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 Miami Dade College, Valencia Community College, Broward College, and Tallahassee Community College.
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 Nova Southeastern, City College, University of Miami, and Florida Memorial University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Miami Dade College, Saint Thomas University, Broward College, and Nova Southeastern.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Nova Southeastern, Barry, Florida Keys Community College, and City College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Embry Riddle, Eckerd, Florida Institute of Technology, and University of Miami.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Stetson University, Eckerd, Florida Southern College, and Bethune Cookman.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Miami, Florida Institute of Technology, and Eckerd.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Florida Memorial University, University of Miami, Nova Southeastern, and Stetson University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Stetson University, University of Miami, Bethune Cookman, and Saint Thomas University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
University Of North Florida • Jacksonville, FL
Studying Computer And Information Science (completion in 2010)
• 8/12/2011
"It got me the job I wanted, so I am happy about that."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Overall it is a very good school. It's much more affordable than going to a private or for-profit school. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is a good program. I enjoyed my time there. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I would have liked more elective options. Also I think there needs to be more hands on experience. |
| Instruction | 7 | There's not enough technical information and they did not provide enough hands on experience. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Some of the instructors were very good, others not so much. It came down to too much theory and not enough practical application. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Not enough hands-on experience. All theory. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Not very many weekend classes and very few online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | UNF has a very nice library and computer labs. The classrooms have the latest technology. |
| Social Life | 5 | UNF's biggest sports team is soccer, but there is not very much school spirit. I did not attend very many social events. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I found my current job through UNF's career services. Very nice people and the website is easy to use. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I receive letters in the mail asking for money. I do not really have anything to do with the alumni association. |
Florida Institute Of Technology • Melbourne, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 9/4/2011
"I had a good time, but it was far too expensive, now that I'm out of school and working. The teachers are good, and the school itself is top notch, but I find myself wishing I would have gone to another school for a better social experience and a lower price."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I learned a lot and was trained well in Computer Science. It puts me ahead of my colleagues, but I don't know that I wouldn't have had a similar experience somewhere else. If someone said they were going to Florida Tech, I wouldn't tell them not to come. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I believe Florida Tech to have a high reputation in computer science. We have several top notch professors doing research in very interesting topics. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Florida Tech was a great school for Computer Science, with many skilled professors and top notch facilities. Small class sizes were a plus when it came to getting to know your professors and really learning the material. The only problem really is how expensive the school is. |
| Instruction | 8 | Florida Tech taught me all I know about Software Engineering. My education put me ahead of my colleagues in several areas of my job, especially algorithm development. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Florida Tech had several courses that were challenging, but nothing that was too difficult to complete while still maintaining a social life. I generally enjoyed my coursework. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my education was spent putting together software projects. Rarely were we required to read out of a book and answer homework questions. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | My master's degree was finished completely with night classes. I never had trouble getting into classes that I needed to finish, and generally had very favorable class schedules. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | I never used these extensively, but as far as I can tell the laboratories have everything you could need. There is a library on campus with many resources. |
| Social Life | 7 | I was in a fraternity in college and that was a lot of fun. However, school spirit is pretty much the definition of "apathy". No decent sports to speak of. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | My fraternity network is good for networking and resume passing. I, however, have never met someone in the working world that also went to my college. |
University Of Phoenix • Orlando, FL
Studying Computer Information Systems (completion in 2002)
• 10/3/2011
"The school served its purpose for me as I now have two degrees related to my chosen field. The class schedule, for the most part, worked with my work schedule and I am able to present not just equivalent experience but also the academic certificates that some companies require for employment in this industry."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | As I mentioned previously, at least in my city, the program that I graduated from is no longer offered. The programs that are offered would not benefit someone interested in a career in software engineering. They also did not focus enough on teaching practical concepts or language specific syntax which would have put me far behind the curve had I not already been working as a software developer while I was completing my degree. If someone, currently working in the industry, is looking to validate their experience - to be able to say they have the degree to go along with their practical knowledge - then this would be a good school. Otherwise, a graduate from the school would be ill prepared to compete with other graduates from similar programs offered at other schools. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I do not believe that my school still offers graduate or undergraduate programs in my major. If they still do they are not currently offered at the local campuses. I do know that unlike other schools no one looks at my degree and thinks it came from a diploma mill. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The program concentrated more on management than on the science of information systems. There were few practical programming courses in the program -, most of the technology related courses were theory based. As is probably the case in most programs of this type. even the practical courses were not based on real-world scenarios or applications of the technologies. |
