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.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Kirkwood Community College • Cedar Rapids, IA
Studying Computer Support Specialist (completion in 2008)
• 8/31/2011
"It could have been more hands on, teachers could have been better, and also instructors could have had more control of their classes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Overall, the school was not as bad as I have made it seem by my comments. I learned a lot, but could have just used a little more hands on work and possibly some lab time with different professors to learn about the careers available. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Kirkwood was one of the best community colleges in Cedar Rapids. Personally, I think replacing a few teachers would better the school. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It could have provided a lot more information, or could even be pushed into a 4 year degree. |
| Instruction | 5 | Many of the teachers were disorganized. They would show up to class late and not instruct to the class but only to particular people. |
| How Difficult | 3 | Teachers were almost too lenient on things such as deadlines and school work. They would let you turn things in late. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some classes had no hands on work, and being a hands on learner it was very difficult to do the classwork. I prefer being able to do what's being instructed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | There were a few times when a class was only available at one point in time and out of town (Iowa City), so it required driving out of town to go to class. This was very inconvenient. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Computers were okay - they had all the software needed for the degree program. I did not utilize the library or other available resources. |
| Social Life | 5 | I didn't really meet anybody new through school. I mostly stuck with people I already knew in high school, and most of the people in my classes were not really close to me. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I located my jobs myself before graduating. I've been able to find jobs that advanced my career further each time I have looked for one. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I have not participated in anything related to alumni. There doesn't appear to be any network for it. |
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. |
Iowa State University • Ames, IA
Studying Com Sci (completion in 2014)
• 2/9/2012
"Great program, but I feel like the university is "cheap" at times. I feel like students are getting ripped off (typical of most state universities)."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program is very solid and interesting, but also challenging. The campus is very nice. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | It is known to be a challenging major. The computer department is very solid. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Very intelligent professors. Solid program. |
| Instruction | 9 | Very good overall. Some professors are hard to understand, though. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Courses are very time consuming. I find myself constantly challenged. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Tons of hands-on programming assignments. Math and Science classes are more book-oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Online and summer courses available. There are many courses required through the university. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Many labs and a great library. Some classrooms are a bit worn down. |
| Social Life | 9 | I've managed to find many friend and clubs at ISU. Student events are excellent. |
| Placement Services | 10 | 99.9% job placement. Average of six job offers per student during senior year. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't have a full understanding of it. The network seems okay though. |
Luther College • Decorah, IA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2012)
• 3/5/2012
"Luther was a fantastic school. I wish the CS department was larger and better known, though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Luther is great preparation for working in technology. The career center and alumni office have good job contacts. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Luther is known for music and biology. No one seems to know we have a CS major. |
| Program Quality | 7 | We did a lot of theoretical programming and learning history. We used lots of Python and Java, but not as much as we could have in newer languages like Ruby, and we didn't touch PHP. |
| Instruction | 8 | Good instructors who wrote the books they used. It would have been nice to have more than three instructors in the department for some more variety in languages. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Math skills like calculus are not required. Programming homework can be really fast, or really long. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In computer science, we did a pretty good job of hands on learning. There were no large lectures. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They have a traditional schedule without distance, online, or weekend options. Registrar and departments are always eager to help outside class though. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | We have great professors and resources. Lab computers are a bit dated. |
| Social Life | 9 | Luther has a fantastic community. There are tons of events going on all the time, especially music. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The career center is always willing to help. They do a lot of on campus recruiting, but big tech companies ignore the school. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Luther College has a fantastic alumni system. Every time I meet an alumnus they're eager to help. |
Ashford • Clinton, IA
Studying Organization Management (completion in 2011)
• 3/24/2012
"The program was easy to navigate. Coursework was relevant."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | There were many program choices. |
| Program Reputation | I have no information about their reputation for this particular study area. Overall Ashford has a good reputation. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | The instructors were great. The coursework was relevant. |
| Instruction | 9 | Instructors provided relevant feedback. Instructors were always available to ask questions. |
| How Difficult | 5 | As an adult learner I feel I had an advantage. Life experience helped make the coursework easier. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some assignments required me to collect external data. Much of the work referred to books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I could change/drop classes easily. Much of what I needed was always available. |
| Academic Facilities | Classes were done online. Electronic resources were average. | |
| Social Life | Classes were done online, so there was no social interaction. Classmates communicated electronically. | |
| Placement Services | They never offered to help place me. I was already employed while going to school. | |
| Alumni Network | I do not participate in this, I only get spam emails from them. |
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