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 Quincy College, Harvard, Bentley, and Wentworth Institute of Technology.
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 UMass Boston, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Worcester State, and Bridgewater State.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Wellesley College, and Simmons College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Roxbury Community College, Atlantic Union, Endicott, and Mount Wachusett Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Atlantic Union, Fitchburg State, Framingham State, and Greenfield Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Harvard, Wellesley College, MIT, and Smith College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Bard College at Simon's Rock, Amherst, Williams College, and Mount Holyoke College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Harvard, MIT, Tufts University, and Amherst.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Harvard, MIT, Amherst, and Williams College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Williams College, Wellesley College, MIT, and Amherst.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Boston University • Boston, MA
Studying Journalism And Philosophy (completion in 2000)
• 8/15/2011
"I loved my time at BU and felt I learned a lot. At the same time it was a very expensive school. I graduated with a lot of debt and no help transitioning into full time employment."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Computer Customer Support is not something you get an undergraduate degree in. Most undergraduate computer courses focus on programming or engineering. If it is a field you are interested in, try to get a job at your school's help desk while you are an undergrad to build up experience and see if it is a good fit for you. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | BU is generally considered a fairly competitive university with high quality academics. Neither Journalism nor Philosophy are among BU's most competitive or challenging majors. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I love BU and the classes I took, but they did very little to prepare me or place me in a job. I have used almost none of what I learned in college in my jobs. |
| Instruction | 8 | I had a number of truly excellent professors, and only a couple of poor ones. Most were passionate about the subject they taught and communicated well. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I was in the honors program and the core program which provided an added challenge. Most classes were easy to pass, but difficult to excel in. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This depends a lot on the class. The humanities classes are very book oriented, as were the Philosophy classes. All science classes have a required hands-on lab section. Journalism classes were all based on writing and research, and all hands-on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | They do offer summer and evening classes. It would be difficult to complete all of the requirements for a degree without taking several regular weekday classes during the standard semesters. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | I always found academic advisers to be a problem. I never saw the same one twice, and they were often unaware of any programs outside of their department. The libraries were excellent, and the classrooms were well equipped for the subject matter. |
| Social Life | 6 | Being in downtown Boston led to an excellent social and activity life. Most of it was outside of official school activities, but there was never a shortage of things to do or explore. |
| Placement Services | 3 | They have a number of resources to help students find jobs to help pay for college while they are students, but I did not find any support in getting placed in a full-time job after college. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | They have regular alumni events and an alumni magazine, so they do try to stay in touch. The school is so large, though, that I don't go to any of the events, since it is unlikely I would know any of the people there. |
Berklee College Of Music • Boston, MA
Studying Music Business (completion in 2008)
• 9/22/2011
"I don't think I could have gone anywhere else. If I did go somewhere else, my completion of the program would have been in doubt."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you want to be regarded as a hero while you work very hard and are underpaid... this is great starting position. Eventually, with a MIS or something there are high rewards there..... |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My High School teacher liked this school. Others responded well when I told them I would be attending this school. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I loved my major. I loved my school and its curriculum. Wasn't exactly IT related, however it gave me Mac, PC, and Linux skills, which I use. |
| Instruction | 10 | They have great teachers at my school. They are very knowledgeable about the industry, and their lack of IT knowledge provided a very hands on 'real world' learning experience. |
| How Difficult | 7 | If you are very talented, this curriculum is a perfect fit. If you are somewhat talented, there are some challenges. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Lack of instructor knowledge helped in this regard. The books are made by the Berklee press, so they're pretty standard (limited resale value). | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | School schedules are what they are. There really is no way to work full time and go to this school full time. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Since it is music oriented, there were plenty of performance places. Moreover, there are plenty of recording studios open 24 hours a day. |
| Social Life | 5 | It's a college. College is college - haha! |
| Placement Services | 3 | Excellent in Boston, MA. Not the greatest outside of this, although it is getting better. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | Alumni Network? What's an alumni Network? |
Blue Hills Regional Vocational Institute • Canton, MA
Studying Computer Programming (completion in 1984)
• 10/1/2011
"I was able to get the degree but only through my own hard work. I worked a lot with other students."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The school is closed, so I cannot recommend it to anyone. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | It is closed. It can't be rated now. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It was ok. There were too many students for each teacher. |
