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 Community College of Philadelphia, Penn State, Slippery Rock University, and Drexel.
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 Manor, Mansfield, La Salle, and Clarion University.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Bryn Mawr, Cedar Crest, Carlow, and Consolidated School of Business.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Cheyney, Community College of Philadelphia, and Peirce College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Peirce College, Chestnut Hill, Waynesburg University, and Carlow.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore College, Haverford, and UPenn.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Ursinus College, Swarthmore College, Haverford, and Grove City.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at UPenn, Swarthmore College, Carnegie Mellon, and Haverford.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Swarthmore College, UPenn, Haverford, and Bucknell.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Swarthmore College, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Bucknell.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Villanova • Villanova, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2004)
"NA"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I loved my school. I learned a lot. I feel anyone with the chance to go should. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I haven't heard of many people that know to much of the program. I enjoy the prestige the school holds though. |
| Program Quality | 9 | They provide great assistance to the degree in getting a job/internship. They subject matter is diverse and you can find a lot of electives that expand the field. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | NA |
| How Difficult | 9 | It took long hours, and many days spent coding and studying. I had to work hard just to pull off a 3.5 |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The class were about eleven students to one professor. The professor were always available to help when needed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Like most schools most classes were smack in the middle of the day. And since every professor wanted the same time slots it was difficult filling my class load at times. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | They had a good deal of computers. The library system at our school was lacking though. |
| Social Life | 7 | The school did a good job developing pride in the school. However, the drinking was too much of the social aspect and the school did nothing about it. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The connections that my school had helped provide me with a job. The internships that were available to my program helped prepare me for said job. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I rarely get any information from them. But my wife was able to get help finding a job through alumni |
Penn State • Erie, PA
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2001)
• 5/7/2011
"I think that the positives about Penn State balance out the negatives. The lack of hands-on knowledge is balanced out by great social activities and good facilities."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Overall, going to PSU was a positive experience. I would, however, advise that a prospective student do more on his/her own than is laid out by the degree path. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Penn State is widely known as a good engineering school, but I have no idea as to its reputation as a technology school. I would have to say that its solid academic reputation in other areas would have it viewed as an average programming school with no other evidence to back that up. |
| Program Quality | 4 | The MIS major I received from Penn State weighted equal parts on the business and technology sides. The experience I found out of college was that the business side was largely irrelevant, and I would have had more opportunity if I had a more robust background on the technology side. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 4 | The classes I attended focused almost exclusively on theory. We were asked to do very few hands-on projects, which was easier, but certainly not more instructive. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Penn State was very geared toward theoretical education. We did little in the way of larger projects that would stretch out through the semester. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The scheduling at PSU in the MIS program was very rigid. I was put a full semester behind because I could not schedule a class in the fall that was only offered in the fall. I missed the spring component to the class because I could not schedule the fall one. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The facilities provided by PSU were very good. Their computers and computer labs were up-to-date and available most times. The advisers had good real world experience and were helpful in teaching the useful information. The one area I would say they lacked in was tutoring and organizing student study sessions. |
| Social Life | 8 | I have many good friends whom I met at PSU. Life on campus was geared toward student interaction, and it was hard to miss that. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I actively used the career center services at Penn State, and they were less than helpful. Internships are something that is required for an MIS degree, but PSU did little to help students fill that requirement. We were given websites and email addresses and little else. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Penn State goes out of its way to include alumni in its official organizations. However, I feel this is more to raise money for the university than to further connections. A much better resource is the connections made to individuals while at the university. |
St. Francis College • Loretto, PA
Studying Math (completion in 1990)
• 5/5/2011
"I liked the faculty. They prepared me for the future."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think it is a unique school. Its smaller atmosphere allows you more 1 on 1 with staff. They really care about the students. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | This school is more known for it's PA program and business programs. But they have grown tremendously in the IT arena since I have attended the school. |
