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Career and School Info for Computer Programmers in Illinois



  School and Career Overview

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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 Moraine Valley Community College, College of DuPage, Northern Illinois, and University of Illinois.

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 Midstate College, Chicago State, Northeastern Illinois University, and Roosevelt University.
  • Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Midstate College.
  • Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Saint Augustine College, Chicago State, Morton College, and Prairie State.
  • Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider John A Logan College, University of St Francis, Governors State, and Saint Augustine College.

School Setting

  • Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Wheaton College, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Lake Forest College.
  • Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Monmouth College, Blackburn, Knox, and Illinois College.

Excellence

  • SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois, and Wheaton College.
  • % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Saint Xavier University, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and University of St Francis.
  • Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago, University of Chicago, Knox, and Northwestern University.

 

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Spotlight Illinois Schools Related to This Career

DeVry University

  • Locations: Addison, Chicago, Downers Grove, Elgin, Gurnee, Naperville, Tinley Park
  • Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor

Strayer University

  • Locations: Downers Grove, Schaumburg
  • Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor, Certificate, Diploma

University of Phoenix

  • Locations: Chicago, Mokena, Schaumburg, Warrenville
  • Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor

Vatterott College

  • Locations: Quincy
  • Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Diploma

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Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career

University of Phoenix Online

  • Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master

DeVry University Online

  • Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor

Kaplan University

  • Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Associate

AIU Online

  • Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor

Colorado Technical University Online

  • Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Bachelor, Doctorate

Everest University Online

  • Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
  • Degrees: Associate, Bachelor

Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State

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University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign • Urbana-Champaign, IL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1993)

• 5/8/2011

"My experience with the program at my school was overall positive. I wasn't too keen on the geographical location -- basically in the middle of nowhere with the nearest interesting geographical place several hours away. I also really detested the school's ludicrous racist sports mascot. But the people I knew and interacted with socially at school as well as the program itself made for a very good experience overall."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?maybeI would as long as I thought they could handle the difficult workload and didn't mind living in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn't recommend it for someone who needs more of a smaller, intimate educational experience as this can be a very large, impersonal university if you let it.
Program Reputation10The graduate program in Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a tremendous reputation and many distinguished alumni. It is generally rated in the top 5 in the country for such programs.
Program Quality9The graduate Computer Science program at my university is generally rated as one of the top 5 programs in the country. I found the curriculum to be quite challenging and interesting. The computing facilities were excellent. Strong faculty and very intelligent student body.
InstructionMore than 5 years ago
How Difficult8A couple of the core requirement courses one had to take and get a B in to graduate were VERY difficult, particularly the course in algorithm analysis. I can recall taking 10 hours to do a week's homework assignment. I answered only 2 of 7 questions on the course final and still managed to get a B, the material was so difficult.
Hands-On vs. BookishThe computer science program required both very strong theoretical understanding of the subject material and very strong practical programming skills. I would say there was a fairly equal emphasis on both aspects.
Schedule Flexibility7I'm not sure about weekend and evening offerings, but I know the school provided a fairly large course offering during summer sessions. I also know that more recently they have become one of the leaders in online options.
Academic Facilities9Generally excellent facilities were provided for the computer science program. The strong faculty brings in a lot of money so there is considerable funding for equipment and facilities. The library system at the university is fantastic -- large, modern and with great resources. Lab space was never a problem in my experience.
Social Life6The social experience was good mainly because of the high quality of students in my program. Highly intelligent people make for a fun and interesting crowd to hang out with.
Placement Services6I can't say much about this because I never availed myself of my school's job placement or career services assistance. I do know, however, that I have received communication about such services on a fairly regular basis since graduating.
Alumni Network6I receive fairly regular communication from the alumni association. Some of it involves solicitation for donations but much of it also provides opportunities for career advancement and networking.

Illinois Institute Of Technology • Chicago, IL
Studying MS Computer Science (completion in 1977)