| Instruction | 5 | It was average. Not a lot of time for 1 on 1. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It was not difficult once you learned the basics. A lot of time was spent waiting for others to complete their work before moving on to the next part. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was mostly hands on. A lot of working on the computers and writing. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | There was no flexibility. Classes were all scheduled for the semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | There was enough computers for every student. There was a very small library. |
| Social Life | 3 | There really weren't any social activities. The social activities were all organized by students if there were any. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There was no placement help. The only career services is what students put on the bulletin board. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | The school is closed so there is no network. There was no network at the time either. The instructors worked jobs after school so there was not a lot of support from them. |
Boston University • Boston, MA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1983)
• 2/22/2012
"If I were attending today I'd probably rate it higher. It was a great experience, and landed me a terrific career. Mostly my issues were my own, in seeking greater knowledge than they were able to provide at the time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | BU provides a full education for anyone seeking to work as a computer technical support specialist; or even as an application side support staffer. They also provide a well-rounded full curriculum, and plenty of activities for students to participate in. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Everyone I know regards BU's program as producing excellent employment candidates. I have worked with several graduates of the program and have never been disappointed with their knowledge or abilities. |
| Program Quality | 8 | When I attended, BU was building their Computer Science department, so I can't give them a top rating at that time. I believe they have and continue to improve and may deserve a 10 today. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructors they employed were top notch. Since they were on the build, the curriculum at the time had gaps which have been filled in now. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I found the work adequately challenging. It provided glimpses into applying data processing tasks in support of various business sectors such as retail, or insurance. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I won't say I never cracked a book, but teaching and programming homework, as well as diagnostic training, all required more hands on. Whether writing compilers, or operating systems, or financial analysis programs; we learned our ways around computers a lot better than any books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | BU offers all the listed options for class work for as many classes as they are able. Mostly when limitations occur it is the availability of the instructors that limit an evening class option. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | BU's facilities were on the build when I attended, but today they are well above average. They maintain an ongoing program of review and improvement of computer equipment and software to keep pace with the rapidly changing data processing world. |
| Social Life | 10 | There are many events of every type to infuse students with school spirit. Their sports teams participate in all major tournaments. It can be a great party school if you say desire. |
| Placement Services | I did not avail myself of these services. I located my position independently. So I have no experience upon which to rate them. | |
| Alumni Network | While I am aware of an extensive alumni network and resources at BU. I have not been an active participant, so I can't give a reasonable rating. |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute • Worcester, MA
Studying Management Engineering (completion in 2002)
• 3/6/2012
"I was able to quickly receive a well paying job out of college. I learned a lot and met many great people."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Absolutely. It is a great school with a great reputation. You will learn alot and be well prepared for your career. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | WPI has an amazing reputation, especially my major. It is consistently considered one of the top schools in the region for Management Engineering. Folks I work with are impressed with the school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | It's a great school with an amazing reputation. It opened many doors when it came to interviews. I learned alot and was well prepared for the workforce. |
| Instruction | 9 | The professors were amazing at WPI. They were always prepared and extremely knowledgeable. When I left, I had immense knowledge and was prepared for my career. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I found the workload reasonable. Some of the C++ programming classes at the time were extremely difficult and time consuming. Overall, I thought it was above average in terms of difficulty. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I found my program very hands on. We had programming lab classes that were very hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | The schedule wasn't extremely flexible. You had classes during the day every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. If required, you had labs on Wednesday. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The library and computer labs were amazing. The school has put an immense amount of money into the facilities and I was very pleased. The classes were modern and always had the necessary amenties. |
| Social Life | 8 | I played sports and enjoyed my time doing it. The social life was also very good, with numerous things to do on the weekends. Worcester is a city that actually has alot to do off campus as well. |
| Placement Services | 6 | I found the placement program adequate. At the time of graduation, the economy was terrible and there were few jobs. I was able to find a job with the help of the school and start immediately after graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I rarely have contact with any alumni outside of close friends. The get togethers are not communicated by WPI, resulting in extremely poor attendance. My only interaction with the school is requests for donations in the mail. |
Massasoit Community College • Brockton, MA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2014)
• 3/1/2012