| Instruction | 5 | I was working in my field while I was going to school and my employer paid for my courses, which guaranteed a certain amount of relevance to my work as each course was reviewed by the company before I was reimbursed for my tuition. There were some professors that were very experienced in their areas of expertise and they encouraged me to ask questions and explore topics outside of the specific curriculum set for the course; these side explorations have proved invaluable. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The courses themselves were not difficult. The material was familiar to me as I was already working in the field. The assignments, and in particular the group work, were more difficult to fit in to my daily life as I was working full-time and commuting 10-15 hours per week. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As I mentioned above, the coursework was more theory than practice based. This, however, did not detract from the educational experience as I was working in the industry and was gaining practical knowledge at work that I am sure is not taught at any school to this day. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | While the school did offer night classes only, as they were marketing to working adults, it was very difficult to find an alternative class if and when I had to miss the next class in the scheduled sequence. Because of their schedule you were expected to start and finish with the same group of students, however when my work schedule changed and I was no longer able to attend on a particular night, it became almost impossible to find a group that was in the right part of the sequence for me to continue with. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | There were no computer labs to speak of unless you were taking a vendor certification course through the school. There was no library and the online content that was available through the school paled in comparison to what I could find on the internet on my own. The classrooms were utilitarian at best, providing little more than a projector, a screen, and a whiteboard for presentations and lectures. Membership in a study group was required, as were weekly meetings with the study group. Most of the professors were available via email or phone during work hours. |
| Social Life | 1 | This was a school for working adults and as such there was no social life through the school. While one of my study groups did have some social interactions that were not directly course related, this was an exception, not the rule. There were no sports teams or school organized social events at either of the local campuses during my attendance. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I am not sure that these programs existed as I had no need for them. I am sure that with the network of adjuncts that the school had, most of whom were in a position to hire or recommend a hire, that their services were satisfactory for those that needed them. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I'm not sure that we have an alumni network. I have not been contacted by a representative of the school or the alumni network since I completed my degree. I don't think that I have ever been given preferential treatment by a hiring manager because we went to the same school. In fact, I'm not sure that I've worked with, or for, a fellow alumnus since graduating. |
University Of West Florida • Pensacola, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1991)
• 11/27/2011
"Overall, the costs were reasonable. I was a commuter student, so my experiences may not be typical, but the location and distance were reasonable and convenient."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I'm not familiar with the programs currently being offered there, as my student career ended over 20 years ago. Much may have changed. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I've never heard anyone speak of its reputation. My "major," i.e., the instructors, my advisors, etc., spun the program off into an independent institution, The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (www.ihmc.us). |
| Program Quality | 10 | Computer Science was a new program at the time, and there were only about 20 of us in it. We had a small group of PhD's teaching us (no grad students). My advisor was/is an internationally recognized expert in the field of machine intelligence. |
| Instruction | 10 | We were taught by a small group of PhD's. Classes were small and intimate, and coursework was relevant and hands-on where appropriate. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It's difficult to relate my experience to that of others. I am a lot smarter than most people, and material that I found easy or average might not be so to the average student. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | One of the primary tools that my professors used was the thought experiment. Bouncing ideas off of other students and the instructor was one of my favorite ways to absorb new concepts. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The university was not large enough to offer a variety of times for each course. Many programs could be completed in the evenings, but most of the more advanced programs were only available during the day. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Labs were generally well equipped and usually staffed by instructors or professors, rather than grad students. The library was/is excellent and well stocked. |
| Social Life | I was not interested in having a social life at school. While there may have been opportunities, I didn't take advantage of any of them. | |
| Placement Services | 1 | I was invited to one meet-and-greet. There was no other job assistance offered to me at the time. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There essentially isn't any support network. There is an alumni association, but it exists mainly to ask for money. |
