Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Computer Programmers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Metro State, University of Colorado, UCDHSC, and Colorado 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 Metro State, UCDHSC, Mesa State, and UCCS.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Community College of Denver, Otero Junior College, Pueblo Community College, and Arapahoe.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Arapahoe, Colorado Mountain College, Pueblo Community College, and Otero Junior College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of United States Air Force Academy, University of Denver, University of Colorado, and Fort Lewis.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of United States Air Force Academy, Fort Lewis, Mesa State, and University of Denver.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at United States Air Force Academy, University of Denver, University of Colorado, and Colorado State.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at United States Air Force Academy.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at University of Denver, Fort Lewis, Colorado State, and University of Colorado.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Colorado School Of Mines • Golden, CO
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 8/4/2011
"I really can't imagine a school much better than CSM for computer science. If only some of the teachers would speak better English, then it would have been perfect."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a very good school at which to learn Computer Science. The only real downfall is that it is so expensive. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | It is not known very much for it's Computer Science program. However, those that do know about it know that it is a good program. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Although CSM is not exactly known for their Comp Sci program, it is a very good one. They spend more time talking about design and practices rather than on specifics on how to code something. The specifics can be learned at any time if you have a good background of code design. |
| Instruction | 8 | The curriculum was good, but the career preparation could be better. We had something called Field Session that is supposed to be like an introduction to an actual job in the Computer Science field, but that was really the only type of real-life scenario we got in school. |
| How Difficult | 9 | It was the Colorado School of Mines, and nothing there is very easy. Yet it was not as hard as it could have been. I'd say it was just about right. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the classes were pretty hands-on, but some of them were very book centered. Overall though, I'd say that I had mostly a hands-on learning experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Very few evening or online offerings. The summer offerings are fairly slim as well. Once you hit about your junior year there is usually only one class of everything offered, at least for Computer Science, so you have to do some creative juggling with your schedule sometimes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We had really nice computer labs to work in. We had Mac, PC, and Linux labs. The teachers that actually spoke English were really good and they kept good office hours so you could go in and talk to them whenever you needed to. |
| Social Life | 10 | The social activities were always pretty good. I wasn't too much into that type of thing though, so I didn't go to very many. |
| Placement Services | 10 | CSM has a very good job placement program. They are really easy to work with and seem like they are really trying to get you a job. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I'd say they have a pretty good alumni network. However, I'm not really all that interested in it. |
University Of Colorado At Denver • Denver, CO
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2006)
• 9/21/2011
"I had a great experience at UCD. Since I was working full time most of the way through my college career, a commuter school was the perfect fit for me. I still wonder if I missed out by not going to any crazy college frat parties."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you don't care about having a traditional college education setting, or if you are working full time and need to take classes on the side, or if you would like to study in an urban area like downtown Denver and have all that it includes just blocks away, I would recommend UCD. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | UCD's engineering department gets more acclaim from its civil engineering program rather than its computer science degree. There are a few alumni at my work, however, that either came from UCD or Metro State, which is on the some campus. |
| Program Quality | 6 | UCD has a good engineering department, but I can't think of anything about it that would make the program stand out from other schools. |
| Instruction | 5 | I had great professors at UCD, but the problem is not the amount I learned - it is the relevance of what was taught. In programming, what is standard today may be totally irrelevant in a couple of years. There is a lot that I had to learn after getting my job that wasn't available at the school. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I think it takes a certain mindset to become a programmer. There is a lot of math that is needed and learning a programming language can feel too constricting to some people. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You had to know how to write programs and you were mainly working out of a book while doing it. There was also the hardware side and lab work, but that too had some type of workbook you were working out of as well. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Back when I was at school, there were not too many online courses for my degree that I can remember. I do remember taking classes during the evening, in the mornings, and even on the weekends, so I think they had a wide range of options for when to take the classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I was in the computer lab more than anywhere else on campus. I remember it being nice, with plenty of help available from advisers and tutors. Metro State is on the same campus and we could share their engineering resources as well. |
| Social Life | 4 | When I was going to UCD there were not any living quarters on the campus. It was, and still mainly is, a commuter school. So there were no wild frat parties or anything like that. However, the campus is in the heart of downtown Denver, so there were plenty of social opportunities. Plus the Pepsi Center is right across the street. I would sometimes go see a Denver Nuggets game after classes, or Metro State had one of the best division 2 basketball teams at the time. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school helped me get an internship. It also got me some interviews which eventually got me to the company I work for today. All around I was pleased with the service. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Just about all that I am involved in when it comes to my school's alumni is the occasional newsletter I get in the mail, and the phone calls for donations. |
CU-Boulder • Boulder, CO
Studying ENVS-Biogeoscience (completion in 2011)
• 11/28/2011
"I love it. I've really found a home here. I can't say enough about it!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I love that my program gave me both skills and a technical background. I can't imagine having a technical career without some framework! |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Rated top 5 in the country. That says it all. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Although I didn't go to a "programming" school or program, my school provided me with additional skills that are useful. I learned and used programming primarily in my research. Knowing how it fits into societal problems is definitely a plus! |
| Instruction | 10 | All professors were helpful and available. There was a strong knowledgebase to draw upon. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Most classes were challenging. All were intellectually stimulating. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It's evenly split between book and hands on. Labs are great, but not all courses have them. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Take whatever you want, whenever you want. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | CU-Boulder is a major institution. It has top-quality resources in all aspects of academia. |
| Social Life | 10 | The program is very tight-knit. Also, the school has good athletic support. |
| Placement Services | 7 | It doesn't really exist, but everyone gets a job. E-mail Listservs are a great resource. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Most people stick around town, and networking with them leads to job opportunities. Being a university town, there are also tons of connections. |
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