I recently received admits from the University of British Columbia for a Master's in Physics, and from ETH Zurich for a Masters in Quantum Engineering. I am really happy with my options, but there are differences between them which have made this choice a tough one:
At UBC, I'll be fully funded, and have also secured an additional scholarship that would entail more funding and an internship at a Canadian company working in quantum computing (QC). From what I have read online, the job prospects in physics in particular(industry or otherwise) are much better in North America than in Europe.
At ETH, I couldn't apply for the ESOP/ETH-D scholarships in time, and will have to bear the gigantic living costs (the tuition fees at ETH is very affordable)in Zurich on my own. However, I will be applying to third party sources for fellowships, and am anticipating some respite via them. The program will also allow me to pursue an internship in QC for a semester, which will help my finances as well.
I am torn between which uni to choose. UBC is ranked between 30-50 in physics from what I have seen, whereas ETH is consistently ranked within the top 10. Both institutes are doing very good research in the areas of my interest, and I have found supervisors I am excited to work with at both.
I see myself pursuing a PhD in atomic/molecular physics in the future, with the end goal of working in the RnD divisions of quantum computing startups and companies, or if I get lucky, getting tenure track in a related field.
I would really appreciate any inputs that help me make an informed decision.
Edit: I will be graduating with a bachelors degree this June, and will start my Masters at either institute in September.