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 University of Washington Bothell, Cascadia, Bellevue College, and University of Washington - Tacoma.
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 Gonzaga, University of Washington - Tacoma, University of Washington Bothell, and Eastern Washington University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Heritage, South Seattle Community College, Seattle Central, and City University of Seattle.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Clover Park Technical College, Grays Harbor, City University of Seattle, and Peninsula College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of University of Puget Sound, Walla Walla University, Gonzaga, and Seattle University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Walla Walla University, University of Puget Sound, Saint Martin's University, and Seattle Pacific University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Puget Sound, University of Washington Seattle, Gonzaga, and Whitworth University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Whitworth University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at University of Puget Sound, Walla Walla University, Gonzaga, and Saint Martin's University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Perry Technical Institute • Yakima, WA
Studying IT And Communication Systems (completion in 2010)
• 9/20/2011
"I got a job before graduation and I felt ready to tackle the industry. It's a very good course with terrific people."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They are a highly reputable school which provided me with great personal tools to be successful in the world of IT. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | It is very reputable. Anyone in the field will know of it if they are in the Northwest. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The instructors know a vast amount and are capable of conveying this to students. The staff is also very friendly. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instructors know a vast amount about what they are teaching. They are also willing to take one-on-one time to make sure you understand the subject. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I found the course rather easy. There was a lot of busy work which is tedious but not hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most learning is hands on, except where not applicable. This is the highlight of the course. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Scheduling is not very flexible at the moment. Classes are Monday through Friday at set times. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | There are not many libraries but they are not needed at all. These days all information is found online for free, so seeing a school investing a lot of money in these facilities is rather disheartening. Laboratories were very nice. |
| Social Life | 2 | This school is designed to get you into a field. They don't bother with unimportant, which I appreciate. |
| Placement Services | 9 | The teachers and career services staff are very good at helping find jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I get emails every now and then asking to donate. Other than that I do not know much. |
Cascadia Community College • Bothell, WA
Studying CCNA (completion in 2003)
• 9/28/2011
"I got the certificate, so the school helped me out greatly."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If they wanted to keep working toward something other than a CCNA, like a CCIE certification or Computer Science BS, then I would recommend it. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school has a good reputation for technical degrees/certs. They seem to live up to it. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It was informative, but as it turns out, nearly useless. This industry values experience over education - at least that has been my experience. |
| Instruction | 5 | It only prepared me for about half of my job. The other half I had to learn on my own. |
| How Difficult | 4 | It was not very challenging. There was just lots of memorization. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Somewhat hands on, as there were simulations we had to go through. However, it did require a lot of reading. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Very flexible classes. Online, summer, evenings, whenever I needed it. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | It was a newer school. The facilities were great. |
| Social Life | 1 | I have never been too social and I was there to learn. |
| Placement Services | 1 | Had none. At least, I never heard of any. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I haven't heard a peep from them. I don't think this is very important. |
University Of Phoenix • Everett, WA
Studying IT - Software (completion in 2012)
• 10/14/2011
"I like being able to fit the school in around my schedule. Having to wait for support is the biggest problem with going to school online."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It would depend on their situation. For someone that is working full-time and has kids, I think it's ideal. For someone that doesn't have to work full-time, I think a traditional school might be a better choice. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I think that they have a pretty good reputation. I have not heard any bad reports yet. |
| Program Quality | 7 | So far, I have just finished pre-req classes. I have just started taking classes that are related to my degree. So far, so good. |
| Instruction | 6 | It has been just OK so far. They provide pretty good classes, but support is kind of hard via the internet. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Some classes have been pretty easy and some are a little hard. There has not been a class that has been real hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | With it being online, it's all book learning. Hands-on learning is pretty much non-existent. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I can pretty much do the work when I have the free time. I think that's the biggest advantage of going to school online. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | I wouldn't know about on-campus facilities, as I go to school online. However, the online library is pretty good and is fairly easy to use. |
| Social Life | Big disadvantage of going to school online. There are campuses nearby and I'm sure they might have things available, but I've never checked it out. | |
| Placement Services | I have not had to use it as of yet. I currently have a good job that the degree will relate to, so I hope that I will not need the assistance. |
Everett Community College • Everett, WA
Studying Psychology (completion in 1996)
• 10/15/2011
"Very satisfied. The teachers were great and the counselors were awesome."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Very good school. Lot of challenges and lots of help. No complaints at all. |
