A VLSI class, even from an average university will contribute very little to your employability. As I said, Big Semi barely if ever employs entry level professi

A VLSI class, even from an average university will contribute very little to your employability. As I said, Big Semi barely if ever employs entry level professionals. And besides Big Semi, there is really very few companies left. Even startups <$1m are full of seasoned professionals coming from abroad, seeking PhDs in US universities. I think it's more characteristic for semiconductor startups to hire much more senior engineers than the industry average to convince their investors, not the other way around.