"They have multiple locations available, though most of the Computer labs are in one location. For the cost and flexible schedule I am satisfied with what they offered."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend depending on the person's situation. If they could afford a school Like BU I would say do that. But if they need something fairly affordable with a convenient schedule I would recommend mine. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | There are other schools with better reputations. This one worked into my budget. |
| Program Quality | 6 | They have a variety of courses and labs available. It was a good school for what I could afford. |
| Instruction | 6 | Because I have been in the field for several years I sometimes find I am going through stuff I know already. This at times makes classes boring. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I have been in the field for years so sometimes I find myself bored. They do find some challenging labs to keep me motivated. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We have a great mix where half the class is lecture and the other half is lab. I think its a good way to break up the classes and keep it interesting. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They have a wide variety of options. I am able to work and still able to fit classes into my schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | They have labs that are available at anytime. The professors also make themselves available. Classes are not extremely large which is helpful. |
| Social Life | Being a parent and working full time I cannot fairly rate this. I don't have much time for anything else. | |
| Placement Services | I have not really looked into this as I am currently employed full time. Down the road I will pursue this option when I have completed. | |
| Alumni Network | I cannot rate this fairly. I work full time and I am a student so I take my classes and leave. |
Springfield Technical Community College • Springfield, MA
Studying Computer Support (completion in 2009)
• 3/17/2012
"I enjoyed the school and the professors. I enjoyed the resources made available to me. I had a good time there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If anyone is looking for a career in computers or technology then this is a great school to start at. They really aim their programs towards the technical side and I haven't found many other schools in my area that do the same. Good choice of school for those who hope to work in IT. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I went to this school because it is known in this area as a technology-based college. I've never heard a bad thing about any of the programs offered there at the school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I was very happy with my school and program. It's a community college but it's a technical school so I felt like they concentrated more on the technology side of things, which I appreciated. |
| Instruction | 7 | The instruction was very good. Some professors seemed to care more about technology than others but all of mine seemed to know what they were doing overall. Career preparation was decent. I don't remember a lot of "real world scenario" talk from my professors but that also might be due to the fact that any career with computers is constantly changing and evolving. |
| How Difficult | 3 | It's not that the workload was particularly easy, I just found it easier because I enjoyed it. I think it's pretty much the only time in my schooling where I didn't mind doing my homework because it was still fun and exciting for me due to my love for computers and technology. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All of my computer classes were very hands-on. I appreciated that because it helps me learn more easily that way. There was a good amount of reading involved but overall a good mix. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | This school is very flexible. I attended on a pretty typical school day schedule but I do know that while I was there they offered classes on weekday evenings and a few classes on Saturdays. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The resources were exactly what was needed for me. It's a technology-based school and they really concentrated towards that. This is the number one reason I went to this college. |
| Social Life | 4 | It's a community college so I didn't see a lot of parties or social events. They have a few sports but I was disappointed that they decided to drop the baseball team a few years before I got there. I had wanted to play for the school team but it was gone when I got there. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I didn't really talk to anyone at the school about job placement. I know there was someone available to talk with for students who wanted this service but I never used it myself. |
| Alumni Network | I don't really have a great answer for this one. I honestly don't know anything about the alumni network. I haven't heard anything from the school since I left in 2009. |
Computer Learning Center • Lowell, MA
Studying Network Engineering And Management (completion in 2000)
• 3/30/2012
"It was a good school. It prepared me well."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would recommend it. However, they are now out of business. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | They are out of business now. The reputation still remains good in general. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It was a good program when I attended, and covered material very well. The teachers were well versed in the subjects. |
| Instruction | 8 | They had a very good career preparation track for resume writing and interviewing. The material in the course was very relevant. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I found this easy because I was familiar with the subject. The workload was just right for the time spent every day. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The instructor taught for a few hours from the book, and the rest of the day was lab-based. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I took a daytime class everyday during the week. They also offered night classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | They had several classes, and lab areas. It was a standard learning facility. |
| Social Life | 8 | The people there were great and wanted to learn. I had a few friends in the classes I took. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They did a good job helping with placement. They also prepared you to look for a job and interview. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | It would have been great based on the teachers, but it went out of business. |
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