<p>I was wanting some opinions on the Computer Science programs at Purdue or Virginia Tech. According to US News, Purdue is #20 and Virginia Tech is #44 nationally, but do these rankings mean anything?</p>
<p>Short answer NO. The undergraduate ranking for VT is much higher than the graduate ranking. I think I’ve seen the VT undergrad program ranked at 14. I believe Purdue’s undergrad program is also much higher ranked than its graduate program.</p>
<p>The CS program at VT is fine with one big caveat. VT gives AP credit for the basic introductory freshman CS class but they do not allow you to test out of other required introductory CS courses. If you already have an advanced knowledge of CS these policies can be extremely frustrating. Since many classes have prerequisites its difficult to advance more quickly in the program. VT’s CS program is designed for students who have minimal exposure to CS. </p>
<p>My son’s friend is in the CS program at Purdue and didn’t seem to have this issue. Either the coursework was more advanced from the get-go or he was able to skip some classes (not sure).</p>
<p>If you are from Indiana, then Purdue.</p>
<p>If you are from Virginia, then Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>That’s how you decide.</p>
<p>ChrisTKD: Im not by any means advanced, so I’d be fine with a base course.</p>
<p>XtremePower: I will get in-state tuition for either, so I’m more wondering about the program strengths!</p>