Picking a Graduate Program

As of this week, I’ve been accepted to masters programs to study computer science at University of Pennsylvania, University of Delaware, Lehigh University and Drexel University. Now I have to decide where I want to go.

University of Pennsylvania is a great school, ivy league. Unfortunately that carries a price tag — I’d expect to pay around $60,000 for a year or two there to finish a degree. Lehigh University is pricey as well, and while they have a beautiful campus, there’s nothing special about their CS program to entice me to pay the premium.

University of Delaware has a small program, and they’re expensive for out-of-state students like myself. However, they offered a full tuition waiver, guaranteed only for the first year. I might be able to finish the degree there for free. They’re really trying to push me into it — long letters, contact from Drexel alumni that moved to Delaware, and e-mails from professors looking forward to working with me.

Drexel University, where I’m about to finish my BS, also accepted me again as a graduate student. They offered a fellowship worth about $12,000 towards my tuition if I stay. I would spend about $25,000 earning the degree there over a year and a half or two.

My top choice is Penn, but I can’t justify the premium, not when I haven’t finished paying for the last 5 years in school. Lehigh’s out for the same reason. That leaves Delaware, with the cheap or free degree, and Drexel, whose CS program isn’t well known. I’m leaning towards Drexel for a few reasons — Delaware wants to push me into a Ph.D. program I don’t know I want, and I don’t like that; they’re in Newark, Delaware, which isn’t an area I want to move to, so I’d be looking at commuting; and I already know and like the professors at Drexel.

Villanova has yet to reply to my application, but everyone else wants to hear back from me soon, so I don’t plan to wait on them. Any opinions before I officially cast my vote?