Florida Institute Of Technology • Melbourne, FL
Studying Engineering (completion in 1992)
• 11/29/2011
"I enjoyed FIT for the technical quality. I enjoyed UF for the above-average social experience and technical quality of education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend FIT, depending on the potential student. I would recommend UF for overall quality. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | FIT has a below-average reputation. UF has an above-average reputation. |
| Program Quality | 6 | FIT is technically adequate. The peer drive and camaraderie are not satisfactory. |
| Instruction | 6 | All required technical knowledge is given in the instruction. Some intangibles were not. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Technically, the difficulty at FIT is average. The student can assume added workload if the drive is there. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | FIT has an average mix between hands-on and book learning. UF has an above-average quality, with top labs for hands-on work and high-quality textbooks for learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | FIT has above-average flexibility with video classes. UF has above-average classroom flexibility. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | FIT has an average quality to their facilities. UF has an above-average quality to their facilities. |
| Social Life | 9 | FIT has a below-average social experience. UF has an above-average social experience, with top-quality sports and social events. |
| Placement Services | 3 | FIT has below-average career services. UF has above-average career services. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | FIT has a below-average alumni network. My undergraduate college (UF) has a much better network. |
University Of North Florida • Jacksonville, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 12/8/2011
"I am pretty satisfied with my school and faculty and the knowledge I gained there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I recommend the school to everyone. It's really a good institution. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | My school was highly reputed and is the best college in this community. They are the best and they have the best faculty in teaching Computer Science. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The teaching and the faculty were really good. I learned many things that help me at work. |
| Instruction | 10 | Instructors were very good and we need to do lot of practical work to get experience for jobs. |
| How Difficult | 9 | A Master's in CS was quite difficult but the knowledge I gained from it is really adequate. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Book knowledge and hands on experience both are really important. We get plenty of them in the time period. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | We have evening and weekend classes. It's comfortable and flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We have a very big library and a computer lab. The resources were plentiful. |
| Social Life | 10 | We have an athletic group who always stood first in our interstate competitions. Students become a group and organize social events as well. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I was placed in my job from the on campus placements. We have job fairs at our school at least twice a year. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The support I got from the alumni was really good in education as well as in outgoing activities. |
University Of Central Florida • Orlando, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1992)
• 1/6/2012
"I had a good time and my degree did not cost a fortune. I was well-prepared to succeed in the "real world.""
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Since I graduated, UCF has invested heavily in its Computer Science department. Although it might not be as well-known as MIT for a tech degree, UCF is a bargain and any graduate will be well-prepared and should have no problem finding employment. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I do not think UCF is well-known for computer science. It is more well-known for its new law and medical schools and its film program. |
| Program Quality | 5 | At the time, the major was new, so the facilities and equipment were minimal. |
| Instruction | 6 | My training in the various languages that we learned at the time was fairly in depth. Although many of the languages I learned back then are no longer used, the curriculum taught me problem solving skills I still use today. |
| How Difficult | 1 | I learn computer languages with ease, and technology just "clicks." It was not challenging, although it was for some others. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The entry level classes were mostly theory and book learning. Advanced level courses were mainly hands-on, and involved extensive code writing as a team and as an individual. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | At the time, everything was in-class; online did not exist. In the early stages there was flexibility, but as the levels increased, only one or two sessions were offered for each class. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | I have no complaints. Again, since the program was new at the time, resources were limited, but the equipment and facilities were new. |
| Social Life | 8 | On site recreation facilities were adequate, and Orlando has plenty to do off campus. |
| Placement Services | I do not know enough to answer the question. | |
| Alumni Network | because I do not network with UCF alumni. If I had a need to, I believe something would be there, but I do not know what. |
University Of South Florida • Tampa, FL
Studying Information Systems (completion in 2010)
• 1/10/2012
"I paid my tuition, had fun, and got a degree. I got a job due to my degree. College was worth it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I love the atmosphere at USF and it was very affordable. The academics that were taught helped me in my field and I would be happy to wish someone the same luck by attending my school. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | USF Information Systems graduates never have a problem finding a job out of college. This ease to enter the workforce in the field shows that they are in high demand and the college is respected. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I feel that my program focused a little too much on dead languages such as 68k, PASCAL, and C. While at least C can be useful, more contemporary languages should have been taught such as Python. |
