Comparison
UCL vs RWTH
MSc Data Science · London vs MSc Data Science · Aachen
Last reviewed: 2026-10-01
Short answer: RWTH Aachen University (MSc Data Science) is the cheaper program overall, reports the higher starting salary, pays back fastest against the standard ₹8L India baseline and currently has the stronger post-study work / visa pathway. So one programme wins on every measure here. That is worth knowing and it is still not the whole decision - none of these figures speak to your admit odds, and a specific lab, supervisor or city can outweigh all of them.
| University College London | RWTH Aachen University | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | UK | Germany |
| City | London | Aachen |
| Duration | 12 months | 24 months |
| Total cost | ₹78.4L | ₹32.7L |
| Avg. starting salary | ₹48.3L/yr | ₹54.4L/yr |
| Payback period | 6.2 yrs | 1.8 yrs |
| Visa pathway | Moderate | Strong |
| Min. GPA (4.0 scale) | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Test requirement | IELTS 6.5 | GRE Quant 75th+ percentile required |
| Consultant-oversold flag | No | No |
University College London: the honest note
1-year program lowers opportunity cost. UK Graduate Route currently gives 2 years post-study work, but is shortening to 18 months for applications made on or after 1 Jan 2027 - timing matters.
RWTH Aachen University: the honest note
Genuinely near-zero tuition even for non-EU students - the best pure cost-to-ROI ratio in this set. GRE is mandatory, unusual for a German program.
How payback is calculated
Payback = total program cost ÷ (annual savings abroad − annual savings staying in India), where savings are salary minus destination tax and a year's living cost. It is before loan interest. The India side uses a ₹8,00,000 baseline salary, taxed, minus India living cost. The baseline rises for IIT/NIT-class graduates, which lengthens payback for those students on both programs above. Full formula and worked example in the payback period guide.
Sources
University College London: Tuition & entry requirements: ucl.ac.uk · Salary band: Glassdoor / Indeed / PayScale / ZipRecruiter (Jul 2026) · Visa: UK Graduate Route, gov.uk (2026 rules)
RWTH Aachen University: Tuition & GRE requirement: rwth-aachen.de · Salary band: Glassdoor / Indeed / PayScale / ZipRecruiter (Jul 2026) · Visa: Germany 18-month post-study job-search visa
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What should you check next?
You have narrowed this to two. These are the questions that decide between them, in the order they usually bite.
- 1
Do you clear the published admission bar at either one?
Converts to the 4.0 scale and lists which verified programmes' published minimums that value clears. convert your CGPA.
- 2
Are you reading the acceptance rate as an admit chance?
Across 35 programmes, QS rank and the published GPA bar correlate at -0.16 - the selective-looking school often asks for less. why that number misleads.
- 3
What does the loan actually cost month to month?
Turns the total cost above into an EMI against a starting salary, which is the number that decides whether payback is survivable. run the loan numbers.
- 4
Which one fits your profile, not just the averages?
Scores both against your own GPA, budget and priority, and shows where your shortlist contradicts itself before asking for anything. run the free assessment.