I can afford all 5 universities because I have received substantial aid/scholarships from most of them.
“I can afford all 5 universities”
Then you really are in very good shape.
Looking at the list that @Publisher posted, you will notice U.Mass Amherst tied at #20. This is consistent with my experience. There are a lot of excellent graduates from U.Mass in computer science and I have worked with many of them. Ohio State and Penn State are also on the list (between 20 and 31). I do not believe that there is any meaningful difference between #20 on the list and #34 on the list – these are all very good universities. There are hundreds of universities with strong CS programs, and you are looking at some very good ones.
If you get accepted to Berkeley and if you can afford it without any debt or financial hardship then I would probably go there – however I would not take on debt to attend Berkeley because your other options are so very good. It is quite unlikely that you will get any financial aid at Berkeley and it is expensive for out of state and international students. If U.Mass Amherst is affordable without any debt then it would certainly be high on my list.
First of all, congratulations on getting into those schools!
To evaluate which university has the “best computer science program”, I would recommend for you to take a quick look through https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/computer-science-rankings?name=Penn. However, I would emphasize that ranking is not everything, because these ranks are not always truly reliable and are dependent on a variety of factors. Ranking also always varies significantly, depending on where you look.
When considering which university to attend, I would further emphasize the importance of how successful you will be at the university. You generally want to be ranked highly in your class and have a good GPA, as to look better to employers. So, often it is better for you to do better at a slightly lower-ranking school, as compared to performing poorly at a higher-ranking one. You should also consider the other opportunities that these universities offer that may supplement your interest in computer science or broaden your scope, as well. For example, you may also want to consider location and the possibility of internships.
Hope this helps…
I’m with @DadTwoGirls on this one: UMass Amherst → Penn → Ohio. They are peers enough that I suggest looking at second tier things: where you think you might be happiest. Climate isn’t a big difference between them (howl all you want, NE/MW people- I’m standing over it! the nuances won’t be meaningful to an international student ?), but travel might be. Availability of things that are particularly interesting to you (different sports / faith groups / cultural elements) might be. Spend some time on the websites and see what appeals to you. Between those then there isn’t a bad choice.
I recommend you avoid reliance on graduate department rankings, such as linked in reply #22. They use criteria that is not tailored to undergraduate study.
If accepted, attend UCB. It has some of the best alumni/job networks for Computer Science, so that would help your life after college. UMass Amherst has a good rep amongst grad schools in MA in terms of their Computer Science Program. Did you get into the Honors Program at UMass?
Personally, as the schools you have gotten in to are all giant publics and not amongst the top 10 in CS, I would choose the honors program at UNL. More individualized attention, research opportunities, and opportunities in general. The differences in ranking amongst these schools likely would be outweighed by the benefits of the UNL honors program.
The calculation changes if you get in to EECS at Cal or CS at UCSD and they cost the same.
(BTW, @collegemom3717, PSU and OSU aren’t UPenn or Ohio U).
@LexingtonBassoon No, I didn’t get into the Honors program.
Thanks, @PurpleTitan - I am very aware of that! I should have specified, but assumed that as we are talking about two places where the OP has acceptances there wouldn’t be confusion.
No worries, @collegemom3717. I think everyone on the thread understood you. But since the OP will be coming to the US, I didn’t want him/her to start using the “improper” abbreviations (in fact, to Buckeyes, referring to them as “Ohio” is downright insulting*)
- Has to do with a football rivalry with The Team Up North, in their parlance.
The CS grad school rankings can be very helpful if you have a specific area of interest in CS. Click on the link & the percentage of grad students working in specific areas will be revealed. So, for example, if your interest in CS focuses on robotics & artificial intelligence, it will be clear which schools have a lot of activity in those areas as well as which schools do not.
I’d pick UMass first (really strong CS) and UNL Honors second (perks really worth it + lots of internship opportunities through relocation).
Cost of living will be much lower in Nebraska.