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 Franklin, Columbus State Community College, Kent State Geauga, and Stark State.
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 College of Mount St. Joseph, Central State, Malone, and Wilberforce University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Wilberforce University, Central State, The University of Findlay, and Muskingum University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Franklin, Ashland University, Marion Tech, and College of Mount St. Joseph.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Franciscan University of Steubenville, Wilberforce University, Denison, and Cedarville University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Wilberforce University, The College of Wooster, Denison, and Ohio Wesleyan University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Case Western Reserve, Denison, The College of Wooster, and Ohio Wesleyan University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Wilberforce University, Central State, and Denison.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Denison, Case Western Reserve, The College of Wooster, and Capital University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Ashland University • Ashland, OH
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 7/24/2011
"I really liked the personal attention that was available at Ashland. The most disappointing thing was that my program was very small. The small town atmosphere was exactly what I wanted from my college experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I know that there are better programs within the state. For this major, there are not enough resources, professors, or hands-on experience. People pursuing my career should attend a larger state school. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Ashland University does not have a separate Computer Science program. The program is part of the Math Department. In programming competitions, Ashland does place high. In my years there we placed between the large state school's A and B teams in competitions. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The major was fair. The focus of the program was mostly on theory. While theory is important, more real-world experience is needed in today's job market. The best thing about the program was the number of students (less than 10 per class). The attention in each class was very individualized. |
| Instruction | 6 | The professors were great. The class sizes and number of students in the program was small. This allowed lots of one-on-one time with the professors. The poor part of the instruction was the fact the not enough real-world experience was given. Very little actual programming was done. Instruction generally focused on theory. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Because of the amount of theory, the work was very challenging. The small class sizes also allowed the professors to focus on each students' weak points. Most computer science classes required equal or more time outside of class as in class. The work was very challenging and required critical thinking and not mindless coding. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was very little hands-on learning. Most of the course work was on theory and book learning. There was not very much hands-on work in terms of programming. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I took all of the above options. At least one class I took per semester was an evening class and one class was online. Each summer I took an online course. Almost all of the "flexible" options were core classes; very few were classes within a specific major. This did not matter much, because the school was a liberal arts school and required many core classes. It allowed my days to be used focus on my major and my nights, weekends, and summers to focus on core courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The computer science department had its own lab space. Various computers with different programs and operating systems were available to majors 24/7. The lab also contained a mid-sized collection of related books on topics such as programming languages, computer theory, math, operating systems, as well as all of the books being used in the current semester's classes. Professors all lived within 20 minutes of campus and were willing to meet during evenings and weekends. I even had dinner a few times with my advisor's family. Tutors were available for any low level course. Some times these were group study sessions and other times it was one-on-one. |
| Social Life | 2 | My personal social experience at Ashland was very limited. I am not very social and did not take part in any social activities. There were many activities available, such as sports, greek life, and parties, but I did not take part. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Before graduation, career services are readily available. Career services offered mock interviews, resume help, and a job board. After graduation I never heard anything from career services. If I had not found a job, I would be very disappointed that career services left me high and dry. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I have only been contacted by the school for money and to fill out a survey. The survey was about my employment status at one year post-graduation. The school does offer career services to graduates, but I was never contacted about these services (although I never needed them). |
Columbus State Community College • Columbus, OH
Studying Computer Information Systems - Software Development (completion in 2012)
• 9/4/2011
"I am not overly satisfied, but not dissatisfied either. My main goal is to get the degree that says I already know what I am doing."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this school. It is low cost and is fairly easy. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Among other workers, the school is known as having a cheap program tuition wise. Some people I know that went to other schools look down on community colleges. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I enjoy the material that is covered in my program. The downfall is many teachers appear to be there just to collect a paycheck (not overly helpful, and don't veer from the book). |
| Instruction | 2 | The instructors are ok for new students to the field. I have had previous job experience prior to working on my degree, so the teachers are not able to go above a beginning level in some classes. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The workload is simple, and quickly finished. Most weeks I am able to completed all my work in less than two hours. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This has really depended on the teacher. Some of the technical teachers do not stray from the book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The schedule is very flexible. I work full time and I am able to get to classes without issue. |
| Academic Facilities | 2 | My dealings with these people have been poor. I have only had to deal with them one time, and they were very unhelpful. |
