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 Richland College, North Central Texas College, University of Houston-Downtown, and North Lake 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 Texas A&M Kingsville, Texas Wesleyan University, UTEP, and Texas A&M.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Texas Southern, TAMIU, UT Brownsville, and Prairie View A & M University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider University of Houston-Victoria, Northwood University, University of Houston-Clear Lake, and University of St Thomas.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of University of Dallas, SMU, TCU, and Texas Southern.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of East Texas Baptist University, Schreiner University, Texas Lutheran University, and University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at SMU, The University of Texas, University of Dallas, and UT Dallas.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Prairie View A & M University, Houston Baptist, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, and The University of Texas.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Texas Wesleyan University, Texas Southern, SMU, and St Marys University.
Working as a Systems Analyst in Texas
Systems analysts plan, implement and manage multiple-computer systems, and set up and maintain computers with necessary software, hardware and settings. Read a detailed Systems Analyst job description and schools overview.
The State of Texas does not regulate the practices of systems analysts. Voluntary certification through CompTIA and in the use of specific products and technologies can provide career leverage.
The American Society for Information Science and Technology - North Texas Chapter is a student chapter of a national professional organization. The Career and Technology Association of Texas promotes partnerships between schools and businesses for career advancement.
Major Industries
Systems analysts in Texas can work for almost any company, government agency, school or organization in any industry. Most commonly, they work for:
- Private and public corporations
- Universities and government
- Technology consulting services
Major Employers
A few representative employers of systems analysts in Texas include:
- AT&T Incorporated (Telecommunications)
- JC Penney Company, Incorporated (Retail Department Store Chain)
- State of Texas (Government)
- Electronic Data Systems Corporation (Data Processing, Programming)
- Brinker International, Incorporated (Restaurant Franchising)
- Exxon Mobil Corporation (Energy)
- Administaff, Incorporated (Employment Consulting)
- Halliburton Company (Engineering)
- Dell Incorporated (Computer Manufacturing)
- A M R Corporation (Airlines/Airport Operation)
- University of Texas System (University)
- Pizza Hut, Incorporated (Restaurant Chain)
- American Airlines, Incorporated (Airline)
- National Lending Corporation (Mortgage Broker)
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Texas Woman's University • Denton, TX
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1987)
• 7/30/2011
"I am extremely satisfied with TWU. They provided me with an excellent learning environment and a degree to go with it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I recommend the school to both female and male candidates. The small school atmosphere was great for me. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | TWU has a good reputation for its smaller class size. They also have a very hands on approach. |
| Program Quality | 10 | It was a different experience going to a woman's university. It provided a launching pad for women leaders. |
| Instruction | 9 | All the professors were very knowledgeable and interested in you. They created a very interesting learning environment. |
| How Difficult | 8 | A variety of programming languages were taught. Some of the languages were stepping stones to other programming languages. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school was very hands-on. This was extremely beneficial in the computer field. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Since it was a smaller school, there were not as many offerings for each class. This sometimes required me to take graduate level classes for undergrad credit. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The computer lab was available almost whenever I needed it. There were mini computer labs throughout the campus. |
| Social Life | 9 | I was not a very social person, but there were various social events. School spirit is high for athletics. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I did not need to use the job placement services. They must be doing a very good job since 90% of graduates are employed in Texas. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | The alumni association provides various resources including education, networking, travel, and employment. You can receive information via Facebook, their website, by phone, and through publications. |
The University Of Texas At Arlington • Arlington, TX
Studying Information Systems (completion in )
• 8/10/2011
"My goals for this degree differed from those typically ascribed to college students, because I was returning to school part-time while remaining employed full-time. The program of study was adequate, though the courses were not as current as they could have been; for this program of study, relevance and currency with the technology are of utmost importance."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | For students like myself, who are seeking academic validation of years of experience, this type of program of study would be an acceptable choice. Classes were convenient and allowed work-life balance. For full-time students with considerably less work experience, this program may not be the best choice because in comparison to other programs, it seemed to lack depth. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | School was rated highly among local schools for the IS program of study. Overall reaction among potential employers has been positive. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The curriculum was somewhat disjointed. The balance between business skills and technological proficiency was not always struck accurately. |
