Good CompSci Universities?

[wviperw]

What do you guys think are some of the better schools in the US for CompSci/SoftE (undergrad)? I live in Iowa, so I *could* go to ISU, but was kind of hoping to get out of state...

The list I'm considering so far:

Berkeley
CMU
MIT
UI: Urbana Champaign
UW:Madison
U of Washington

Now schools like MIT/CalTech are of course well known, prestigious schools, but will they do me any better in the area of CompSci than, say, UW:Madison? Or will they just hurt the pocket book a lot more?

Of those I listed, how would you classify them? Or let me know of other good colleges. Also, if you go to one of the above for CompSci, let me know what its been like/experiences.

See my previous thread for more info.

 

[z0mb13]

I heard that the tuition per semester for Cal will be 13k next year...

damn CA budget crisis!

 

[beyonddc]

Virgina Tech
Syrausce University
RIT (Rochester Insitute of Tech.)

For myself, I just graduated from WIT (Wentworth Insitute of Tech) located in Boston. Their CS program was pretty bad when I first study there, but I just looked at their catalog, their CS courses seem to improved a lot, but then again, the man/woman ratio is very depressing.

 

[phatj]

University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign

 

[SaturnX]

University of Waterloo (Waterloo, ON, Canada)

That is, if you want to come up to Canada.

--Mark

 

[Gibson486]

Northeastern University

 

[AgentEL]

Carnegie Mellon U, Stanford

Edit: btw, I went to Cal for EECS. It is an awesome program. The teachers are brilliant and your peers are very smart as well. It's definitely a great environment to learn. There's tons of research going on, but the competition to participate as an undergrad is tough. However, if you're persistent, there are always undergraduate research opportunities open to you.

 

[777php]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
I heard that the tuition per semester for Cal will be 13k next year...

damn CA budget crisis!

Its 13k a year, not per semester. Paying 26k a year for a public institution would be insane.

 

[MacBaine]

Purdue... first CS program in the world!

 

[Joker81]

UWashington is good. They just got a new building.

 

[TranceNation]

Originally posted by: Joker81
UWashington is good. They just got a new building.

yep I'm an UW alumni

 

[Kipper]

Before I changed to a humanities track I applied to a bunch of CS schools...a few that come to mind are:

Carnegie-Mellon
Cornell
Georgia Tech
Virgnia Tech (less so, but MASSIVE state funding)
Case Western Reserve
RPI (New York)

For the record, I'm now a Philosophy major pursuing a minor in Sociology as well...

 

[CanOWorms]

Here's the ranking for graduate CS schools. When people ask about good CompSci schools, they usually mean graduate schools. Personally I would go to the best overall school (check the overall undergrad rankings) for undergrad if all factors were the same.

