NYU Polytech - How does it compare?

[aj_collector]

Hi everyone,

I live in NYC so NYU Polytechnic University is well regarded in this city. They have a strong and rigorous computer science program for both undergrad and grad. Why is it ranked so low in comparison to other universities such as NYU, Stony Brook, Buffalo etc.

I have seen numerous lists that show earnings potential for NYU Polytech being among the highest in the country (ranked in the top 10 here: http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/college-graduate-salary-statistics-by-location.asp)

I would like to apply for their MS program in CS. Would I be making a mistake by considering NYU Polytech over higher ranked schools?

I have no interest in research or PhD so I am mainly concerned if going to Poly would hinder my employment opportunities/earnings potential.

What do you guys think? Thank you for your help.

[jjsakurai]

Grad Rankings are for PhD programs and rank how good a program is in research.

Also the link you gave has average pay for the entire student body. The median pay at a major tech company is 90-100K - far higher than the median pay at the link you gave. What you want to look at is median pay for CS majors by university and the % of people who get jobs on graduation.

Edited April 30, 2012 by jjsakurai

[uclacolumbia]

Is there any diffference between the MSCS programs offered at NYU GSAS and NYU Poly?

[aj_collector]

jjsakurai, Yes I know that the report I linked wasnt exactly specific to MSCS but it gives a good idea of where companies are recruiting and how much their degree is worth.

Being that the USNews rankings are based on research, does that diminish an MSCS degree from NYU Poly. Does it still compare favorably with schools ranked higher than Poly in research? Thanks for the help.

UclaColumbia - there is a difference but I do not think it is significant enough. The professors are different and some of the specialties are different. Poly still carries the NYU brand name and price tag. They sent me a brochure and I was very impressed by its programs and facilities. So that is why I am considering picking it as one of my safety schools.

Does anybody else have further input on this? Thanks for the help everyone.

[jjsakurai]

jjsakurai, Yes I know that the report I linked wasnt exactly specific to MSCS but it gives a good idea of where companies are recruiting and how much their degree is worth.

I disagree. For instance CMU is a top school in CS but not a top one (though still top 10) in engineering. Every tech company recruits at CMU and values CMU's degree very highly but the same is not as true for say aeronautical engineering. Similar things are true for say several Ivies which are good in CS but not engineering. Thus you really want to know how valuable the degree in your particular field is.

If you ask a random person on the street, then yes, they're going to value things according to the overall reputation of the school but recruiters are not random people off the street.

Being that the USNews rankings are based on research, does that diminish an MSCS degree from NYU Poly. Does it still compare favorably with schools ranked higher than Poly in research? Thanks for the help.

US News rankings are highly correlated with selectivity so a degree from a higher ranked place is going to be more valuable. That said, it doesn't mean that you can't get a good job out of a lower ranked place - especially in a hot field like CS. Probably best to talk to current students and alumni to find out how easy it's going to be to get a job out of NYU Poly.

Edited April 30, 2012 by jjsakurai

[Ancient CS Grad]

With the caveat that I am starting the Phd program at Poly in the fall, the answer is it depends. In the New York area Poly's masters in CS is respected by companies such as IBM and Google. However, I do not know that is particularly known outside of the area. The problem in general with MSCS programs is that they are usually completely separate from the Phd programs so the rankings are not very useful. NYU vs NYU-Poly depends on your interests. NYU is more of a theory oriented department. Poly's department is more systems oriented with a strong cyber security area. Finally, if you want to go by reputation if you can get into Columbia's masters program you probably can not go wrong.