If you're interested in engineering and applied sciences, check out these schools first. Each has impressive facilities, professors, and name recognition. I've listed the schools alphabetically to avoid the arbitrary distinctions often used to decide who should be number 7 or 8 in a top ten list. That said, CalTech, MIT and Stanford are probably the most prestigious schools on the list.
If you're not 100% sure that engineering is right you, consider one of these top comprehensive universities. Most feature strong engineering programs, but they also have strengths in the sciences, social sciences and humanities.
California Institute of Technology
Velo Steve / Flickr
Caltech, The California Institute of Technology, always places at or near the top of national rankings of engineering schools for undergraduates. With its high admissions standards, small size and 3:1 student-faculty ratio, it's easy to see why. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California, a short distance from Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.
Carnegie Mellon University
Jimmy Lin / Flickr
Carnegie Mellon University is best known for its top-ranked science and engineering programs, but prospective students shouldn't underestimate the school's strengths in the arts and sciences as well. CMU is a highly-selective, mid-sized university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Cornell University
phoosh / Flickr
Along with its excellent faculty and facilities, Cornell boasts a beautiful location in the Finger Lakes region of central New York. The huge hillside campus overlooks Lake Cayuga and is crisscrossed by deep gorges and bridges. Cornell is unique among the Ivy League universities in that its agricultural program is part of the state school system.
Georgia Institute of Technology
brian.chu / Flickr
Located on a 400-acre urban campus in Atlanta, Georgia Tech consistently ranks as one of the best public universities in the United States. Georgia Tech's greatest strengths are in the sciences and engineering, and the school places heavy emphasis on research. Along with strong academics, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets compete in NCAA Divsion I intercollegiate athletics.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
controltheweb / Flickr
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is usually ranked as the #1 engineering school in the country. With a campus stretching along the Charles River and overlooking the Boston skyline, MIT's location is as attractive as the quality of its academic programs.
Purdue University, West Lafayette Campus
The Udall Legacy Bus Tour: Views from the Road / Flickr
Purdue University in West Lafayette is the main campus of the Indiana state university system. As the home to over 40,000 students, the campus is a city unto itself that offers over 200 academic programs for undergraduates. West Lafayette is located about 125 miles southeast of Chicago and 65 miles north of Indianapolis. Purdue is a member of the Big Ten Athletic Conference, and the school fields nine men's and nine women's Division I NCAA teams.
Stanford University
Paraflyer / Flickr
Stanford is usually considered the best school on the west coast, as well as one of the finest research and teaching universities in the world. Stanford is just as competitive as the best universities in the Northeast, but with its Spanish architecture and mild Californian climate, you won’t mistake it for the Ivy League.
University of California at Berkeley
hsivonen / Flickr
Berkeley consistently ranks as the best public university in the country. It offers students a bustling and beautiful campus in the San Francisco Bay area, and top-ranked programs in the humanities, sciences, and engineering. Well known for its liberal and activist personality, Berkeley provides its students with a rich and vibrant social environment.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
jeffwilcox / Flickr
Located in Ann Arbor Michigan, the University of Michigan consistently ranks as one of the best public institutions in the country. The university has a highly talented undergraduate student body -- about 25% of admitted students had a 4.0 high school GPA. The school also boasts of impressive athletic programs as a member of the Big Ten Conference. With roughly 40,000 students and 200 undergraduate majors, the University of Michigan has strengths in a wide range of academic areas.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
iLoveButter / Flickr
The large flagship campus of the University of Illinois spans the twin cites of Urbana and Champaign. UIUC consistently ranks among the top public universities in the country. The school boasts over 42,000 students and 150 different majors, and it is particularly well known for its outstanding engineering and science programs. Illinois has the largest university library in the United States outside of the Ivy League. Along with strong academics, UIUC is a member of the Big Ten Conference and fields 19 varsity teams.