| Program Quality | 10 | This was a smaller school. The classes were small so I go to know the teachers and they got to know me. It helped prepare me for my future. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I was in the honors program. This allowed me to be challenged and go beyond the minimum requirements. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The honors program provided this opportunity. We had to do service projects and go beyond the minimum. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Because it was small I could get into pretty much any class. I didn't have any issues. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | It's been 21 years since I attended and things have definitely changed. The facilities now are fabulous. I wish I could be a student now attending that school. |
| Social Life | 10 | There were different avenues for different personalities. They had something for everyone so you could find your niche and Make friends with people like yourself. |
| Placement Services | 7 | They provided help with interviewing and job search. But I wanted to go back home so there wasn't much help in that area. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Lots of communication comes out. They have a nice website as well. |
Penn State • University Park, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1973)
• 7/12/2011
"Penn State got me a satisfying job while working on my thesis. It helped me to get promoted at IBM."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Penn State is in the forefront of parallel computing. They are a Big Ten school with deep pockets and the ability to attract National Science Foundation grants. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | Penn State still receives National Science Foundation grants in Computer Science. Their program in parallel computing is top notch. |
| Program Quality | 6 | The professors were dedicated. I completed a National Science Foundation grant through their tutelage. |
| Instruction | 6 | Their IBM computer hardware prepped me for a career with IBM. At the time, the IBM System 360 was the most popular operating system. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Numerical Analysis is a difficult subject. My thesis was a difficult presentation on Reversing the Longest Job First Multiprocessor Schedule. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My course in Assembler Language programming involved weekly hands-on work. It prepared me for the programming (hands-on) that I did for my thesis. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I was able to take summer courses. The computer center was open on weekends. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The Penn State library was helpful in my research. More than one professor was present for the defense of my thesis. |
| Social Life | 6 | Penn State football was my most enjoyable social experience. Preparation for the upcoming game with Joe Paterno was inspiring. |
| Placement Services | 6 | I was able to get placed at IBM. My first placement was in VTAM Design. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | Alumni are invited to Penn State football games. I am constantly reminded of Alumni Giving. |
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA
Studying Information Technology–Software Management (MSIT-SM) (completion in 2008)
• 7/13/2011
"Carnegie Mellon helped me get the right education and the right degree to get me where I am now. I am happy with my experience at Carnegie Mellon."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Carnegie Mellon is well known for their computer sciences. I am satisfied with my experience. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Carnegie Mellon is regarded very highly in the information technology field. I feel that my degree from Carnegie Mellon helped me get my job. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Classes were challenging and I learned a lot. However I felt that some of the expectations of some of the teachers were unfair and I felt like the work I was doing would not be useful down the road. |
| Instruction | 7 | Classes challenged me to think outside the box and come up with new solutions. Some teachers, however, gave work that I felt was not relevant to my future career. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I was expected to work on many different projects at once. All of the projects were extremely time-consuming and difficult to complete because of their challenging nature. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Almost half of my time was spent hands-on and half was spent learning from a book or in a classroom. I felt that it was a good balance. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Classes are offered at multiple times. You cannot have a class at any time of the day you desire, however. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The computer labs as well as other resources are top-of-the-line. There are plenty of resources to go around to each student. |
| Social Life | 4 | Carnegie Mellon is not as focused on these aspects as other colleges. There were few athletics opportunities and few parties compared to others. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Mentors worked with me throughout my entire college attendance to make sure I was on the right track for the career I desired. They were very helpful in getting me my current job. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I felt that the alumni network was adequate. I did not take advantage of it often so I do not know the full scope of it. |
Drexel University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2004)
• 8/16/2011
"I had a terrific college experience at Drexel, and would gladly return. The only downside is tuition - it's seven years later and I've barely made a dent in my student loans."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The location is great, the school facilities are fantastic, the professors are intelligent, thoughtful people, and the neighborhood is perfect for college students. I would highly recommend Drexel to anyone interested in pursuing an IT career. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I think most folks in IT have heard of Drexel, and are familiar with the curriculum and the quality of the education. When I was deciding which school to attend, Drexel came to mind because a number of people I asked recommended it for IT. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The facilities at Drexel are terrific, and the professors are clearly knowledgeable. I wish I had done a bit more more with robotics, though. |
