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 Community College of Philadelphia, Tri-State Business Institute, Penn State, and Drexel.
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 Manor, La Salle, University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, and La Roche.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Bryn Mawr, Cedar Crest, Carlow, and Consolidated School of Business.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Community College of Philadelphia, Carnegie Mellon, USP, and Bryn Mawr.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Chestnut Hill, Carlow, Westmoreland County Community College, and Cedar Crest.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Bryn Mawr, Carnegie Mellon, Villanova, and Lehigh.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Ursinus College, Thiel College, Messiah College, and Allegheny.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Carnegie Mellon, Lehigh, Villanova, and Bryn Mawr.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Lehigh, Carnegie Mellon, Villanova, and Bryn Mawr.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Bryn Mawr, Carnegie Mellon, Allegheny, and Ursinus College.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight Pennsylvania Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: Fort Washington, King of Prussia, Pittsburgh
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Locations: Center Valley, Feasterville-Trevose, King Of Prussia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Springfield, Warrendale
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master, Post- Bachelor's Certificate
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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate
Colorado Technical University Online
- Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Doctorate, Master
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master
International Academy of Design & Technology Online
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Coursework, Diploma
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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HACC • Harrisburg, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1996)
• 7/22/2011
"I am satisfied. It was a good school and tuition was affordable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes. It's a great choice if you're working full time and need to go back to school. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | It's good. The school isn't known for computer science, but the instructors are great. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It was a good school for my field. Many instructors had years of experience working in IT. |
| Instruction | 8 | I learned many languages at HACC. The concepts that were taught make it easy to learn new ones, too. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Some of the computer lab assignments were difficult and time consuming. But, they were well worth it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We mostly went by the book, which is perfect for learning concepts of computer languages. Visual demonstrations were used when needed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | It was great. I took night classes so that I could keep working full time. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The facilities are good. We don't have the monetary resources of big state schools, but it is what you make of it. |
| Social Life | 1 | It's a commuter college. There's no on-campus housing and no sports program. So, it lacks the typical college social scene. |
| Placement Services | 3 | We had several job fairs. But, there was no formal job placement services. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | There are many alums that work at my company. But, I don't experience a close network with them or with any other past graduates. |
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA
Studying Information Systems (completion in 1999)
• 9/13/2011
"Great school and reputation. I made good friends, and experience and network."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school is private so it's a bit expensive. But it has a great reputation in engineering and business schools and attracts some of the best minds in the world. Also the campus is nice and the cost of living is low. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school is very well known but the program I took my Master's in is not. This is why I think they need to focus on marketing themselves better. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The program needed a bit more guidance and to market itself better. |
| Instruction | 8 | High-class education and classes at a great school. |
| How Difficult | 10 | A lot of work with long hours. It's a difficult course in a 2 year span. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The courses that I took were mostly academic with very few labs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Because of so many options sometimes it was hard to balance the class schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The latest technology in facilities, tutors, computers, speed of networks, teachers, conferences. |
| Social Life | 7 | Very poor the first year because of the work load. Much better the second year because of my experience in being able to better manage stress, work and social life. |
| Placement Services | 8 | Because of the school's reputation it was easy to get an engineering job after school. The career services know how to attract the best companies. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I kept in touch with four or five people in my program. I have not used the alumni network. |
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA
Studying Human Computer Interaction (completion in 2001)
• 9/10/2011
"CMU is a great school. I enjoyed the time there and learned a lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | CMU is the best school for HCI and a very elite school for computer science. The only downside is that it's very cold in winter. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It's the best school for HCI. It has the largest dedicated department to that field. |
| Program Quality | 10 | CMU is the best school for human-computer interaction and one of the best for computer science. People recognize it. |
| Instruction | 10 | The curriculum was relevant. The professors were very good. The school has a great reputation. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It really wasn't that difficult. My undergraduate degree in computer science was much more difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They gave us lots of experience and group work. Book learning was not emphasized. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The classes were in the daytime. I was working at the university so it was not a problem. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | They have good facilities at CMU. I never felt that we missed out on anything. |
| Social Life | 5 | Graduate school is not that much about the social experience. I didn't miss going to parties and the like. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I didn't use their placement services. I've never had trouble finding a job. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I don't have any contact with the alumni network. I'm sure there is one but I'm not that interested. |
Kutztown University • Kutztown, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 9/18/2011