| Instruction | 7 | I use many things that I learned on a daily basis. Object oriented design has to be the most commonly used class I often think back on during my job. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Programming is not for the feint of heart, nor those that fail at math. The projects require a large amount of time to properly execute and often force you to work in groups with incompetent people. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I prefer hands on learning such as projects, and there were one or two in each class. Most professors leaned towards outdated materials and texts, many of which have zero to little use beyond academia. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Class scheduling was horrendous. Every semester always seemed to include just ONE class on a Friday, throwing your hopes of a three day weekend out the door. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The facilitates have many computer labs for working on projects and several places to study quietly. The buildings are starting to show their age as they look to be 30+ years old. |
| Social Life | 8 | The social networking that occurred at school lead indirectly to my employment. Without meeting the right people in my similar field, I would not enjoy the employment I posses. |
| Placement Services | I did not use career services. I obtained my job through referrals and building a network while in undergraduate studies. | |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni network helped me secure a job in less than a year after graduation. It does prove the saying true - "It's not what you know, but who you know." |
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University • Daytona Beach, FL
Studying Aeronautical Engineering (completion in 1986)
• 2/16/2012
"I loved going there. If I didn't have a wife, kid, and a mortgage, I would return."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Absolutely. Even though I didn't pursue aeronautical engineering and became a software engineer instead, my studies at ERAU fully prepared me for what I do. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It was ranked #1 in aerospace engineering in US News and World Report for several years running now. I also enjoy a certain level of respect due to the major I studied and the school I attended. |
| Program Quality | 10 | ERAU is ranked #1 in aerospace engineering in the US. As a result, I am treated with a certain level of respect having obtained my education there. I enjoyed attending there very much and had considered returning to pursue more education. |
| Instruction | 10 | The school is top notch. Most of the curriculum is aerospace related and taught by aerospace veterans ( former engineers, test pilots, etc). |
| How Difficult | 8 | In one of the first classes we were required to take, we were told the dropout rate was 67%. The person on each side of me eventually dropped out. It is a difficult field as there is so much to study. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | That is what made ERAU special. There was always hand on instruction. That is what made it so much fun to attend. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | It depended on the course. Some courses were only offered 1 time per year. This made things difficult. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Oh gosh, the facilities were outstanding. Class sizes for engineering classes were never larger than 23 students. In labs everyone participated in their own work and always had access to tools, etc. |
| Social Life | 5 | When I attended there were no athletics and very few social events. But then again, we didn't have much time for that. |
| Placement Services | 5 | When I graduated there were hiring freezes and the placement at that time was not very good. Things may have changed since then. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't really engage in the Alumni network. However, they have a pretty good website. I get frequent emails and facebook notices. They also send a quarterly magazine. |
University Of Central Florida • Oviedo, FL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2003)
• 2/18/2012
"With the social opportunities presented to me and the education, it proved to be a very good school. I attribute all of my success to it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school was great. Some kids from the local high school have emailed me, because they needed to interview someone with my career. One of the questions was about recommending my school, UCF, and I highly recommended it. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | In the surrounding areas, I know for sure that it is thought of as a terrific school for computer science and engineering. The high schools often prepare students for UCF. |
| Program Quality | 9 | UCF was great! It's very local to me, so it worked out well to save some money by living nearby. As far as the programs, they were terrific. The professors really care about how much you learn in their courses. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors really cared about our education. They had a lot of programs that helped us get jobs and looked good on our resumes. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I consider myself very good at math and computer science. I took an interest in it at a very young age, so the coursework wasn't very difficult for me. The professors also helped me a lot. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some classes were more hands on than others. Some would be almost 100% working in the lab, while others were just the theory behind computers and studying the history of them. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | They had tons of options. I personally took some online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They are a relatively new school and have some new equipment. Their science department has lots of good technology for the students. |
| Social Life | 8 | I was a part of the marching band. Being in the marching band was great for meeting new people. They were like a family to me. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They helped us find jobs. Some big companies came in and had a job fair kind of thing. Lots of great opportunities were presented to us. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | UCF is like a giant family. I was also a part of the marching band, which got me into some other groups. I still have friends from then. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.