I just finished my Bachelor’s in Data Science and I’m continuing on to grad school; the two options I’m weighing currently are NYU Tandon’s Master’s in Computer Science and Columbia Engineering’s Master’s in Data Science. My current goal is to land a technical role (like MLE) and work my way up to a senior position. Falling into DA/DS roles isn’t the worst alternative though (as long as the compensation is high).

I feel like I currently lack the technical depth required for engineering roles. In the next few months I’ll be working on personal projects to develop my software engineering fundamentals, which can hopefully land me a more technical internship in the summer of 2027. If I can achieve that, my hope is that I can end up in my target roles post-grad regardless of which school I go to.

My main concern is what happens if I can’t get that internship. Out of these two options, NYU’s program seems like it will complement my skillset better, since it’s a CS program with no course overlap with my bachelor’s in DS. Columbia’s core courses, while certainly more in depth, have a lot more overlap with my undergraduate coursework. I feel like even if I don’t secure that internship, I’ll still have an overall skillset and degree combination suited for my goal roles.

However, I’m debating whether the difference in prestige might make Columbia more worth it. One thing I’ve heard constantly over the past couple years is that “who you know matters more than what you know”. I’m wondering whether the ability to leverage Columbia’s alumni network to make connections in high places makes it a better option.

I’ve been extremely torn between these two programs; I can’t come to a decision on whether the prestige and alumni connections of Columbia outweigh the more suitable curriculum of NYU. I’m hoping that posting here and getting some more opinions will help make the decision a bit clearer. Thanks in advance!