Does anyone know whether it is better to surrender or be eliminated? Does one of them give more EXP typically, or are they both even? Furthermore, is it just a matter of personal preference, or is there some advantage one has over the other?

people hate players who dont surrender as soon as it MIGHT look like they have a disadvantage

From a gameplay perspective, there is no difference. It does not affect points or coins earned in any way.

So it comes down to how you want others to view you, and it depends on the situation. If the game is essentially over (as happens often in a 1v1), it's a good idea to just surrender to avoid making the other player waste time finishing you off.

However if it's an FFA, it's totally within your right to keep playing until the end, as you can still have a big effect on the game even if you're losing.

He/you get just as much EXP.
In team games you also get EXP if you team wins even if you have surrendered/get eliminated yourself.
Surrendering only saves time.

Allright, so basically it just comes down to how I want other people to see me. So I think I'll strive to never surrender, except in 1v1's that I'm clearly loosing. Thanks a lot, that really cleared things up. Also, just so I don't have to make a new thread about it, is there any reason I started with 0 coins and some of my friends started with 100?

if your a child you get no coins