Cross posting it from the Computer Science thread:
I've got admits from University of Colorado, Boulder and University of California, Davis, both for MS CS programs. I'm interested in machine learning (and NLP, recently) and I'll probably not be pursuing a PhD after MS. From what I've found, UCD is somewhat cheaper overall and has marginally better ranking in ML but is pretty poor NLP wise whereas CU Boulder is great in NLP. Research interests line up in both schools. No funding in either, and as far as I'm aware, job opportunities are somewhat better in California than Colorado because of the tech scene.
My main issue is whether a degree from UC Davis is perceived as being of "lesser" value because it has a reputation for being rather laidback? And does the UC tag by itself hold any value over CU Boulder?
Do you guys have any suggestions or any other information that could help?