| Instruction | 10 | I have yet to run into anything that I wasn't given a basis for in school. Some of the advice that wasn't strictly curriculum material, such as how to do something based on the professor's experience, has been invaluable. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I had friends in school that had other majors, and while many had somewhat less work than I did, a few had more. I feel comfortable saying that the challenge and workload were a 9. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In many of my classes, I spent more time actually using a computer than reading about one. This is a terrific advantage in the field, and I'm glad the professors teach in this manner. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I took the majority of my classes during traditional school hours, but I had friends who took evening/weekend classes. They really appreciated the flexible schedule that allowed them to meet work and school demands with ease. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The computer labs at Drexel are fantastic and the classrooms are great. I didn't use any of the tutoring services, but I was in several study groups and the support was fantastic. |
| Social Life | 10 | Being in University City, Drexel is in the middle of several other schools which, including the U of P and Temple. There are plenty of activities, both on campus and off, to keep any college student busy! |
| Placement Services | 10 | The school provides abundant support to graduating students, both in terms of job placement and career services. The counselors are very helpful in narrowing the playing field, as well as in giving interview tips and resume assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The support from the school in attempting to find both internships and a permanent position has been outstanding. I met several Drexel alums at interviews and job fairs, and they acted like they knew everything and that newer students had it easy. I didn't particularly care for that attitude from alumni. |
Penn State University • State College Pa, PA
Studying Information Sciences And Technology (completion in 2010)
• 8/30/2011
"The professors made my experience very beneficial. I was able to get close to research projects that I feel will really empower me as I move forward with my life."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on the type of person that they are. If they are not a self directed person, I could see my program being a waste of time and money. If they are willing to go the extra mile, and interact with the faculty and get attached to projects, I think it can be a very beneficial program. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | For the undergrad program it is very high, but the graduate program has yet to gain serious traction. I give it 5 because I do feel the professors I worked with have the name sake to carry the students who choose to work with them. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My masters degree enabled me to work with researchers and programmers seamlessly. Without an understanding of research itself, programming for them would be very difficult |
| Instruction | 3 | The instruction itself was very mediocre. The program was very self directed, which for me was ok. But I could see how certain individuals would have problems. |
| How Difficult | 1 | Since it was self directed, the difficulty was only when you pushed yourself. For me, I was able to interact with professors and get involved in projects that challenged me, but I could see how one could "drift" through the program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We focused mainly on theory of information. There was very little hands on learning in terms of programming, but we did write a lot. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Penn State itself may be different, but the program I was in was very structured. Classes were only offered once a year, and there were almost no summer classes available. I understand this is a limitation of my program and not the university. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | Even though we are a technology college, our computer situation is poor to say the least. Graduate students are provided with computers that can barely handle the load we are expected to carry out on them. Additionally, the space we are provided is less than stellar. The university library system is what brings this rating above average. The PSU library is tied to several other universities, giving students the ability to get to almost any book or academic article possible. |
| Social Life | 5 | I had fun at school in terms of social events and parties. The deal breaker for me comes when you include school spirit and athletics. I grew up a loyal Pitt fan, so having PSU football shoved down my throat every waking minute was a bit nauseating. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Penn State has a very good career services department. Additionally, they bring high caliber employers to the university multiple times a year for job fairs. I only used these one or two times, as I was able to find a job within the university. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Penn State has one of the best alumni networks in the country. The only thing keeping it from being a 10 is that joining "the blue & white society" requires an annual membership fee. |
Bloomsburg University • Bloomsburg, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1989)
• 10/16/2011
"Like I said, my school was a great value for a motivated student which I was. I was paying for it myself, so I greatly appreciated that."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes I would recommend it. I think the school is still a better value than most, however I think that costs there are inflating too. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | My company would never recruit from my school. They don't have a great reputation and my company seems to have put a larger and larger emphasis on such things as it has grown larger. |
| Program Quality | 5 | My school was a great value (for the price). The faculty was adequate. The single biggest thing holding back the school was the quality of the students in attendance. |
