Trying to decide between Berlin and Darmstadt/ATHENE for a cybersecurity path — need honest input, deciding in a few days

Hey everyone, I need some honest input because I actually have to decide in the next few days and my head is spinning at this point.

I'm starting a Computer Science Bachelor's this winter and want to move toward cybersecurity afterward, ideally specializing long-term in network security, Linux/infrastructure, BGP/RPKI, DNS/DNSSEC. Right now I'm stuck between TU Berlin and TU Darmstadt and can't land on a decision.

What worries me most is this entry-level crunch everyone keeps talking about. It feels like everyone is going into cybersecurity right now, everyone's getting Security+ or doing some bootcamp, and in the end hundreds of people apply for the handful of real junior roles while the actual talent shortage only exists at the senior and specialist level. That genuinely scares me, that I'll come out the other side of my degree into an oversaturated pool no matter how much I prepare beforehand.

That's part of why the location question matters so much to me. Berlin has way more students and therefore way more competition, but it also feels like there are more working-student jobs because of all the startups there that hire faster and with less bureaucracy. Rhein-Main, on the other hand, has fewer students, but the working-student jobs sit mostly with traditional corporates like banks and consultancies, which tend to hire more cautiously and slowly. Does that balance out, or does one of those effects actually dominate in practice?

Then there's the research side. In Darmstadt I'd have a shot at getting into ATHENE, which is basically Europe's largest IT security research center. In Berlin there are Fraunhofer institutes like FOKUS or HHI, but from what I can tell they're more broadly focused and not nearly as security-specific as ATHENE. Does anyone have first-hand experience with how a HiWi position at one of these Berlin Fraunhofer institutes actually gets viewed by industry later, compared to ATHENE? Does that kind of experience genuinely count when breaking into the field, or does it end up being more of a line on paper without much real impact?

One idea I keep turning over is doing the Bachelor's in Berlin to get the breadth and the working-student market there, and then switching to Darmstadt for the Master's. Would that actually give me a stronger profile in the end, or would I just be losing the years where I could've been building contacts and experience in Darmstadt instead? And does anyone know how much of an advantage a double master's program in Darmstadt (if something like that exists) actually gives you for industry, or is that more of a nice-to-have without much real weight?

Please skip the reminder that I need a portfolio, certs, networking, and as much hands-on experience as possible regardless of where I study — I'm fully aware of that and I'm doing it either way. I'm really just trying to get a read on the strategic location question specifically. I'd appreciate any honest take, but I do need to make this call in the next few days.