I think immigration laws play a big role too, a lot of people seem to use a masters as a way of getting a visa - I believe having a masters improves the chances

I think immigration laws play a big role too, a lot of people seem to use a masters as a way of getting a visa - I believe having a masters improves the chances of getting an H1-B, and also being in school in the US makes it much easier to apply to US companies.