| Instruction | 7 | I found the faculty very interested in me and they gave me some great opportunities. The faculty there overall was truly interested in education as compared to more prestigious schools. |
| How Difficult | 3 | What held the school back was the quality of the students in attendance. The students could not be pushed too hard and the school was pretty easy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Certainly a mix. Far too many "group" projects. I hated group projects. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I was a non-traditional student (was in the Army first) so I'm not sure. I worked whenever I could and didn't ask for flexibility from the school. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | Well I know the trend is toward gold-plated floors and million dollar field houses these days. This school was cheap, so probably somewhat behind on that (not that I think that matters much). |
| Social Life | 5 | Frankly I didn't spend many weekends at the school and I scarcely went to any parties. I was very focused on learning. I did spend a few hours a day in the pool hall. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I thought it was OK. Back in my day it was pretty easy for someone with my marks to get a starting job, so my reliance upon such things was awfully short, but I remember some engagement there. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Frankly I haven't been back for a long time, but I have donated a couple of thousand dollars over the years. I was asked to come back to talk to students much earlier in my career. Now my relationship is just that they call me to ask for money. |
Drexel University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2003)
• 11/4/2011
"Drexel provided me a solid foundation for the career I have today. My biggest complaint would probably be a lack of administrative flexibility. I would have liked to have more resources available to simulate a more challenging environment earlier in my studies."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The material, people, and facilities are all present at Drexel to provide for a solid educational experience. And the co-op program is a strong advantage - not many programs produce graduates that have a solid 18 months of career experience. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I believe Drexel's reputation has been improving over the past couple of decades. In addition, the school's strong point has been its engineering school of which computer science is now a part. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school provided me with the basic knowledge I needed to be successful. In addition, the co-op program was very beneficial in providing experience before graduation. |
| Instruction | 8 | Most professors were well versed in the material they taught and seemed to enjoy passing on their knowledge. The curriculum provided a good base for which to build a career - the foundation is laid for numerous career paths without being so specific as to pigeon hole students into 1 type of position. |
| How Difficult | 7 | In my opinion, the under graduate program was easy. For the most part, the challenge and difficulty was not a real factor until I started taking graduate courses. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This varies depending on the class and material. However, I feel that most of the courses that could have interaction were sufficiently supported. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Drexel was fairly flexible when I was enrolled as a student. Now, Drexel has made an effort to be a competent online school, further enhancing its flexibility. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I've seen fancier facilities, but I never had an issue trying to schedule time with a professor when necessary or tracking down the necessary resources to complete a given task. However, Drexel is not the richest school and there was a little room for improvement. |
| Social Life | 3 | As a commuter, I did not partake in many social events. Education was my primary focus. The school did provide opportunities, so I do not fault the institution for this rating. |
| Placement Services | 9 | With the integrated co-op program, job placement and career assistance are easily one of Drexel's strong selling points. Even alumni can continue to use these services (although my understanding is the University tries to cater more heavily to current students). |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I know there are alumni services, but the outreach seems a bit thin. Seems the only time I'm directly contacted is through an occasional newsletter or request for donation. |
Pennsylvania State University • University Park, PA
Studying Information Sciences And Technology (completion in 2006)
• 12/18/2011
"I had a great time and learned a great amount from it. I also try to get back there as much as I can as an alumnus."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Penn State has a great reputation and strong education fundamentals. The social lifestyle is stupendous, and you'll never regret attending it. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Not many people know of the IST program at Penn State, and I often need to explain what it is to prospective employers. However, after a brief explanation, they understand what it is like. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I believe it provided a great groundwork for what I would learn in the future. However, at points, I did not understand what benefit some courses were offering me. |
| Instruction | 8 | The teachers were very helpful and willing to teach me what I needed to know. Most were willing to meet after class if necessary. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I thought the classes were, for the most part, easy. My GPA was pretty impressive, although often I did not buy textbooks for my classes. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | With a computer science program, I find there is a lot of reading that is necessary to understand concepts. Also, we did have a lot of lectures and in-class work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | A variety of classes were available, with different timeslots. However, sometimes if you needed a specific class, you would need to make your other classes work around it. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Nice facilities were just built when I went to school. Lots of training resources available, new computers, and a stellar library. |