(Overall rating not available) • 5/4/2011

"I marked "attended more than 5 years ago" since I graduated in 1976. But overall, I would have ranked it 7 or 8."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesYes, it was a good school for me to go to. I look back on it favorably. I always mention it in my resume.
Program Reputation7I think IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology, not to be confused with Indian Institute of Technology) is pretty-well regarded. I am often surprised how many people have heard of it.
Program Quality7It was a good technically-oriented school, and had a lot of Bell Labs employees as students when I was going there. My thesis advisor was nationally recognized in his field.
InstructionMore than 5 years agoNo rating, graduated in 1977
How Difficult7I had a 4.0 average, but usually only took one course at a time (it took me 5 years to get my MSCS). Some of the math courses e.g. linear equations were pretty difficult and I had to work hard to get an A.
Hands-On vs. BookishWe had a lot of textbook reading (such as Knuths' 3-volume "The Art Of Computer Programming"), but also lots of computer lab work using the university's mainframe (Univac 1108). They added dial-up access shortly after I graduated.
Schedule Flexibility8I was able to attend at night while working full-time. They opened a second campus out where I was working (western suburb of Chicago) about the time I graduated.
Academic Facilities7They had an excellent library, and also a new (for its time) computer lab. I never had problems seeing professors when I needed to.
Social Life5I attended night school and was a graduate student, so I made no use of their social facilities. Assuming they are at least average.
Placement Services5I was already working full-time while going to graduate school, so I never made use of their placement services. Therefore assuming they are at least average.
Alumni Network5I get contacted by them all the time asking for money, but rarely contribute. They occasionally have events in my area but I haven't attended any up to now.

University Of Illinois • Urbana-Champaign, IL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1991)

(Overall rating not available) • 5/4/2011

"N/A"

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesJust the prestige of going to the school is worthwhile. Not only will a student get a good education, but it will be valuable to have the UIUC name on a resume in the future.
Program Reputation9Having the school on my resume has opened opportunities that I might not otherwise have gotten. I've also had coworkers treat me with a certain level of respect once they found out where I graduated from.
Program Quality9I feel that I received a solid education from the college I attended. UIUC is a prestigious school in the industry and have helped open doors to new opportunities.
InstructionMore than 5 years ago
How Difficult8The program I was in required a lot of work, often resulting in all nighters. There was also a good degree of filtering out of unqualified students in the first two years.
Hands-On vs. BookishMost of what I learned was from books and lectures rather than hands on. The professors were also not very helpful, so most of my learning was through TAs or by myself.
Schedule Flexibility3I didn't really take care about weekend or evening class options. However, signing up for classes was like a lottery because you didn't know if a class you wanted would be too full and you wouldn't be accepted.
Academic Facilities6There were many resources available, such as libraries, laboratories, etc. The professors were not very accessible and did not seem to care much about undergraduates.
Social Life6Academically and professionally, I'm glad I attended UIUC. However, my time there was pretty boring. There isn't much to do on campus since the college is located in the middle of nowhere.
Placement Services5When I graduated, I attended the school's job fairs. However, the school didn't provide much guidance or help in landing a job at one of the participating companies.
Alumni Network5I get occasional mail from the school. Unfortunately, most of it is to solicit donations and not much in the way of news.

University Of Illinois • Urbana, IL
Studying Computer Science / Mathematics (completion in 1989)

• 7/6/2011

"I thought the University of Illinois gave me an excellent education. I was well prepared for the workforce and could easily have gone on to graduate school if I had wanted to."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesThe University of Illinois computer science program is one of the best in the nation. The campus is beautiful and the people are friendly. One wouldn't think one would find culture in the middle of Illinois, but with the Krannert Center and the diversity of the student population, you'll be able to do just about anything you want!
Program Reputation10The University of Illinois has an excellent reputation. It is always rated as one of the top schools in computer science and engineering every year.
Program Quality10The University of Illinois computer science program was great. It had great teachers, a great campus, and opportunities for work as well.
Instruction10Everyone knew their stuff. We learned theory as well as practical things. The segue into work was easy.
How Difficult8The classes were challenging and there was a lot of studying to do, but it was worth it. There was no lack of courses either, you could take just about any computer science course you could think of.
Hands-On vs. BookishI'd say the excellent library access tilts it toward book learning. Lots of the classes had hands-on labs and every computer class class had homework that used the computers.
Schedule Flexibility6I was able to eventually take all the courses I wanted over my four years. This wasn't due to weekends or evenings, just the size of the university. I didn't look into any of the other offerings and there weren't any online options when I went to school.
Academic Facilities8We had computer facilities everywhere. The libraries of the university are some of the best in the country. Tutors were available and you could easily get to work with professors on extra projects.
Social Life7If you wanted, there was a great ACM group. The athletics facilities and program were excellent. The school is known for it's greek houses so there were always parties to go to and the music scene was great, too.
Placement Services6I didn't take too much advantage of the job placement offerings except for the job fairs. It was easy at the time to move from the class to a job in the industry since there were many startups looking for workers.
Alumni Network5I get newsletters every six months. Honestly, I'm just not that interested in the alumni network, though, so I wouldn't know much about any of their other offerings.

