For everyone considering whether to pursue a degree in software engineering, there’s one key question: will I actually learn the skills I need to succeed in a rapidly changing tech industry?
CodeSignal, a tech-talent evaluation platform, attempts to answer that question with its annually updated rankings of the top colleges and universities for software engineering. This University Ranking Report lists schools according to how well their students performed on the General Coding Assessment, an industry-standard certified assessment taken by more than 75 percent of U.S, computer science grads.
CodeSignal’s methodology differs significantly from surveys and rankings that hinge largely on individual institutions’ prestige. As a result, you have schools like Carnegie Mellon and MIT on the list—but you also have schools that tend to appear less often on “elite” rankings. With that in mind, here are CodeSignal’s top 10 schools:
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Stony Brook University
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Pennsylvania
- California Institute of Technology
- University of California, San Diego
- Duke University
- San Jose State University
- University of Southern California
How does this match up against, say, the U.S. News & World Report rankings of top undergraduate engineering programs? Well, for starters:
- 28.4 percent of top-performing students (defined as those scoring in the top 25 percent on the General Coding Assessment) came from schools not listed in U.S. News’ top 50 undergraduate engineering programs.
- 12 of CodeSignal’s top 50 U.S. schools don’t appear in the U.S. News list at all.
- Stony Brook University (ranked third) and San Jose State University (ranked ninth) are two prime examples of overlooked schools with standout talent.
This suggests that, when it comes to choosing a school, it’s not all about the name—some schools are pretty mighty when it comes to teaching the intricacies of software development.
Skills are Critical to Employers
What does this mean if you’re a student (or career switcher) who didn’t get into a “top-tier” computer science program? Don’t stress.
Employers—both within the tech industry and outside of it—are increasingly focused on skills. That means tech professionals who can show their stuff have a solid chance of landing a job, no matter what their alma mater. Whether you’re graduating from a public university, a community college, or learning new skills via online programs, your ability to get the job done—whether that’s building new apps, maintaining websites, or ensuring cybersecurity—is what employers ultimately want.
Remember: The tech industry is hungry for talent—and that talent isn’t confined to the Ivy League or Silicon Valley feeder schools. If you’ve got the skills, the opportunities are out there.
