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 Central Piedmont Community College, Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State University, and East Carolina University.
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 Methodist University, Shaw University, Pfeiffer University, and Belmont Abbey.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Bennett and Meredith College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Livingstone, North Carolina A & T, North Carolina Central University, and Elizabeth City State.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Wilson Community College, Cleveland Community College, Piedmont Community College, and South Piedmont Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Duke, Bennett, Elon University, and Johnson C Smith University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Livingstone, Saint Augustines College, High Point, and Bennett.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Duke, UNC, Elon University, and NC State.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Duke, Johnson C Smith University, UNC, and Campbell.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Bennett, Duke, Wake Forest University, and Meredith College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Meredith College • Raleigh, NC
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2007)
• 7/21/2011
"I learned so much better in a more comfortable environment with fewer students in each class. I also was less distracted by guys. I got a lot more out of my education at Meredith than at the larger state school where I started. I only wish the Computer Science department had more financial resources to do everything they want to do."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | For women in Computer Science, I would definitely recommend Meredith. CS is a very male-dominated field, and getting the proper attention, confidence, and education in college really gives women the strength to hold their own in the world of software developers. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Many people don't even realize that Meredith College has a Computer Science department. And because the program is so small, there aren't many program alums out there. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The program is rather small since Meredith College is a women's college. However, the personal attention and easy access to professors and resources made it an excellent learning environment for me. I just wish we had had more classes available. |
| Instruction | 7 | The professors were very knowledgeable and helpful in all aspects. I learned everything I needed to start my development career. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The work was challenging and difficult at times, but it needed to be. The work load was fair. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Every class I took had text books and hands-on learning involved. One thing Meredith really focuses on is cultural awareness for all students, and that is a very hands-on experience. Students go off campus and experience different cultural events. All science classes have labs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I'm not really sure because I've never taken night or weekend classes. The summer classes were fine. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Because the program was so small, some of our physical resources were limited by budget constraints. However, the computer lab was always available to work in, and professors were always available to help. It was a great experience. |
| Social Life | 10 | I transferred to Meredith later, so I never lived on campus, but school spirit is very high. Everyone wears Meredith shirts/pants/jackets all the time, and there are always events on campus. The soccer team now has a new stadium, so the athletics on campus are a big deal. Meredith is a very tight community. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The career center at Meredith College was very helpful. They helped me with job searches and with resume and interview preparation. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Meredith College has a great alumni network. Lots of people stay in touch, and the career center is available to us. |
Methodist University • Fayetteville, NC
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 8/7/2011
"I had a great mentor, the department chair. He was someone I could always go to. I wasn't worried about many of the social or athletic aspects of school as they are only memories. The hands on and extra time the department chair allowed us was invaluable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If they are willing to push themselves, then yes. The program allows for a lot of one on one time with the teachers and faculty. There are shortcomings, but thats life. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The CS program is very small. I was just one of two students in one of my courses and I think just 3 people graduated with me with a degree in CS. Anytime I told people my area of study and the school they had not heard anything about it. |
| Program Quality | 6 | We learned about 4 programming languages but didn't ever get into advanced studies of any one language. Most of the other course requirements were theory based. |
| Instruction | 6 | It depends on which instructor was teaching the course. The department chair was the best I could have hoped for, but the others were terrible. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Again, it depends on the specific course. Language courses were easier because we could see the results of the code. Theory classes were more difficult, usually because the professor didn't put much time into helping out with questions. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most courses were book only. The language based CS courses were involved hands on work on the computer every day. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | With such a small program, most courses were only offered once. Also, many were only available in spring or fall semesters. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Again, with a small program, we did have easy access to the computer lab and library. We were giving letters to show the security if we needed extra access to the computer lab after hours. |
| Social Life | 7 | I participated in the track program along with other small social activities. The athletic program also suffered from a small size and small budget. The social programs were planned well and left ample opportunities for activities. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I received help in getting an internship my sophomore year. After or just before graduation, there was no help finding work. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I have no idea how our alumni network helped our program or school. All I remember was the school pushing programs on us at graduation for how we could donate to the school later. |
North Carolina State University • Raleigh, NC
Studying Mechanical Engineering (completion in 2013)
• 10/29/2011
"Gets me a job for the future. Education is key."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Engineering fields are necessary. They are challenging, but rewarding. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | We make good engineers that do great work. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I learned various technical skills. I am able to find work if I need to. |
