UT Austin vs ETH Zurich for CS Masters

[soursugar]

I'm an Indian student. I have been offered admission from UT Austin and ETH Zurich.

My eventual goal is to remain in the corporate world (no plans to join academia). I'm looking to join the industry in a research role in a reputed corporate research lab. I'm not 100% sure if I want to pursue a PhD.

I would say that the coursework & research at ETHZ is a better fit for my approach to education/research. 

I've made a list of pros & cons here:

1. University of Texas, Austin - MS Computer Science

+ Small class size (~ 60). Most students get RA/TA opportunities
+ All coursework is seminar style. Thesis option available. Continuation to PhD possible and quite a few students opt for it.
+ Costs reasonable (~ 19K USD per year tuition)
+ Access to US job market (probably as good as CMU)
- Not many options to pick in coursework. Fewer courses in Systems area

2. ETH, Zurich - MSc Computer Science

+ Rigorous coursework (~ 40% fail rate) in preparation for a PhD. Develops strong theoretical base

+ No fees ! TA/RA opportunities + Merit-cum-need based scholarships available

+ Thesis mandatory. A large fraction (~ 20%) continue to PhD in the same research group

- Not well-known globally (especially outside academic circle)
- Swiss work permit for Non-EU/EFTA graduates is very hard to obtain -- requirement to prove that there is no local candidate with the required expertise for this role (6 month visa is granted after graduation to find a job) 

I need your help to find answers to the following questions:

(a) How hard is it for Non-EU students to find a job in Switzerland/EU after MSc from ETH Zurich ? Is the IT industry in Zurich only focused on AI research ?

(b) What is the perception of ETH Zurich as a university in US (from both jobs and academia perspective) ? How likely am I to be interviewed for a US position with an ETH degree ?

 

For the past 2-3 weeks, I've been struggling with this decision! Your inputs will surely help me.

Thanks a lot!

 

Edited March 29, 2019 by soursugar

[Lasagna17]

Hey I'm in the same boat ! Do let me know what you decide..