EPFL Master's vs. Home Country PhD
Hi all! I got into a CS PhD program at a small university in my home country. My supervisors are excellent but the university itself is relatively new and small, which means it doesn't rank well(*) despite the quality of the people there. And the stipend is quite low. At the same time, I got into epfl CS master's. My thinking is that doing the master's could open doors to a better PhD down the line (in the sense of better funding or a more reputable program in Europe or North America).
That said, I'm aware epfl master's doesn't guarantee admission into the doctoral program. Given that, I'd like to know how's the placement from the epfl master's in CS/Data Science? Do most students land strong PhD positions? Has anyone from the epfl master's not gotten into a good PhD program afterward? (Roughly top 100 globally or top labs in EU/North America).
Thanks!
(*) I know rankings aren't everything in research, that at the end of the day, what matters most is the work you publish and getting it into good conferences. But I still can't shake the feeling that not being in a top program means missing out on opportunities: better funding, stronger networks, and connections, etc.