I'm currently debating between Columbia, Michigan, and Minnesota's Biostatistics Masters program, and was wondering if anyone else is in the same boat.
In terms of financial costs, both Columbia and Michigan's programs cost about the same amount for me (an arm and a leg since no funding was provided and I'm out of state, so I will have to take out loans). Both programs have also updated their curriculum within the last few years to incorporate more applied data science courses, which I'm excited about. Minnesota's program on the other hand is ranked higher and their tuition and cost of living is much cheaper compared to Columbia and Michigan. However, if it were to come down to location, I would much rather prefer to live in NY than Michigan or Minnesota.
Does anyone have any insight in terms of how easy/difficult it would be to secure a TA/GSR position at any of these institutions? Or how these programs are viewed in industry?