I went to a school that nobody's heard of my for undergrad (because I was a fuckup in high school, and didn't have a lot of options), and then I went to the same school for my PhD (because I loved it, even though I had lots of options). When you submit journal articles for peer review, they don't ask where you went to school. I can say that going to a non-elite university has not hindered me professionally at all. But to your choices, PSU and UW aren't exactly light weights. Those are great schools that have tons of amazing professors. IMO, the choice for grad school shouldn't be, "Is this a good school?" It should be, "Does this potential thesis adviser's work seem like it will keep me interested all day and on nights and weekends for the next five years?" That's really the issue. If you work on a project that you love and is relevant to the world, you will do great no matter where you are.