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 Metropolitan Community College-Longview, Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods, Columbia College, and St Charles Community College.
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 Drury, Maryville, Southeast Missouri State, and University of Missouri-St Louis.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider STLCC - Forest Park, STLCC - Florissant Valley, Webster University, and Lindenwood.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Metropolitan Community College-Business & Technology, Webster University, Fontbonne, and Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis University, Evangel University, and Culver - Stockton.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Culver - Stockton, William Jewell College, Evangel University, and College of the Ozarks.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Saint Louis University, and Truman.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at College of the Ozarks, Washington University in St Louis, Avila, and Columbia College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Linn State, Washington University in St Louis, William Jewell College, and Saint Louis University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Missouri University Of Science And Technology • Rolla, MO
Studying Electrical Engineering (completion in 2011)
• 5/7/2011
"I feel like my school did a good job at teaching me what I needed to know for my degree. There were also an adequate amount of resources and help to complete it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend the school to anyone trying to go into an engineering or computer type degree. The school is known for its engineering programs and a lot of the employers know that too. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Missouri S&T prides itself on being one of the best engineering schools in the Midwest. Most kids who want to be an engineer will hear about Missouri S&T and most likely go there. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The classes were very helpful with teaching the type of work done in the field. It was also required to take a few basic classes that you would need to know to do most of the jobs. |
| Instruction | 9 | The classes were very interesting and fun to learn. Although, some of the teachers were not as great as the classes themselves. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Some of the classes seemed as if they intended on you failing and repeating the class multiple times. But there were other classes that were pretty easy to understand and pass the first time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the major classes I had to take came with a lab session too so everything you were learning you would then go do in the lab. But, sometimes the labs didn't really go as far in depth as the class itself. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | For the most part, flexibility of classes is very good. Sometimes there will be a class you need to take though and there is only one class offered which might conflict with another class. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | There are computer labs in all the buildings which is nice. They could have more tutoring for various upper level classes which are harder. |
| Social Life | 10 | I lived in a fraternity which was always having socials and parties. I was also in a few organizations on campus which met regularly. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Every semester there is a career fair where over 200 companies come to hire. These companies are always looking to hire interns, co-ops and full time employees. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Every year the alumni group visits the school at various times and the alumni are always updated on current events going on at the school. |
Southeast MIssouri State University • Cape Girardeau, MO
Studying Computer Science/Cyber Security (completion in 2010)
• 7/22/2011
"I couldn't imagine myself graduating from any other University. SEMO had everything I needed for cheaper and was closer to home."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If they were near the campus and were looking for a cheap degree, then yes, I would recommend it. I wouldn't, however, recommend it for anyone that was any sort of distance away from the campus. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | SEMO has the best program in southeast Missouri. You get the same quality education that you would at more expensive schools. |
| Program Quality | 6 | SEMO did a lot for my education. They were very accommodating and eager for me to excel. |
| Instruction | 8 | All of my instructors were foreign. This proved to be quite difficult at first, but after I made the adjustment they were great. They were willing to meet with me for tutoring before and after class. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The classes were very difficult for me and the degree was very math intensive. I'm not the best at math but all of my instructors were laid back and very helpful. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All of the courses related to my degree had a lecture class and a lab class. Lecture classes were for discussing the lessons and lab classes were for putting them into action. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | SEMO was very laid back with the scheduling process. The advisors worked with me to make sure that my schedule was suitable. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | SEMO's facility was not the greatest but it was more than enough. The computers were all adequate and the facility was big enough for everyone to work. |
| Social Life | 8 | SEMO has great spirit. There are always parties going on and lots of school spirit. Everyone on campus wears the Red Hawk colors with pride. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I didn't have much luck with SEMO's job placement service. They did try, but I had more luck going out and searching on my own. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | SEMO does not offer much in the area of alumni support. There are a few groups that are available, but nothing major. |
Columbia College • Columbia, MO
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2005)
• 11/15/2011
