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Obviously, both UIUC and Ga Tech computer science departments are in top 10 with UIUC being ranked a little higher. So you will benefit from a Computer Science degree from either institution. One great thing about Ga Tech online computer science master is it only costs $7000 for the entire 30-credit program, while UIUC will cost you about $35000 for the entire 32-credit program. Though you can theoretically lower the total cost to about $25K if you take 4 classes at Ga Tech for 12 credit and transfer 12-creidt hours back to UIUC to save roughly $10000. (UIUC allows you to take class elsewhere during summer because there are very few CS courses offered during summer semester.) I took one UIUC online CS course, and it's basically just a video recording the on-campus lecture earlier in the day, so you'll see a huge lecture hall, but you can't see your professor clearly, however, you'll see the powerpoint presentation being shown in another video feed. And you'll basically on your own with homework/exam after watching the recorded lecture. TA/professors will answer emails and comment in piazza forum, but you don't get the face-to-face office hour like on-campus students do. I am not sure about Ga Tech online course, but I heard the lectures are produced specifically for online students, so I think it's not a video recording of on-campus lecture, but rather professors recording themselves in a production studio giving lectures. Another thing to consider is, Ga Tech admits a lot more students to its online MSCS program than UIUC admits its MCS applicants (online or on-campus). I was told by an administrative advisor of UIUC MCS program that the admission rate of UIUC MCS is about 1 out of 10 for Fall semester and about 2 out of 10 for Spring semester. For Georgia Tech's new online program, they enrolled about 300 students out of 1300 applicants in spring 2015 semester, although I am not sure how many applicants were admitted to Ga Tech's program. And, do potential employers care if your degree designation is "Master of Computer Science" instead of the more common "Master of Science in Computer Science"? So which program would you pick?

What you heard about USC being in a dangerous ghetto area is accurate. Have you heard of South Central LA? This is precisely where USC is located. There has been repeated incidence where students/non-students got mugged and murdered within the neighborhood. Most notably, Chinese graduate students seem to be the ones targeted by criminals living in the area as there have been multiple (not just one isolated event) crimes where Chinese graduate students were murdered. The news regarding repeated security issue around USC made national headlines and you can search for the stories for detail. USC officials have since installed a lot of security cameras around campus, but I am not positive how effective that will be. And if I am a student, I would not feel good to walk around campus knowing there are so many security cameras watching me and other students..... it's just depressing and feels like living in a jail. Go with UIUC. UIUC is much much much higher ranked than USC anyways. Why would you risk your life to go to a much lower ranked place where the security is notoriously bad and you'll likely be watched under security camera every time you go on campus. Did I mentioned UIUC will cost you much less than USC where you will for sure overpay for lower-ranked degree?

UIUC only requires 32 units to graduate from MCS program. So it's 8 classes if you opt to take 4 units for all classes. (You have the options to take 3 units or 4 units as a grad student if you take a upper division undergrad class.)

I think the limitation on the course offering is pretty much the same anywhere at any school if you want to go with the online option. It takes a lot of resources to run the classes online, and it is not feasible to run all classes online if not all classes have high demand. If you want to have the best selection of classes, then you should pursue the degree on campus in person, but you would give up the salary earning (and possible tuition reimbursement) from your current job if you don't live near campus. It's no brainer. I would rather keep my current salary earning (and possible benefit of tuition reimbursement) by going the online route than giving up the salary and benefit just to have more selection of classes.

I got some info from someone in UIUC CS department. It looks like the acceptance rate for the MCS program is about 1 in 10 for Fall admission, and about 2 in 10 for Spring admission. So it's definitely a competitive process to get admitted, if the information was accurate.

University of Illinois urbana champaign professional MCS University of Washington professional masters program

I am waiting for UIUC's decision, and I believe they render spring 2015 decision around Nov. 15th. If UIUC accepts me, then it's UIUC. I applied and was offered admission few years ago (couldn't attend because of personal reason), and I am hopeful that I will be admitted this time too. JHU professional program should give you a decision pretty quickly. I got one in two days after submitting all required documents. One problem I have with GaTech's online program is that you get a "conditional offer" before you take the first class, and then you get an "official offer" after you complete two classes with satisfactory grade. I don't like spending money on classes without knowing 100% for sure that I am in the program officially. Another thing is that they offer a lot of "conditional admission" to a lot of applicants, so that might hurt the reputation a bit if they accept too many students.

Does anyone have any opinion about this part-time MSCS program in Johns Hopkins' Whiting School of Engineering? even though this is a part-time program, the course list and degree requirement look challenging as well. It's designed for working professionals, which many top-ranked CS schools have similar "professional programs".... I am just wondering if it's worth the expensive tuition. I am thinking about UIUC's MCS (inside UIUC College of Computing) and JHU's MSCS (inside JHU Engineering for Professional division, not the regular CS department)....

I'd go with UIUC.... much better name recognition. And you would be taking the same courses with the MS/PhD students anyways. The only difference is the amount of research (MCS almost none, MS/PhD, a lot).

check their program proposal... it clearly indicates that there will be distinct names for online and on-campus program degrees. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/703594-mooms-proposal-2-28-13.html

Beware of the Georgia Tech's new online CS master program. Even though you pay less tuition, you will be with 150 other students in the same class, and your diploma will NOT carry the same degree designation as the on-campus CS master program. IMO, the quality and prestige don't exist in GA Tech's online master.

Interestingly, UIUC's MCS/MS/PhD programs do not require GRE for admission. I think UIUC is the highest ranked computer science program that does not require GRE for admission.

seems like there is a change in degree requirement... I believe it used to require 36 credits,.. now only 32 credits required to graduate MCS (online or on-campus).

It's not a typo. The whole program will only cost you less than 7 grands. http://www.omscs.gatech.edu they'll start a small cohort (as guinea pigs) in January 2014, and start admitting new students in Fall 2014.