| Social Life | 10 | I had a lot of fun, and it has made me extremely proud of my school. They always had sponsored school events, and the football program is great. Parties were always a good time, although I did not partake in them much until my senior year. |
| Placement Services | 4 | Being a larger college, you had to pursue somebody to help with career services. But if you went, they would aid you. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The PSU Alumni Association is the largest association in the United States. Also, they are always contacting me regarding school support. |
West Chester University • West Chester, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 1/17/2012
"The school itself was not very good, but the computer science department was great."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I learned a lot of good information and was challenged to pursue new languages and concepts that I otherwise would not have encountered. |
| Program Reputation | The school tells us that their reputation is great. I have not heard anything about their reputation elsewhere. | |
| Program Quality | 9 | WCU has a great Computer Science program. The only problem was the obtuse general education requirements. However, I recognize that this will be present at all universities. |
| Instruction | 8 | The curriculum was somewhat lacking, as there was a great deal of time wasted on things not related to computer science. However, the instruction within the computer science program was very good. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Some courses were more challenging than others. There was an appropriate number of difficult programs to write. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was some learning by book, but most of it was through writing actual programs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The school was pretty flexible about some courses, but very inflexible about others. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The Computer Science department had adequate labs operating Windows or Linux. |
| Social Life | I did not get involved with the social aspect of school. | |
| Placement Services | I did not get involved with the school's job placement programs or career services. | |
| Alumni Network | I do not know how the alumni network is. I do not get involved with alumni issues or programs. |
DeVry University • Fort Washington, PA
Studying Computer Engineering Technology (completion in 2007)
• 1/14/2012
"Very satisfied with the training I received. Not as satisfied with the school's reputation in the market place."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this school to someone looking to get their degree fast. I was able to complete a BS in three years instead of four. The trade-off is that it is a no frills education but you will get a degree out of it. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I would give the school's reputation a lower score because they are a for-profit institution and have received some bad press as of late. I think in the workplace state school's are more reputable than for profit. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The school provided a lot of hands on training and learning. The school's reputation is not the best however. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instructors were very knowledgeable and friendly. I was very happy with the level of expertise provided and their industry experience as a whole. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program was above average difficulty, with a good bit of math and physics classes required. Also a computer science curriculum can be challenging if you're not that interested in computer technologies. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Very hands on. There was usually a lab component to most EE and software development classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The flexibility of the school was very good. I was able to take some course requirements online as well as on campus. This was very helpful because I had a part time job while attending school. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | They school had many computer labs and plenty of electronic testing equipment. I think the school claimed they had four computers for everyone student. |
| Social Life | 4 | I didn't participate in many school activities as I was working part-time. The overall availability of school sponsored activities was low. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I was very happy with the career services provided. The career service center was able to help me secure an internship will attending school. I was later employed full time by the same company. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not done much with the school since I graduated. They send me email newsletters everyone once in a while. Occasionally I will get an invite, expanses paid, for some alumni gathering. |
Luzerne County Community College • Nanticoke, PA
Studying CIS (completion in 2008)
• 1/7/2012
"I am reasonably happy with LCCC but I am considering going back to school for my Bachelor's. LCCC provided me with an affordable start to my education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend it to people looking to get into CIS because it is affordable. They also have a lot of great teachers who are very smart and helpful. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | LCCC is a budget community college - I would not say they have much of a reputation. They did have a lot of very good teachers who gave you the same information that you would get at a much more expensive school. |
| Program Quality | 6 | LCCC was great for the price I had to pay. The only problem was that a lot of the languages we went over were very outdated. |
| Instruction | 5 | They gave me enough knowledge to get into my position. I think that they need to update there programming languages so that people like me are better fit in the career search. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Most of the things I learned were pretty basic (C++, java, html) but required a lot of work to complete the classes. What made it hard was classes like Cobal that required us to learn very outdated and complicated code. I got through it but it was tough! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was definitely more on the hands on side. When doing programming the only way learn is to get on the computer and start coding. Of course, there was some book work to learn the terms. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | LCCC has the most flexible schedule I have ever seen. The offer weekend, morning, afternoon and night classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They had a very large, up to date computer lab that was open very late. They also did have a nice library. LCCC offered all sorts of tutors for all your classes. Professors were kind of hard to get in touch with after class because most of them also worked at major universities in the area. |
