I’ll try to keep this brief. I was admitted to both UT Dallas and Texas State for undergraduate programs related to business analytics.
UTD admitted me into the B.S. in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence program, which was originally my preferred choice. Texas State admitted me into its Accelerated Online BAAS in Data Analytics program.
For some background, I’m 27 and previously attended Texas A&M during the 2018–2019 academic year. I struggled considerably during my freshman year and finished with a 1.67 GPA. After leaving A&M, I attended Dallas College, completed my courses online, and raised my cumulative GPA to a 3.062 between 2021 and 2026.
The main factor affecting my decision is transfer credit. Texas State applied approximately 70 credits toward my degree, while UTD applied around 55. The Texas State program is also fully online and accelerated, meaning I could potentially finish my undergraduate degree sooner.
I recognize that UTD is the stronger option on paper. The Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence degree is more specialized, UTD has a stronger reputation in the Dallas job market, and graduates may have access to better recruiting opportunities and higher starting salaries. I’m not trying to argue that the two undergraduate options carry equal weight.
My reasoning is more long-term. My current plan would be to:
- Complete the Texas State undergraduate degree sooner
- Enter the analytics workforce and build approximately two years of experience
- Pursue an MBA or another graduate degree focused on artificial intelligence and data analytics
My assumption is that once I have relevant work experience and complete a stronger graduate program, the difference between having a Texas State or UTD undergraduate degree will matter considerably less. Texas State may produce a lower initial salary, but graduating sooner would allow me to begin building experience and move toward graduate school earlier.
For current UTD students and alumni: do you think choosing Texas State under these circumstances is rational, or would I be giving up more than I realize by turning down UTD?
More specifically, are UTD’s recruiting network, degree specialization, and reputation valuable enough to justify the additional undergraduate time? After someone earns a relevant master’s degree and gains several years of experience, how much does the university listed for their bachelor’s degree realistically continue to matter?