| Program Reputation | I really don't know. It was over 15 yrs ago, in another state. | |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school had very good teachers. They worked closely with students to help them further their education. |
| Instruction | 9 | The training I got for my current job was great. Very tech minded teachers who very helpful. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Very demanding courses. I had to work very hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It must have been - I remember paying a grip for books every quarter. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Very flexible - students can pretty much get the classes they wanted. Very few filled up. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They left no stone unturned when it came to this. There were an abundance of resources available. |
| Social Life | 9 | I'm sure it was good. I did not get involved with activities. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They had a very high rate of placement. They prepared students very well to transition to the field upon completing the courses. |
Clover Park Technical College • Lakewood, WA
Studying Applied Technology (completion in 2005)
• 10/31/2011
"I think I got my money's worth. It always comes down to how much effort you put into it. Overall I feel that CPTC did a good job providing a nice environment for educational purposes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have and my nephew is currently going to school there for his degree in Computer Programming. I think that for the price and financial assistance they can provide this can be the right school for a lot of people trying to change careers on a budget. |
| Program Reputation | The program I took has actually changed quite a lot over years. So unfortunately I cannot comment on it's current state. | |
| Program Quality | 5 | You get what you pay for. It felt like the instructors were there just to collect a paycheck. |
| Instruction | 5 | I had a total of 6 instructors. The majority of them were okay when it came to the material. All of them did a decent job of providing an acceptable environment in which to study/learn. |
| How Difficult | 1 | It really came down to how much effort you put into the courses and the content. I studied a lot and was able to pass everything with flying colors. Real world experience, on the other hand, mostly negated the 'book' material. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a solid mix of book reading and hands on computer material. This was especially the case with CCNA/Network courses with lots of hands-on study with routers/switches. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I'm sure the flexibility varies by field. I was able to get a lot of flexibility with the instructors that I had. I cannot comment on other programs/courses, however. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Compared to the other schools in my area CPTC was able to offer all the appropriate facilities that were up-to-date with current course standards. I was extremely impressed with the amount of computer labs they had. |
| Social Life | 5 | I attended a technical college. As far as I know there was no athletic programs, school parties, or school spirit. The few organized events which where hosted by Microsoft, called TechNET, were fun though. |
| Placement Services | 1 | In 2005 I had one meeting with a counselor who was unable to find any relevant job postings. I had to do my own job searches. There was no interview training, prep, etc. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | At the time I attended CPTC there was practically no alumni support network. At the time Clover Park's website was mostly an FAQ. Most alumni networking happened while on campus. |
Clover Park Technical College • Lakewood, WA
Studying Computer Information System Security (completion in 2007)
• 10/25/2011
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | |
| Program Reputation | 9 | |
| Program Quality | 9 | |
| Instruction | 9 | |
| How Difficult | 5 | |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | ||
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | |
| Social Life | 5 | |
| Placement Services | 8 | |
| Alumni Network | 9 |
Columbia Basin College • Pasco, WA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2008)
• 12/20/2011
"Would I do it again? Sure. Pretty easy, nice, quick degree."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Tough to say for sure. There are better options. I had a good time going there, but I couldn't honestly recommend it. |
| Program Reputation | I have moved away from that city. I no longer talk to people who attend the college, so I am not qualified to speak to its reputation. | |
| Program Quality | 5 | In all reality, a CS degree is just a piece of paper these days. The technical knowledge needed for this field is mostly based on experience. |
| Instruction | 4 | Sadly, I knew more about most topics than the instructors. Most classes were extremely boring. |
| How Difficult | 3 | The prerequisites required more work than the main classes. The level of math expected was lower than I originally thought. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a lot of assigned reading, but we also went over it in class. Almost never had to do the book reading to get the material right. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Was able to work 40 hours per week while attending classes. Fairly liberal about missing a class. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Tutors were available, and the technology in the classrooms was fairly up to date. I did not really need to use the tutoring, however. |
| Social Life | I had very limited social experiences. I was there to pass the classes and get a degree; that was it. | |
| Placement Services | They will find you a job, but not necessarily one that you can support yourself on. | |
| Alumni Network | I had no dealings with the alumni upon leaving. As a result, I am unable to speak to their support level. |
Skagit Valley Community College • Mt. Vernon, WA
Studying MIT (completion in 2008)
• 2/2/2012
"Overall the school is not bad and the campus is very nice, but I would never recommend the school for a computer related degree."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would not recommend this college to anyone pursuing any kind of a computer degree. It would be way better to go to a school where you had access to professors and could do hands on work. |
| Program Reputation | 2 | Out of all my friends I was the only one who studied this program. Though this program was not highly recommended, I took it because this was the only school close to me. |
| Program Quality | 3 | The MIT program at SVC is very outdated. I spent two years studying and learned very little because they only offer online courses for MIT. |
