Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Network And Systems Administrators
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Truman College, Daley College, Harold Washington College, and Wilbur Wright 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 Midstate College, National-Louis University, Judson, and Roosevelt University.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider The College of Office Technology, MacCormac, and Midstate College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Olive-Harvey College, The College of Office Technology, Kennedy-King College, and Daley College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider John A Logan College, National-Louis University, University of St Francis, and Frontier.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Northwestern University, North Park University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Loyola University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Monmouth College, Morrison Institute of Technology, Blackburn, and Illinois College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Northwestern University, University of Illinois, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Loyola University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Saint Xavier University, Northwestern University, National-Louis University, and University of St Francis.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Northwestern University, Illinois College, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Morrison Institute of Technology.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Harper College • Paletine, IL
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2011)
• 7/2/2011
"Harper College was above average. My only complaint is that I wish they had prepared me more for a career in IT."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would say that if your college does not have an IT program, you are better off focusing on certifications and work experience. A good program that is focused on IT is hard to find at a university. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Harper College has a good reputation. It is a very large and respected Jr. College in the area. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Computer science is mostly programming and hasn't really been helpful in my career. Microsoft Certifications have helped a lot more. |
| Instruction | 5 | Harper College was much more interested in making money then teaching. My college was not focused on my major. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The hard classes were calculus, English, and art while others were much easier. The computer science portion was easy as well. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Hands on learning was abundant at Harper College. Chemistry was very focused on Lab work while computer science was focused on writing programs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Harper was very flexible. My class schedule was very open due to things like online classes and night classes. I was able to work during the day. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The building was nice. Our computer labs were very nice. Teachers had a lot of open hours and our chemistry equipment was state of the art. |
| Social Life | 7 | We had many clubs but I did not participate in any of them. I had a very good relationship with most of my teachers. |
| Placement Services | 4 | Job placement and career services was almost non-existent. They did not make an effort to reach out to students about this. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | I took several online classes and was satisfied. If I forgot my password I could call and get it reset. I was able to access the school's network via SSH to program. |
Keller Graduate School Of Management • Addison, IL
Studying Information Systems Management (completion in 2007)
• 7/11/2011
"I regret that I didn't get the traditional brick and mortar experience. However, I am thankful that I have a degree. I was able to work full-time as a Network Technician while receiving the degree, and that was helpful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If the individual has a full-time job and a traditional brick and mortar facility is not an option, I would recommend the distance learning opportunity provided by Keller. I also think that the student would need to know a lot about the field and about IT beforehand. The particular degree taught more management related courses for professionals that are looking to advance than courses that would help in the field. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | There are many challenges that this private institution has when it comes to the trust of non-traditional learning in the industry. However, I haven't felt like it caused me difficulty in securing employment. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Since my education was distance training, there wasn't as much hands on training as I would have liked. However, much of my knowledge was self-taught, so I do now have the degree to provide me with backing and it helps me get my foot in the door. |
| Instruction | 3 | Again, the instruction was distance learning. We communicated with threaded discussion forums. Much of the topics discussed in my particular degree program were more management related than IT related. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I didn't find the material to be particularly difficult. However, the work load was challenging. There were many assignments that had to be submitted and the due dates were not generous for the amount of work given. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The coursework was more book oriented than hands-on oriented. There were some hands on lab exercises, but the majority was book related. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Since this was a distance learning program, it was extremely flexible. I had the opportunity to log in to the site 24/7 to complete my coursework. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | Tutoring was not an option. The professors often didn't respond to e-mails. The library was "virtual." The "labs" had to be completed utilizing my own equipment. |
| Social Life | 1 | Again, since the school was online, there were no social events. In some ways I regret that I missed out on the traditional brick and mortar school because of the lack of a social environment. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I would say that Monster is just as good. They provided simply a web site with job opportunities without much consideration for the student's locale. The opportunities that were provided were across the country. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | While there is an alumni network, since Keller is a distance learning organization, it is difficult to be involved. I never used the career services or alumni network to help search for a job. |
Elgin Community College • Elgin, IL
Studying Management In Computers (completion in 2014)
• 7/8/2011
