UMD vs Vt for CS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In today's market, where you go matters to some degree (pardon the pun).

UMD has more of a national and global recognition for CS. VT does not.

There's another thread about SLO vs VT for business, and everyone on that thread is saying SLO, hands down. SLO is a regional school (FWIW, I graduated from a CSU like SLO); VT is a national school, yet everyone there is still saying SLO is worth the OOS (SLO is in CA for those who don't know).

Yes, that other thread is about business, not CS, but IMO, it goes to show how even people here in the DC area regard VT.

What on earth is SLO?

[Anonymous]

Save the $$$$. No real difference. Both great schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Save the $$$$. No real difference. Both great schools.

Agree , save the money, give it your kid for Masters degree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In today's market, where you go matters to some degree (pardon the pun).

UMD has more of a national and global recognition for CS. VT does not.

There's another thread about SLO vs VT for business, and everyone on that thread is saying SLO, hands down. SLO is a regional school (FWIW, I graduated from a CSU like SLO); VT is a national school, yet everyone there is still saying SLO is worth the OOS (SLO is in CA for those who don't know).

Yes, that other thread is about business, not CS, but IMO, it goes to show how even people here in the DC area regard VT.

What on earth is SLO?

NP. Google gave me this: San Luis Obispo ie Cal Poly

[Anonymous]

What on earth is SLO?

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. It's the most well-know/well-regarded Cal State campus (which is a separate public university system from the University of California system).

[Anonymous]

For the cost differential between those two schools Op, VT and UMD, go for that's far less expensive.

[Anonymous]

If fit at both schools is equal, then I'd go with VT

[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.

Interesting, I'd figure UMD would/should stand out from those other schools.

Whatever extra OOS $$ is involved, it'd be worth it, IMO. A UMD degree (let alone one in CS) is opening more and more doors.

OMG. At this point, you’ve got to be trolling.

dp.. why? UMD CS is much more highly regarded than VT CS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In today's market, where you go matters to some degree (pardon the pun).

UMD has more of a national and global recognition for CS. VT does not.

There's another thread about SLO vs VT for business, and everyone on that thread is saying SLO, hands down. SLO is a regional school (FWIW, I graduated from a CSU like SLO); VT is a national school, yet everyone there is still saying SLO is worth the OOS (SLO is in CA for those who don't know).

Yes, that other thread is about business, not CS, but IMO, it goes to show how even people here in the DC area regard VT.

I am going to repeat it one more time. It does NOT matter where you go to college for fields like CS or Information Technology.

I develop AI software that many recruiting companies use in screening their potential candidates. None of them consider where you go college as a determining factor in the initial screening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am going to repeat it one more time. It does NOT matter where you go to college for fields like CS or Information Technology.

I develop AI software that many recruiting companies use in screening their potential candidates. None of them consider where you go college as a determining factor in the initial screening.

More prestigious CS programs have better connections with top companies for internships and first jobs out of college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In today's market, where you go matters to some degree (pardon the pun).

UMD has more of a national and global recognition for CS. VT does not.

There's another thread about SLO vs VT for business, and everyone on that thread is saying SLO, hands down. SLO is a regional school (FWIW, I graduated from a CSU like SLO); VT is a national school, yet everyone there is still saying SLO is worth the OOS (SLO is in CA for those who don't know).

Yes, that other thread is about business, not CS, but IMO, it goes to show how even people here in the DC area regard VT.

I am going to repeat it one more time. It does NOT matter where you go to college for fields like CS or Information Technology.

I develop AI software that many recruiting companies use in screening their potential candidates. None of them consider where you go college as a determining factor in the initial screening.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Save the $$$$. No real difference. Both great schools.

Agree. If in-state, definitely VT.

[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.

Interesting, I'd figure UMD would/should stand out from those other schools.

Whatever extra OOS $$ is involved, it'd be worth it, IMO. A UMD degree (let alone one in CS) is opening more and more doors.

OMG. At this point, you’ve got to be trolling.

+1
The PP is beyond insecure with this constant boosterism.

[Anonymous]

I'm a CIO and my oldest is a CS major. UMD is by far the better program and things are getting more competitive as you might have heard.

CP is fine, honestly we didnt love the campus but the program is top notch. VA vibe is great, and the alumni network is strong but you will not have the same level of training. Don't flame me on that - Ive been in NOVA tech for 25 years, we hire from UMD not VT. But those kids DO find jobs, I just think they might have to work a bit more to get them. Thats my opinion.

I'm not sure you are giving apples to apples - what happens to the prepay if you dont use it? Do you cash it out with penalties? What is true cost differential?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In today's market, where you go matters to some degree (pardon the pun).

UMD has more of a national and global recognition for CS. VT does not.

There's another thread about SLO vs VT for business, and everyone on that thread is saying SLO, hands down. SLO is a regional school (FWIW, I graduated from a CSU like SLO); VT is a national school, yet everyone there is still saying SLO is worth the OOS (SLO is in CA for those who don't know).

Yes, that other thread is about business, not CS, but IMO, it goes to show how even people here in the DC area regard VT.

I am going to repeat it one more time. It does NOT matter where you go to college for fields like CS or Information Technology.

I develop AI software that many recruiting companies use in screening their potential candidates. None of them consider where you go college as a determining factor in the initial screening.

+100

I would say below the top 20 schools it matters less. We asolutely target specific schools for new technical hires and they are all in the top 20. We attend job fairs, we reruit interns from them, we solicit their grads. Its not a passive ATS system when we bring on early career talent. The top CS kids have offers by August of Junior year because there was a strong intern pipeline where these things are locked up.