Masters in computer science program rankings abound but which ones are the most valuable to you? The truth is that some of the rankings you will find will be worthless, some will be useful, and some are designed to give you exactly what you want. Read on to learn about all three kinds of rankings and how to tell the difference.
Worthless Rankings
It may sound harsh to call some masters in computer science program rankings worthless but when you are planning for your future, it is not the time to mince words. Some rankings are worthless because they are not compiled in a logical manner. Maybe the list contains programs that are not accredited or maybe inappropriate criteria were used to compile the list, if any criteria were used at all. Find out who put together the list and how they did it. Then you will know if a list is worthless.
Useful Rankings
Useful masters in computer science program rankings are compiled by reputable sources and are created using solid criteria. The programs on the list are accredited and are ranked according to the quality of their masters in computer science programs. Exactly how useful a list will be to you will depend upon how closely the criteria used to form the list match the criteria that you would use to judge such programs.
Rankings Made For You
There are even some web sites that will compile a list of masters in computer science program rankings especially for you. They ask you to rate how important certain aspects of your academic experience are to you. For example, they may ask how important a program that is short in duration is to you, how important high profile faculty members are to you, or how high the tuition is.
This is clearly the best option for school rankings because you can create the rankings based on what matters to you. As helpful as generalized rankings may be, if you have different priorities than whoever compiled the general rankings then the school that tops that list may not top yours. Creating the rankings yourself is always best.
Masters in computer science rankings can go anywhere from being useless to being godsends. It all depends on what you are looking for and what the list that you are inspecting was looking for. Just make sure that your priorities line up with those of whoever made the list before you make any decisions.
