choosing between prestigious vs less prestigious program

[viccar]

I am interested in two graduate programs, one at Glasgow and another at Oxford. Glasgow has offered me a scholarship which will cover 50% international tuition fees. I have not heard anything about funding from Oxford yet though it is pretty unlikely at the masters level. The deadline to accept Glasgow is approaching (next few days), otherwise I lose the scholarship.

Both programs look good, but I think that the program at Oxford will teach me more "hard skills" (e.g., methodology, evaluation, analysis, etc.), which would be useful for later employment/doctoral studies. But the price is considerably higher, especially because I have no idea if I will get any sort of funding. I'm not sure if the program is necessarily worth going into 45k+ debt (versus 5-10k for Glasgow). I am leaning towards Oxford, with the assumption that the name may pay off better in the long run (opportunities, connections, prestige) but thinking about the immediate cost puts me off. 

Welcome to hear any thoughts, etc. Thanks!

Edited March 17, 2019 by viccar

[battermix]

Depends on the program and whether it is lucrative enough to invest in for Oxford.

Do you think following Oxford, you could make enough to pay off that debt quickly? If yes, then go for it. The name does matter more than people think. 

However, for the name, you don't want to be under a financial burden for the majority of your life. Thus, really depends on the program you are going for.