Does the School Matter?

Question

I wanted some advice from the community if that is okay.

Background: I am currently a level 3 engineer at an aerospace company with 2.5 years of systems engineering and 0.5 years of network systems electrical design experience. I have a bachelor's in mathematics and a masters in machanical engineering, however, I want to transition into a more full time hardware engineering role (VLSI type stuff) in FAANG. Luckily for me, my company pays 100% for engineering masters, though I do have to pay the taxes on the money they put towards the degree.

My Question: Does the institution I go to really matter? For example, if I go to somewhere like USC or Columbia, will it really make a difference in comparison to something like University of Michigan Dearborn or another less prestigious university? I would prefer to not pay like $20,000 in taxes for the degree but if it makes me way more money in the long run, maybe it is the best option.

Please let me know what you guys think.

Thank you all in advanced!

madscience · Accepted Answer

I feel like for SWEs, the college/uni doesn't matter as much, but I could see it making a difference for hardware engineers. I would say, though, the $20k in tax is probably going to be inconsequential in the future, regardless of where you go.

AmazingHulk · Answer

School definitely matters.   And in your case, you are only paying income tax on the tuition that your employer pays for you.  Go for it.

DonkeyButter · Answer

It matters in a few ways, but none of them are huge - big name schools on your resume make it easier to get an interview. But they have limited effect, of any, on hiring decisions. - your peers will, on average, be much higher calibur. Plenty of excellent engineers go to less prestigious schools, but relatively few mediocre ones go to top programs. It's the peers, much more than the classes, who will make you a better engineer. They will also tend to make better contacts as your career evolves.- you'll have an almost imperceptible edge in advancing your career once you are at a FAANG shop. If you really take advantage of the opportunities afforded by your peers, you can get an edge in your skills that can help too.If you are heavily self-motivated and we'll connected, it won't matter much.That said: $20k is a rounding error in the career of a FAANG engineer. If you have the option, why not give yourself every advantage?

Does the School Matter?

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