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 Support Specialists
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Des Moines Area Community College, Kirkwood Community College, AIB, and Iowa State.
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 AIB, Iowa State, William Penn University, and University of Iowa.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Morningside College, Drake, Grinnell, and Upper Iowa University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Mount Mercy College, Saint Ambrose University, and Southeastern Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Grinnell, Cornell, Drake, and Dordt.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Waldorf College, Loras, Dordt, and Central College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Grinnell, Cornell, University of Iowa, and Iowa State.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Grinnell, Cornell, Maharishi, and William Penn University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Grinnell, Loras, Cornell, and Clarke.
Spotlight Schools Search
Spotlight Iowa Schools Related to This Career
- Locations: West Des Moines
- Programs: 4 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Master
- Locations: Bettendorf
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Certificate, Diploma
- Locations: Des Moines
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Diploma
- Locations: Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Mason City, Urbandale
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Certificate, Master
See these schools on a map
Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: 5 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
- Programs: 17 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Doctorate, Master
- Programs: 5 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor, Master
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor
Keiser University eCampus Online
- Programs: 3 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Bachelor
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Buena Vista University • Storm Lake, IA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2005)
• 9/26/2011
"I learned most of what I needed to know. Probably could have gotten by with a much cheaper school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on what type of computer job you would want when you get out. If you are going into some sort of computer design or theoretical programming, it is a good place. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school's reputation is pretty good in this area. They get a lot of credit for supplying each student with a laptop. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It was a good program but too much work was theoretical and not applicable to the real world. Good instruction, but not great for preparing for real world work. |
| Instruction | 7 | Career preparation was not great. Spent too much time on things that won't translate to the real world 90% of the time. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work was relatively challenging. Workload was pretty light. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a mix of hands on and book learning. There were times when purchasing the text book was unnecessary. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The school has multiple centers around the area so going to class on campus isn't always necessary. There are a few night classes available. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The professors were always accessible. There were always places to do group work and advisors available. Everyone had a computer so computer resources were pretty high. |
| Social Life | 6 | The school always had a lot of organized social events. Most were not well planned or attended. School spirit is high for a small school. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They have a good percentage of students getting placed right out of school. I found my own job before graduation so I didn't have much contact with them. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I haven't had anything to do with the school since leaving. I do get the occasional email. |
Ashford University • Clinton, IA
Studying Network Security (completion in 2013)
• 10/12/2011
"Counselors are not always easy to get a hold of. But will normally get back to you quickly."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school has very knowledgeable professors and will really help you get prepped for certification tests. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | From what I am hear it seems to be good. But it is not known for my field of study. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Classes are online and easy to use. The program provided a solid path to graduation and ultimately success. |
| Instruction | 6 | The professors worked in the field they teach so you get a feeling of legitimacy. The classes evolved with the current technology. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The professors did a good job preparing you. The classes are easy to follow. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As with many online schools it is very book heavy. But they did provide good access to software to help get hands-on work in. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | You got to pick what you wanted to take as well as your start date. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They had great online libraries and provided access to many tutors. |
| Social Life | 3 | It is online school. You post on topics but I can't say I made any real friends. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I have not graduated and haven't been able to test the career services. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | From what I have been told it is rather good. I have not graduated yet so I have not put it to the test. |
Cornell College • Mount Vernon, IA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2007)
• 11/9/2011
"The professors and resources were great. I was sad to go."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Block scheduling worked well for me but it may not be for everyone. I prefer to focus on one topic at a time until it is cemented into my brain. If you get bored with one topic easily and prefer to jump from class to class when doing homework and such, you may do better at a school with a traditional schedule. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I haven't read anything recently regarding the Computer Science at Cornell College. It is a small section of the school, and I don't usually see anything written about it. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The program was great. It prepared me well and I did not have any problems finding a job in the field. |
| Instruction | 9 | The program prepared me well. I did not have any problems finding a job in the field. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I did not find the program incredibly easy or difficult. The work load was quite a bit due to block scheduling, but it wasn't overly challenging for me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All of my professors were definitely very hands-on. We rarely used the book for anything. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I wouldn't consider Cornell to be inflexible, although they are not particularly flexible based on the examples provided in the question. The block scheduling ensures that you have class from around 9am to around 3pm (or half day - 9-11 or 1-3, depending on the class) five days a week for 3.5 weeks, with a 4 day weekend to gear up for the next class. It was flexible in that every year you could take a block off (so basically a month break in the middle of the school year) and still graduate on time. But it was inflexible in that there were no evening, weekend, or online class options. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had top of the line computers and software. We also had organized study groups and super available professors (as most of them lived in town (Mount Vernon is very small). |
| Social Life | 5 | It was a typical small school. Nothing outstanding about the social experience, either good or bad. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The Career Center at Cornell was great. They were available for resume/cover letter assistance and interviewing guidance. They also kept a list of local job listings for each field. |
| Alumni Network | I did not have any contact with alumni from Cornell. I am not qualified to rate the alumni network. |
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