"I am not very satisfied because I don't have all the classes I need. The school says you need a class to graduate, and then they don't offer it. You have to wait several semesters for it sometimes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend the school because I got to where I am today. You'll learn the basics to get into the field. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | My school doesn't have a great reputation with computers. There is more of a nursing focus where I go because of the hospitals in the area. |
| Program Quality | 7 | There aren't many class times available. I wish the professors were more knowledgeable. |
| Instruction | 9 | I am provided with a lot of useful information during classes. A drawback, though, is that it isn't the most current info. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The program is really good, but really easy, too. I wish I can get challenged more because I don't have too many things that force me to think critically. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Everything is a mix now. There is a lot of computer stuff and internet classes. Teachers post grades and Powerpoints online. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The school is pretty flexible with entry classes that a lot of people take. They aren't flexible when it comes to higher level classes, though. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school has a bunch of academic facilities. There is a lot of help when it comes to studying and there are mentors in the school. |
| Social Life | 7 | My social experience is good and I have developed relationships and friends, but I can't always socialize. Classes really involve listening to the teacher more than anything else. |
| Placement Services | 7 | There isn't much placement when it comes to jobs. There is a career center that people can go to for help in finding jobs, and the people at the center are always willing to help and counsel. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The alumni in my school is really good and everyone is recognized. There are mailings you receive once you graduate. |
McHenry County College • Woodstock, IL
Studying Information Systems (completion in 2010)
• 7/8/2011
"For what I paid, I got a pretty good education. I would go back to that school for refreshing my knowledge."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If you live in the area, look into it. Just be sure that you can easily transfer courses to another school. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Most students will take the classes they need at a neighboring college. This is because the school does not offer the required courses for the degree. |
| Program Quality | 6 | My school was pretty small for a college. The course selection is very limited. |
| Instruction | 8 | I had a good personal relationship with my teachers. The facilities were also well maintained and updated. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The career requires a lot of troubleshooting. Sometimes a simple problem turns out to be much more complicated than whats on the surface. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The lectures would sometimes go on for too long. It was hard to simulate real network problems in the class environment. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | The school is very small and has a lot of students. The college is unable to raise funds to expand. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The labs were always the priority of the administration. The rooms and hallways were always very clean. |
| Social Life | 7 | Everyday there would be a new group of like minded people in the main hall. There was no shortage of activities. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school has an entire department devoted to finding employers. I took only a few weeks before I got a job offer. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The school has a good range of help for graduates to find who they need. The school is limited by being a local college, though. |
Moraine Valley • Palos Hills, IL
Studying MCSE (completion in 2001)
• 7/17/2011
"I got the cert, so I got everything I needed."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It was just OK. Again, average. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Community college. Average rating. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Bored instructors. Certificate isn't worth much. |
| Instruction | 5 | Not much insight. Students seem bored and spent time sleeping. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Very easy. Lots of tests, though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It's a certificate. Of course it's hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Pretty flexible. Able to choose many times. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Decent labs. Decent equipment. |
| Social Life | 5 | Students seem to lack interest. Not a lot of 'school spirit' for cert programs. |
| Placement Services | 3 | No help. Again, just average. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Not sure what it's like. Sorry. |
University Of Illinois • Champaign-Urbana, IL
Studying Information Systems And Information Technology (completion in 2011)
• 10/7/2011
"I really enjoyed my 4 years there. I would absolutely recommend the school and the program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Can't say that many negative things about it. And for the price it is definitely a great option if you live in the state. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I think it is a great degree with a lot of potential growth in the future. I would recommend a similar career path. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Fantastic program. I am confident anyone in this field will do great. It is something you need to be passionate about. |
| Instruction | 7 | Top notch teachers and great experiences. I had instructors with decades of knowledge, and a lot of input on the importance of keeping up to date. |
| How Difficult | 7 | At times the workload is tough, and the curriculum abstract. But it's something that can be mastered with dedication. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Not very centered on book learning. Definitely more of a hands on approach. This is somewhat expected. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Certain classes made it really hard to work around. I was able to take everything I wanted, but not at the most ideal times. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Great buildings and services were available to me. BIFF is brand new and fantastic for my field. |
| Social Life | 8 | A lot of fun. Great traditions and a lot of opportunities to network and meet friends. Had a blast. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The career services at U of I is fantastic and staff was more than willing to work hard for you. I was lucky to have such services. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Great opportunities with internships and career fairs to help get started. Stay active on campus! |
American Intercontinental University • Hoffman Estates, IL
Studying Information Technology In Project Management (completion in 2011)
• 12/26/2011
