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 Northern Virginia Community College, James Madison, Christopher Newport University, and Old Dominion University.
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 James Madison, Bluefield, Virginia State, and Old Dominion University.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Mary Baldwin.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Virginia State, Hampton, Ferrum, and George Mason.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Bluefield, Shenandoah University, Northern Virginia Community College, and George Mason.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of University of Richmond, Hampton, Roanoke College, and Eastern Mennonite University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Ferrum, Bridgewater, Roanoke College, and Virginia Union University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Virginia, University of Richmond, Virginia Tech, and Christopher Newport University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at University of Virginia, University of Richmond, and Bluefield.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at University of Richmond, Roanoke College, Eastern Mennonite University, and Virginia Union University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Mary Washington • Fredericksburg, VA
Studying Computer Science / Mathematics (completion in 2006)
• 7/16/2011
"I had an enjoyable experience. I became an independent adult, and gained the necessary skills to become a successful employee at my company today. What more could you ask for..."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I think a school that specializes in technology and computer science would have more courses to offer. I also learned a majority of what I use day-to-day through independent study and was self-taught in many areas. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It's a liberal arts school, as I mentioned before. There are several colleges / universities in my state that are well known for their computer science (and related) programs. |
| Program Quality | 7 | This was a liberal arts college - the 'hard sciences' are not a strong suit for these type of colleges. I would have liked to have explored an engineering program, which was not offered. |
| Instruction | 7 | The fundamentals were well taught, and I did learn some things that I use often in my career. I would have also liked more preparation on business and how to be a professional in a work environment. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I double majored in two difficult areas of study. There were a lot of long nights doing homework and projects. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I did read a lot of my textbooks, but I spent a lot of time in the computer lab. I believe this helped me gain experience and confidence in my computer programming abilities. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The school offered classes from 8am to 8pm (if I recall), and had some summer classes. There was no online option at the time I attended, and because the school was quite small, a class could have been cancelled for a semester due to limited turnout from students. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The school had more than adequate facilities, especially considering the number of students. The small classes made it a more personalize experience with the faculty. |
| Social Life | 5 | I made friends early on who became my niche group for the duration of school. I preferred loading up on courses, honor societies, and an on-campus job as compared to a more social experience. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The school offered a career services program, however I did not take advantage of this while attending -- it was a voluntary service. They did help me with a scholarship when I needed some information. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I receive communications in the mail, but I have never participated in an alumni event. They are typically looking for donations. |
Virginia Tech • Blacksburg, VA
Studying Engineering (completion in 2003)
• 7/17/2011
"I am pretty satisfied. I paid a lot of money, but I guess it was worth it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It was a good program that worked well for me. I hope it would be the same for other people. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It's very popular. I think the school is well regarded. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Very good. I had great professors and interesting courses. |
| Instruction | 9 | I worked very hard in college and I think that's paid off now. The stuff I learned is useful to me everyday. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It was hard. But I was able to overcome the challenges. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was a good mix of the two methods. We did a lot of reading but also got hands on training. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | It seemed flexable enough. I never had issues finding classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had excellent labs and resources. Libaries were top-notch. |
| Social Life | 10 | I had an awesome time. There were great parties and fancy ladies! |
| Placement Services | 5 | Good stuff, I guess. I never really used it. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I get occasional emails, and sometimes I get something via snail mail. |
Christopher Newport University • Newport News, VA
Studying Computer Systems (completion in 2010)
• 7/14/2011
"I really enjoyed my experience at CNU. I would recommend it to anyone. It was great in academics and sports and also had great facilities."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, I would definitely recommend my school to others pursuing my career, mainly because it is a great place to be and can set you up with many opportunities. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The school's reputation is great, especially as far as the appearance of the campus is concerned. Most of the time when I mention CNU people just start to go on and on about how beautiful the campus is. |
| Program Quality | 10 | CNU is a great school. Possibly one of the best decisions I have ever made was to go there. |
| Instruction | 10 | There are great professors at CNU who really care about you as a student. They hold office hours during which you can come in and get one on one attention if needed. |
| How Difficult | 7 | My program of study is awesome at CNU. The only bad thing was that their were a plethora of professors who didn't speak English clearly and you could not understand them. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You do a lot of hands on stuff, but you also listen to a lot of lectures as well. I think this is a very effective system because it allows you to get the best of both worlds. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The school has great schedule flexibility for the most part, although, a lot of classes are not offered in the night time. Only certain ones are. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The facilities are excellent. The library is very nice and well maintained. Also, the dorms are very spacious and come fully furnished. |
| Social Life | 10 | The school is very good in sports as well as in academics. I was very social. I had a lot of friends and I was known campus wide as the boy with the great manners. |
| Placement Services | 9 | We have an excellent Career Center that helps you get prepared to get a career that pays well. Also, they help you create a resume as well as give you mock interviews to prepare you for the real deal. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | My school has a great alumni base that is very active in supporting the school. Often times they help to raise money for new buildings and things to be put on campus. |
Liberty University • Lynchburg, VA
Studying Psychology (completion in 2011)
• 7/20/2011
"I was satisfied but there is room for improvement. There is always room for improvement."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have no qualms about recommending my school. I have already done so. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The reputation is average. No better, no worse. |
| Program Quality | 7 | With my college I had varying experiences. Overall I was happy and rate it slightly above average. |
| Instruction | 8 | I enjoyed my instruction thoroughly but it had room for improvement. There is always room for improvement. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was decently difficult. I enjoyed the challenge. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My school was extremely balanced. We had both hands on and book work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | My schedules often varied extensively. They were extremely flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had many great facilities. |
| Social Life | 9 | My school was very enthusiastic. School spirit was high. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They have excellent career support. I use it regularly. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | They advertise to their alumni a lot. I still get mail every week. |
Virginia Western Community College • Roanoke, VA
Studying Information Systems (completion in 2004)
• 7/23/2011
"I wish all colleges were like Virginia Western. I miss the days of going to school there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Even though it has changed I still think it is a great place to learn. The price is still much cheaper than other schools. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | With the changes in the economy the school has gone downhill. Prices are much higher, and many of the great teachers were scared away. |
| Program Quality | 9 | At the time Virginia Western had some of the most amazing teachers covering vast subjects in my field. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors were from great backgrounds and had a lot of experience. They were able to bring real world knowledge to the class. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Being an enthusiast in computers, the program was easy for me. For others it seemed quite hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Books were not as important as the hands on material. The hands on aspects made a huge difference. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The school allowed me to come and go as I pleased. However, this of course was not always the best option. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities were great and provided a good sense of community. There were always labs available for student use. |
| Social Life | 7 | I had a great time with my fellow classmates and made many friends. We were able to bond over many projects. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The school did not have great placement. The lady that performed the placements was clueless in her duties. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I have not heard about or really seen anyone from my classes. The school has not contacted me about any alumni associations. |
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