UMD vs Vt for CS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hiring manager here. We would view CS grads from either as being equal. Both programs are large enough to have a good range of upper level electives, so that also does not differentiate. For job outcomes it really is about the same.

*around here*.

But nationally and globally, UMD > VT.

By research, which is important for prestige and global recognition. It changes based on publication, but UMD is always somewhere on there. VT is not.

https://csrankings.org/#/fromyear/2014/toyear/2024/index?all&us

Global ranksings

Rank #74
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/computer-science-information-systems?search=maryland


Rank 149
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/computer-science-information-systems?search=virginia

(But at least it's higher than UVA at 200+)


UMD #56
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2025/subject-ranking/computer-science#!/length/25/name/maryland/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/scores

VT 100 to 125
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2025/subject-ranking/computer-science#!/length/25/name/virginia/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/scores

(But again, it beats UVA)

I am a hiring manager for a F500 tech company. UMD, Vtech, UVA, Upitt, and even UMBC and GMU are the same consideration, solid state school CS programs. The only stand out is if it's an Ivy League but that only gets you so far as the coding test, experience and interviews will be more important.

As a hiring manager I’d agree with this as well. I don’t value Ivy League that much (other than knowing the kid is probably smart) but I get great kids from everywhere. The two schools in my experience where I have much higher success rate is GT and CMU.

[Anonymous]

Also, ARM processors are the future, not x86. The iPhone/iPad always have used the ARM instruction set. The M-series Macs use the ARM instruction set. The Raspberry Pi uses ARM. Linux performs well on ARM.

Now, Microsoft is encouraging migration of Windows users and Windows computers to ARM. Major PC manufacturers now offer Windows machines using both x86 and ARM. The ARM machines use less power, need less cooling, and outperform x86.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a tech recruiter for F100 companies, and I am seeing a glut of '24 and '25 CS grads looking for work. A lot of these grads comes from UVA, VATech, UNC, Pitt, Ivies, etc... There was an open position last week, and I received over 1000 resumes. Of that, about 30% passed the initial screen. It is a tough time for CS major.

Is that a permanent shift or cyclical?

DP. It is about which upper level electives one takes. CS is a broad field. Companies are looking for specific skill sets. Different CS jobs will need different skill sets. There is a glut of students who took the easier CS electives and a *perpetual* shortage of those who took the harder electives. students should choose carefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hiring manager here. We would view CS grads from either as being equal. Both programs are large enough to have a good range of upper level electives, so that also does not differentiate. For job outcomes it really is about the same.

*around here*.

But nationally and globally, UMD > VT.

By research, which is important for prestige and global recognition. It changes based on publication, but UMD is always somewhere on there. VT is not.

https://csrankings.org/#/fromyear/2014/toyear/2024/index?all&us

Global ranksings

Rank #74
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/computer-science-information-systems?search=maryland


Rank 149
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/computer-science-information-systems?search=virginia

(But at least it's higher than UVA at 200+)


UMD #56
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2025/subject-ranking/computer-science#!/length/25/name/maryland/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/scores

VT 100 to 125
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2025/subject-ranking/computer-science#!/length/25/name/virginia/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/scores

(But again, it beats UVA)

I am a hiring manager for a F500 tech company. UMD, Vtech, UVA, Upitt, and even UMBC and GMU are the same consideration, solid state school CS programs. The only stand out is if it's an Ivy League but that only gets you so far as the coding test, experience and interviews will be more important.

As a hiring manager I’d agree with this as well. I don’t value Ivy League that much (other than knowing the kid is probably smart) but I get great kids from everywhere. The two schools in my experience where I have much higher success rate is GT and CMU.

GT and CMU are like T10 to T15 for CS. UMD is T20. VTech is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a tech recruiter for F100 companies, and I am seeing a glut of '24 and '25 CS grads looking for work. A lot of these grads comes from UVA, VATech, UNC, Pitt, Ivies, etc... There was an open position last week, and I received over 1000 resumes. Of that, about 30% passed the initial screen. It is a tough time for CS major.

Is that a permanent shift or cyclical?

DP. It is about which upper level electives one takes. CS is a broad field. Companies are looking for specific skill sets. Different CS jobs will need different skill sets. There is a glut of students who took the easier CS electives and a *perpetual* shortage of those who took the harder electives. students should choose carefully.

Which CS electives would you recommend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a tech recruiter for F100 companies, and I am seeing a glut of '24 and '25 CS grads looking for work. A lot of these grads comes from UVA, VATech, UNC, Pitt, Ivies, etc... There was an open position last week, and I received over 1000 resumes. Of that, about 30% passed the initial screen. It is a tough time for CS major.

Is that a permanent shift or cyclical?

DP. It is about which upper level electives one takes. CS is a broad field. Companies are looking for specific skill sets. Different CS jobs will need different skill sets. There is a glut of students who took the easier CS electives and a *perpetual* shortage of those who took the harder electives. students should choose carefully.

Which CS electives would you recommend?

There are multiple posts with suggestions/answers in prior posts of this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hiring manager here. We would view CS grads from either as being equal. Both programs are large enough to have a good range of upper level electives, so that also does not differentiate. For job outcomes it really is about the same.

*around here*.

But nationally and globally, UMD > VT.

By research, which is important for prestige and global recognition. It changes based on publication, but UMD is always somewhere on there. VT is not.

https://csrankings.org/#/fromyear/2014/toyear/2024/index?all&us

Global ranksings

Rank #74
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/computer-science-information-systems?search=maryland


Rank 149
https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/computer-science-information-systems?search=virginia

(But at least it's higher than UVA at 200+)


UMD #56
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2025/subject-ranking/computer-science#!/length/25/name/maryland/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/scores

VT 100 to 125
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2025/subject-ranking/computer-science#!/length/25/name/virginia/sort_by/rank/sort_order/asc/cols/scores

(But again, it beats UVA)

I am a hiring manager for a F500 tech company. UMD, Vtech, UVA, Upitt, and even UMBC and GMU are the same consideration, solid state school CS programs. The only stand out is if it's an Ivy League but that only gets you so far as the coding test, experience and interviews will be more important.

As a hiring manager I’d agree with this as well. I don’t value Ivy League that much (other than knowing the kid is probably smart) but I get great kids from everywhere. The two schools in my experience where I have much higher success rate is GT and CMU.

GT and CMU are like T10 to T15 for CS. UMD is T20. VTech is not.

That's true, but the UMD kids aren't any better on average than the VT kids I interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a tech recruiter for F100 companies, and I am seeing a glut of '24 and '25 CS grads looking for work. A lot of these grads comes from UVA, VATech, UNC, Pitt, Ivies, etc... There was an open position last week, and I received over 1000 resumes. Of that, about 30% passed the initial screen. It is a tough time for CS major.

Is that a permanent shift or cyclical?

DP. It is about which upper level electives one takes. CS is a broad field. Companies are looking for specific skill sets. Different CS jobs will need different skill sets. There is a glut of students who took the easier CS electives and a *perpetual* shortage of those who took the harder electives. students should choose carefully.

Which CS electives would you recommend?

Harder CS electives include at least: Compilers, Advanced Operating Systems, Real-time systems, embedded systems, assembly language, VHDL/Verilog logic programming, anything with programming and debugging OS/kernel (e.g., Linux) internals