"I could not be any more satisfied with my school. They gave me everything I needed to further and better my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would completely recommend AIU to anyone, because the flexibility with their classes and the curriculum that is provided allow for a wide variety of knowledge. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The current position I hold in my career went hand-in-hand with the school's reputation. My employer was knowledgeable about the school and was able to provide me with a great start in my career. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I am very satisfied with the school where I obtained my degree. I learned a lot of valuable information that is helping me completely in my career. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction was very thorough. It contained a wide array of information that I still have not used, but my career is very young, so one day in the future, I am sure it will come in handy. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The academic challenge was not too hard. The curriculum allows for someone with a busy schedule and is flexible to fit that schedule. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There is a good mix of the amount of work that has to be done that goes hand-in-hand with the book. Without the book, one would be completely lost and would not know where to start. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The classroom flexibility is very loose. This allows for anyone with a bus schedule to go to school and obtain their degree, to make their life not so busy. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | AIU provided many services that helped with my courses. They provided an online library with millions of articles to help. There was also a group project for each course that had to be completed by every member of the group. |
| Social Life | 5 | There was no opportunity to display school spirit, because the college was an online experience. I was able to meet a lot of friends, and I still keep in touch with them today. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Job placement services at AIU are very slack. I had to hit the road searching for a job and the online job market to seek out the job that fit my career. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni services through AIU have kept me in touch with many people I worked with in school, and I still keep in touch with a lot of them outside of the network. |
University Of Illinois • Urbana-Champaign, IL
Studying Molecular And Cellular Biology (completion in 2006)
• 1/27/2012
"Overall, I had a great experience at school. Considering the sum of the quality of education, social life, etc., it was a very satisfying experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | In general, I would recommend the school for pursuing a career in IT. The engineering program is one of the nation's best. I would recommend that the potential student major in a related field as it would aid them in getting hired. However, most of the skills needed for computer support can be learned independently or on the job. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I believe it ranks pretty highly in the life sciences fields. However, the school is probably more well-known for engineering, particularly computer science. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The professors knew the course material well and generally presented it in a clear manner. The labs were interesting and well-run. |
| Instruction | 5 | The quality of instruction was great for my major (molecular and cellular biology). I feel I learned a good amount and would have been decently prepared for a career in that field. However, it ended up not being that relevant to the job I ended up doing (IT). |
| How Difficult | 7 | The material was challenging to learn as there was a broad range of topics in the scientific field. It required a lot of reading and interpretation as well as memorization. The work load was generally ok as there wasn't any overload in one particular class. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the classes I took had both a lecture and a lab portion to them. The labs required students to do a lot of hands-on work, such as growing cultures or doing experiments. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I believe the schedule was pretty flexible. There were classes available early mornings and late at night. There were summer courses available. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There are several libraries on campus that are accessible for all students. Many computer labs are open for students to use with just their student ID. Every instructor had ample office hours during which you could just walk in and get help. |
| Social Life | 8 | I didn't really participate in school-organized events, but living in the dorms produced some of my best friends to this day. Parties, etc were good, and classes also gave me a good source of people to talk to. |
| Placement Services | 7 | There were plenty of job fairs and career guidance counselors. Sometimes I felt that the information about these things could have been more accessible. |
| Alumni Network | I am not really active in the school's alumni network. I believe it is wide-spread and would be good, however I don't have any personal experience here. |
College Of Lake County • Grayslake, IL
Studying Applied CS (completion in 1996)
• 1/17/2012
"They do a great job for a cc. I would recommend them to other as well."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a good jump start. Getting industry experience and certifications are important as well. Understanding the basics and showing that you can punch the needed tickets are important. CLC offers this at a good price. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It's a community college, so it has that stigma. The truth of the matter is, a degree is a degree. |
| Program Quality | 8 | CLC provided a good insight, and many different offerings. I did feel, however, that the material was a bit lacking at times. |
| Instruction | 8 | Most of the instructors actually work in the field. This was different from some others I attended where they were just professional teachers. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The material I wasn't interested in (programming) proved more difficult. The network technologies however kept me interested. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The labs were well equipped. Sometimes not everything was working up to par, but I guess that just goes with the territory! | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Night, day, and weekend classes are all offered. I also took advantage of some online offerings. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | They have all the facilities right in one building, so it's easy to get the assistance you need. I haven't had a bad experience in this are. |
| Social Life | I was there just for the classes. My social group was all outside of the school atmosphere, so I didn't get much out of it in this regard. | |
| Placement Services | I did not use these services, as I was already employed. I do know however that they have a reputable program for this. | |
| Alumni Network | 2 | Practically non-existent. I don't really think there is much of one. If there is, I don't know about it. |
Sauk Valley College • Dixon, IL
Studying Communications (completion in 2007)
• 1/2/2012
