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 Kennesaw State, Georgia Highlands, Georgia State, and University of West Georgia.
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 Bainbridge, Georgia Highlands, Georgia Southwestern State, and Kennesaw State.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Dekalb, Georgia State, Bainbridge, and Mercer University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Dekalb, GNTC, Mercer University, and Chattahoochee Technical College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Emory, Clark Atlanta University, Georgia Highlands, and Mercer University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Berry, Georgia Southwestern State, Clark Atlanta University, and Emory.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Emory, University of Georgia, Mercer University, and Berry.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Emory, Georgia State, University of Georgia, and University of West Georgia.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Berry, Emory, University of Georgia, and Mercer University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
Columbus State University • Columbus, GA
Studying Applied Computer Science (completion in 2003)
• 7/24/2011
"The school adequately prepared me for the career that I entered immediately following graduation. I felt that I had a good base of knowledge on which to begin to build 'real-world' experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I can not think of any other college in the region where one could hope to be any better prepared for this field. For that reason, I would have no concerns recommending CSU. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The curriculum is built in consultation with two of the major information technology companies in the area. All faculty either have, or are working on, the terminal degree in their field. These factors have given the program a good reputation in the region. |
| Program Quality | 9 | CSU has a growing reputation for its Computer Science degree. The program is focused more on practical application than on theory, which makes it useful in the 'real world.' |
| Instruction | 8 | The instructors continually adapt the curriculum in response to evolving trends in the computer industry. This leaves graduates better positioned to make a contribution to the work force. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The courses were rigorous without being unmanageable. They made sure that you had mastered the material, but did not trip you up with minutia. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The majority of the courses were hands-on. Some theory was presented, but then it is put into immediate application. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The school has a large contingent of the student population that are full-time workers, and therefore it offers a wide selection of courses in the evening. Online courses are plentiful, and the summer semester offers the chance for courses to be completed at an accelerated pace. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Computer access is plentiful. Academic staff seems to be fully committed to the success of the students, and the smaller class sizes mean that professors tend to know each student individually. |
| Social Life | 3 | CSU is more of a 'commuter' school than a traditional university. Athletics and social activities are offered, but they are not a major focus. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school has a traditional job placement office, which seems to be well-equipped. In addition, students completing training courses through ICAPP (the Intellectual Capital Partnership Program) have been guaranteed entry-level jobs with a local employer. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Although there is an alumni network, they seem to be focused on very little other than fundraising. I never hear from them except when it comes time to ask for donations. |
University Of Georgia • Athens, GA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2008)
• 8/3/2011
"If I could do it again, I would do it the same way. The teachers were great, the courses were fun, and the ability to easily find a job with my degree has been great!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I feel that having a mix of social and educational opportunities is key. The University of Georgia definitely offers both of these. It also offers a good program for computer science majors. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | To my knowledge the school's Computer Science reputation is good. It definitely doesn't match that of Georgia Tech or MIT, but I feel we do have a fairly good quality program. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I think my school did a good job preparing me for my field. However, I feel that they were too focused on basic programming. I would have loved to see more complex web programming classes or even some mobile programming studies. |
| Instruction | 7 | The teachers were all good, none come to mind as being bad. I feel the amount I learned in school has been far surpassed by what I've learned professionally. The relevance was good, however, and most of the teachers were more knowledge rather than programming focused. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Compared to many other majors on campus, I feel that Comp Sci was one of the most difficult. Many long hours were spent in computer laps or caffeine fueled nights spent staring into a computer screen. I felt the test were normally quite hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I feel that most classes were evenly mixed between books and projects. There was normally a heavier reliance on books, but some classes were the opposite. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Very few online options were available. I never took an online class in my 5 years. I also feel the class scheduling was flexible as long as you registered very quickly. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | I felt like we had some great facilities, but there were also many old buildings on campus that had very little technology. The accessibility to profs and tutors was definitely above average. |
| Social Life | 10 | UGA has been voted as Playboy's #1 party school in recent years. There's a huge downtown and a great music scene. There are great NCAA athletics. I don't think you could ask for more! |
| Placement Services | 4 | I have never used nor was every really persuaded to have the University help me with my career. Every once in a while I get a call asking about my current employment situation, but other than that, no other contact has been made. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni network for the University is very strong and extensive. The Computer Science alumni network seems to need more of a presence, though. |
