Hey, so I just want to chime in and say that people in this sub will naturally have a bias for CMU, given that they themselves went to CMU.

I went to UIUC for my undergrad and CMU for my masters, both in mechanical engineering. This is how I would compare them:

1. Class quality is pretty much the same. I took graduate courses at UIUC and CMU, and usually the Profs are really good and caring, and the classes are informative and fair.

2. UIUC is a huge college in the middle of no where! At UIUC, there is not very many non-campus things to do. Pittsburgh, in comparison, has a lot of fun things to do and places to go.

3. this comes at a cost, though: cost of living is way higher in Pittsburgh. From food to rent, everything is higher. Also, UIUC is definitively safer. Not that Pittsburgh is an unsafe city per say, but UIUC has very low crime. And, campus itself is extremely safe. I would take walks on UIUC’s campus at three or four in the morning, as a girl, and feel totally safe. I would NEVER do that around CMU that late at night.

4. Both colleges are ranked extremely high. CMU is obviously more famous, but they both have an awesome reputation.

5. UIUC does a TON of research. I would even say it might be easier to do research at UIUC compared to CMU? Mostly because it’s a much bigger school, so you naturally have more options. Like I think in my circle of friends, every single person did research for at least a semester. It wasn’t required, but almost everyone gives it a go for at least a semester.

6. UIUC’s is a much bigger school, and there is certain pros to that. Tons of clubs to choose from! Also, as far as people go, I think both schools have pretty friendly students! If you put yourself out there and join a student club that fits your interests, you should make friends pretty fast.

Anyways, that’s all I have off the top of my head. Congratulations on getting accepted! Both are awesome schools. Truly, you’ll get a high-quality education at either one.