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 Lane Community College, Portland Community College, and Central Oregon 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 Portland State, Eastern Oregon University, Oregon State, and Western Oregon University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Willamette University, Lane Community College, Portland Community College, and Lewis & Clark.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Eastern Oregon University, Northwest Christian University, Umpqua Community College, and Portland Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Lewis & Clark, Willamette University, University of Portland, and Pacific University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Linfield, Corban, Willamette University, and University of Portland.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Lewis & Clark, Willamette University, University of Portland, and Corban.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Northwest Christian University and Corban.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Pacific University, Willamette University, Lewis & Clark, and Linfield.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Portland Community College • Portland, OR
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2010)
• 8/14/2011
"I only went to one other higher education institution, and to be honest, it was virtually the same. That might have been because the two are in the same state, but I don't know for sure."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Depends if they're looking for a quick and simple degree that isn't challenging. If that's that case, then yes, PCC is for you! |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Everyone is pretty high on PCC in the Portland Area because it is basically the only game in town. That and it's the largest community college in the state. |
| Program Quality | 2 | Didn't provide me with all the tools I needed to achieve success in the workplace. In fact, I learned more from reading how-to articles on the internet. |
| Instruction | 6 | The professors were great! They didn't always know what they were doing all the time, but once they checked how to explain what they were trying to teach, things were great. But that's not to say that everything they taught was relevant in the real world. Most of the stuff they taught then is out of date, or nearly so, now. |
| How Difficult | 1 | I could have done this in my sleep, and I did most of the time. They would give you coursework that was already completed online, and if you didn't understand, all you had to do was come in a little early, copy the stuff you couldn't do from the class website, and turn that in. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good mix, but you didn't really need the books at all. Most of the stuff was on computers, and as long as you were able to do a google search, you could get any answer, or code, you needed | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | There are a lot of class options available because of the large size of enrollment. It was very easy to tailor my schedule around home and work. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | Pretty average because they have a library and study groups, but nothing that really was outstanding. Although, the professors, in general, were amazing. |
| Social Life | 3 | I made friends, girlfriends, that sort of stuff. But as far as athletics, it was a two year transfer degree at a community college. Not a whole lot going on. There was more to do because there was a large city just down the hill. |
| Placement Services | 1 | No job placement help. Period. I wish I would've known that from the start because it took forever to find a job in IT. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I get a quarterly newsletter from the alumni, but other then the occasional email, not a whole lot. There is no job placement help at all. |
Willamette University • Salem, OR
Studying (completion in 2008)
• 9/16/2011
"I'm not putting the maximum rating because I would pick a different major if I could go back. I might pick a different career altogether."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would absolutely recommend the school if the applicant thought it would be a good fit. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I believe it has a good reputation, though this has not helped me get a job yet. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The teachers were wonderful. The school was challenging and fun. |
| Instruction | 9 | Teachers at Willamette are top notch. It is a private school with good class sizes. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I am used to difficult classes and these were what I expected. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It really depended on the class. Some were very hands-on while others were not. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Not to sure about this. They are average, I guess. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school had very good facilities. Even though it was a small, private school they had good facilities. |
| Social Life | 9 | I had a very good experience. I made many lifelong friends there. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I am dissatisfied because many of my friends and have not been able to find good jobs. This is partly due to the economy, but the school has not been helpful either. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | There are alumni around the world. Alumni meetings happen every year in many different states. |
Oregon State University • Corvallis, OR
Studying Psychology (completion in 1994)
• 10/14/2011
"I believe there could have been improvements to the program. However, after graduating, I encountered many people with more advanced degrees that seemed to have a fraction of the knowledge an OSU graduate would have."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | My degree and my career are quite different. I would discuss it with anyone and in all likelihood, I would recommend OSU. Go Beavs! |
| Program Reputation | 4 | OSU is known for engineering and agriculture. I'm unaware of the School of Psychology producing any defining literature. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Professors were quite knowledgeable. Programs weren't hugely innovative or groundbreaking. |
| Instruction | 8 | Professors were very available/accessible. Coursework was tailored, in many instances, to fit specific areas of interest. |
| How Difficult | 5 | There was an expected quantity of work to be done. The subject matter was not terribly difficult to understand. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The topic of psychology is fairly limiting in how "hands-on" it can be. Most of the program dealt with theory conveyed in books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Most classes were offered with at least 2 time options. In many instances, it was possible to build a schedule to suit nearly any need. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Some of the buildings were in need of maintenance, but had character. Most facilities were quite nice. |
| Social Life | 5 | Like any other university, OSU had all the social organizations and events. There was nothing special or out of the ordinary. |
| Placement Services | I have no experience with this. I interviewed and was hired prior to graduating. | |
| Alumni Network | 6 | It is much like other schools I've seen. Involvement is solicited and inviting. |
Lane Community College • Eugene, OR
Studying Computer Support Specialist (completion in 2002)
• 12/8/2011
"I would like to give it a higher rating, because I believe in the integrity of Lane Community College's educational goals. However, I am somewhat disappointed in the generic education I received. I think it had to do with the "newness" of the program they were offering. I am sure they have refined the program over time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I believe in the integrity of the school and that they are there to educate the people in the community to graduate job-ready. I believe they do their best to stay current with the demands of the job market. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Lane Community College is a reputable junior college and has a great deal of integrity with the programs it offers. I believe the school designed the best curriculum they could at the time, and the program has been constantly refined to meet the challenges of today's job market. I think the program was still so new at the time that they hadn't refined the needs of the job marketplace yet. |
| Program Quality | 4 | The training I received was vague and generic. I did not receive specific training that qualified me in the current (at that time) job market. |
| Instruction | 5 | I learned a lot of useful information. It was not specific or focused enough to prepare me to be competitive in the job marketplace at that time. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I learned a lot of highly technical information that was foreign to me in the beginning. It was very challenging to comprehend and execute some of the technical assignments. I did the assignments, but I did not always understand what I was doing. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a balanced learning environment. Readings were assigned and then discussed. This was often followed up with hands-on experience and practice. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Lane Community College does everything possible to adapt to the needs of community members. It offers online classes, variable summer session classes, weekend classes and evening classes. They do everything they can to accommodate different schedules. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Lane Community College has excellent resources and hires quality instructors. Classes are small, and support services are plentiful and encouraged. |
| Social Life | I am sure these activities are available to those who wish to take advantage of them. I am an older (nontraditional) student and did not gravitate to those options for social life. | |
| Placement Services | 5 | They have many services available for job seekers. They have a whole center and several staff members available to help with a job search. I did not take full advantage of the services available. |
| Alumni Network | I suppose it is good. I have not responded to mail I may have received. I have not attempted to stay in touch with the school. |
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