Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Software Engineers For Systems
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Wayne County Community College District, Oakland Community College, Grand Valley State, and Macomb Community 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 Davenport, Wayne State, University of Michigan-Flint, and Lake Superior State.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Wayne County Community College District, Andrews, Lawrence Technological University, and University of Detroit Mercy.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Spring Arbor University, Walsh College, Andrews, and Kirtland Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Andrews, Calvin, Baker College, and Kettering.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Alma, Hope College, Olivet College, and Kalamazoo College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Michigan, Kalamazoo College, Kettering, and Michigan Technological University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Kuyper, Kalamazoo College, University of Michigan, and Lawrence Technological University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Andrews, Calvin, Hope College, and University of Michigan.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Michigan State University • East Lansing, MI
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2008)
• 5/4/2011
"It got me a job. That is all I wanted. I didn't need anything. I taught myself the rest."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They'll get you a job. That is what you want right? |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I haven't heard anything bad. I haven't heard anything good. I'm not really in the position to judge this. |
| Program Quality | 7 | They give you very little training. And the teachers are more focused on their research. |
| Instruction | 9 | They have a wonderful career preparation class. They force you to intern which is where the real learning occurs. The classroom barely helps. |
| How Difficult | 8 | This was not an easy degree. I worked 8 hours a night on homework. I could barely keep up. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of it was book. This was according to professor though. So some classes were very hands on, but those were in the minority. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The professors didn't care about their students. They just wanted time around lunch. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The computers were old. The software wasn't the latest software. They just didn't keep up. |
| Social Life | 2 | I was working a 40 hours a week job and going to school 40 hours a week I didn't make an attempt. I hear it isn't bad though. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They have multiple career fairs. The adviser for the major has a lot of connections. I know of no one that didn't have a job after finishing the degree. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | This is barely there. The school uses its sports to keep alumni coming back. |
Eastern Michigan University • Ypsilanti, MI
Studying Technical Writing (completion in 1991)
• 9/19/2011
"I graduated with a respectable GPA, and many of my friends graduated with me. The school was close to home too, which helped eliminate home-sickness."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Eastern Michigan University has a great academic program, and the campus is tightly-knit and not spread out over miles like some schools. It is also relatively close to Detroit, so it is conveniently located for many people. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | My school had a specialized program that many schools at that point in time did not have. The school's football program was known to be poor, which made for a good contrast with their academic program. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My school had a program in my field when many schools hadn't developed theirs yet. It would have been difficult to find another school that had the required classes at that point in time. |
| Instruction | 8 | The instructors were quite knowledgeable and helpful. We also were able to use the provided computer system to perform our coding assignments so we could see instant results. |
| How Difficult | 8 | My math skills were not as strong as they should have been, so some of the courses were more difficult than they otherwise might have been. I handled this by taking only 4 classes each semester (the necessary minimum) so as to give me more time for studying. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school had a large number of computer terminals so it was easy for me to get hands-on in my field of study. Of course, the professors always gave us reading assignments to make sure we learned the necessary computer languages. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The school offered classes during all times that I can think of: morning, afternoon, evening, weekends, and summers. However, they did not offer classes on Sunday. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school has a good library, though I remember the library at Central Michigan University being better. Since I was focusing on programming, however, I spent more time working in their computer labs, which supported a large number of students. I even worked there part time to earn money. |
| Social Life | 8 | I was a bit of a slow starter socially, but once I got going I made lots of friends. I attended only a few football games and other events, however. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The placement service did not help me find a job. They did, however, point me in the direction of one particularly good looking job, which I did manage to acquire on my own years later. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I haven't needed or seen much from the alumni network. I have gotten a few newsletters each year, however. |
Northern Michigan University • Marquette, MI
Studying Computer Science (completion in 2013)
• 10/13/2011
"Northern Michigan University is very hands on and inexpensive. I couldn't have asked for anything more. All of my teachers have been very experienced in their field outside of the class room and bring much knowledge to the class room you cannot get from other universities or books."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have already recommended the school to a few people and continue to do so. I feel my answers justify this enough decision. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Many students have gone on to work for Intel and Charter Communications. We have some of the greatest minds working here to teach students real world experience and how to use it. |
| Program Quality | 10 | My teachers have been great influences. I feel as though the program has and is continuing to fully prepare me for the work environment. |
| Instruction | 10 | Classes have greatly prepared me due to the great selection of experienced teachers at my University. I am continuing to learn new things to use everyday in relation to what I need to do at work. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Students are strongly challenged but also have instructors willing to meet outside of class for additional help. Many times I have thought I wasn't going to finish an assignment but in the end I always have and learned way more than expected from it. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Liberal Arts classes have been rather book and discussion based. Computer science courses have been very hands-on and no book involved, not even as guidelines for teachers. Class sizes are very small 20-35 students so teachers really get to know you and work with you. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Hours can make it hard with work, very few online classes are taught in our department. Summer courses are offered in moderation or as needed by request of students. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We have one of the largest wireless networks in the nation and the most wireless users in one condensed area. Everything and more is available to us with little effort compared to most universities. |
| Social Life | 8 | I haven't participated in many social events at school. I have found though that what I have been involved in has been very well recognized and very worthwhile. |
| Placement Services | 10 | We have full listings of internships and available jobs in the area of our school. Many students, including myself, have found jobs this way. |
| Alumni Network | I currently have no information on this. Within a few years I will be part of the alumni and be able to answer this better. |
Ferris State University • Big Rapids, MI
Studying Computer Networking & Systems (completion in 2006)
• 2/1/2012
"My educational experience seemed disorganized. Degree requirements would change, classes would come and go, and teachers seemed to lack unity in the direction of education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I didn't really get a lot of programming experience at my school. My major was networking, but I came into a career in programming shortly after graduating. |
| Program Reputation | Once I graduated, I lost contact with all my underclassmen friends. I don't know what the school's reputation is now. | |
| Program Quality | 3 | My school was in a transition period in relation to my degree while I was there. There was a heavy focus on CISCO certification, which I never got and never wanted. |
| Instruction | 5 | Nothing stands out about it. I had a mix of decent professors and a couple of poor ones. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I had to do some homework, but overall if I showed up to class, I did alright. Most of my studies were focused on my non-major classes. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had a great CISCO lab, electronics, and computer labs. However, our professors rarely utilized the programming labs and instead lectured. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | A number of my classes had strange pre-reqs and were only offered during specific semesters/years. I transferred in with 3 semesters of credits, but still took 3.5 years to finish, taking every opportunity to gain credits (and passing all my classes). |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | We had a great library with good computer resources. However, academic advisers were unhelpful and/or unavailable. |
| Social Life | 8 | I was involved in a Christian Fellowship. There were always activities and things to do. I founded/captained the Ultimate Frisbee team. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I received no assistance in finding a job when I graduated. However, there were a few "career building" seminars on how to interview, build a resume, etc. |
| Alumni Network | I'm not involved with Ferris' Alumni network. I'm not sure if they have one, outside of routinely asking me for money. |
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