Need help finding the best engineering schools in Washington

Hi! I'm a junior from Washington, and I'm hoping to study engineering in college. I'd like to stay in-state for my education. Can anyone help me find the top engineering schools in the area? Thanks a lot!

Hi there! It's great that you're interested in engineering and want to stay in-state for your college education. Washington has several strong engineering schools to choose from.

1. University of Washington (UW) — Located in Seattle, UW has a well-regarded College of Engineering which offers a variety of engineering disciplines. Programs include aerospace engineering, bioengineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, and more. UW's engineering programs are known for their research opportunities and strong faculty.

2. Washington State University (WSU) — WSU is located in Pullman and has the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture. They offer various engineering programs, such as chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

3. Seattle University (SU) — Located in the heart of Seattle, SU's College of Science and Engineering programs include civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. One of the benefits of studying engineering at SU is the smaller class sizes and personalized attention from faculty members.

4. Gonzaga University — Situated in Spokane, Gonzaga University offers engineering programs through its School of Engineering and Applied Science. Programs available include civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. Gonzaga is known for its tight-knit community and dedicated faculty.

5. Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) — Located in Tacoma, PLU's School of Engineering offers two dual degree programs, in partnership with Washington University in St. Louis and Columbia University in New York. Students can earn both a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Engineering Physics in five years.

When deciding which one to attend, consider factors like location, campus culture, and proximity to internship and job opportunities. If you have a particular area of interest within engineering, also factor that into your decision - look into which areas the faculty members at each school specialize in, and think about professional development opportunities related to the subfield in the surrounding area. For example, if you're interested in the use of engineering in tech, being closer to Seattle might make sense, whereas if you're interested in renewable energy sources, being near the wind farms in eastern Washington might be a better choice.

Finally, you might want to visit the campuses and talk to current engineering students to get a better feel for each school. During your search, remember to not discount the importance of the overall campus culture - you want to be sure you choose an institution where you'll thrive personally as well as academically. Good luck in your college search!