| Social Life | 1 | It is a community college so most of the people there were not interested in the events. They had a good number of events but always had small turnouts. |
| Placement Services | 7 | LCCC did offer some job placement and had a lot of outlets to get job information in your field. I actually found my current job through LCCC, a teacher of mine suggested me to this company and I got in. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | There was basically no alumni network and support at LCCC. Some teachers offered some support and connections but it happened very rarely. |
Bryn Mawr College • Bryn Mawr, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2001)
• 1/23/2012
"There were shortcomings associated with pursuing an Independent Major. However, I was prepared for them and felt it was worth the trade off to attend the school that I wanted to."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The program has grown and matured since I graduated - gaining much more structure. However, a student must still be highly self motivated to get out of the program everything you need to be successful in the real world. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | They have created a standard curriculum, which is good. They have also hired more professors that are more than just regular programmers looking for a side job. |
| Program Quality | 5 | When I was in school, it was an Independent Major. More structure would have been better. |
| Instruction | 6 | The quality of the teaching was excellent. It didn't really prepare me for work in the private sector. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work load was significant. However, it was enjoyable, so it wasn't a hardship. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most computer science classes consisted mainly of labs and lab time. Book learning was used only to introduce concepts. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There were many evening options. There were no weekend classes. All of the college's resources were available on the weekend, however. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The computer resources were sparse. Most academic advising came from people farther along in the program that you were. |
| Social Life | 8 | There wasn't much in the way of organized social events. However, there were many traditions that were followed. This fostered a sense of community. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I was offered an internship in my second year, which is when I received my most relevant training. That morphed into a full time position when I graduated. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | In general the alumni network is strong. Not so much for independent majors. |
Temple University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Information Science & Technology (completion in 2014)
• 2/7/2012
"Career options are great, but overall I would never attend Temple University again. I will be looking elsewhere for my Master's degree."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | This university is large, unfriendly, and dirty. I would only recommend it if the teaching quality, cleanliness, safety, and atmosphere increased GREATLY. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Local employers seem very eager to hire fresh talent from Temple University. Career fairs are typically packed and students are scooped up for internships and full time jobs by the dozens. |
| Program Quality | 3 | Professors are all over the board on quality and advising is non-existent. Facilities and curriculum are often outdated. |
| Instruction | 3 | While some professors are excellent, many are not. Many professors teach outdated material and don't accept the changing nature of the field. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The work load is typically light. The most challenging aspect of the curriculum is learning the preferences of each professor to avoid petty point deductions. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Even labs are book-oriented. They typically involve following poorly-typed word documents. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | Tutoring is good and they're very knowledgeable, but advisers are IMPOSSIBLE to get an appointment with. Then they're not helpful at all when you finally do meet up with them. The entire advising department is very difficult to deal with. |
| Social Life | 6 | Parties tend to be drinking based, and there is little else going on on campus. Furthermore, due to the bad neighborhood, it is difficult to do much off campus. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The professors that manage this aspect of the university are very caring. They are always there to provide services to help students get jobs, including resume review and interview prep. They also are constantly sending emails about potential jobs. |
| Alumni Network | I am still attending the university, so I have not used the alumni network. I am, however, still employed as a web developer. |
Penn State • University Park, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2006)
• 2/17/2012
"Would not have wished to go anywhere else. Couldn't have been happier."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Provides great education. Provides excellent facilities and atmosphere. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Penn State individuals have been hired multiple times at my current employer. Other then the recent scandal, Penn State has always had a clean reputation. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Penn State has a great program. They are able to provide adequate one on one instruction even though it is such a large school. |
