Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
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 The University of Montana, Montana State Northern, and Montana Tech.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Little Big Horn College and Fort Peck Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Blackfeet Community College, University of Great Falls, UMH, and Montana State Northern.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of University of Great Falls, Rocky Mountain College, The University of Montana, and Montana State Great Falls.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of MSUB College of Technology, Rocky Mountain College, University of Great Falls, and Montana State Northern.
Excellence
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Rocky Mountain College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Montana Tech, Fort Belknap, Dawson Community College, and Rocky Mountain College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of Great Falls • Great Falls, MT
Studying (completion in 2002)
• 7/12/2011
"It was OK. There's really much to distinguish it from other schools."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If they were in that area, I would recommend it. The location is really the only thing that was amazing about it. |
| Program Reputation | 1 | I only pick that because the school's pretty small. Any mention of them is going to evoke an "eh?" |
| Program Quality | 8 | I initially disliked the fact that they forced a lot of networking concepts along with the coding. But I've since come to grasp the importance of understanding all aspects of computer science, not just the functionality of higher level coding as I'd initially wished to focus on. |
| Instruction | 8 | I learned far more than I even grasped. And I really like that they stressed Microsoft technology for those of us who had a linux background, or the reverse. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I felt it came fairly naturally to me. Though many did feel it was difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Pretty much a perfect mix, I'd say. Which I consider to be a positive. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was actually able to finish it up online, which I was very grateful for. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Pretty good, though I never really needed to make much use of it. Most of us had our own setups we liked for coding rather than using a generic computer. |
| Social Life | 10 | For a small school, it was really fun. There was a great, tightly knit social scene. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I never received any help there. But I think that is, in itself, a bit telling. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I know a lot of people who work there. They all work very hard to help grads. |
Carroll College • Helena, MT
Studying Computer Science And Mathematics (completion in 2006)
• 7/11/2011
"Small class sizes were great. The teaching focus was excellent. I made some good life-long connections there both with faculty and students."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Since other nearby state universities are cheaper with better C.S. reputations, the decision would have to come down to the individual. If they desired a smaller school, then definitely. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Outside of the immediate area, it's not a well-known program. Other larger nearby universities overshadow their program. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Compared to my current fellow Master's students, I found I received a much more rounded undergrad education. Though electives were limited at my school, the core classes prepared me adequately for my job. |
| Instruction | 8 | It was a teaching college, so the quality of the education was great. Compared to classes I'm now taking at a research university, I'd highly recommend going to a school that emphasizes teaching rather than research. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It was a small program, so once you became familiar with the professors, it was easy to excel. Some students did struggle, though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a good mix of hands on and book learning. Classes almost always had lab components. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Very limited night, weekend, and summer offerings. But then again, there aren't too many of those at my current university either. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | Smaller computer science labs are available. It doesn't have a lot of the fancier equipment found at larger universities. |
| Social Life | 5 | Plenty of various things going on around campus and in the city. I've never heard of an antisocial college, though. |
| Placement Services | 6 | It was easy enough to use an alumni connection to find a job. They also work with you on internships during school which frequently lead to job offers. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I used an alum to obtain my job. It was easy to work with the teachers to find alumni connections to work with. |
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