USA vs Japan ???

Hey,

So I’m into science and have a chance to study either at some good US colleges (no ivies, nothing too special, just plain respected liberal arts colleges and a few well-known state unis) OR at a really prestigious university in Japan (ranked in top 5 in every list I came across, has some Nobel laureate profs and all that stuff).

Which will get me a better job?

By the way, I don’t have to pay anything anywhere and I do get a bit more attention from Japan.

Where do you plan on working and living after college?

See, that’s the problem. I’ll most likely stay wherever I complete my Bachelor’s for a few years, until I move on to Master’s. I don’t know yet where I’ll get Master’s.

@Gator88NE‌

See, that’s the problem. I’ll most likely stay wherever I complete my Bachelor’s for a few years, until I move on to Master’s. I don’t know yet where I’ll get Master’s.

If you are not a US citizen and you don’t have legal permanent resident status (green card) by the time you graduate, you will only be able to remain in the US and work here for the period of time permitted under the OPT rules that are in effect when you graduate. Right now the OPT extension for a student visa is 12 months for most majors. Some science and technical majors have an extension of 18 months. It is not at all likely that you would be able to find an employer who would be able to get you a work (H1B visa) so that you would be able to stay past that time. However, if you would complete a masters degree here, you would get another OPT period, and the likelihood of long-term employment in the US would be a bit better.

I have no idea what the policies are in Japan, but it shouldn’t be hard for you to find that out.

Most Nobel Laureates don’t work with undergraduate students, so the number at a university is not necessarily a good measure of the quality of undergraduate education. If you know now what you plan to major in, and if you are quite certain that your long-range goals include post-graduate work in a particular field of study, it is perfectly OK for you to contact the departments at each college/university on your list, and ask where their graduates go on to do their postgrad work.

@dudefromeurope‌, are u a citizen of Japan, usa, or from europe? Will u be able to get a work visa in japan or usa after graduation w only an undergrad degree?

For many (most?) countries, for a non-PR or non-citizen to get a work visa, an employer needs to sponsor u. And the employer must first demonstrate that they cannot find a PR/citizen to fill the position. In a practical sense for skilled labor, this usually means the foreign applicant must have years of relevant work experience and/or a graduate degree.