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 Normandale Community College, Anoka - Ramsey, and University of Minnesota.
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 Metropolitan State, Dunwoody College of Technology, University of Minnesota-Crookston, and Minnesota State Moorhead.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider College of Saint Benedict.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Saint Paul College and MCTC.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Carleton, St. Olaf College, Minnesota State Moorhead, and University of Minnesota.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Carleton, St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, and Saint Johns University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Carleton, St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, and University of Minnesota.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Carleton, University of Minnesota, Augsburg, and St. Olaf College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Carleton, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Olaf College, and College of Saint Benedict.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Minnesota • Duluth, MN
Studying Electrical And Computer Engineering (completion in 2007)
• 7/26/2011
"I am satisfied with my school. I really appreciate my school and I help out in any way I can. I helped my company hire new graduates from my program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, definitely. I think it's a great program and it has helped me grow into the person I am today. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It's an accredited program. They opened a graduate department about 3 or 4 years ago. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Small class sizes, personalized attention, and good coursework. |
| Instruction | 7 | My program taught me a great deal about what to experience in the real world. The coursework was very involved and our projects were hands on and difficult. I spent sleepless hours finishing assignments in labs. I would say the coursework was great, but needs improvement in some area such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. |
| How Difficult | 10 | I spent many sleepless nights in labs trying to finish projects. It was extremely challenging. The work load was even more demanding for me since I worked part time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had hands on training. I liked it a lot. It taught me what to expect in the real world. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I liked the scheduling. I didn't have any issues taking classes at the times I wanted. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | We did have some nice facilities, but it could improve. They should open a robotics lab and update the existing network lab. |
| Social Life | 8 | I had a good time while in school. I loved the events organized by the school. They were social and exciting. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They tried, but were not extremely helpful. I had to find my internship and my first job myself. They did have some decent career fairs where I was able to make some connections. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | We have a decent alumni network but I wish they were more involved and came back to help us in finding jobs with their connections. |
University Of Minnesota • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2005)
• 2/4/2012
"I was fairly happy with the course offerings. I can certainly tell that the courses helped me get the job that I have now."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is one of the best universities in the US. The professors are very experienced and do some cutting edge research in the areas of Data Mining/Computational Biology/Parallel Computing. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The MS program in Computer Science is rated in the top 30 in the US. The university is also well known for its research in fields of Data Mining and Computational Biology. |
| Program Quality | 8 | University of Minnesota has a very good computer science program, although it could have been much better if there were more courses geared towards the Software Industry. |
| Instruction | 9 | The professors are very experienced and most of them had worked in large Software Companies in the past. This helped to design courses that were research-oriented but with practical applications. |
| How Difficult | 9 | It is a challenging course and you need to work really hard to get good grades. Some of the courses were relatively easy, but those will not help you get a good job. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There is a good mix of both hands on and book oriented classes. Certain courses are more theoretical and were book oriented, but there were other courses where you implement something giving a practical experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The schedule was reasonably flexible. I did not have to worry much as I was a full-time student. However, there were some evening classes that people who were working attended as well. Not many summer courses, though. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Excellent library, labs, sports complex, professors. I am not sure about the tutors or study groups. |
| Social Life | 7 | I was a grad student and hence did not have much experience with athletics or other social events. But I know that the University hockey team has a good following. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The list of software companies that come through the school's job placement service is very limited. I got my job through my own trials and not through the job placement service. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not been active as an Alum. Also, I did not receive much help from the Alumni network while I was at school. |
University Of Minnesota • Rochester, MN
Studying Software Engineering (completion in 2007)
• 3/31/2012
"This school taught me what I needed to know, and prepared me for my career. I would recommend it to anyone."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This is a good school with great facilities and professors. It is also very highly ranked, with low tuition. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | A couple of their good professors have left. I think that this program may disappear next year. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The U of M has great professors, very friendly, and they explain things in a concise, accurate manner. The labs are clean and easy to use. Very good program. |
| Instruction | 8 | The curriculum is slightly irrelevant, but is close enough for me to get a job. The quality is very good, and I learned a lot. |
| How Difficult | 2 | It was easy for me, because I was already extremely prepared in high school, with many AP and honors classes. I also studied up on all coursework beforehand. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Our school seems to be more hands on. We have more labs than classrooms. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The classes (for my major) were limited in number, so I had to revolve my schedule around it. The professors were helpful and tried to schedule things for when everyone was available. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | This college has superb facilities. Clean, welcoming, and modern. I just think that the labs leave a little to be desired. |
| Social Life | I don't participate in sports and don't watch sports. Sorry! | |
| Placement Services | 5 | There were good and friendly people to help, but they had many people to serve and as a result were very busy. However, I think they did a great job in helping me along my career. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I am completely out of touch with any of the alumni. The program, quite frankly, is terrible. |
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