UMD College Park vs University of Wisconsin vs UC Santa Barbara

I have so far got got very good suggestions in this forum
Last from My son has got admission in few schools for undergraduate Computer Science.
We have short-listed UC Santa Barbara and University of Maryland College Park.
To help us in completing registration in one University, please guide us which one may be better for career prospect (internship / job prospect etc)
My son will come from India though he is holding a Green Card, which we received recently.
Your kind help will be highly appreciated.

All are terrific schools. Congratulations to your son!

I don’t think there is a significant difference between the schools in terms of reputation. I think both are reasonably diverse. UCSB has a spectacular beach location and California (CA) weather (very nice). Maryland is in a suburban location, a reasonably short Metro (subway) ride to downtown Washington. Weather is generally mild at College Park, but winter months can be cold and snowy.

I’m assuming your son is admitted into the CS programs or can automatically enroll in them. If so, I think it’s primarily a matter of a personal preference whether he wants to be in CA or on the East Coast. Internships and other work opportunities tend to be regional. So he would more likely have more opportunities in CA (and Silicon Valley) if he were at UCSB (although UM certainly has students go there). And he would have more opportunities in the Washington DC area if at UM. There are a tremendous number of tech jobs in the DC area.

If he’s not admitted into the CS program at one of the schools–and has to apply later to that specific program–I would choose the one where he is admitted. Good luck!

Your feedback has been really helpful. Awaiting more suggestions from all other friends, please…

I agree with @TTG. All three have very strong CS programs and you can’t go wrong. Honestly it’s just personal preference. I’d go UCSB for the weather and location.

I don’t know Wisconsin, so I will just weigh in on UMD vs. UCSB. As others have said, both are great universities with great programs…but they present very different lifestyles. UCSB is a laid-back environment and by the beach. Does not get too cold there, and it is beautiful enough that people go to the area for vacation. It is not very close to a city… UMD is in a suburb of DC, and does not have much of a college town. I love UMD, but to be honest if I’m comparing the area around the campus to SB, I would not visit College Park for anything other than the university or the National archives facility nearby. DC is a metro ride or 30-min car ride away. A lot to do in DC and I would echo the point about a lot of employment in that area, but it gets cold there and it snows, and as a Californian, I find DC a stuffy place for work. Love visiting but wouldn’t want to live there again. Having said that, some people like cold and snow so it’s just a personal preference.