US graduate school in CS is free if you get a research assistantship or teaching assistantship -- the published fees are high but the RA or TA funding pays for

US graduate school in CS is free if you get a research assistantship or teaching assistantship -- the published fees are high but the RA or TA funding pays for you, so don't rule out applying. Most CS graduate students in USA who are from other countries are RA's or TA's. Countries to consider that were not in your list: 1. Canada. University of Waterloo has a very good reputation. In recent years, University of Toronto has become the top place for AI. 2. Singapore. Check out National University of Singapore. Singapore is an easy way to start experiencing Asia for westerners. If you end up in Singapore, do take trips to the other countries in the region while you're there. 3. Taiwan. If you're open to EE instead of CS, National Taiwan University might be the best place in the world to learn about semiconductor manufacturing. 4. Switzerland. ETH has a top-notch reputation, but its location may not be culturally different enough for you. It's also possible to "learn, expand skills, network, but also find some friends for life" as well as "get to know another culture/country" by finding a job in another country right after your BS instead of going for an MS (but for some countries, grad school may be an easier path to a job in terms of visa).