Acoustics/audio engineering/recording technology/physics/electrical engineering?

What you want is a "recording arts" degree program, and I don't know why you have ruled out full sail.. It is the industry standard really.. They place over 75% of thier graduates. At any rate.. there are many good degree programs for the recording arts.. and that is definitely what you'll want specific to "audio engineering". You won't want to go with electrical engineering.. unless you are looking for a broader career and not just audio and recording. For just audio engineering you want "recording arts" Be very carefull.. many universities offer this, but some programs aren't up to speed with current technology. There are a lot of good programs in Tennessee.. I would start there, but I would also recommend taking another look at Full Sail. A lot, a lot of people talk down full sail because it is so expensive.. but I'm here to tell you that this is definitely one of those times that you get what you pay for. There have been a lot of websites pop up talking trash about fu ll sail built by people who went there and did not finish the program.. it's called.. being bitter.. Truth be told, it's an excellent program if you can afford it. Your tuition includes a brand new mac powerbook tweaked for optimal performance with pro tools and the whole 9. There is no better recording arts program to have on your resume.