1. Carnegie Mellon University (PA) 4.9
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4.9
Stanford University (CA) 4.9
University of California?Berkeley 4.9
5. University of Illinois?Urbana-Champaign 4.6
6. Cornell University (NY) 4.5
7. University of Texas?Austin 4.4
University of Washington 4.4
9. Princeton University (NJ) 4.3
10. California Institute of Technology 4.1
University of Wisconsin?Madison 4.1
12. Georgia Institute of Technology 4.0
University of Maryland?College Park 4.0
14. Brown University (RI) 3.9
University of California?Los Angeles 3.9
University of Michigan?Ann Arbor 3.9
17. Rice University (TX) 3.8
University of North Carolina?Chapel Hill 3.8
University of Pennsylvania 3.8
20. Columbia University (NY) 3.7
Duke University (NC) 3.7
Harvard University (MA) 3.7
Purdue University?West Lafayette (IN) 3.7
University of California?San Diego 3.7
25. University of Massachusetts?Amherst 3.6
Yale University (CT) 3.6
27. University of Southern California 3.5
University of Virginia 3.5
29. Johns Hopkins University (MD) 3.3
New York University 3.3
Rutgers State University?New Brunswick (NJ) 3.3
SUNY?Stony Brook 3.3
University of California?Irvine 3.3
University of Utah 3.3
35. Ohio State University 3.2
Penn State University?University Park 3.2
University of Arizona 3.2
University of Chicago 3.2
University of Colorado?Boulder 3.2
University of Minnesota?Twin Cities 3.2
Washington University in St. Louis 3.2
42. Indiana University?Bloomington 3.1
Northwestern University (IL) 3.1
University of California?Davis 3.1
University of Rochester (NY) 3.1
Virginia Tech 3.1
47. Dartmouth College (NH) 3.0
University of Florida 3.0
49. Michigan State University 2.9
North Carolina State University 2.9
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) 2.9
Texas A&M University?College Station 2.9
University of California?Santa Barbara 2.9
University of Pittsburgh 2.9
55. Arizona State University 2.7
SUNY?Buffalo 2.7
Syracuse University (NY) 2.7
University of California?Santa Cruz 2.7
University of Illinois?Chicago 2.7
60. Boston University 2.6
Iowa State University 2.6
OGI School of Science & Engineering?Oregon Health & Science U. 2.6
University of Delaware 2.6
University of Iowa 2.6
University of Oregon 2.6
Vanderbilt University (TN) 2.6
67. Case Western Reserve University (OH) 2.5
Northeastern University (MA) 2.5
Oregon State University 2.5
University of Tennessee?Knoxville 2.5

 

[Daxxax]

If I were you I'd go to Iowa State.

 

[Titan]

I went to Clarkson for software engineering. The CS program there is nothing stellar but SoftE is great, they have a good relationship with IBM for internships and full-time work. Very worthy school, but in the middle of freezing nowhere.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
Here's the ranking for graduate CS schools. When people ask about good CompSci schools, they usually mean graduate schools. Personally I would go to the best overall school (check the overall undergrad rankings) for undergrad if all factors were the same.

1. Carnegie Mellon University (PA) 4.9
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4.9
Stanford University (CA) 4.9
University of California?Berkeley 4.9
5. University of Illinois?Urbana-Champaign 4.6
6. Cornell University (NY) 4.5
7. University of Texas?Austin 4.4
University of Washington 4.4
9. Princeton University (NJ) 4.3
10. California Institute of Technology 4.1
University of Wisconsin?Madison 4.1
12. Georgia Institute of Technology 4.0
University of Maryland?College Park 4.0
14. Brown University (RI) 3.9
University of California?Los Angeles 3.9
University of Michigan?Ann Arbor 3.9
17. Rice University (TX) 3.8
University of North Carolina?Chapel Hill 3.8
University of Pennsylvania 3.8
20. Columbia University (NY) 3.7
Duke University (NC) 3.7
Harvard University (MA) 3.7
Purdue University?West Lafayette (IN) 3.7
University of California?San Diego 3.7
25. University of Massachusetts?Amherst 3.6
Yale University (CT) 3.6
27. University of Southern California 3.5
University of Virginia 3.5
29. Johns Hopkins University (MD) 3.3
New York University 3.3
Rutgers State University?New Brunswick (NJ) 3.3
SUNY?Stony Brook 3.3
University of California?Irvine 3.3
University of Utah 3.3
35. Ohio State University 3.2
Penn State University?University Park 3.2
University of Arizona 3.2
University of Chicago 3.2
University of Colorado?Boulder 3.2
University of Minnesota?Twin Cities 3.2
Washington University in St. Louis 3.2
42. Indiana University?Bloomington 3.1
Northwestern University (IL) 3.1
University of California?Davis 3.1
University of Rochester (NY) 3.1
Virginia Tech 3.1
47. Dartmouth College (NH) 3.0
University of Florida 3.0
49. Michigan State University 2.9
North Carolina State University 2.9
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) 2.9
Texas A&M University?College Station 2.9
University of California?Santa Barbara 2.9
University of Pittsburgh 2.9
55. Arizona State University 2.7
SUNY?Buffalo 2.7
Syracuse University (NY) 2.7
University of California?Santa Cruz 2.7
University of Illinois?Chicago 2.7
60. Boston University 2.6
Iowa State University 2.6
OGI School of Science & Engineering?Oregon Health & Science U. 2.6
University of Delaware 2.6
University of Iowa 2.6
University of Oregon 2.6
Vanderbilt University (TN) 2.6
67. Case Western Reserve University (OH) 2.5
Northeastern University (MA) 2.5
Oregon State University 2.5
University of Tennessee?Knoxville 2.5

