PhD in CS at UCSD vs UCLA vs UMD

[anon1]

My fiance is currently working in MD but is willing to move.

I'd be doing different things starting out at each school: HPC, AI, Theory. On USNews they're all tied for #14.

Anyone have any general advice? I'm tempted to go with UMD just so my fiance won't have to change jobs (although he already has a PhD in CS, so it wouldn't be that hard for him).

or

Any thoughts on CA vs MD? Since we'll be there for a while.

[Pauli]

Doesn't matter in the long run for schools with similarly strong strengths that rank subfields very broadly in those categories mentioned. It's better to pick a grad school based on the level of interest in a research lab, not on a numerical prestige of a university's specific department or program. Unless you're undecided on your subfield interest, then a certain department's perceived quality usually offers more options to narrow down your interests.

Pretty much an excellent employer is not going to look at your CV or resume and say "oh, that other candidate went to a higher ranked school, so we'll choose him". They'll be deciding on how you spend your time there.