University Of Illinois At Springfield • Springfield, IL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)

• 10/23/2011

"With my schedule and circumstances, I needed to complete my degree online, and it is very difficult to find a computer science Bachelor's degree online from a reputable school. I like that my degree is from a public university instead of a for-profit degree mill. I went from knowing an ounce of computer programming before starting to school to a wealth at the end."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesI know how difficult it is to find a Computer Science Bachelor's degree online, so I would be glad to let others know about it. I am happy with my choice of school and wouldn't change anything if I were to do it all over again.
Program Reputation7I'm not exactly sure of my school's reputation of Computer Science. I know it is becoming well known for its online program.
Program Quality8I was able to complete my Bachelor's completely online and from a distance, which I think is amazing, especially considering it was a Computer Science degree. I do wish the school had more prestige.
Instruction7The program is java based which, while practical, it isn't as rigorous as non-object oriented-based programs. Other than that, I learned everything I needed to know to land my first job.
How Difficult5As stated above, the program could have been based on a more difficult programming language. I am glad that it was average in difficulty, though, because I did have a family and job while I went through school.
Hands-On vs. BookishMy program provided a good mix, slightly more hands-on. Hands-on learning is good when it comes to computer programming. I had to take a few math and logic courses.
Schedule Flexibility10I completed my degree online, at a distance. I did not have any set times or days where I needed to be at my computer. I was able to complete my coursework that was due at the end of each week at any time throughout the week.
Academic Facilities7My school gave remote access to its databases so I was able to work with many different types of software that I otherwise wouldn't have available. This is obviously very important in a Computer Science degree. Other than that, it is difficult for me to rate this category because my schooling was completed online.
Social Life1I completed my degree online, so I was not able to partake in any social on-campus activities. This would go for any online program at any school.
Placement Services5There were job listings posted online. I am not really sure how that compares to other schools.
Alumni Network3Because I completed my schooling online at a distance, there was not really much networking available to me. Job listings were posted on the school's website.

Western Illinois University • Macomb, IL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2008)

• 11/25/2011

"I got the education I paid for. I got a job as soon as I graduated. I had a lot of great social experiences and made several lifelong friends."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?maybeI chose WIU because it was close to home and relatively cheap, compared to other state schools. I really liked it, but I'm sure other universities offer a better CS program.
Program Reputation5I don't hear good or bad things about WIU. I think it is very average.
Program Quality5I did learn some at the university, but I learned most of what I know in the workforce. Also, many of my professors were not born here and it was hard to get past the thick accents.
Instruction5I learned the fundamentals of programming at the university. This is what helped me the most when I started my job.
How Difficult5WIU seemed like a pretty average university, as far as the workload is concerned. I did plenty of homework, but also had a lot of time to have fun.
Hands-On vs. BookishThe Computer Science courses were a good mix of hands-on work and book learning. The biggest part of a project is the design, so a lot of time was spent with a pen and paper.
Schedule Flexibility8Most semesters, I was able to get a pretty good class schedule. There were some classes that were only offered once a semester, though, so there wasn't much flexibility with those.
Academic Facilities9WIU has several computer labs across the campus. They have a few labs with the appropriate development environments installed. I never had a problem finding a place to get my work done.
Social Life10WIU is known as a party school. Adams Street has even been mentioned on The Late Show with David Letterman as being the biggest party street in the country.
Placement Services8Shortly before I graduated, I was contacted by several companies in the USA. I had put my resume on a WIU site that is accessible by companies nationwide.
Alumni Network7I get alumni newsletters in the mail every once in a while. If I wanted to stay connected and be involved, I could.

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign • Champaign, IL
Studying Computer Engineering (completion in 2011)

• 11/27/2011

"Very expensive, very difficult. Learned a great amount in 4 years, though."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesThe school is good, and it is highly rated. I would say that it was a positive experience.
Program Reputation10Ranked 2nd/3rd in the country. One of the best to go to.
Program Quality5University of Illinois is a very harsh school. The professors at this school neglect the students and only focus on furthering their own careers.
Instruction6It depends on what topic the class is on. Some classes have horrible instructors, while others have great ones.
How Difficult10I was in one of the highest ranked majors at U of I. The program is notoriously difficult among different schools.
Hands-On vs. BookishThere are many lab classes for hands-on experience. There are also many classes that are theory only.
Schedule Flexibility10You choose your schedule. It is all done online.
Academic Facilities7The labs and libraries are brand new. The servers go down sometimes.
Social Life10The school is considered a top party school. It is very easy to meet people.
Placement Services5A decent amount of people who are graduating are getting jobs. They have large job fairs, but these are hosted by current student organizations.
Alumni Network1Knowing an alumnus does not help at all for a job. All they do is ask you for money.