"I wish the school was better known and had a better reputation. A lot of the students there gave the school a bad name. However, the CS dept was fantastic, and I learned a lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Again, the school as a whole has a bad reputation, but the CS dept is great. CS grads have absolutely no problem getting jobs. I can't speak for other departments. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | The school's reputation isn't very good. The department does produce excellent students, though. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Not a whole lot of web development courses. Used a lot of non-industry standard methods (languages, tools, etc). |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors were fantastic. They were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I didn't struggle at all in my 4 years there. Where I am for grad school is much harder. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of classes were hands on in the software development aspect. There was some hands on teaching for networking, which was well received. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | The department was small, so there wasn't much flexibility. Either you took the class when it was offered, or tough luck. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | They did their best to supply us with what we needed. Sometimes it was lacking, but they really started getting their act together by the time I graduated. |
| Social Life | 10 | Best years of my life. I ran a sports club on campus, and I love those teammates with all my heart. |
Montgomery County Community College • Blue Bell, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1993)
• 10/17/2011
"I learned how to program and thus I am satisfied with the school. I believe that I was taught the fundamentals of programming. I believe that any programming language can be learned if you have mastered the fundamentals."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school was conveniently located and was affordable. Overall, the academics were adequate for obtaining a career in the IT world. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | Again, it's a 2 year community college. I don't think it wins any awards for recognition. |
| Program Quality | 6 | The school concentrated on Cobol programming classes. This language seemed somewhat dated even in 1993. |
| Instruction | 6 | Many non computer classes were required, such as english composition and history. These classes are required for most A.S. degrees but they don't really help in the core of your major. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I don't think the program of study was any less or more difficult then other programs. Each area has its own level of expertise. If you aren't interested in a given area you will find it more difficult, and if you are interested then you will be ready to learn and "get it" more quickly. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A good mix of both instructional book based assignments/reading and lab work was incorporated. The instructors did a good job of balancing it out. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I do not recall having difficulties in selecting classes in any semester. The classes offered per semester were varied. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The computer lab was always available. Class room size was appropriate. They were never too large. |
| Social Life | 3 | Given it was a community college, no one lived on campus. Therefore, the social element of the school did not really exist. |
| Placement Services | 5 | did not utilize the placement services. I already had a full time job and attended college part time in the evenings. This was before online classes were available. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | It's a community college. There's an alumni base, but many individuals move on to a 4 year degree program at a different school. |
University Of Pittsburgh • Pittsburgh, PA
Studying Computer Engineering (completion in 2009)
• 10/14/2011
"For the price, Pitt had an excellent value. I received a top notch education from professors who cared about my future. I had a great social experience and met my wife. I would definitely recommend Pitt to others!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | As I said in the previous response, Pitt has an excellent value. They have a great cooperative program where students can work for companies while attending school and get job experience. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The school's reputation for engineering is stronger than most. Students from all over apply to Pitt and it seems the enrollment increases year after year. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Most computer engineers from Pitt seem to get software development jobs instead of hardware jobs. The only thing I would recommend they change is to teach more Operating System and Hardware to broaden the knowledge of graduates. |
| Instruction | 10 | The small classes and very knowledgeable professors made for excellent instruction. If students needed help, professors were always open to seeing them during office hours. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Freshman year was extremely difficult. This was intended to weed out those who could not handle the stresses of engineering. As a student who reached senior year, things became more manageable and easier, but it was definitely still challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Definitely a mix. Some classes didn't use the text at all, while in others you could read the book and get an A without even attending class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Most classes had multiple time options. Usually these would be evening or day. Specialty classes usually only had one time. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Pitt implemented many technology improvements which made the facilities excellent. A whole campus wireless network and smart classrooms are a couple of these improvements. |
| Social Life | 10 | There are many opportunities to socialize at Pitt. I personally joined a fraternity but there are many other groups which have parties and opportunities to meet others at school. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Pitt has an excellent career development department. They have multiple job fairs throughout the year and help students get internships which lead to full time positions. They also have resume reviews and interviews on site. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I do not participate much in the alumni network, but I get a lot of contact and mailings from Pitt with alumni information. Because of this it seems average to me, especially since I have not experienced any other college alumni networks. |
Carnegie Mellon • Pittsburgh, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2008)
• 11/29/2011
"I am happy to have gone to my school and received the quality education it gave me. It may not have been much social help, but I definitely have gotten a great job because of it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My school provides great opportunities after graduation. My school makes a disciplined person out of someone. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I believe it is now ranked 3rd in the nation. Anyone I know who learns I went to my school has been immediately impressed. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My school was very challenging and includes a great network of people. The work needed from my school made me a better worker for the future. |
| Instruction | 7 | The professors were very well versed in their fields and in the top of their research. However, actual real-life career preparation was limited, since only basic low-level topics were covered. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Sometimes, I would be working 24/7 to finish my workload. Many students did not have any time to do any leisure activities. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The projects I had to do were very hands on. Although they didn't teach us the real-life concepts, they taught us the knowledge we needed to be able to tackle any real-life concept. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Online offerings are limited, but they are very good for a non-online school. I'm not sure about weekend or evening offerings, since I went as a regular full-time student. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | TAs were available for every class. There are computer labs open for all students. Libraries were free. My academic advisor met with me once a semester. |