haha u of michigan / ann arbor is lot higher than i thought

 

[slpaulson]

I'd just go to the best public school in your state if that's an option. It'll save lots of money and you'll still be going to a good school.

I'm going to UW - Madison for computer engineering... Our cs department seems pretty good. We're one of the only ones that I know
that teaches java for the intro classes instead of c++.

 

[cressida]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood
I'd just go to the best public school in your state if that's an option. It'll save lots of money and you'll still be going to a good school.

I'm going to UW - Madison for computer engineering... Our cs department seems pretty good. We're one of the only ones that I know
that teaches java for the intro classes instead of c++.

my cousin studies there, and my other one just graduated from there with a cmpe degree as well

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood
I'd just go to the best public school in your state if that's an option. It'll save lots of money and you'll still be going to a good school.

I'm going to UW - Madison for computer engineering... Our cs department seems pretty good. We're one of the only ones that I know
that teaches java for the intro classes instead of c++.

I'm going to a tech school and they replaced the C++ classes with Java. But this school does what employers want. If employers say that they want their employees to know Java and not C++, C++ is cut.

 

[stonecold3169]

Another Clarkson University student here, CS/math dual major.

The CS program isn't fantastic here, but we do have a few very well known profs, and depending on what you intend on doing with your degree, we have EXCELLENT relations with IBM, especially after we basically sweeped the rest of the world in the Linux Challenge a few years back. After that, and gaining another few really bright profs, I'd expect to see the CS department jump up in standings a whole lot.

 

[Apathetic]

They've both been mentioned already, mut the two which immediately come to my mind are:

University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
University of Waterloo (Waterloo, Ontario)

Dave

 

[cchen]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood
I'd just go to the best public school in your state if that's an option. It'll save lots of money and you'll still be going to a good school.

I'm going to UW - Madison for computer engineering... Our cs department seems pretty good. We're one of the only ones that I know
that teaches java for the intro classes instead of c++.

err it seems that most schools suggest taking java for intro, but still have intro in c/c++ for those who want it

 

[wviperw]

If I were you I'd go to Iowa State.

I'd just go to the best public school in your state if that's an option. It'll save lots of money and you'll still be going to a good school.

Yeah, I know ISU would be a bit cheaper than an out-of-state college (4k as opposed to ~12-18k). But I feel like if I went to ISU I'd be stuck in Iowa all my life (where you go to college seems to be where you end up). Also, ISU is more known for their engineering program than anything, so I feel like I'd be getting a better CS education elsewhere. Finally, at this point i'm assuming money is no object (ha, yeah right!), but one can hope...

BTW, updated my list up top.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: z0mb13
I heard that the tuition per semester for Cal will be 13k next year...

damn CA budget crisis!

you heard wrong

 

[Supermercado]

Originally posted by: cRazYdood
I'd just go to the best public school in your state if that's an option. It'll save lots of money and you'll still be going to a good school.

I'm going to UW - Madison for computer engineering... Our cs department seems pretty good. We're one of the only ones that I know
that teaches java for the intro classes instead of c++.

CS 101 at Clemson is Java. As is 102 and 212. After that, there's a course where they teach C and one where they teach C++. Every other class, you can pretty much pick what language you write your programs in. In my compilers class right now, I'm doing my project in C, a friend's doing his in C++, and I know of at least two people that are using Java.

Edit: They do teach CS 111, I think, that's intro to C++ but it's not required for a CS major.