| Instruction | 6 | Some professors are boring. The program needs more hands on education. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Large problem sets are tough. Math can get tricky. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Needs more lab work. Way too much analysis. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Class sign ups are fairly rigid. Not many class sections are provided. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Office hours are as expected. Nothing special. |
| Social Life | 7 | Lots of organized events are provided. People are fun to meet with. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Career fairs are provided. The engineering career fair is huge. |
| Alumni Network | I know little about the alumni. |
University Of North Carolina, Chapel Hill • Chapel Hill, Nc, NC
Studying Business Administration, Innovation And Product Management (completion in 2007)
• 11/18/2011
"The program was fun, flexible and effective. It was expensive, but the brand reputation has been worth it. I have seen salary increases annually since graduation, unlike many of my former peers."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | An MBA is a great addition to a technical skill set. Undergraduate coursework at Virginia Tech would also rank highly since I learned a lot about up-and-coming technology (we were using Gopher for coursework before I graduated in 1994). | |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The Carolina business school frequently shows up in Business Week's top 25 lists. Hiring rates for graduates are also in the 95% range. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The MBA program at Carolina provided a lot of coursework related to innovation management from a business perspective. The students came almost exclusively from High-tech industries, primarily in the RTP, NC area. |
| Instruction | 7 | The coursework at Carolina involved a fair amount of reading without an overly heavy project load. There were many good opportunities for students to consult on real-world business problems in the local community. |
| How Difficult | 5 | While the course load involved very little programming, we were taught a lot of techniques for motivating technical teams. The project load was very manageable, especially since I did the program in evening and weekend courses. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Mostly book learning with some coursework related to systems development and project management best-practices. I took the MBA course late in my career so it definitely helped me learn techniques that I use everyday now that I am managing more projects (though I still write a fair amount of OO interface definitions and services). | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I took weeknight and weekend courses. Also, there were courses year around so I finished the program in less than two years. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Every classroom was wired for PCs and all teachers used PowerPoint, email and newsgroups. More recent advances are included now including WebEx and more remote opportunities to learn with other universities. |
| Social Life | 10 | College was fun. There were many outings to baseball, football and basketball games. |
| Placement Services | 10 | On-campus job fairs and recruiting events made it very easy to network and learn about local companies. Also, the advisory staff provided several in-class overviews and coaching sessions during our MBA program. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Carolina has one of the most active alumni communities in the country. I have many job opportunities forwarded to me by classmates and other alumni organizations. |
North Carolina State University • Raleigh, NC
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 11/29/2011
"I am very satisfied. It was fun, easy, and inexpensive, and it provided me with a good job."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | NC State is definitely a great school for those who wish to start a career in Comp Sci. While the course doesn't challenge, it teaches you most of what you need to know. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The reputation is good for a state school. When applying for work out of state, the school was recognized. |
| Program Quality | 8 | It was very stimulating, rigorous, and exciting. However, I feel that more advanced concepts could have been offered. |
| Instruction | 9 | The professors are friendly and helpful. However, the curriculum stopped before very advanced concepts were introduced (I had to learn them on my own). |
| How Difficult | 2 | The program was easy. There was a clear split between the students who succeeded easily and those who had to put a lot of work into it; the program rewards natural skill. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There is a good mix between hands-on work and bookwork. I spent about half of my time on projects and half on reading the textbook. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Only traditional courses are available. No summer or weekend options, even with searching. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Professors are easily accessible, as are tutors and other advisors. The libraries could use improvement. |
| Social Life | 8 | The school, while large, has a tight-knit feeling. Events such as homecoming bring the school together. |
| Placement Services | 1 | Services are little to nonexistent. I had to find my job myself. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni network and support was strong. I found my current job through an alumnus. |
Johnson C. Smith University • Charlotte, NC
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2005)
• 12/19/2011
"My school was everything I thought it would be and much more. The students and faculty were very friendly and helpful. The environment of college life was great."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | JCSU is by far the best school on the East Coast for computer science degrees. I started there with no knowledge and graduated as a professional. I am very pleased with my stay. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The reputation of my school is pretty good. Employers are impressed when they look at my resume. Colleagues are also impressed, and they have told stories about what they've heard about the school. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The professors at Johnson C. Smith University provide the students with current scenarios. This prepared me for the real world. |
| Instruction | 10 | I was prepared a little more than my colleagues, because of my instructors. We tend to start our careers by using everything from the book. But with the training that I received from JCSU, I was able to troubleshoot many issues very early in my career. |
| How Difficult | 7 | In the beginning, things seem a little hectic, because of having to learn so many things in what seems to be such a short period of time. But after getting the hang of things, it gets better. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program was more hands on than book. We did have the book on hand as a reference. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The advisors had the schedule of classes mapped out perfectly. Whether you were a single parent or a person with two jobs, you would have been able to attend the appropriate classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | All of the resources and facilities were extremely good. The libraries were readily available. Tutors were always friendly and willing to help. |
