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 Highland Community College and Kansas City Kansas Community College.
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 Washburn University, Kansas State, Wichita State, and Haskell Indian Nations University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Kansas City Kansas Community College, Seward County Community College and Area Technical School, and Garden City Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Coffeyville Community College, Seward County Community College and Area Technical School, Baker University, and University of Saint Mary.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Benedictine, Haskell Indian Nations University, University of Saint Mary, and Kansas Wesleyan.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Sterling College, Bethel, Tabor College, and Haskell Indian Nations University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Bethel.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Newman University, Haskell Indian Nations University, Sterling College, and Kansas Wesleyan.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at North Central Kansas Technical College, Bethel, Sterling College, and Seward County Community College and Area Technical School.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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McPherson College • Mcpherson, KS
Studying Computer Sciences (completion in 2010)
• 9/22/2011
"McPherson is a liberal arts college. The education we get is of the best quality in the country."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | We no longer have the major. But it was awesome |
| Program Reputation | 1 | The numbers kept dropping just because computers aren't cool. Now we don't have that program. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It was amazing. It is no longer offered here, though. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction I learned, I now use everyday. The teachers are really there to repair, deploy and maintain our college's computers, and that's what they taught us to do. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It's about the same as working a part time job, And that's pretty much what it is. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It is almost all hands on in the real lab. The best way to learn is to just do it. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Because of the small number of students almost every class is only offered at one time. The nice thing is that if a class is for your major, then you get first pick. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We have a brand new Mac lab and computer labs in every building. Each building is nice and it is easy to get anything you need done. |
| Social Life | 9 | McPherson is a private college and everything is well funded by alumni. There is always something to do. |
| Placement Services | 10 | We are kept up to date on job listings almost daily. If we need to find a job in the field, they will always help us find one. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They are very well connected and involved in everything. They give our school hundreds of millions of dollars a year. |
Kansas State University • Manhattan, KS
Studying Information Systems (completion in 2011)
• 12/4/2011
"I was able to get a position immediately out of college with my degree. I felt that I learned a lot of skills that have allowed me to be successful post-graduation. I was also able to meet a lot of people during my time at KSU that have proved valuable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This degree will allow you to get a position, even in this tough economy. The university is often referred to as a "big university in a small town," so there are a lot of people to meet, but you don't feel like you're drowning in a big city. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | KSU has a very good reputation for its engineering disciplines, and the computer science/information systems department is included in engineering. The CIS department frequently does competitions and does well. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I was frequently tasked with solving problems, so this helped in my support role now. However, I do wish that we learned more about how to work with people more, and not simply just the technology. |
| Instruction | 7 | I had some really good professors, and some that were really lacking. Some obviously were more interested in their research than ensuring that their assignments were relevant to our future careers. |
| How Difficult | 6 | This major was not extremely difficult. However, the programming courses were often more difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The CIS program has courses that involve both hands-on and book learning. Courses frequently task you with reading the material, and then performing tasks that relate to the read material. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Course offerings are usually spread out over the day and evening. Many classes are offered over the summer and winter breaks. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The computer and information systems department has several labs for 24/7 student use. These labs have relevant software and hardware capabilities. The university library also has a small computing library and a wide variety of computer resources. |
| Social Life | 9 | There are a wide variety of clubs at KSU, and it is extremely easy to start a new one if one does not pique your interest. School spirit is strong, especially surrounding sporting events. |
| Placement Services | 8 | KSU has a career and employment services office, which allows students to learn interview skills. The office also has information about job openings. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I am frequently contacted by the alumni association. They also give me information about local alumni groups, and groups that might help with career development. |
Pittsburg State University • Pittsburg, KS
Studying System Information (completion in 2013)
• 3/22/2012
"I am satisfied for the most part. The friendships I have made will last a long time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The cost of going to the school is reasonable compared to others. The social events are fun. Class sizes are small. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | It is known as a teaching college, the Tech center is known for automotive, but overall the system information is not known. |
| Program Quality | 3 | They took away the Computer Science degree. They focus more on business management stuff. They are light on the computer parts. |
