Is SJSU's MS in CS program good?

[kylecobbs]

Hello,

 

I have been accepted into the MS in CS program at San Jose State University.

I am in a dilemma as SJSU does not have a good ranking. But a general search says SJSU is one of the best schools for CS as it is in the Silicon Valley.

 

I am an international student, and SJSU being absent from rankings is kind of scary and I am not sure on how to interpret it.

 

I am waiting for decisions from other colleges, but will mostly get an admit from UT Arlington and IIT, Chicago. Of these three, which is the best option for CS Masters?

 

Any input is highly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

Kyle

[.letmeinplz//]

You applied because you though SJSU was a good fit for you I hope?

 

The fact a college is in a location does not give you free rein of the market there. People who go to Georgia Tech in Atlanta can work at Google in California and people who go to UCLA in LA can work at E*TRADE in New York. You aren't tied to the city or state you went to school in. You simply call up some movers to move your stuff and you head west (or east).

 

Same goes for interning/co-oping while in school. I know people who went to D.C. for the summer and their rent was paid for by the company they interned at. The fact he wasn't located in D.C. didn't matter to the company. I'm not knowledgeable of an international student's potential to work while in school in the US though so even if you are at SJSU and wanted to intern, could you?

 

What I'm saying is, just because a school is in a location that lots of companies are in doesn't mean you get a free job at the end of your schooling. Someone at MIT or CMU probably has a leg up in the interview despite not existing in Silicon Valley.

 

That said, job fairs usually attract lots of local companies since it is cheaper than flying someone down (so if they have an HQ or branch there they are more likely to be there) so I would expect SJSU to have some of the companies located in Silicon Valley.

 

The other 2 schools are probably better for CS. I would rather get a better education so that when I interviewed in Silicon Valley (hypothetically, I wouldn't live in California if you doubled my salary) they would say "you have great knowledge of CS" rather than "hey that university is nearby isn't it?". Not saying SJSU won't give you a good education, but it won't give you a better one just because it is located in California.

 

SO, pick the school you feel is best for you and your education. The jobs will come.

Edited April 3, 2015 by <ian>

[phdreally]

SJSU is one of the best schools for CS as it is in the Silicon Valley.

 

 

Do you mean, it being in the Silicon Valley, just by its mere location, makes it one of the best schools for CS? I would be highly skeptical of that article and its source..