| Social Life | 5 | The options are there, but I choose not to participate. I mainly take online classes, but when I go to class I will just get in and get out. |
| Placement Services | 8 | What I have heard/seen has been good. The last class I will take will be one to work with a potential employer. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I am not familiar with this network. I have not had many interactions with alumni in my school. |
Cedarville University • Cedarville, OH
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2010)
• 9/7/2011
"I am very satisfied with my experience at Cedarville. I was very prepared for the working world and had a great time in the process."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Cedarville has an excellent faculty and the MIS program is superb. If you are looking for a Christian college that hosts a top of the line liberal education, look no further than Cedarville. The only downfall of the school is a definite lack of available financial. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Cedarville isn't well-known once you travel too far. However, those who do know about the school hold it and all of its programs in high esteem. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Cedarville provided an excellent education in the fields that I was taught in. However, some things had to be learned on the fly once I started working. |
| Instruction | 7 | My professors were excellent at teaching the subject matter and in the languages that I was taught. I was excellently prepared for the job field. However, an application's developer often has need to use languages that may not be covered in school, and must always teach themselves more. |
| How Difficult | 7 | MIS is not the most difficult major around, being half business and half programming. The work load is often substantial, requiring actual programming, rather than just book work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | While the basics must be learned from a book, Cedarville's MIS program quickly shifts to hands-on. While in class, we operated in as close to a real world environment as possible. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Cedarville's MIS program is very small and thus rather inflexible in its class schedule. However, the general education classes have a higher degree of flexibility and can easily be adjusted to fit around the MIS schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Cedarville's facilities are absolutely top-notch. Tutors are freely available and the library is part of a network that spans most of Ohio. Professors are very available to students. |
| Social Life | 7 | Cedarville has a lot going on socially. School spirit borders on fanaticism for many students and there are constantly events occurring that the Student Council has planned. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Again, I am lead to believe that Cedarville has an excellent career services program. However, the extent I used them for was to polish up my resume. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I understand that Cedarville has an extensive alumni support network. However, I have never used it, so I can't vouch for its quality. |
Ohio State University • Columbus, OH
Studying Business (completion in 1976)
• 10/5/2011
"OSU is one of the best schools in the country for obtaining general knowledge. Certain OSU schools, such as medical, dentistry, and the veterinary college, are world-renowned. The curriculum is up-to-date and standards are high."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Some of the best and most qualified teachers and professors in the world teach here. The staff attempts to personalize your experience even though there are well over 50,000 students. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | There is a high volume of students taking IT training classes, and there is a waiting list. |
| Program Quality | 10 | OSU has state of the art computer classrooms and real-world instructors. Classes and topics are current, timely, and useful in an actual business environment. |
| Instruction | 9 | Many instructors have come from the business world and know what is needed computer-wise. They challenge your knowledge with new and innovative ideas and theories. |
| How Difficult | 8 | |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Major assignments require actual computer programs to be written. Working in groups and with partners on projects allows for the use of multiple types of hardware, software and media. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Based on your own academic load, you may be able to switch around some things either temporarily or permanently. The school makes some attempt to schedule classes over wide time ranges. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school utilizes state of the art computer systems and networks. The physical environment is clean and pleasant. There is great access to tutors and teachers in general. |
| Social Life | 8 | The Ohio State Buckeye football team is world-famous. In the OSU area the parties are never-ending. |
| Placement Services | 5 | It is pretty standard from what I have seen. If desired, you must take courses in resume writing and marketing yourself. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | They provide a comprehensive newsletter of current events. Website available for contact and updates. |
Ohio State University • Columbus, OH
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1994)
• 10/6/2011
"I really enjoyed my time at OSU. It helped me get started in my chosen field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It was a great experience. The large school also lets you explore other options while getting your CS degree. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It was in the top 30 CS departments the last time I checked. Others have commented about how good the department is. |
| Program Quality | 10 | OSU provided a solid foundation for my career in the software field that included both the theoretical and practical experience I needed to succeed. I learned a lot about computer science both in and out of the classroom while at OSU. |
| Instruction | 8 | Most of the instructors were very good at conveying course material and helping me understand it. There were a few, however, who had difficulties expressing themselves, let alone teaching classes. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was moderately difficult. I knew other CS students at CMU. MIT, and some other universities, and it was comparable to these and other big 10 schools. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was definitely a mix of the two. There were plenty of lab projects, but you did have to keep your nose in the books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | All the masters level classes were offered at night, so you could get your degree that way. Summer offerings were bad. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | OSU's CS department had the largest network of sun workstations outside of Sun. Awesome resource to learn about distributed systems. Libraries were great! |