Kennesaw State University • Kennesaw, GA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2009)
• 8/4/2011
"The only thing I considered a negative was the reputation not being perfect, but I do feel it has the ability to reach a better reputation. The positive aspects of this school far outweighed that. The ability to have flexibility in scheduling was paramount. The knowledge that my professors were mostly competent people in industry (and not just regurgitated academics) resulted in an education that was geared to what we would be doing in our career, not learning mere theory. Overall, it was the perfect school for my situation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is definitely a school to consider. There are some aspects that would not be perfect for everyone, but if you want a place where you can maintain a job or internship while attending school, or a place where you could potentially graduate early, I would definitely recommend it. If you're looking for a place that's a traditional four-year, live-on-campus university experience, you should probably focus elsewhere. But if you're looking for a good Computer Science program with competent professors who are very accessible and knowledgeable, you should definitely consider this school. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | This school is obviously not an MIT or Stanford, but it's a bit more respectable than your average state school or technical college. I felt a degree here, while not as impressive as one from the nearby Georgia Tech, was a good compromise between reputation and accessibility for someone who worked full time. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I felt I received a lot of good training for the basics of programming, but I wish I would have been able to customize my program a bit more. I don't really need/use some of the math I took, but it would have been great to take more courses on software architecture and engineering. |
| Instruction | 8 | Most of my professors had worked in the software field, which I feel is much better than those who work only in academia. I learned a lot of useful material that wasn't just theoretical and academic. |
| How Difficult | 6 | It was not very difficult to make A and B grades even while working full time and taking 18 credit hours. The work load is heavy enough to make you work, but it was never intense. The challenge depended on which courses you took, but many classes posed little challenge at all. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were some classes centered around book learning, but the primary method of learning was hands-on. Most classes utilized projects (both group and individual) over homework and memorization. Most tests were to show how you could apply what you knew, more than trying to trip you up on one niche category. Most professors had worked in the industry, so they were more concerned with application than theory. Finally, most classrooms had computers you could use to perform exercises right there during the lecture. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Flexibility was the primary reason I chose this university. I was able to hold a full time job while taking 18-21 course hours per semester. They offered plenty of weeknight and weekend courses, a nearly full summer schedule, and partial semester offerings. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They have a great library with a decent computer lab. The building I was in had new, technologically capable classrooms. Professors maintained both flexible and permanent office hours. However, had I not had my own laptop, it would have been difficult to use the computer labs for programming. There are too many people browsing facebook, and not enough seats for those of us who would use it seriously. |
| Social Life | 4 | For traditional students, there were many options on campus for social events and athletics. However, as a commuting professional, there simply weren't any activities geared towards me. |
| Placement Services | 6 | They do a good job of notifying you about jobs in the area, but are of little use when you move outside the Atlanta metro area, and especially outside the state. That said, the people themselves are extremely helpful, but simply do not have the resources and connections for that level of assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | There is an alumni program and alumni career support, but if you move away, it's not that great. Most career options are local, and there aren't a lot of alumni programs outside the university's location. |
Berry College • Rome, GA
Studying Physics (completion in 2008)
• 9/26/2011
"I matured during my years at Berry and that time was heavily influenced by the positive environment. Berry has the largest campus in the world and encompasses a wildlife refuge. I spent a lot of time hiking and enjoying nature. The math professors teach and talk about math as if it is art, and having taken a few art classes, I completely agree. That realization greatly influences me. I was an average student that worked really hard for it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Under my recommendation, my company hired a computer science graduate a few months ago and it has worked out great. Berry requires students to go though a rigorous course load and complete mid-level courses in multiple fields outside of the chosen major which provides for a wealth of knowledge. People are surprised to learn that I tool Ancient Political Philosophy. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Like many small private schools, Berry's students have had more one-on-one interaction with professors and have been required to do directed studies and research assistantships. The CEO of my current company is a Berry Physics graduate. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I went to a small private college which focuses on the student-to-teacher ratio and higher academics. My average class size in my major was very small which allowed us to move through material quickly and get to more challenging problems. In general, I could camp out in the professors' offices and ask questions and solve extra problems for fun. I also participated in directed studies in fields of my interests for academic credit. |
| Instruction | 10 | Our professors were very up-to-date in the field of teaching math and physics to college students. Science education has changed and researches are always trying to find the best methods of helping students understand material. At Berry, the professors tried varied grading scales, curves, and teaching methods, such as group problem solving, low lecture, high lecture, and individual challenges for certain classes. |
