for you. But if you want a real engineering degree that will bring success in the workplace right after a BS degree, then I suggest you look elsewhere.