Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Systems Analysts
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks, PSU Brandywine, and Penn State.
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 Harcum, University of Pittsburgh-Titusville, Keystone, and Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Cedar Crest, Cambria-Rowe Business College, Harcum, and Wilson College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Peirce College, Keystone, and Carnegie Mellon.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Peirce College, Eastern University, Cedar Crest, and Widener University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of UPenn, Carnegie Mellon, Lehigh, and Muhlenberg College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Washington & Jefferson College, Wilson College, Thiel College, and Juniata.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at UPenn, Carnegie Mellon, Lehigh, and University of Pittsburgh.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at UPenn, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Lehigh, and Carnegie Mellon.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Carnegie Mellon, Wilson College, Washington & Jefferson College, and Lehigh.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Robert Morris University • Moon Township, PA
Studying Internet Information Systems (completion in 2011)
• 7/26/2011
"My overall experience at RMU was superb. I can't complain about anything, except maybe the parking."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | RMU is a top notch school with incredible professors and challenging programs. These should be the reasons a student chooses a school. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Within the Robert Morris community, the Internet Information Systems Master Degree program is well known and respected. Outside the RMU community, however, I found it difficult to find much information other than what was on the website. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Robert Morris University's staff and faculty were top notch and the curriculum was challenging for the most part. A 10 would have been given if all classes were as challenging as the majority of them. |
| Instruction | 8 | For the most part, the instruction given in and out of class has been excellent in regards to preparing for real world application. There were many things, and this is unavoidable in this field, that were repeated information from my undergrad or just don't apply to the modern IT work field. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Most classes provided enough difficulty to force me to expand, research, and learn. A couple of classes, however, were rehash classes from my undergrad and did not provide much of a challenge at all. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program had a nice, even mix of book work and hands on work, with a slight emphasis on hands on. This is good as I feel to become a master in something, particularly in IT, you have to actually touch and feel what you are working with. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I never had a problem finding a class that fit my needs during a time that I was available. If there wasn't an on campus class during a needed time, an online class was always available. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | RMU's resources for its students are top notch. While I didn't use much of RMU's on campus resources, other than professors, their online tools and resources were invaluable. |
| Social Life | 5 | The social experience at RMU was mainly geared to the undergraduate students, as is the case with many colleges and universities. From that aspect, I rated RMU lower than I would have if I were an undergrad. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I cannot comment on this really due to the fact that I did not use RMU's placement and/or career services. This is due to already holding a job while going to school. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Even before I graduated, I was being contacted and invited to alumni events in order to expand my network. The support and network of Robert Morris's alumni will certainly be a valuable resource in my future. |
Penn State University (York Campus) • York, PA
Studying IST (completion in )
• 9/9/2011
"I was happy with everything and the people that were there were nice as well."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I found that it gave me a good mix of business and many other topics. I wish I had a bit more programming experience, but the programming was something I could learn outside of the college. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | I really do not hear about IST too much. People see Penn State and are happy with the school, though. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I feel like the school did a very good job of preparing me for the business side of computer science, but they lacked in teaching computer science programming techniques. I found that getting out on my own and learning on my own taught me what I know. |
| Instruction | 9 | Through the courses that I took, I found that I learned quite a bit in a large variety of fields. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I often worked from 9AM to 11 PM. Sometimes this was very stressful. I also found that the majority of projects were set up as nearly impossible to finish or only possible to finish if everyone was already knowledgeable in the subject. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I rarely opened my book, with the exception of when I needed a word for word definition of something. | |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I was quite happy with my professors and the materials available to me. |
| Social Life | 9 | I really enjoyed our club room where I could go to relax and play table tennis. I also played tennis and badminton in recreational clubs. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I already had my job lined up before school began. I do not have experience with the service. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not had any difficulty with anything I've needed, but they have not reached out to me for anything. |
Drexel University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2003)
• 10/16/2011
"I am happy with my school. I have no complaints."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school gave me discipline and a drive to succeed. Anyone could benefit from attending Drexel. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | The school is good. It is not anywhere near as good as an ivy league school, though. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The program was excellent. I learned a lot of useful information. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instruction was good. It was perfectly taught by experts. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The program was not difficult. I only needed to study for about one hour per day. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Everything I learned came from a book. I did not have many hands-on learning opportunities. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | I could not work due to my demanding school schedule. I never could find a schedule that was good for me. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The academic facilities were modern. They were perfect. |
| Social Life | 10 | I had lots of fun. I am glad that I chose Drexel. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The job placement help was amazing. They found me jobs immediately. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni network was ok. It was nothing special. |
Temple University • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Information Technology (completion in 2009)
• 10/20/2011
"I am satisfied with Temple and what I have learned from them. There are some great people from around the world, and it is a well rounded I.T. program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend Temple because of the many reasons I've given. Internships are available during your course of study in the information technology program. Resources are abundant. You meet people from all over the world. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Temple's reputation for the information technology program is one of the best in the Philadelphia area. Many students from around the world come to this university for this program. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Temple University has a great program for I.T. students that allows them to get hands on experience in their information technology center. About 90% of graduating students find entry level jobs within their I.T. field of concentration. |
| Instruction | 9 | Instruction was in depth with real I.T. business situations. Hands-on labs also prepared the students with the knowledge they needed for a working position in the field. |