| How Difficult | 8 | We were tested on undergraduate and graduate material. I took all of the calculus courses, most of the analysis classes, and a lot of physics and computer science in order to finish my degree. I have also taken classes at other institutions where access to professors is limited, which decreases the quality of education. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Berry is a higher education institution. Every class has multiple books. Classes with labs also come with books. There is a lot of technical reading and writing. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Class offerings at Berry are dictated by demand. Berry intentionally keeps its class sizes low as part of its mission, therefore class offerings are more limited. I took classes with most of the same people each semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Berry has a good library and enough computer labs to meet the need. In the physics department, we had all the standard equipment, but because of the low class sizes, we got to experiment more than my friends at other institutions. My academic adviser was awesome and I did a directed study under him. |
| Social Life | 4 | Berry does not have a football team, but we do have a good soccer team which we go to watch. As a small private school with a dry campus, the parties are fewer and not as extreme. The organized social events are usually very formal and educational in some fashion. I did not go to many parties because of my physics, math and computer science work load. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They were not able to help me in my quest for a physics and computer science related career. I graduated in the fall of 2008 which was not a good time to graduate college. My friends at other institutions faced similar adversities. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I get letters in the mail often. Because of the economy I am not able to contribute as much as I would like. I am also paying for my wife's college education. |
Georgia Institute Of Technology • Atlanta, GA
Studying Biomedical Engineering (completion in 2007)
• 9/28/2011
"I am quite satisfied. Georgia Tech has a great location, and is especially strong in engineering. It's home to excellent faculty and students."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend my school to others. It prepared me well for my career. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The reputation is good within engineering schools. The biomedical engineering program established in 1997 ranks even higher. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school prepared me for skills I use in my work. I also had plenty of opportunities to publish my work and attend conferences to present my work. |
| Instruction | 8 | The curriculum had high quality instruction that was relevant to my major. It also contained highly specialized courses such as medical imaging and image processing |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was fairly difficult. I had to work hard to pass all courses and especially hard to pass the dissertation defense. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good mix of learning styles. As a graduate student I had to do a lot of experiments (on computers mostly) to conduct my research. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | It wasn't very flexible. There are classes offered during the summer but are quite limited. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The facilities were very good. They updated the public computers while I was in school. There were plenty of books in the library as well as many available online publications. |
| Social Life | 7 | Social life was OK, though I didn't participate too much since I was a graduate student and I lived off campus. |
| Placement Services | 6 | There's a career center that helps prepare resumes and provide guidance. It's mainly geared towards undergrads. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni network is OK. They send magazines periodically and are on LinkedIn. I haven't found too much useful information there though. |
Gwinnett Technical College • Lawrenceville, GA
Studying Computer Programming (completion in 2010)
• 10/11/2011
"Overall, I'm satisfied. If I had to do it again, I would probably have attended a regular college rather than a technical college, but I have been lucky in finding work right out of school, so I can't complain. Gwinnett Tech did its job in teaching the basics for computer programming, but the ability to apply concepts really relied on the person taking the classes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It's a lower priced alternative with lower requirements to get in, but given the option, I would have preferred to attend a 4 year university. Besides that, it's a good school with great teachers, sitting conveniently just north of Atlanta. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school's reputation was definitely growing when I was attending. It was making a transition from quarters to semesters and working towards becoming a 4 year school, so I imagine that the reputation is growing positively. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The program taught languages and systems rather than concepts and processes. For example, I learned how to program in Java, but knowing good practices and common methods carried me further in the classes than did the basic instruction in the language. |
| Instruction | 7 | The teachers were engaged and interested in the students. Several of the teachers would stay way after the end of class to discuss solutions to interesting problems or to talk about the industry and jobs. |
| How Difficult | 6 | A decent challenge. It is open to working adults, so the work schedule wasn't too demanding, but the difficulty level was fairly high. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the assignments were programming assignments, with a little lecture during class that taught the basics needed to complete them. I would wager that I could have gotten through the classes without purchasing the book if I just had someone to e-mail me the programming assignments. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Most of my last classes were night classes, so the schedule wasn't too flexible, really. There were many online options, though, so I managed to get through while working another job. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | There were several computer labs open to use by students and study areas where you could ask other students for help with assignments. Professors and other students were also available to talk to through the Angel Learning system, which was put into place shortly after I started. There were a few hiccups at the start, but it was growing into a successful system when I left. |