| Instruction | 10 | TA's were always available to help on daily problems. Professors would hold regular office hours that would answer any additional problems. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Each semester a major project would be due. Weekly assignments could get stressful. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Programming assignments were usually given a month or so to complete and conduct. Reading assignments were daily. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | In a large school, scheduling was difficult. Often I would not get the classes I had hoped for. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | When I graduated in 2006 a new IT building had just opened. It provided a state of the art facility. |
| Social Life | 9 | It was a great social scene at Penn State games. Football games were the most fun. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Career fairs were held once a semester. Career advisers were always available for help. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Penn State maintains a great alumni network. I live in California and am part of the Alumni chapter in the region. We regularly get together to watch the football games. |
Wilkes University • Wilkes Barre, PA
Studying Computer Information Systems (completion in 2004)
• 3/10/2012
"While it cannot truly prepare you for a job in the real world, I feel my school gave me the building blocks I needed to grow at my job and gain meaningful experience. My school also gave me enough of an education on the "business end" to make smart decisions in my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I really enjoyed my time at Wilkes and am thankful for the skills I learned there. The staff and facilities really seemed to be "for the students" and not just for a look and feel of how college should be. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | My school is known for turning out many professionals with CIS degrees currently working in the area. My university is well known and it is not uncommon to interview with fellow past grads of Wilkes. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I thought my school had a nice curriculum worked out for my program. I did feel that the class sizes were a little large and hindered our ability to learn more things in depth. |
| Instruction | 8 | I think my school did a decent job preparing us for real-life work opportunities, with the projects instructors created for the classes. I think we could have worked with more real-life casework if our class sizes were a little smaller. |
| How Difficult | 8 | My major had less math than a computer science course, but the required math was still a challenge. The school seemed to balance your major-specific courses pretty well with your core classes each semester, creating a tough but manageable course load. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I feel there were equal parts of book and hands-on learning, but I preferred the hands-on teaching. As our program progressed, our tests focused more on the books and were worth less, as our projects were hands on and accounted for a majority of our grade. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | It was very easy for me to schedule my semesters to meet my needs with family and work obligations. They offered a good range of summer courses in the event you wanted to get a few credits completed during the break. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I think my school had adequate facilities for the program I was in, and the technology was up to date. It was easy for me to gain access to resources such as labs and libraries whenever I needed. |
| Social Life | 5 | I made some good friends in my program and attended some school functions with them. I was a commuter, so I did not participate as much as a student who dorms might. |
| Placement Services | I don't really know much about the job placement service, as I didn't make use of it when I was there. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I randomly receive alumni emails and alumni news through the mail. |
Carnegie Mellon University • Pittsburgh, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 3/4/2012
"Absolutely topnotch education and reputation. Makes finding a job simple."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It's a challenging experience and is definitely overkill for someone just looking to land a job. However, it is the perfect place for those aspiring to be the absolute best. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It's the number one program in the field. The school is notorious for excellence in computer science and electrical and computer engineering. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Top-tier computer science education with almost all graduates easily entering the field. Any graduate is simply assumed to have an exceptional understanding of computer science. |
| Instruction | 9 | Great selection of professors. There is a lack of very big names from the field, but this only affects bragging rights. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The initial learning curve is very steep, with a huge concentration in the mathematics and real computer science parts. Programming skills are not taught and are assumed to be preexisting or picked up on the side. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most classes mix together theory and programming very well. Usually, professors will use large programming assignments to train students to use newly learned algorithms and concepts as a component of bigger systems. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Scheduling is about the same as it is at any university. There are few online options and almost no weekend or evening options. Summer classes are generally more general education, but can easily help towards degree completion. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Good prevalence of computer labs and computer equipment. Shared servers available at all times. |
| Social Life | 7 | Much more tame than a state school. Parties are smaller and less raucous. Sports are basically disregarded. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Not much in the way of active assistance. There is a good job board, but only the true self-seekers will get anywhere. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | CMU alumni don't seem to keep in touch very well. There is a very large concentration of them throughout the industry and most of them recognize the talent that comes from the school, so that's a plus. |
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