Johns Hopkins vs UC Santa Cruz vs University of Florida

[RD16]

Hi,

 

I have recently been admitted to the Master's program in Computer Science at these three universities. I am really confused about which one to join.

 

These are some of my basis for differentiation ( not in any order of preference):

 

1. Rankings - US News ranks Johns Hopkins (28)  > UF (39) > UC Santa Cruz (53) 

 Having seen these rankings, JHU is great for Natural Language Processing, but how good is it for other branches in C.S. ? How much does ranking matter for jobs? 

 

2. Coursework - The coursework seems to be more or less similar in all three, however, JHU has very interesting courses in NLP as compared to the other two and I like the subject, which is putting me into a dilemma. The positive point of UCSC is it gives more opportunities for innovation as most courses end in a 'research project'. 

 

3. Weather/Safety- UC Santa Cruz > UF > JHU

 

4. Jobs/ Internships - UC Santa Cruz probably has more opportunities since it is close to the bay area but not sure of how it would measure compared to the other two.

 

5. Research opportunities- These would probably be more at UCSC since JHU has clearly stated they do not give it to Master's candidates. 

 

I would be very grateful if someone helped me out with this decision.

[compiler_guy]

Are you interested in doing research? Do you have any thoughts about doing a PhD?

If so you'd probably want to go to a program that gives you good research opportunities.

If you only care about getting a great job, look at the job placement records of each of the above programs and pick the one that is best for your career goals.

[pumpkinspiced latte]

JHU is very strong for NLP and Medical Robotics, other areas are so-so. UF has a unique curriculum that incorporates digital art. Not sure about Santa Cruz. Talk to current students and find out what the student outcomes are. Another thing to consider is financial aid.