| How Difficult | 9 | My program of study was difficult at times, but also very rewarding in the end. The most difficult challenge for me was the final capstone assignment which consisted of our team developing a website for a non-profit organization. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would say Temple is a mix of both hands-on and book learning for the information technology program. The program is more hands-on when you are close to finishing all requirements for the degree. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Classes are as flexible as they are at most other universities. Usually students have classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or on Tuesday and Thursday. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Temple's I.T. center has all newer Dell machines. The software used for developers is used in many businesses around the area. The hardware is a mixture of HP and Dell, which are widely used in most businesses. |
| Social Life | 6 | There are many housing complexes and apartments in the area for students. Many student activities occur year round. |
| Placement Services | 6 | The university offers internships in your field of study. There are no other job placement services that Temple offers. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | Our alumni network program provides students with times for meeting with other students with the same degree. This network of students is great for connecting with people and potentially finding new opportunities. |
Grove City College • Grove City, PA
Studying Business Management (completion in 2009)
• 10/28/2011
"I received a great college education, and would most likely not change anything about it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend my school, especially for those seeking to work in the Pittsburgh area. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is well respected in the area for business, but has other focuses that are sought out more. |
| Program Quality | 9 | It was a great business program that offered great preparation for a career in business. |
| Instruction | 9 | My professors were very knowledgeable. |
| How Difficult | 9 | My college was extremely rigorous. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a broad mix and depended upon the professor & the class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | There were evening and interim options available, but not a wide variety. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Resources were always being updated. |
| Social Life | 8 | There were many social opportunities in a variety of settings. |
| Placement Services | 7 | It had fantastic career placement, internships, and interview connections within the area (spanning throughout the state), but I moved across the country and received little benefit from the services. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The alumni network is very stable and involved. |
Robert Morris University • Coraopolis, PA
Studying Business Administration - Finance (completion in 1989)
• 12/14/2011
"It was a great school. I learned a lot, and I still retain a good bit of it. It was a pleasant experience, it didn't cost too much, and I always felt safe there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have recommended the school to those interested in degree programs of its type. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | As far as I know, it's very good. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Class sizes were relatively small, and it was just a great environment all around. |
| Instruction | 10 | Robert Morris had a fantastic faculty. Most were retired people who worked in the field they were teaching, and all could take the classroom material and relate it to real-world work experience. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There were parts of the curriculum I found extremely challenging, but most were 'challenging enough' to me. I think overall, it was a good program and I learned a lot. The business education, combined with the computer skills I had learned before that at another college, helped me succeed to where I am today. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | For some classes, like math and marketing, there wasn't much you could do hands on. For those classes where it made sense, such as my Systems Analysis class, there were plenty of hands-on experiences. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I was able to work 40 or more hours a week while completing my degree on time. I'd say that's pretty flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Compared to other colleges I've attended, Robert Morris had excellent, clean, well-maintained, nice buildings, labs, classrooms, etc. |
| Social Life | I didn't live on campus when I attended the school, and most of the social experiences centered around that. I had a few friends in classes that I talked to, but no major social experiences related to the school. | |
| Placement Services | I never really used the service. I started working at a software company while I was attending school and continued on after I graduated, so I never needed placement help. | |
| Alumni Network | I have virtually no interaction with them. I'm sure they're fine, but honestly, I couldn't care less about it. |
University Of Pittsburgh • Pittsburgh, PA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2004)
• 1/18/2012
"I can't complain. Graduating from there hasn't been a liability or anything. I got what I needed."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I'd recommend it if you can get a grant or scholarships for it. But for the next generation I don't recommend having a lot of student loan debt because job prospects aren't great. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | They have a good reputation and ranking in the country. But there's a more prestigious university for the field in Duquesne right next door. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It was a good education. However I could have gotten the same education at a cheaper school. |
| Instruction | 5 | I was provided a good foundation. But you have to keep up on the trends and deal with proprietary tools that you don't learn about in school. |
| How Difficult | 4 | It was actually easy. But it's all about how much effort you want to put into it in order to get the most out of it. I've seen people breeze by and not learn anything but still earn the degree. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a fair amount of book learning. Due to the nature of Computer Science there was so much hands on work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | About what you'd expect. But from what I understand thing have gotten better in regards to online options. There was little flexibility when I attended. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Overall pretty good. Professor availability was never a problem. |
| Social Life | 5 | I didn't party or join any organizations. I made a few friends who I keep in touch with. |
| Placement Services | I can't tell you about career services. I do believe it exists, but they did nothing for me. | |
| Alumni Network | I honestly wouldn't know. I don't keep in contact with the university and apart from a few fellow alumni I meet here and there it makes no difference. |
University Of Pennsylvania • Philadelphia, PA
Studying Operations And Information Management (completion in 2006)
• 3/31/2012
"I am proud to call myself a Penn alumnus. I had a great experience at Penn."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Penn provides both training for a future career as well as a strong liberal arts education. I would highly recommend Penn. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Wharton is rated the #1 undergraduate business program by US News and World Report. Many alumni have gone on to become successful executives. |
| Program Quality | 8 | My program at Penn prepared me with the skills needed to be a successful systems analyst. I learned the fundamentals of process management. |
| Instruction | 10 | Professors were all top-notch in their field. Much of what I learned was immediately useful at work. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The academic challenge level was high for an undergraduate program. Many courses were taken with MBA students in the same session. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Course materials were a mix of textbooks and case studies. It was a very useful mix of book and hands-on learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The majority of classes are taken in person. However, there are many benefits to being co-located with the instructors and other students. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Professors were all very accessible during my time at Penn. Library resources were very extensive. |
| Social Life | 8 | There are many clubs and social groups on campus. Social experience is very strong. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Career services works to bring many employers to campus for on-campus recruiting. These employers include major banks and consulting firms. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The alumni network at Penn is very strong. Many alumni work in the field of business analysis. |
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