anu

Got into 2 most reputed programs for MS in CS and now I can't seem to find an answer where to go.. This is what I have uptil now on both the univs.. USC: Highly reputed, non-thesis degree, offers variety of courses to choose from, also has a dedicated research track, hub for IT companies. On the other hand very very costly not only the tuition but also the living expenses. I am not sure about the non-thesis option. I've heard that a research based degree is better than a non-thesis one. Penn State: good school but not as reputed as USC, great research work, research based degree, picks out very few MS CS applicants, so I feel great cost of living is cheaper as compared to USC. However Penn State has increased its tuition to 29700$ per year now. So that is a factor to consider amongst others. If anyone can hep please also tell me the on-campus jobs available so that I can work my way through my studies since no funding available. Recruitment scenario is also very good My research interests are database systems and mobile computing and both univs are good at it. Please help!