Electrical Engineering Undergrad - WVU vs. Pitt

[Dan8420]

Hey all, I am currently torn between West Virginia University (WVU) and University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) as far as school choice goes for my undergrad in Electrical Engineering. From everything I am reading online, Pitt is the better school academically, but I would like some input from some people who either work with people out of these colleges or have been there themselves.

About my situation: I currently hold an Associates of Business Administration from a Community College with a GPA of 3.87, and am also taking classes there right now, primarily math, physics, and programming to get myself ready to transfer out in Spring of 19. Due to my circumstances, wife / job / house / etc, I am limited to these two universities geographically, but I am roughly equal distance from both, so that's really not a factor. My primary concern is academics and quality of education, but going to WVU would save me in the ballpark of $30,000, so that must be taken into consideration as well. My current job is wanting me to take these classes and has been extremely helpful as far as scheduling etc, so getting a job out of college isn't a major part of this choice, as I plan to stay with this company for at least some years after getting my degree. At that point, everything I've read leads me to believe (I could be wrong on this, let me know) that my job experience will trump where my degree came from in any future job changes.

TL;DR: Is the University of Pittsburgh worth the extra $30k to attend over West Virginia University?

 

[Dr.D]

I spent a summer at WVU many years ago, and that was the poorest excuse for a school I ever saw. I'd stay clear of WVU at all costs.i
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[Dan8420]

the poorest excuse for a school I ever saw

Thank you for the reply Dr.D. Could you go into any specifics? I was afraid this was going to be the case, as I have noted that it is ranked highly as a "Party School" but was hoping the academic side wouldn't be affected by what the students do there.

 

[Dr.D]

I think I"ve said enough already. Go to Pitt!

 

[jasonRF]

I am an ee who has been in industry for a couple decades for what that is worth. Both programs are accredited so it is likely that you can earn a solid ee degree from either. Does that mean they are the same? Of course not. But only you know what that $30k means for your family. i recommend looking at the specific programs in more detail, including opportunities to work on larger projects and/or do undergraduate research, co-op programs (if those interest you), career services and who hires the graduates and at what salaries (in case your plan to stay with your company falls through), curriculum differences, whether there are specializations that mesh with your interests and goals, class sizes for upper division classes (if you care), etc. Once you know the details of the differences, then you can decide whether it makes sense to spend extra to go to pitt. If you are commuting to school from your house then whether or not the party scene is wild is probably is irrelevant. In fact, even modest-sounding differences in commuting times (with traffic) and costs (including parking, tolls, gas) probably matter more.

Hopefully someone that is familiar with those programs will chime in with some actual insight.Good luck,

Jason

 

[jasonRF]

I spent a summer at WVU many years ago, and that was the poorest excuse for a school I ever saw. I'd stay clear of WVU at all costs.

Thank you for the reply Dr.D. Could you go into any specifics?

Indeed.

Dr.D, what specifically makes you believe it is such a poor school? Was it facilities? If so, which ones? Quality of academic instruction? If so, for which classes. Housing? Food? Quality of music ensembles? Social atmosphere? Athletics? The surrounding community? ...

Also, how many years are we talking about?

Please elaborate .

 

[Dan8420]

Thank you for the advice and feedback jasonRF. I have begun looking into these items and will update this when I have some answers.

 

[Crass_Oscillator]

I was at Pitt for a year; the town and atmosphere are nice, and the school is pretty decent.

But in this day and age, go where the money is. If Pitt will put you 30k into debt, just finish your degree at WVU.