| Instruction | 3 | Instruction was VERY minimal since I only communicated with instructors via email. The courses were relevant to the degree but I learned very little. |
| How Difficult | 2 | Most of the classes were extremely easy and I passed with an A. The only troublesome courses were Adobe Flash Design courses. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The online courses were about an even mix of hands on and book learning, but a few went to one extreme or the other. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Skagit Valley College was very flexible in their schedules because I was doing online courses but I could take almost any classes I wanted at any point. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | The school had a decent computer lab where I could complete homework. The professors and financial advisors were very difficult to get in touch with. |
| Social Life | 4 | It was a small school in a small town so there was not a huge social experience at all. They had minimal athletics. Since I did online courses I was hardly at the school. |
| Placement Services | 1 | Career services were very poor. I received a few emails with possible jobs but that was it. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | Skagit Valley College has a horrible alumni network. There was no support for me in my hunt for jobs. |
Western Washington University • Bellingham, WA
Studying Math (completion in 1996)
• 2/29/2012
"I liked the school, and I was very happy to get my degree. I wish that they had a PHD program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a really wonderful location. If you need access to the great outdoors in order to study effectively, then this is the school for you! |
| Program Reputation | 4 | As far as I know, they do not have a very high rating. The school is very small. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I really enjoyed the professors, and the nearby lakes and mountains. |
| Instruction | 8 | The classes were small and the instructors were attentive. |
| How Difficult | 4 | It was an easier graduate school than I had expected. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They did not really stress computer skills enough. They provided very little experience with cutting-edge mathematical software. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I often needed to miss class, and this was not a problem. I wish other schools were this flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The library was very nice. The campus facilities were excellent. |
| Social Life | 6 | I was very busy with school, but the school had many different social events. They provided hiking clubs, and ultimate Frisbee teams. |
| Placement Services | 7 | They are very good about providing job placement, and follow-up surveys. They make an effort to highlight the success of other graduates. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | They contact me quite often. It seems to be a nice group. |
University Of Washington • Seattle, WA
Studying Biochemistry (completion in 1992)
• 3/1/2012
"I enjoyed the school and learned a lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They feature cutting-edge science and great professors. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The reputation is outstanding and has improved since I attended. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The classes are interesting. The professors are outstanding. |
| Instruction | 10 | The professors know the subjects. The materials are helpful. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Biochemistry can be challenging. Some of the required classes are competitive. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Labs were hands on with lots of reading for homework. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Most classes are offered only weekdays. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Libraries are wonderful. Lots of help is always available. |
| Social Life | 10 | There are great people at my school, I had a lot of fun. |
| Placement Services | I did not use this service but hear it can be helpful. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Alumni keep in touch. My school is far from where I live now. |
Washington State University • Pullman, WA
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2010)
• 3/6/2012
"After graduating, I realized that the education program and the school environment came together to offer a great education. I have skills that translate directly into the work field. I have both people skills and computer skills."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It offers a more rounded education than a technical school. This might be a negative for people looking to become specialists in one specific field. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | It is a growing major in the university, that thanks to Microsoft should continue to grow and expand. They offer plenty of free software for education purposes. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It is a great program for understanding the basics of many different computer-related technologies that are a part of the business world. It needs to go into more detail on certain aspects. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instructors were extremely knowledgeable on the given topic. Many of them worked in their respective fields for many years. The could easily relate to the students using real world examples. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The difficulty varied depending on the course. VB programming was extreme difficult, while SQL database was much easier to understand and to implement. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Due to the amount of available software, it is definitely more tailored to hands-on learning. We were actively coding software and building databases in class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | The school offers a great plan for organizing your classes. Since my major was much smaller and therefore had fewer classes, it was slightly more difficult to schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Microsoft's academic alliance allowed the use of many different software programs for free to students. The school also provided servers and other hosting devices for practice. |
| Social Life | 8 | The school is amazing with regards to school spirit. Football games, alumni events, parent weekends, all make it one of the best schools for school spirit and enjoyment. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I was not impressed with job placement. I understand the economy is bad, but it was a sink or swim type of system without real assistance from the school. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | There were a few notable alumni in the technology field, but not enough to allow recent grads to find jobs easily. I wish that the alumni were a larger part of the network. |
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