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 Bellevue, Southeast Community College Area, and Metropolitan Community College Area.
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 Grace, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska at Kearney, and University of Nebraska.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Little Priest Tribal College and Nebraska Wesleyan University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Northeast Community College, Western Nebraska Community College, Mid-Plains Community College, and Central Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Union College, Creighton, Concordia, and Grace.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Doane, Midland Lutheran College, Union College, and Concordia.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Nebraska, Creighton, Union College, and Hastings.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Union College and Midland Lutheran College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Doane, Midland Lutheran College, Hastings, and Creighton.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Nebraska • Lincoln, NE
Studying Computer Engineering (completion in 2010)
• 5/4/2011
"There were certainly several things I wish were different, but from what I hear we were more fortunate than some others. I heard some horrifying tales from people who had transferred from elsewhere."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | UNL has some nice amenities, and it's relatively cheap. You'll probably have to resort to some third party help at times, but it's one of the best places to study in the area. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I don't think many people really care where I went. A university is more respected than a community college, though. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Most of my professors were very nice and encouraging. I had to deal with several TAs that did not speak English very well. I feel I had to take a lot of classes that weren't relevant. |
| Instruction | 6 | Several classes, like a writing class, don't seem very relevant to me. Many of the specific programming techniques are things my bosses insist we shouldn't do. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The electrical engineering classes were very difficult to me. The labs never seemed to be available when I needed them. The higher-level math was very difficult for me, and I had to rely on websites rather than the professor. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Things often seemed very backward to me. We'd learn about the theory behind objects, for example, and then be expected to know what we were doing for the lab. Examples given in class would often be given in pseudocode, and then we'd be expected to be able to do it in whatever language we were using at the time, which could sometimes be a challenge. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Applications were staggered so that higher classmen got to register first, which really sucks when you're a freshman. There were often 2 classes you needed but overlapped, or you'd be forced to have 5 classes one day and none the next. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The labs always seemed to be full when I needed them. Printing was a ridiculous pain, requiring permission from someone you couldn't find. The people at the university library were always really helpful, although, again, it wasn't always easy to get a computer. |
| Social Life | 5 | I'm really not into school spirit, athletics, or any of that stuff. I did meet some pretty cool people in class. Mostly lab partners. |
| Placement Services | 7 | One of my professors was particularly helpful. Most of the people I graduated with have jobs now. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't really pay any attention to it. Some of my colleagues seem to be into it, but it never attracted me. |
University Of Nebraska Lincoln • Lincoln, NE
Studying Computer Science, MBA (completion in 2006)
• 10/29/2011
"Overall, I'm very happy with the end result. There was obviously room for improvement given my individual ratings, but in the end I felt like it enabled me to be successful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, but I would encourage anyone attending any university that it is more important to self-learn and teach. Once you leave school that's all you do. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It doesn't stand out on a national level in most regards. However, I do know they serve as a repository of computer science testing data, which might lend them additional credibility. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I thought the instruction was good at the University, but there wasn't enough focus on software engineering. The university is more focused on teaching computer science and theory, which is understandable, but not as real-world applicable. |
| Instruction | 7 | Instruction was pretty good for the content being taught. For my particular position, the content wasn't that applicable. In hindsight, perhaps I should have looked for a software engineering degree rather than a computer science degree. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The program was definitely challenging, but not to the level where I didn't enjoy my college experience. There were classes such as discrete structures that were difficult, but most programming classes were easy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Varied from class to class. Some classes were really hands on using circuit boards and such. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was always able to make my schedule work. I avoided night classes in general, but there were night options available. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | At the time, the facilities were really old. Since I've graduated they've moved to a new building and have much better equipment now. |
| Social Life | 9 | There were multiple student organizations that related to computer programming. There was a Microsoft group that discussed programming in Microsoft technologies, ACM, and a linux users group. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The career center was helpful for looking for potential opportunities. The website they maintain had numerous jobs, and the career center facilitated interviews with recruiters. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I haven't participated in the network, so it is hard for me to evaluate. I get communications fairly regularly via mail. |
University Of Nebraska At Omaha • Omaha, NE
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 11/7/2011
"There are things that could be improved. There are also things that the school does well. Out-of-class interaction with some staff members is excellent."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is the best University in the state of Nebraska for the IS&T field. Other schools are not as good (from what I have heard from others that have transferred). |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I believe they are rated in the top 100 for CS programs in the United States. |
| Program Quality | 4 | There are many teachers that have never held a job in the field they are teaching. Many teachers only know "buzz words" from the field subject. |
| Instruction | 5 | Many professors have never held a job in the field they are teaching, and as such they do not prepare you for real world jobs. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Practical classes are pretty easy. Professors that teach theory classes could do a better job of explaining the material. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Especially in the CS program, many classes are all lecture. Theory based classes are from books. There is a good mix between the two. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Many classes only have one section with one professor. Sometimes this makes it hard to work the schedule around a job. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The library is very large. The IS&T campus also contains a super computer rated in the top 100. |
| Social Life | 7 | There are many on campus social events, although I have not participated in many of them. The dorms have social events that I participated in, and they were good. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They have a website for companies to post internship opportunities. Many large companies post jobs there, including, but not limited to, Union Pacific and Northrup Grumman. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | There are many opportunities to meet alumni. As far as support, some professors have held jobs in the field and can explain how the real world works. |
Metropolitan Community College • Omaha, NE
Studying IT (Database/Web Emphasis) (completion in 2007)
• 12/22/2011
"I am well satisfied, because of the low tuition and flexible classes. Also, the IT program is nice."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Very good community college; a variety of courses, low tuition, excellent professors, a nice community, and an IT program that is very unique. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | They have a very good reputation in the Midwest and throughout Nebraska. |
| Program Quality | 9 | IT program is really good, as it has updated courses. IT major has many concentrations to choose from. |
| Instruction | 8 | The courses taught at MCCNEB will definitely help for career preparation. It is highly demanding, and the faculty teaches what students need to know in this digital age. |
| How Difficult | 9 | It depends on how many courses you take. It's not easy to get into the IT program, because you have to pass two mathematics courses first. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They focus more on hands-on practice than theory. You spend more time in labs than in the class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Very flexible schedule. Weekend, summer and online classes are available. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Labs have sufficient resources. Classrooms are well equipped with the latest technological tools and devices. |
| Social Life | 4 | Very few groups or clubs are on campus. You have to be creative yourself. No good sports at the college. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They don't have any placement programs. You can join career fairs, subscribe to emails and go for interviews yourself. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | They don't provide any support to alumni. They keep a database of alumni, but they send letters only when they need some funds from alumni or to send invitations for graduation commencements. |
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