University Of Illinois • Urbana, IL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)

• 12/14/2011

"It gave me a good education and a brand name on my resume. It was a pleasant experience."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?maybeI would recommend this school to others if they are not able to go to better schools, like MIT and CMU.
Program Reputation10In the top 5 schools for Computer Science. It should be good.
Program Quality10One of the best schools for CS. Great facilities, faculty, etc.
Instruction9Tell recruiters you are a CS graduate from UIUC, and they will probably be willing to take a look at your resume. Curriculum is not exactly tailored to industry needs, but it does give a good foundation otherwise.
How Difficult3It was easy for me. I spent about 5-8 hours a week on coursework.
Hands-On vs. BookishI prefer book/theory-based classes rather than hands on, though it's up to the student to choose the kind of class he or she wants to take.
Schedule Flexibility5Most classes are during fall/spring semesters during the day. Most classes (especially the smaller ones) have limited timeslots (1-2 choices per week).
Academic Facilities10Relatively new CS building. 24/7 labs and 24/7 libraries.
Social Life10Not much else to do in Urbana on a weekend, other than go out drinking. Football is a big thing at UI.
Placement Services10Very wide range of services provided by the career services. From mock interviews and resume vetting to pay negotiations.
Alumni Network10We have alumni in big tech companies and startups. They often come down to give career recruitment talks.

American Intercontinental University Online • Hoffman Estates, IL
Studying Information Technology In Programming (completion in 2007)

• 12/13/2011

"I was very satisfied with my school. I would have rather taken a physical class within a physical classroom while completing my degree, but I have a family and a child that I had to work to take care of while I was enrolled in school. I found that this made it a lot easier to obtain my degree and have a full-time occupation at the same time."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesYes, I would recommend this school to anyone who has a family and would like to obtain a degree without disrupting the family environment and work environment. For some, the opportunity to obtain a degree was not possible until universities such as American Intercontinental University made it possible; it was one of the pioneers of online learning. I would completely recommend any online university to anyone!
Program Reputation5My school does have a high rate of dropouts and non-compliances to the degree programs. I found it difficult to understand why this was happening, when the guidelines for the curriculum are rather lax, and assignments are due weekly instead of every other day, like more online universities.
Program Quality10I enjoyed my time at AIU and look forward to finishing my current degree program, which is a master's degree in Information Technology in Project Management. I am completely satisfied with the means that AIU has provided for me to help accelerate my career.
Instruction9My career requires that I have the knowledge of a couple different languages, and that is what my education has provided me with. Unfortunately, in my career, I have not been given the opportunity to highlight my knowledge or to introduce another language.
How Difficult8My degree introduced a number of challenges, such as the rate at which I had to teach myself a language. With that, the degree program introduced factors that were not clear in the curriculum, and the knowledge had to be obtained rather quickly.
Hands-On vs. BookishIn the degree program, the use of books was the main resource for completing assignments and obtaining the knowledge of other points listed within the curriculum.
Schedule Flexibility10Classroom flexibility is fairly simple. There are chat rooms during the week that are not mandatory, but are available to help understand the material. If someone would like certain information explained to them, then it is imperative that they join the chat room discussions to provide their input. They might just find out that what they are requesting might help not only them, but a few other students who might not have realized they needed assistance with the same thing, until it was mentioned by others.
Academic Facilities10AIU provides an online resource guide with information pertaining to every assignment for every degree program. Since it was an online program, the use of classroom space was not needed, but online discussions are much better if more than a few students join and participate.
Social Life1The degree program that I was in was online, so there was no reason for school events, school spirit or athletics. There were actually a few social events for alumni. There is also a physical campus for students to physically attend classes instead of a virtual environment, if that is something someone would be interested in.
Placement Services3AIU does not offer job placement services, but they do offer services such as resume preparation and interview preparation. The also offer information about certain job listings located on the web that fit my education pathway.
Alumni Network5The alumni network at my school is fair. I have heard little from my school or from the instructors, although I have been in touch with a few fellow students that I look forward to one day meeting in person, and I would like them to one day be my fellow coworkers.

