VA2001

IMO USC is pretty overrated, and the fact that you are competing with a TON of international students is not necessarily a good thing. Yes, the job opportunities could be better, but you have so many more people competing for the same position. Also, a lot of 'factory' companies recruit from schools like USC, UIUC, UCLA where there is a large international student base. They hire in bulk for more menial jobs and a lower comparative salary. Now don't get me wrong, USC is a great school, there is a reason it is ranked high, but there is a side to schools like these that people don't acknowledge. NCSU has a great reputation in the mid-atlantic with a great average salary and lower cost of living. Job opportunities are also very good in the area and I know this from experience. The amount of jobs is less than in California but that doesn't necessarily lower your chances of getting a job. The competition is also less, the coursework and professor quality will be comparable to USC and I really believe you have a better chance of standing out in a school like NCSU than in USC. So, basically, if you are looking for only brand value then USC is the no-brainer, but if you are looking for a more holistic, varied and fulfilling experience then I believe NCSU is the better choice.

2 weeks yep ending Friday. I'll probably stick with UVA at this point. NCSU seems very strong in the triangle but the curriculum based on my research seems too focused on SAS.

Yes I did my undergrad from UT Austin. Did my interview about 2 weeks ago, got admitted last week.

I am waiting on Washington to get back to me, which would be my automatic number 1 but I'm prepared to be rejected for that one so I'm evaluating these two for now. I got into a few business analytics courses in Purdue and Michigan State but I would much rather do a data science degree.

I got accepted into both the MS. Data Science program at the University of Virginia and the MS Analytics program at NC State. Both are 10 months and are rigorous. NCSU's program is more established, but UVA's brand name seems bigger and more focused on emerging tech like R. I hear NCSU is primarily focused on SAS training. Both seem good job opportunity wise, UVA has a 100% employment rate with good companies and NCSU is up there as well, and I'm international so job opportunities after graduating is important to me. Any thoughts on both programs? How are they? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!