"While the social aspects and career resources of the school were lacking, my education and relationships from Columbia College were/are very important to me. I wouldn't have changed that experience for anything."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I already have recommended my school to people. My sister for one, and some of my high school friends as well. The only consideration I have when recommending Columbia College is whether or not the recommendee is more interested in socialization or education. If the latter, then I recommend Columbia College. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | 7 is the average I would give this rating. Not many people know that Columbia College has a good CS program, so they would think it's a 5. However, those who did go through the CS program recognize it as a 9 (me included). |
| Program Quality | 9 | Surprisingly great, especially considering that it was a small school. That said, I do wish they had more learning resources. But overall it was a good experience. |
| Instruction | 9 | Great teachers - very knowledgeable and personable. I can confidently say that now that I'm out of college, I consider them more as friends than teachers. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I do think the material was sufficiently difficult. I want to clarify that I wouldn't want the coursework/program to be any more or less difficult. It was hard enough that I learned, but not so hard that it was unnecessary. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would say the CS program at Columbia College was more hands-on oriented. While we could have book chapters to read in most classes, we rarely had to read the chapters to succeed in the class. Notes and labs were sufficient most of the time. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Enough was offered that day classes could fit into your schedule (I worked a full time job, for example, and still took 12 credit hours per semester on average). Furthermore, Columbia College offered many evening and online courses as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | There definitely could have been more CS-specific resources on site. However, the various computer labs/libraries/meeting rooms were sufficient for the most part. |
| Social Life | 5 | Yeah, I'll put this rating right in the middle. I hardly socialized at my college. There wasn't a whole lot of parties (no frats or sororities) and the school spirit was regarded as nerdy. However, I did meet my wife at my college, and that is my most cherished relationship of all. All in all, I put this rating right in the middle. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Columbia College had decent career services for general jobs (business work at insurance companies, banks, etc.) but was very poor in the area of software development. Almost no software development career resources were offered. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | There were a few helpful alumni at my school, but hardly any of them were in the Computer Science related fields. I suppose that's one of the downsides of a small school. |
University Of Missouri - St. Louis • St. Louis, MO
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2008)
• 12/29/2011
"It got me the degree that I needed and fit my budget. What else can I really request of a school?"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Sure, why not. It's an easily accessible campus, affordable and you will be in a smaller group of classmates. Although I believe Missouri Science and Technology might be a higher profile school. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The focus of the school wasn't really on computer science. Those in the field know about the school and know that it's at least acceptable. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The CS program doesn't have a dedicated department. It's shared with the mathematics area. The business or liberal arts degrees were where the school focused, it was pretty obvious that our department was the minority on campus. |
| Instruction | 7 | Although there were not many instructors, the ones we had were quite knowledgeable about the coursework. The quality was also good considering the low cost versus other Computer Science degrees in the metro STL area. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The only classes that really challenged me were the advanced mathematics courses. All of the others rarely had difficult or thought provoking homework assignments. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All of the classes followed the books that were selected. Some of the books were written by the staff, so that can change the perception a bit. But outside of business case studies, everything was from our books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There were a lot of classes in my field that were only offered during the day. Some classes for more popular fields were offered at many times, which is what lead me to rate this as average. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The computers were all recent and the library had an excellent selection. There was an area for tutors during specific hours in Math and English. The student center was average; it was nice to have everything together though. |
| Social Life | I commuted to and from the school. I rarely stayed around for anything or had contact with students outside of class. So I don't think I can accurately describe the social experience. | |
| Placement Services | 9 | I got an internship with a top-10 employer in the area and started working for them full time. I think that speaks well of the career placement capabilities. |
| Alumni Network | I didn't have to use the alumni network. I was able to get an internship and secure a permanent job before I completed my degree. |
St. Louis Community College - Florissant Valley • St. Louis, MO
Studying (completion in 2007)
• 1/12/2012
"The education I had was great. I'm thinking of going back for additional certifications."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The quality of education was great. The price for courses was the cheapest in the area. I was thinking of going to a university but decided to go to a junior college for the first two years to save money. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | A new nursing and engineering program opened up at the school. A lot of people I know have taken those programs and after graduation managed to get better jobs. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I found some of the classes I had to take a bit boring. I had a bad teacher for accounting, had already taken it in high school and preferred the high school teacher! |
