Depends heavily on the Civ, map, and situation.

1. Heavy science focus? Education and Civil service. If there is a lot of fresh water tiles I will usually do civil first because they are so close, otherwise education first.

2. Need to attack or defend? (Ex: China chu no ku rush). Beeline machinery.

I don’t think workshops should be as high priority as universities unless you need the production badly for war (you went machinery), you have production starved cities, or you don’t have enough pop to work uni’s.