| Social Life | 3 | Because I was working at the time, I didn't have much opportunity to participate in the school community. There were a few Student Association events, and I was sort of forcibly volunteered for membership in the Computer Sciences Association and had a hard time getting myself out of it, even though I never participated. |
| Placement Services | 8 | After a few hiccups communicating with career services, I had little difficulty submitting my resume into their system and it was quickly picked up by an interested local company. I've been working there since and have been very satisfied. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Thus far, I have had no interaction with the alumni network, if there even is one. There's help finding work for graduates, but I made minimal use of it, as I was quickly placed in a job not long after adding my resume to the school's job search site. |
Kennesaw State University • Kennesaw, GA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 1/11/2012
"I wish that the curriculum were more hands-on, but I was able to get a job straight out of school with a large potential for growth. The program is constantly expanding and changing, so it is very possible that my time spent as KSU reflects a transition period and not the typical experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | For students in the Atlanta area, I would recommend Georgia Tech over KSU if you want more real-world training. KSU is great for students that want a traditional university experience that is located in a very accommodating and calm area of Georgia. The Computer Science field is constantly changing, and students should research all options before deciding on a school. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The employers that I interviewed for spoke highly of the other graduates that were hired from my school. The value of the degree has grown since my graduation. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I felt as though my school did not fully prepare me for a hands-on position, but I learned the basics that were required to excel after a lengthy internship. I would have preferred more real-world training as opposed to philosophical or objective design focus. |
| Instruction | 7 | Several of my professors were very knowledgeable of the material but lacked real-world experience in new methods and practices. The program changed constantly to reflect new technology, but the professors were not always prepared to handle the changes. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I cannot speak for other colleges, but I found my particular program to be relatively easy. I struggled more with mathematics and other general education requirements than I did with the core curriculum. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Software Engineering courses do not include any actual software development. Programming and development is taught during very early core classes, and high level classes are reserved for design and implementation discussion rather than hands-on learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Many core classes are not offered more than once at a time, forcing you to adopt a very sporadic schedule. Evening and Summer classes are offered, but the same restriction still applies. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The Computer Science facilities are average at best. Classroom space is more than adequate, but the computer labs are outdated. Students are expected to own laptop computers, as many of the supplied machines cannot run required applications. |
| Social Life | 5 | I did not participate in many social events, but there seemed to be a high number of available events at any given time. The school just added a football team, so I expect school spirit to rise. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The school provides a competent career service that connects alumni and undergraduates to potential employers. I received many job offers throughout my years at KSU. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Alumni are given several enticing incentives and service privileges, among other benefits. Networking is handled through an online portal that helps to link alumni with one another and potential employers. |
Dalton State College • Dalton, GA
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2004)
• 3/25/2012
"The only real downside is a lack of preparation for actually entering the job market."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | There have been a lot of changes at DSC since I graduated. Some of the changes I think are for the better, but I am not certain in actuality. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | They are the best locally. However, there are many larger schools that are not far away that have more depth. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I enjoyed the coursework and social experience. I do not feel I was prepared properly for finding a job in my chosen field. |
| Instruction | 10 | I was usually able to speak with my professors whenever needed. The student to professor ratio was outstanding. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Some subjects were easy for me, but tougher for some classmates. Some classes were only difficult due to poor instruction. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some professors did not even assign text books. A few professors had authored or co-authored the books for their classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | My first two years I was able to get any class I wanted whenever I needed. My last two years, most classes were only offered once per year. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There were plenty of computer labs. The school was in an expansion era, so there were a lot of newly constructed labs. |
| Social Life | 10 | I really enjoyed the social experience. My only complaint is not enough activities to meet new people. |
| Placement Services | 1 | It took me a year and a half after graduating before I had any full-time job, and another three years before anything in my field. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I did not feel I had any network built for helping get me into the workforce. The only time I hear from the alumni association is when they want money. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.