| Instruction | 6 | There are some great teachers there who really know the material. Unfortunately, the majority are poor and I learn more on my own. |
| How Difficult | 3 | Not at all challenging. I got certification from a trade school so I have more computer knowledge than the other students. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It would depend on the class but the majority of the classes are book learning. But a few classes are hands on with a little book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They have day and evening classes, but no online or weekend classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The class sizes are small. The library is well-stocked and up to date. I would recommend the resources in the information systems. |
| Social Life | 8 | They provide a lot of activities including movies and sporting events. I would say the social experience is great. |
| Placement Services | I have not graduated yet. They did not help my wife out in getting a job. | |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The network is actually pretty good. My wife has a degree from the same school. It seams they support her well. |
Centriq Foss • Leawood, KS
Studying Network And Systems Administration (completion in 2008)
• 3/14/2012
"I'm doing what I love and helping people at the same time. For the most part the people I work with are either happy I'm on my way, or happy I'm there. That is very satisfying to me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | When a student comes out of Centriq the green thumb has mostly worn off already. I would feel confident that after referring a friend or family member to Centriq they would be able to hit the ground running at their first position. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Centriq produces high quality IT staff, and most local companies are extremely satisfied with the students. If a student isn't going to cut it in the program, they usually know very early on in the training process and can't progress to the next class. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I loved doing this work before I went to school for it. It was only natural for me to seek something of this nature and love doing it. |
| Instruction | 8 | Centriqs instructors were all seasoned veterans in their respective fields with all the tips and tricks to help their students succeed. The curriculum was aimed at all areas we would be working with in our career progression chart. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Centriq was no easy ride, it required sacrificing a lot of time and many sleepless study nights. Prior IT experience helped a lot, but there was so much more to learn when I got there. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Concepts and study are done early in the week, projects and testing done later in the week. There is the best of both worlds in their classrooms. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | There are day and evening classes at Centriq allowing for some flexibility. The only online service offered are some training documents and practice tests. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Students have access to all resources during normal business hours. Tutoring and mentoring is also available. |
| Social Life | 1 | Centriq does not have any teams or after school activities. A no-nonsense attitude is predominant in the student base. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I still receive emails from my career assistance group four years later. My first job out of school was from said assistance group. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I still receive emails from my career assistance group four years later. My first job out of school was from said assistance group. |
University Of Kansas • Lawrence, KS
Studying Journalism/Theatre (completion in 2011)
• 3/29/2012
"I didn't realize it until after I left, but the quality of my education was awful. My college was cheap, but you get what you pay for."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | After I left the engineering department, they got a giant donation to build new facilities. The math department was still poor but our engineering program is going to be great. However, if you want to go into computer support, you really don't need a degree in computer science to do well. All my training was on the job or from the internet on my own. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The two departments I was in have basically no renown. We have a few respected graduates but on the whole, both departments weren't even remotely known for being high quality. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The big state university was okay, but had giant classes full of kids who don't belong in college. |
| Instruction | 5 | Again, a big state university doesn't provide the most comprehensive, intensive education. Most students want to graduate with a 2.0 and that dilutes the quality of the institution. |
| How Difficult | 3 | With so many people in the school, the standards were low. Entrance requirements were minimal and the classes were all easy, especially if you're smart. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Everything was off a PowerPoint. Most classes were huge and required Scantron tests. With so many people in class, hands on learning is very difficult. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | So many students requires a bunch of class options. I could basically take any class at any time. I took a bunch of summer school classes and even got all my classes on two days a week. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The libraries were great. I spent a lot of time there on the computers (mostly fixing the computers as I was a field tech in college as well) and using the study facilities. Tutors are always available. My academic advisers were awful. |
| Social Life | 10 | Basketball was king and football drew a crowd despite being quite depressing. Our student activities board always had something going on, or organized a concert or something. |
| Placement Services | 6 | Journalism school provided a pretty good job placement center, but my theatre school didn't prepare me for anything outside college. Everything I did was on my own effort. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni association is always trying to connect you with other graduates. One big bonus to going to a large state university is the sheer number of graduates across the globe. We had the ability to make a lot of connections. |
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