I think a major factor in your decision could be the cost of attendance. The cost of attendance at USC could be much higher, especially the living costs in LA area. Based on past record, I think USC would probably be better in academics (faculty, courses, placements) . Closeness to the Silicon Valley also helps in terms of securing internships and jobs. I can say that the VLSI program at USC is definitely good because I have some friends/ acquaintances who graduated fro USC. I didn't know much about the UMASS VLSI until a few years back when I came across some of their research at a conference. I think they are building (or already have ) a good VLSI program as well. The are some good electronics companies in the greater Boston area but not as many as in Silicon Valley.
