US News CS Reputation Score:
CMU 4.4
M 4.9 (Top 6 super brand in higher education in the world)
S 4.8 (Top 6 super brand in higher education in the world, heart of Silicon Valley)
UCB 4.7 (Top 6 super brand in higher education in the world, Silicon Valley access)
Gatech 4.6 (better overall engineering school)
UM 4.4 ("Public Ivy", better overall university, more flexible academic/career pathways)
U of IL 4.4
Cornell 4.2 (Ivy League, more flexible academic/career pathways)
UT 4.2 ("Public Ivy", booming local CS market)
Purdue 4.2
UW Seattle 3.8 (Top local CS market)
Princeton 4.1 (Top Ivy)
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名单上所有其它私校都有CMU难以竞争的高度和优势.
能进以上任一所本州大录取读CS,就没必要多花几倍学费去上CMU CS
如果是旗舰州大CS Honors, 那更是no brainer.