| Instruction | 5 | As a returning student, instruction was somewhat below my level of proficiency. There were no/limited opportunities for advanced work. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Program seemed targeted to students with little practical experience in the field. As a returning student, program difficulty was below expectations. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Programming classes (Java) were the primary courses that required hands-on learning. In addition, case studies were required for some other classes. With those exceptions, the majority of courses focused on book learning and comprehension. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Class times were convenient for returning students. Classes were mostly offered in the evenings, with plentiful summer offerings and some weekend options. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Advisors were available and helpful. Group projects were required for many classes, affording opportunities to form study groups. Facilities were acceptable. Instructors adhered to their published office hours. |
| Social Life | 5 | As a returning part-time student, social experiences were not my primary goal. This was not an important factor for me. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I was attending school while employed full-time. I did not require career services. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Alumni network has consistent communication. I have not availed myself of networking resources. |
TDCJ • Gayesville, TX
Studying Business (completion in 2009)
• 9/15/2011
"It was all I had to choose from, so I suppose it was the best available."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Like I said it is not a place for everyone. It is not a good place. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | You would not want to go there, it's just not a place for everyone. |
| Program Quality | 3 | It was slow, they could have made it more challenging. |
| Instruction | 3 | They were teachers that could not find work elsewhere. They need to have get their act together better. |
| How Difficult | 3 | It was slow. The teachers were not well prepared. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | All you could do was use books. We were not allowed to use anything else. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | You had to go no matter what. You had no choice in times or professors offered. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | You had to go to wherever they managed to find a place to hold class. The institution was not well-organized. |
| Social Life | 1 | There was no socializing at all. You went to school and then back to your dorm. |
| Placement Services | 1 | My school did not have a job placement program. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There was none. It was simply the teachers and students. |
Lonestar College • The Woodlands, TX
Studying Computer Information Systems (completion in 2002)
• 10/22/2011
"Had a good experience. Thankful for my degree."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a local campus with a good program - no complaints. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It is one of their main programs. I know many who have taken it. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Great teachers. Good developmental plan. |
| Instruction | 6 | Great teachers. Good developmental plan. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Was not as difficult as expected. I was already pretty good with computers. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I took many online classes. Science classes were mostly hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Took many classes after hours. Took some online as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | New facilities. New equipment. |
| Social Life | 7 | It's the same kids I went to high school with. No real organized sporting events. |
| Placement Services | Did not use their placement programs. Found my own jobs. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I have not had any alumni contact. Not the best network. |
Baylor University • Waco, TX
Studying MIS (completion in 1994)
• 10/28/2011
"Baylor is an outstanding school with a strong brand--especially in this area. I am proud to be associated with Baylor."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I had great professors and small classes. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The overall Baylor brand is strong and that helps. Also, the business school within Baylor tends to rank high in various studies. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Even at the time, we didn't always learn the best technologies. There also were not enough actual technical (programming) classes in the curriculum. |
| Instruction | 9 | The professors were top-notch. The courses were rigorous. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I have an affinity for computes which may skew my response toward the easy end of the scale. However, there was never a lot of busy work. Most assignments tended to focus on the material at hand. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good mix. We had real-world projects as well as book/lecture learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Baylor is very traditional. There are very few classes outside of the normal class hours. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Baylor has an excellent campus with excellent resources. There are many computer labs and study areas on campus, as well as an excellent library. |
| Social Life | 2 | I did not live on campus and much of the social experience at Baylor depends on that. Athletics, etc. are great. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They really focus on job placement. They bring many top-notch employers on campus for interviews. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Baylor uses Twitter and emails to reach alumni. However, they also have fought with the association that typically handled alumni relations, which has distanced itself from the university. |
Rice University • Houston, TX
Studying Mathematics (completion in 2012)
• 12/15/2011
"My years at Rice were some of the best years of my life. I learned so much and made so many friends."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would tell incoming students which professors to bond with and what classes to take. The college experience can be so variable that you really need someone to give you advice who has been through it themselves. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Some professors at Rice in Mathematics are well known throughout the world. However, the department is large, and not everyone is well known. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I learned a lot of applied math skills and techniques at Rice. Even though typically a math major would not be hired for an engineering position, I feel well qualified for my job. |