| Instruction | 8 | It depended on the teacher you were assigned to. Some of my teachers were great, a few of them didn't care if you show up or not. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I used to breeze through school and didn't have to crack open a book. When I got to college I actually had to study. That was hard for me since I had to learn how to study and not get bored. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was mostly into book learning. When I needed a tutor I was able to get one. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I took morning, evening, and online courses. When I began working full time, I liked the online courses the best. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The staff was helpful. I was able to get a tutor for just about any subject. |
| Social Life | 8 | Most people tried to show school spirit, but most were working part- or full-time and taking classes. There were a lot of parties when I was going to school. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I was able to get a job right after graduation. I worked for the company for four years before moving on to something I liked to do better. |
| Alumni Network | I don't go to the alumni functions. They provide have help in job placement. |
Washington University In St. Louis • St. Louis, MO
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2012)
• 2/12/2012
"I learned a lot. I also have good job prospects."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on what you want. If you enjoy programming, it is an excellent career. However, it is not incredibly exciting. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | In my first interview, the interviewer mentioned that they were specifically interested in hiring from my school. It has very prestigious professors. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Interviewers were impressed with the program I completed, and with the coursework we were required to take. The program itself was comprehensive. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors were always prepared, and the curriculum was very relevant to the actual work. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It is not the most difficult program at my school. However, it is one of the most interdisciplinary, and it requires a mixture of pure mathematics and programming. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program emphasizes the theoretical math of computer science. However, understanding is almost always proved by implementing the theoretical book learning in a hands-on activity. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Flexibility is highly dependent on the department. In engineering, there is little flexibility. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | A new campus has been provided for engineering over the last year. It is extremely well done. Libraries and computer labs are abundant. |
| Social Life | 5 | There is very little school spirit. However, people are very accepting, and almost everyone has their little group of friends. |
| Placement Services | I have not needed to make use of our career services. However, I have heard good things about them. | |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I have been recommended for jobs by alumni and my former T.A.'s have also sent me job information. |
Ozarks Technical Community College • Springfield, MO
Studying Computer Programming (completion in 2010)
• 2/19/2012
"I was satisfied; not fully, but well enough."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a great school. It's also very affordable. |
| Program Reputation | I don't really know its reputation, but I am guessing it is average. | |
| Program Quality | 6 | It's a great school. I just don't know if the staff is dedicated. |
| Instruction | 5 | They are not capable of kindness. This sounds strange, but it is true. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program was hard. But I feel I was good at it naturally. |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | This school is very flexible. I took night and weekend classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They could use more facilities, but the place is big for the town. |
| Social Life | 3 | If the social events exist, I am not aware. I have not attended them. |
| Placement Services | I am not really sure. I didn't use this service. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I don't know that it exists. I haven't heard of it anywhere. |
Washington University In St. Louis School Of Engineering • St. Louis, MO
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2005)
• 3/24/2012
"Even though the alumni network is weak, my years in college were truly wonderful. I learned a lot, I grew socially and personally, and I wouldn't trade those years for anything."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | WashU creates well-rounded individuals, even in the engineering school. It makes sure that students are cared for but not coddled, and I think everyone comes out of that place with many more tools than they entered into college with. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school is very highly regarded. Computer science is a rather popular major there. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The training was good, but it was more focused on the mathematics of computer science rather than the practice of it in the workplace. So there was a lot of unnecessary work for what I wanted to do. |
| Instruction | 7 | Actually, the instructors were incredible and the career center was very helpful. But as I said above, I think the curriculum wasn't necessarily the most relevant for what I wanted to do. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Other people found it difficult because of the math involved. I did not find it difficult, but I did find it to be a lot of busy work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were a lot of math courses that were purely book-based. Programming courses involved hands-on learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There wasn't anything to distinguish it from any other University. Sometimes there are scheduling conflicts, sometimes there aren't. There wasn't a big list of "self-paced" online courses, if that's what you mean. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | WashU is a top tier University. Accordingly, it has more resources than you will ever need. |
| Social Life | 10 | St. Louis is a very friendly city. And the students at WashU are among the most kind I could imagine being around. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The career center was very helpful in guiding me towards certain jobs. But as mentioned above, the network wasn't strong enough to make it very easy to get the jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | We are always happy when we meet someone who went to our school. But the school does not actively develop alumni networks for engineers in the way that places like MIT or Cal Tech do. |
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