Comparison
Baylor University vs Southern Methodist University
MS Computer Science / Data Science · Waco, United States vs Dallas, United States
Short answer: Baylor University (MS Computer Science / Data Science) is the cheaper program, has the higher estimated starting salary and pays back fastest against the standard ₹8L India baseline. So on these estimates one option wins outright, which is worth knowing but is not the whole decision - these are tiered estimates, they say nothing about your admit odds, and a programme, supervisor or city can matter more than any of it.
| Baylor University | Southern Methodist University | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | United States |
| City | Waco | Dallas |
| QS 2026 rank | #1001-1200 | #1001-1200 |
| Est. total cost | Rs 1.07Cr | Rs 1.13Cr |
| Est. avg. salary | Rs 72.4L/yr | Rs 72.4L/yr |
| Est. payback | 3.6 yrs | 3.8 yrs |
| Post-study work | 36 mo | 36 mo |
| Visa pathway | F-1 OPT + STEM OPT extension | F-1 OPT + STEM OPT extension |
Where these numbers come from - and what they are not
Both schools are part of our broad coverage layer - cost, salary, and payback estimated by QS rank band and destination job market, not independently verified per school. Verify tuition on each program's official page and salary bands on Glassdoor/Indeed/PayScale before deciding. For a comparison built on fully-sourced figures instead, see our verified comparisons, or run the free assessment for admit odds and visa-risk flags against your own profile.
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