It can vary quite a bit depending on the area of study no matter which school you choose. Different flagship universities (and elite universities) have differen

It can vary quite a bit depending on the area of study no matter which school you choose. Different flagship universities (and elite universities) have different strengths and weaknesses based on history and the faculty they bring in for research. An aerospace engineering degree from Kansas Univ. (for example) is worth more than a Mechanical Engineering degree from the same Uni. With Univ. Missouri-Rolla (for example) that might be completely reversed.