ECE M.S.: UCSD vs Duke vs Columbia

[chiuyang]

I graduated with a math major and I am doing a project on network coding theory, so I applied to master program in ECE and got admitted by these three. I have little idea in the ECE major in general, but I plan to transfer (or apply) to PhD during/after the program and research in this area (coding theory). Advantages for each (far as I know): UCSD has a large population doing researches on this, while Duke and Columbia have like one or two professors; I've studied at Chapel Hill for a semester and I'm very fond of the environments and so in NC; Columbia is ivy. Any suggestions?