Illinois College • Jacksonville, IL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2006)

• 1/3/2012

"I was satisfied when I graduated, but now that I've been in industry for several years I really realize that there's a lot we didn't ever cover. It was pretty much basic how-to-program stuff and a few classes about networks and databases."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?noI don't want to be overly negative but I really feel like a different school would probably have done a better job to prepare me for a career as a programmer. I have remarked many times that I learned more from the freelance jobs I took the first year after I graduated.
Program Reputation4The school I attended is very small and is not well known. In my experience this has rarely hurt me in my career, but it's also never helped me.
Program Quality3Illinois College is a very small school with a very small Computer Science department. I probably would not have chosen to attend Illinois College for a Computer Science degree if I'd known then what I know now.
Instruction3There was very few advanced classes offered. I would have preferred more advanced classes. Very little is applicable to my day-to-day work.
How Difficult4The difficulty was mainly due to poor instruction. Very little challenging material was offered.
Hands-On vs. BookishWe mostly spent classes working on assignments out of the book. We did very few projects outside of the books.
Schedule Flexibility1The more advanced classes were only offered every other semester or even every other year. I was not able to take all the classes I wanted to. No online, night, or weekend classes were available in the computer science area at the time I attended.
Academic Facilities4Professor access was very good, due to small class sizes. Tutoring was also available. However, there was generally poor access to support materials.
Social Life6The student activities board offered a lot of activities and concerts to attend. Nothing that really interested me, mostly local bands and birthday party entertainment. Athletic spirit was high but none of the teams were good.
Placement ServicesI have never made use of my school's career services. Therefore, I do not feel that providing an answer would be appropriate.
Alumni NetworkI have never made use of my school's alumni network or support. Therefore, I do not feel that providing an answer would be appropriate.

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign • Urbana, IL
Studying Math And Computer Science (completion in 2012)

• 1/4/2012

"UIUC's computer science program is rigorous, difficult, and useful. It provides great preparation for a job in computer programming. The social atmosphere is also great."

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale

CharacteristicRatingComment
Would Recommend?yesComputer science at UIUC is rigorous and very hands-on. The program is highly-ranked. Many graduates get nice jobs.
Program Reputation9UIUC has a top-rated Computer Science program. I've heard that Bill Gates once mentioned that his company hires more Computer Science majors from UIUC than from any other school.
Program Quality8UIUC has one of the highest-rated computer science programs in the world. The faculty are excellent, and many past/present faculty have been involved in significant developments in computer science/electrical engineering.
Instruction6Lots of classes have too many students and thus the learning environment is very impersonal. In these classes it is difficult to get to know the instructors. However, smaller classes provide a more favorable environment for learning. Also, some courses and their assignments are dreaded because of their immense difficulty and/or lack of practical application.
How Difficult7Computer science has been traditionally considered a "difficult" program, but I think it depends on the person. Many people have a natural skill with computing problems and therefore do not find it too challenging. The workload, however, is large and time-consuming regardless of how intelligent one is.
Hands-On vs. BookishComputer science at UIUC is very hands-on. Nearly every computer science class has multiple "Machine Problems," which essentially involves writing a program to do what an instructor asks for. Some classes still require a lot of book learning, though, such as classes covering theoretical topics.
Schedule Flexibility6There isn't much flexibility in course offerings at UIUC. There are few night classes and almost no weekend sections. During the summer, a decent number of courses are offered, but they cost more than during the fall or spring.
Academic Facilities10UIUC has Wi-Fi available almost everywhere on campus. There are 8 or so labs only for engineers, each with an average of 40 computers, most of which have 2 monitors. Libraries are useful but often packed. Some courses provide extra assistance/tutoring, but not all. Most advisors are also faculty, so this allows for a link to a professor in the department.
Social Life8There is a large Greek presence on campus. Athletics play a big role in the social life, with football and basketball games taking over the campus. Hundreds of student organizations exist for many different interests/hobbies. UIUC is a "party school" but also has serious academics.
Placement Services9UIUC has a large online job board where tons of jobs are posted. There also is an engineering career services office, which provides resume critiques and mock interviews. Overall, it is very useful.
Alumni Network8Tons of old graduates from UIUC's CS program come back to the school to find fresh CS majors to hire. LinkedIn and social networking websites are becoming the norm for alumni networking these days, so the school's network is not as important.
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