| Instruction | 8 | My professors were mixed. I had a few really great teachers who really prepared me and cared about their students. Others just lectured about irrelevant topics straight from a poor textbook. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Compared to universities of similar reputation, I think Rice is about average. It is hard for me to judge, since I only attended one university. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This was definitely a mix, depending very much on the professors. The classes that tended to be hands on were usually outside of my major. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I had the opportunity to take some summer classes, which really helped me. Unfortunately, it is quite hot in Houston over the summer. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I loved to study in the library and found the librarians and the library resources to be stellar. The classroom space was adequate and I was fortunate to have a very helpful academic advisor. I never made use of tutors. |
| Social Life | 7 | Many people at Rice are very focused on their studies, like myself. I was not one to party or attend many athletic events. But I found many friends, so I was quite happy with my social experience. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I got a lot of help writing my resume. In other areas, though, I felt very much on my own in terms of the job search. |
| Alumni Network | I have not personally witnessed the support of the alumni network. I keep up with a few friends, but not through the alumni network. |
Texas A&M University • Commerce, TX
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2006)
• 2/1/2012
"Overall, I was pretty pleased with it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Texas has lot of IT opportunities and this school is close to Dallas, so yes, I definitely would recommend this school to friends. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | |
| Program Quality | 8 | Number of courses offered within computer science track was comparatively few. |
| Instruction | 6 | We had a few inexperienced professors teaching computer network classes. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Data structures was the toughest course to pass. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Lots of practical programming assignments. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Very flexible. We could take classes on weekends and during odd hours as well. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Texas A&M had average resources. The library was decent enough, and the computer lab was good. |
| Social Life | 9 | There were numerous foreign student organizations and there were lots of parties. |
| Placement Services | 1 | No campus recruitment. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | There isn't much of an alumni network. |
University Of North Texas • Denton, TX
Studying English Literature (completion in 2001)
• 4/13/2012
"The school provided excellent professors and course options. It was a large school, but small enough where you didn't just feel like a number."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Other pursuing a Business Systems Analyst career would likely get a Business or Computer Science degree. I know the university has focused on these areas in the last decade, but I can't vouch for them. I can say that an English Lit degree from UNT has certainly served me well though! |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I initially went to UNT for journalism, for which they have a strong reputation. I switched to English Literature, which I would say is about average in terms of reputation. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I am relatively satisfied with my education. There were areas of opportunity that could have made it better. |
| Instruction | 7 | I am rating this without consideration to how it applies to my current career. The quality of instruction was very good at UNT. I learned a great deal that I have applied in the corporate world. I don't think career preparation was emphasized much when I was at UNT. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The difficulty of study was not extreme, but it was challenging. I always had something I was reading, writing, or researching. There certainly were harder courses I had while I was there though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The courses I took were very hands on. All of my Technical Writing classes involved working at a computer every day; there was very little classroom instruction. I remember a Sales class where we had to role-play selling/marketing products to a store, and most of my science classes involved being outside (observatory, garden, farm, etc.). | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I was a full-time student who lived just off campus, but UNT is a very large commuter college. Many students came from all over the Dallas area, and I know many attended evening classes as well. I had a weekend class now and then, but they were not common 10 years ago at UNT. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The UNT main library was very good, and they had an excellent writing lab. The classes were relatively small and professors knew you by name (at least in the upper level classes). |
| Social Life | 2 | I had transferred from another college, so I was older than most who were trying to make friends and develop a college social life. I did not attend school-sanctioned events while I was there. I was working most of the time. |
| Placement Services | 2 | UNT's career center was very poor while I was a student. They only catered to those who knew nothing about finding or having a job. If you knew how to dress for an interview, how to prepare a resume, and how to actually behave during an interview, there was nothing they could do for you. Granted, this was 11 years ago. I hope it has improved since then. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Although I am not involved as much as I should be, they do have a very strong alumni network and support. I receive quarterly magazines and periodic emailed newsletters from the President/Dean to the alumni. |
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