Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Software Engineers For Applications
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Metro State, University of Colorado, and United States Air Force Academy.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Metro State and University of Colorado.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider University of Denver.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of United States Air Force Academy, University of Denver, and University of Colorado.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of United States Air Force Academy, University of Denver, and University of Colorado.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at United States Air Force Academy, University of Denver, and University of Colorado.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at United States Air Force Academy.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at University of Denver and University of Colorado.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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?Metropolitan State College Of Denver • Denver, CO
Studying Computer Science / Math (completion in 2011)
• 8/3/2011
"I chose my school because I was returning to school as a working professional. In that regard, it satisfied my goals of a degree achieved mostly during evening classes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I was already gainfully employed before going back to school. I was able to receive my degree from a state college. If recommending a school to others for a Computer Science degree, I would likely advise something a little more challenging. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | A large number of my school’s Computer Science majors are working professionals. The school tries to make it convenient for people that need evening and Saturday classes. My school is respected, but not as highly as other schools in the area. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I had been employed as a computer programmer for over 20 years before I went back to school for my degree. I felt some of the curriculum was a little dated and that the school should make more courses available online for working students. |
| Instruction | 6 | This is difficult to judge because some of the professors were outstanding while others have been stuck in academia for too long. Some of the more difficult topics were well taught well, but other professors would focus on things that would not benefit what students will experience in the “real world.” |
| How Difficult | 9 | My computer science major required a math minor, which was a challenge for me. Computer science itself is fairly difficult, especially when compared to other non-science majors. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A Computer Science program has to be hands on! Only a few of the classes were purely “book learning.” | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Most of the classes I took were evening classes and a few Saturday classes, so I felt it was very flexible. However, they didn’t offer enough online classes so I was stuck going on campus for most of my classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The computer labs and the availability of the different computer platforms were outstanding for the Computer Science students. They also actively recruited students for on campus jobs in IT (like tech support). |
| Social Life | 5 | The school has many events throughout the year, but is essentially a commuter campus and therefore doesn’t have a very active student body. I never attended any games or parties. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I have not participated in the school’s job placement or career services assistance as I’m already employed. I am aware of the school’s efforts and have actually been contacted by them about the placement of future students. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni organization seems fairly active and involved in events at school. They have made several statements about networking and connecting alumni with current students for future job opportunities. I just graduated last semester but have already received the alumni magazine and a few email announcement about events and needs for the school. |
Colorado School Of Mines • Golden, CO
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 9/8/2011
"I am very satisfied with CSM; I can't imagine finding a better school for Computer Science. This may be because I also enjoy engineering topics, and there was obviously a lot of that at Mines."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend CSM if you think you can handle it. But it is also tough for some people, especially those not inclined towards an engineering future. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | CSM is not know for its Computer Science degree, so that brings the reputation down a little. But when people hear Colorado School of Mines they know it is a very good school, and so that helps to improve the reputation a little. |
| Program Quality | 10 | CSM has a very good CS program. It may not be what the school is known for, but it is good nonetheless. The only pitfall is that not all of the professors have flawless English. |
| Instruction | 10 | The school prepared me very well for my career. Some of the classroom studies were not as useful as they could have been, but more hands-on studies, such as Field Session, were very useful. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Mines was fairly difficult, and you were often bogged down with a lot of work. But it was not as hard as it could have been. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Hands-on versus book learning was fairly mixed at CSM, but individual classes tended to be quite heavy in one direction or the other. Some classes were straight out of the text, other classes we hardly used a book at all. That mostly depended on the teacher and how experienced they were teaching the class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | During your first one or two years at CSM, your class schedule is fairly flexible. They do not offer many evening or online classes, and their summer classes are usually fairly pitiful. But after your first couple years, you will often find that a class you need/want is only offered once or twice a semester, or not even offered every semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had many computer labs across campus, all of which were good. We also had a couple dedicated Computer Science labs, which provided Macs, Windows and Linux computers to choose from. The library seemed to be decently equipped with books relating to our studies. |
| Social Life | 9 | I wasn't much into the school spirit, but they worked hard to get everybody outside and involved with athletics and parties and such. The organized events put on by the school itself were always very good, particularly E-Days, which were always the most looked forward to part of the year. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The people in the Career Center are always willing to give you help wherever you need it. They offer regular resume review sessions. Diggernet (an online tool for searching for jobs) is also quite good. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I have not had a lot of experience with our alumni association. The experiences that I have had were favorable though. |
Westwood College • Denver, CO
Studying Game Software Development (completion in 2011)
• 10/6/2011
"It was an alright experience. I would have liked a more up to date curriculum and instructors from the industry, but it is understandable that those were not available to us in Denver."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I think there are probably better schools for game development. Depending on the person though, Westwood could be a good place to get a degree. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I don't think Westwood is looked upon too highly. They were the subject of a law suit not too long ago. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The program covered most of the relevant information. It was a little behind from a technological standpoint with where games are currently. |
| Instruction | 5 | The instructors were good for the most part. Most instructors did not have a background in game development which made things difficult in some aspects. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I found the classes very easy, but I had been programming for a number of years prior to getting the degree. Had I just been starting I would probably rate it more a 5 or 6. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school takes a very hands on approach. Each class involved a lot of lab time to work on problems and programs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The school offers day, night, and online classes. Sometimes it was difficult though, as not all classes are offered in all these options each term. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The computers were kind of old and the library rather small. The school's network was also rather dated. |
| Social Life | 3 | There where not really too many social events. An occasional cook out or something, but not too much else. The school didn't have any kind of sports teams or anything. |
| Placement Services | 4 | Again, with my previous experiences it was more difficult for me. The career services was focus much more on entry level jobs and not too much in the gaming realm. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I haven't made much use of these, but the school does give graduates some benefits. I can continue to use their job placement service and audit any classes for free if I need to brush up on things. |
DeVry University • Westminster, CO
Studying Biomedical Informatics (completion in 2006)
• 10/31/2011
"I wouldn't change it. Glad I went, but it's not really worth the expense."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Like I said, the price was too high. Might suggest it or might just tell them to get work experience. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | |
| Program Quality | 4 | Not working in my field, so wasn't very relevant to what I am doing now. Helped me get where I am, though. |
| Instruction | 7 | The preparation was good. The amount I learned was good. |
| How Difficult | 8 | |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Like I said before, it was mostly online. All the other classes were hands on, though. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Weren't many teachers for my program. All other classes were offered frequently, though. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | Most of mine was online through other facilities. The facilities were nice, though. |
| Social Life | 3 | Not a very social school. Offered school organized functions, though. |
| Placement Services | They say it's good. I didn't use it, though. | |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I don't really pay much attention to it. They didn't help me as much as they say. |
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