[dan1234]

Language barrier probably has a lot to do with it, but top US universities are forever in the media via US TV Shows, Films and news coverage.

I could probably name quite a few Ivy League institutions but nothing for Germany. Of course, anyone seriously considering this would do a lot of research but the US gets a fair head start.

[sentenza]

Ok, this makes a lot of sense. So, if anybody is interested, here is a small overview for prospective future student-migrants to Germany:

1. The good universities in Germany are public universities (TU München, TU Erlangen). Private universities exist for a few years now, but so far they haven't proven that they can reliably deliver the same quality. (There certainly are exceptions).

2. For technology fields, southern Germany is better than northern Germany.

3. Computer science ("Informatik"): Bigger universities are better, check out what research is being done at the university before applying. If you do your standard degrees (in Germany this is a bachelor and a master), you will, from your bachelor thesis on, be involved in actual research activities.

4. For electrical/mechanical engineering, good criteria for university selection are: Is there a major technology center nearby (München, Stuttgart, Rhein-Main)? Is it a TU (Technische Universität)? Does it have more than 10000 Students?

5. Forget about Berlin (at least for a moment). Berlin is _the_ place for the "young and hip" startup scene in Germany, but for historical reasons, it is not traditionally a technology center. The biggest German IT technology center is in the Rhein-Main-Neckar area. There are a bunch of universities (TU Darmstadt, TU Heidelberg...) and many "traditional" companies (SAP, Banking services...). You are also close to Frankfurt, which is a very central travel hub (Frankfurt airport obviously, but also the train station.) There might even appear a direct train connection to London in the near future. At the moment, you have to change trains once, in Brusseles.

I hope this helps someone. There are certainly also great technology/IT universities in the Netherlands and some northern and eastern european countries, so further research is advised.