| Social Life | 6 | The social life was pretty fun. Although I'm not the "social butterfly," I enjoyed the games, parties, etc. |
| Placement Services | I didn't have the pleasure of working with the job placement department. I moved back to my hometown and started my career. | |
| Alumni Network | I am not sure about the alumni network and support. I have not reached out to the school since graduating. |
Wake Forest University • Winston Salem, NC
Studying Molecular Biology And Genomics (completion in 2006)
• 1/13/2012
"I received a very broad education. In hindsight, however, I spent a great deal of money for an education that did not prepare me for the economic realities we face today."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | With globalization, I see this as a declining field. But if you have your heart set on programming, I suggest you save your money and just pursue a Java certification. Java developers are pulling down some decent money right now. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Wake Forest is known for its academic rigor. |
| Program Quality | 5 | When I graduated, funding for the sciences was drying up. I was therefore forced to apply my programming knowledge in the business sector. |
| Instruction | 5 | Most of what I have learned has been experienced-derived, rather than classroom. While my time in college exposed me to programming, it wasn't until I entered the business world that I was actively using it. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Given the subject matter, the courses were difficult. Note that the degree was in Genomics rather than merely Computer Science. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Wake is more of a traditional school. Hands-on was essentially limited to labs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | There were summer options, but that's pretty much the limit. It was a very traditional structure. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Nice library, and decent laboratories. The student to professor ratio was pretty low, as well. |
| Social Life | 5 | Socially, Wake is very cliché. There were the Greeks, and then everyone else. |
| Placement Services | 1 | The career center was an absolute joke. There was no true post-graduate support and few, if any, alumni networking opportunities. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | Very little support for graduates. Too much emphasis on academics and not enough on post-graduate success. |
Sandhills Community College • Pinehurst, NC
Studying Simulation And Game Design (completion in 2011)
• 3/3/2012
"I feel I would not have learned nearly as much had I taken these classes at a university. In fact, I spent two years at UNCP before transferring, and I can't recall much of anything from my Psychology years."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This is a very "make your own way" type of field, for both programmers and artists. They'll give you the know-how and advice. What you do from there is up to you. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The program is gaining momentum every semester, it seems. Lots of people I knew from around the campus have started taking classes in game design and in programming. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The program was satisfactory, because fewer students meant the instructors had more time and energy to focus on individual needs. I feel that focus helped me pick up programming a lot quicker. |
| Instruction | 10 | My instructors were surprisingly knowledgeable about the industry. They were also well grounded in the reality of difficulties students would face, and they prepared us accordingly with that knowledge. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Aside from learning to program, the academics were simple. I did, however, find physics easier to learn, now that I had an application for that knowledge. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was very much hands on. A little reading here and there, but the hands-on aspect was certainly a good thing. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Classes were not difficult to work around, as long as you stayed within the major. The only issue I had was with a few miscellaneous classes that demanded more work than my core classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | All the computers in our lab were topnotch. The software provided was relevant to the real-world workforce. |
| Social Life | 9 | I did very little partying at Sandhills. I did, however, make friends with several of my classmates, and I continue to keep contact with them today. |
| Placement Services | My program didn't really have a job placement program. | |
| Alumni Network | I haven't really had much contact with the school since I graduated. I struck out on my own and moved to a new area. |
Appalachian State University • Boone, NC
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2009)
• 3/11/2012
"I'm quite satisfied with the knowledge I gained and the experience I had there. I do, however, wish that my school was more prestigious, so that I would have had an easier time getting a job."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends. If someone wants to just learn to program and is happy working wherever, then yes. If this person is determined to work for Google or IBM, then they are better off going somewhere more prestigious. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I haven't heard any good or bad things when people refer to our computer science program. But we certainly aren't as revered as UNC or NC state. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I'm fairly satisfied with my school. The computer science department is pretty small, so there aren't many options for classes, but the professors are all very nice, knowledgeable, and willing to help. |
| Instruction | 7 | We were taught low-level details of how computers worked, such as registers, circuits, machine language, etc. However, we weren't given any classes that used any Microsoft technologies, so when I got out into the workplace, I wasn't immediately prepared to code in Visual Studio. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Some of the coursework was hard, like Systems I and II, and Operating Systems. But the professors were very willing to help you if you needed it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | With computer science, it would be very hard to *not* have hands-on learning. For everything we learned in class, there was usually an applicable lab that we did. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Our computer science department was quite small, with only about 10 professors, so there were not many different times they could offer classes. Computer science classes were scheduled first, and then all other classes had to be scheduled around them. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | We had several computer labs that we could use, including some in dorm buildings. Professors were very willing to help with coursework. |
| Social Life | 7 | People were very friendly. I was able to organize fun events with people in my dorm, and football games were a blast. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Definitely below average. That's the whole reason I had to get my master's degree. I went to career services, and they couldn't help me get a job, so I went to graduate school. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I'm not really sure how it compares to other alumni networks, since I only went to this one school. I suppose it was average. |
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