| Social Life | 10 | The size of OSU allows for lots of student interaction for everybody. Several CS related organizations were active on campus. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I didn't use these services. I tracked down my own first job. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not taken advantage of the alumni network, nor have I run into that many OSU grads here. |
University Of Akron, Ohio • Akron, OH
Studying Electrical Engineering (completion in 1992)
• 10/13/2011
"The campus was nice, but the rest of the city was not the best to hang around in. Crime was an issue and you had to be careful walking alone back from school in the winter months and at night."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on what the dept is and who the academic advisor is - I met some really great professors in Electrical Engineering and would recommend the school if the student was going to be with them. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I already explained earlier that the relative ranking is not high among colleges in USA. |
| Program Quality | 6 | University of Akron has some good professors in the Electrical Eng department, but it is not highly rated in the country for electrical engineering. |
| Instruction | 8 | The teaching was good, but there was not much instruction on career preparation. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Loved the program because it kept me really busy and well occupied. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had labs mixed with in-class study. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | It was a long time ago, but I don't recall not being able to take a class when I wanted to enroll in one. Additionally, I was a full time on campus student, so this was not an issue for me. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The only reason I am giving this a 9 is that there were no tutors available for what I studied. |
| Social Life | 8 | Lots of events, and it was fun to socialize. I made some good friends and also met my spouse there! |
| Placement Services | 1 | I can't recall having any campus interviews in the dept of electrical engineering. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I did not find any jobs via alumni network nor via the school. The only communication I got from them recently after all these years was a solicitation for donations. |
Ohio State University • Columbus, OH
Studying Computer Information Science (completion in 2011)
• 1/5/2012
"I'm satisfied for multiple reasons. It was a good social time, yet it prepared me for a job."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They offer plenty of interesting courses to take. Also, there were plenty of extracurriculars for CIS students. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | As a whole I know the school has a good reputation. However, I don't know the current reputation of the major. |
| Program Quality | 4 | Exclusive intro series that teaches concepts but doesn't help with actual programming languages. Little focus on applicable programming. |
| Instruction | 4 | Many instructors are very knowledgeable. However, many are foreign and some can be really hard to understand. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Really hard. When I was there it was a quarter system and this made you take 4 to 5 classes to reach full time status. So the workload was heavy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It really depends on the classes you take. Most have some hands on programming but most near the end of the major are theoretical stuff. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Major classes were mostly Mon-Wed-Fri. However, every few quarters a class would be offered Tues-Thurs. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Plenty of space. There were multiple computer labs, libraries, and the school is always updating facilities. |
| Social Life | 10 | There is lots of school spirit, and plenty of events. One year I got to see Kevin Smith, another Chris Rock and another Dave Chappelle for free. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Really, really good. Multiple career fairs, dedicated online portal to apply for jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I haven't used it much. I do know, however, that it is extensive. |
University Of Cincinnati • Cincinnati, OH
Studying Information Systems (completion in 2001)
• 2/1/2012
"The well-rounded education prepared me well for the career I am developing, though not as much for my most recent job responsibilities (primarily application analyst, software development)."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | My school/program is well-suited for someone interested in IS management, but it was not the right program for someone working mostly as a software analyst. Some specific coursework absolutely helped to prepare me, but I had to learn a lot on the job and over time. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | My school is recognized for a number of its programs. I feel my program was adequate but I do not sense it has obtained national recognition. |
| Program Quality | 7 | My school provided a broad base of knowledge on all aspects of business. I felt it went into just enough depth on the technical courses (C++, Oracle, business applications, etc) to help me decide which field to focus on. |
| Instruction | 8 | My instructors were terrific at explaining concepts. My programming instructors specifically helped me out when I was struggling with some concepts. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I did not feel the courses were that challenging, either in terms of the difficulty or the amount of work. I did not have a 4.0 in my major, but I still did fairly well and had an extensive amount of time to focus on extracurricular activities. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the coursework was book learning. There was a significant amount of hands-on learning in the database and programming courses, and in our marketing capstone. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | My school is proud to be able to offer degrees for weekend and evening students and their online/distance-learning footprint is quite large. I did not need to take advantage of these. |
| Academic Facilities | I can't say I leveraged many of of these types of resources. | |
| Social Life | 7 | The social environment was adequate when I was a student, but I have observed it growing exponentially since I graduated. Campus life is blooming with events all the time. |
| Placement Services | I did not utilize the job placement or career services at my school. I did not expect them to find me a job... I took the initiative to search, but also had a lucky break with a student worker position I was already in. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I can't say I know much about the alumni network. I'm not aware much of it exists. |
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