Comparison
Pennsylvania State University vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
MS Computer Science / Data Science · University Park, United States vs Champaign, United States
Short answer: Pennsylvania State University (MS Computer Science / Data Science) is the cheaper program, Pennsylvania State University (MS Computer Science / Data Science) has the higher estimated starting salary, and Pennsylvania State University (MS Computer Science / Data Science)pays back fastest against the standard ₹8L India baseline. Neither wins on everything - which one is actually "better" depends on your budget, priority, and your own admit odds, none of which this estimate tier can answer for you.
| Pennsylvania State University | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | United States |
| City | University Park | Champaign |
| QS 2026 rank | #82 | #70 |
| Est. total cost | Rs 1.03Cr | Rs 1.03Cr |
| Est. avg. salary | Rs 1.07Cr/yr | Rs 1.07Cr/yr |
| Est. payback | 1 yrs | 1 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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