"For the cost I feel I should have gotten more out of it. The job placement was a joke."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would not recommend it, because the cost is not worth it. I could have gotten the same experience taking an entry level job. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | As a small school the reputation is not that good. It is what you would expect from a community college. |
| Program Quality | 5 | This was a small school, and at the time the program was very small. I am sure it has improved greatly now. |
| Instruction | Instructors where very good. The best part was they had real world experience which makes a big difference. | |
| How Difficult | 4 | It was not all that hard. It could have been made much more of a challenge. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The learning was about 50/50 - half book and half labs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | There where no options. The classes where only running once with limited availability. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | Very weak. The labs where very basic. |
| Social Life | 5 | It was a good experiencing. I was able to be involved in a lot of sports, including baseball. |
| Placement Services | 3 | It was very poor. I found a job on my own after school. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | They had a very weak network. In fact there is not much of one at all. |
DeVry University • Addison, IL
Studying Network And Communications Management (completion in 2007)
• 3/2/2012
"I was satisfied with learning the business side of my career, but was pretty unsatisfied with the 'learning technology' aspect. As I mentioned several times, I felt I just learned vocabulary and didn't get too much hands on work with the technology that is used today."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Possibly, because from what I hear it's a lot better today. Also, during my last trimester, they were bringing in new equipment and changing my curriculum. I know they have an excellent business school, but technology... I don't know. I guess I would, but not to people who have no experience with information technology. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Some people view DeVry as the school that 'anyone' can get into, but I've seen this not to be true - my friend who didn't do too well wasn't accepted. I do know that employers look frequently to this school to hire new people - I've heard a lot of stories from fellow students and professors alike that employers hired classmates. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I wasn't too happy with DeVry; seemed like all we did was learn vocabulary words and we didn't do too much lab work. The lab was filled with old, outdated equipment that businesses no longer use. The professors also didn't seems to care too much for some reason... |
| Instruction | 6 | I did learn a lot about the 'business environment,' but not too much about the actual technologies. I would say the school helped me better understand how to be a businessman more than anything else. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Work wasn't too difficult as long as you paid attention in class and read the books. There was the occasional report that you had to give that would be challenging, but if you read the material, it wasn't too difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Half the time was spent in the lab, and half was in the classroom. However, as I mentioned, at times the lab felt useless as the technology was so old - I felt what I was doing wasn't going to benefit my future. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Extremely flexible - many different types of classes were available. I myself took a mixture of night, online, and weekday classes to be able to work regular business hours at my job. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | As I previously mentioned, the lab equipment is extremely dated. From what I heard, all the equipment was donated from businesses around the area. You'd think that with how much tuition was, they'd actually buy equipment the students can use that they'd actually use in the real world! They did have a fairly good library, and they had a lot of open computers that you could just hop on and use. Plenty of space, it wasn't too crowded, and there were opportunities to join help groups. |
| Social Life | 5 | There weren't too many 'social' events at the school - and school spirit was non-existent. Don't get me wrong though - most students at the school did not care about having 'pride' in their school, and that is probably why none of this existed. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I haven't tried getting a job through DeVry myself (never had to), but from what I hear it's a pretty good program. I know they work with each and every student that is interested in finding work one-on-one. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I've applied to receive more information about the DeVry Alumni network, but haven't heard anything back! I think I've tried three times but still have not received any kind of reply. This really aggravates me! |
Western Illinois University • Macomb, IL
Studying Industrial Technology (completion in 1997)
• 3/15/2012
"If I had to do it over again, I would still go to Western. I learned a lot about myself and have made some great lifelong friends."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Even though I feel that college was good for me, I do not feel that it is right for everyone. Same thing with fraternities, it was a great experience for me but it is not an experience that everyone needs to have or would particularly like. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I do not believe that WIU has industrial technology as a major anymore. If they do, the reputation must not be that great since I haven't heard anything about it. |
| Program Quality | 8 | It is hard to compare since I did not attend more that one school. Some of the processes we used when I was there were outdated. |
| Instruction | 10 | I learned a lot with what we had to work with. The instructors were very knowledgeable and made learning fun. |
| How Difficult | 3 | A lot of the work was busy work and not challenging. At no point did I ever feel that any of the assignments were too hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The hands-on learning was definitely better than the book learning. A lot of the program was physical work as opposed to computer work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I was able to get all of the classes I wanted on the first try. My program was not a very popular program. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Our instructors were outstanding. WIU has a great library and the computer labs met all of my needs. |
| Social Life | 10 | Many times my friends and I talk about how much fun we had and how much we miss college. I was in a fraternity and always had a good time. |
| Placement Services | I did not use their placement services. I do know other people who have. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Again, I have only attended one college and don't have anything to compare to. I suppose it is average because they keep me updated with current events on campus. |
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