Faculty jobs are incredibly competitive, which means that at almost any school you will get some very high-quality faculty (at least in terms of research, publi

Faculty jobs are incredibly competitive, which means that at almost any school you will get some very high-quality faculty (at least in terms of research, publications, and fundraising.) Non-elite research universities may also offer good opportunities for research. And of course elite public universities offer nearly all of the benefits of their private cousins, usually at lower cost. But I concur that if you get into MIT (or comparable) and it seems to be a good fit, then it is hard to beat for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless another strategy that is worth considering is pursuing a science or engineering major at a good but cheaper and less elite school, where you can perhaps stand out more, and then attending an elite graduate school (private or public) in your field.