| Social Life | 3 | There was not much life outside of school. The fraternities and sororities were a big part of the school, and they had many parties and philanthropic events. There is no school spirit. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They provide career counseling and interview help. My resume was reviewed by my career counselor and lots of help was given. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | There are lots of alumni events where students can network. There are also job fairs where alumni can find jobs. |
Drexel University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2005)
• 12/2/2011
"The school was good and I learned what I needed to be successful in my career. However, outside of the co-op, I wouldn't have made any industry connections, so finding a job may be difficult for others."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If you work hard, this will give you the skills to thrive as a computer programmer, but it is possible to graduate and not make the connections necessary to secure a job. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | When you tell someone you went to Drexel, they will usually agree it's a good school and may or may not acknowledge the co-op program. However, it's not in the same league as a Polytech or an MIT. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The core material was great. New courses, such as databases, were slow to be deployed. |
| Instruction | 7 | Most instructors were excellent, but some instructors failed to teach the material. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Computer science degrees are notoriously tough, so most students are weeded out in the first few courses. For those who have programmed before, the courses are tough but realistic, compared to the difficulty of the real world. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school was very hands on, i.e., go off and code this. But every course had a book for the material, so we were expected to learn the material in the assignments. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There are so many courses for the major you are expected to take, and the schedule is fairly rigid. However, there are some evening courses you can take if you are interested in them. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I liked the resources available. I used the writing center, the computer labs and the library. I worked with the academic advisor when attempting a BS/MS. We made limited use of the clusters. |
| Social Life | 5 | The social environment seemed well developed. They had sports; basketball, especially. They had frat houses, etc. Not being a social person, it is harder to rate them. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I actually followed up and got my job from my first Drexel co-op, so from that perspective, the job placement is excellent. However, I don't know how good the career services are if you need a job at graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't use the alumni network, but they send information occasionally and ask for money. It seems ok, from what I can tell. |
Pennsylvania State University • Malvern, PA
Studying Software Engineering (completion in 2010)
• 1/3/2012
"I came out of PSU and put my degree to work right away. I definitely learned a lot and was able to apply it in my field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely suggest PSU to full-time workers. They made it easy to work and take classes. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I feel like PSU's program isn't too well known. PSU is known as a good school in general, but I think they focus more on business than engineering. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Some of the more relevant topics (software design & architecture) were discussed a little too briefly. I felt like the program was made from a smattering of topics, instead of focusing on one in particular. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors were engaging and knowledgeable. They definitely had the students' best interests in mind when giving lectures. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Some classes were challenging, but overall I didn't have to read or study much. The tests were pretty easy, and most grades were paper or project based. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I wished the courses were more hands-on. There were maybe three courses that had programming assignments, and nothing was done in any kind of laboratory. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They were pretty flexible. Classes were held at night, after 6pm. There were no weekend classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | PSU has an enormous library (both hardcopy and digital). They did not have many computer labs or resources, just one. There were plenty of tutors available, but it was difficult to meet with a professor for advising time. |
| Social Life | 6 | PSU for grad school offers much less social support than it does for undergrads. For the most part, the only offerings were sporting and networking events. |
| Placement Services | 9 | PSU helps undergrads by placing them in internships (some paid). They also have plenty of career fairs and networking events. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Penn State has an enormous alumni network. They constantly reach out to me and this network has proven to be useful in my career. |
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburg, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 1/18/2012
"I was mildly satisfied. I would have liked to see a higher standard being held for the students and I would have liked to learn more. On the other hand, it did allow me to make some contacts (although not as many as I would have liked)."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I don't think the university lives up to its reputation. If there was a stricter differentiation between grades and the students were taught more, I would be more likely to recommend that university. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Carnegie Mellon is well known in the computer science industry as a powerhouse university. Therefore its reputation is quite impressive. |
| Program Quality | 4 | I was not very impressed with my program. This was because I didn't learn as much as I thought I could have and the competition wasn't very high so I didn't have to push myself. If I were to do it again, I would focus more on networking and less on homework given that things were graded to a massive curve. |
| Instruction | 6 | The instruction was decent for preparing us for the real world of software development. However it focused a lot on the what's without teaching about the why's, meaning there was a lot of rote memorization. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The difficulty of the program was quite easy. The competition was low and the grades were graded to a strong curve so most people got A- or above. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As mentioned previously, the program focused a lot on the what's, not the why's. This meant there was a lot of book learning but little hands-on-experience to learn from mistakes as to why you should do it one way as opposed to another. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | There were very few opportunities to change your schedule given how inflexible it was. There were no weekend classes or summer offerings. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The facilities were pretty good. There were some excellent libraries and the computer labs were all fitted with the latest software and networks. The professors were only available during office hours though, which meant they got flooded. |
| Social Life | 3 | I was unimpressed by the social experiences at Carnegie Mellon. There was little school spirit and the parties were lackluster. |
| Placement Services | I already had a job lined up after graduating and did not take advantage of the school's job placement and career services. | |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni network has been excellent. They send out a lot of information about opportunities or contacts in the general region. |
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