Why I chose Cranfield over one of America’s top ranked public universities

I was accepted at both Cranfield University and the 11th best ranked public University in the USA, the University of Illinois, to study my Masters. How was I going to decide? In the end I chose Cranfield, but let me explain to you how I ended up making the best choice of my educational career so far…

Just before graduating from one of the top French engineering schools, Ecole Centrale de Lille, I was offered the opportunity of a double diploma. It was a great opportunity for me to finally focus on aerospace engineering. I soon applied to the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (USA) which is ranked #4 in the Shanghai Ranking in Engineering, and Cranfield University because of the overwhelming positive feedback I heard about them. However, I struggled to find any rankings for Cranfield and most people I talked to had never heard of it.

I soon understood that although Cranfield, being a postgraduate-only and highly technical university, is not as well-known as other universities, it is indeed one of the top, if not the best, in fields such as Aerospace in Europe.

Cranfield is really about transforming knowledge into action, about learning what companies want. Almost every day you can feel and participate in this ambition, with lectures from industry experts, networking sessions, business mixers and seminars or conferences across campus.

There are so many opportunities to meet new people, to firmly put one foot inside the businesses that partner with Cranfield through your projects, and to get an insight on what the industry really wants from you.

For me, Cranfield also came out on top because of the many precise and advanced courses offered, the impressive facilities, the international environment and the relevant sponsors for every project and task you will undertake here.

The one-year intensive MSc, the reputation in Europe, and mostly the close relationship with industry and businesses, were the factors that made me choose Cranfield University over Illinois in the end. And I will never regret that choice.

*Picture above is of my Aerospace Vehicle Design course group. 

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