<p>I also know that some people feel that a B.S. in computer science is more marketable than a B.A. (This may or may not be true, but is something that some folks care about). Unfortunately, many Liberal arts schools will have BA programs, not BS programs, so that's something to keep in mind if this concerns you.</p>
<p>Another liberal arts school with an excellent computer science program is Allegheny College in western PA.</p>
<p>I think you'll find your needs can be met within "300 miles of central Iowa" but I can't help but share this thought (beat me with a stick if you must) while your search process is still young. </p>
<p>I have changed my understanding of distance, after 3 kids, because I see how long and expensive car travel is. Some of it will involve your S's feeling of where he is comfortable, and if his emotional comfort zone is there, then no need to mess with that. But ask yourself if it's you or him deciding the 300-mile thing.</p>
<p>If you both begin to feel there are not enough options inside your circle on the map, then it might be worth the exercise to dial up Expedia.com and compare the flight costs to some other locations, against the cost of driving, which includes wear-and-tear on the car. If there is a direct flight, and discount fares to a major city such as St. Louis or Chicago (just pulling these out of my hat), other than that first drive-out to deliver him he might just come and go by plane, and save you time and money. Also, don't look for the fares next week; look many months ahead for the route, since deals are sometimes bad with last-minute air ticket purchase.
This also depends on how he feels about cars, of course. But most colleges and universities don't require cars, by any means, and have shuttles from airports to the college on key days. So it's all doable, just takes time to get used to thinking this way.<br>
Anyway, it has really changed my approach to where I'm comfortable sending my kids; instead of looking at map miles, I now measure it by flight-fares. And, this goes without saying, we don't mind flying in planes, security, etc. which some people don't like. It's personal. </p>
<p>I just wanted to say it, since you're looking for a specialized major from a less populous part of the country.</p>
<p>We were pleasantly surprised to discover that round trip flights to Pittsburgh are only $150 or so for us. We'll do the 400 mile drive to get our kid there, but after that I expect it will be flying.</p>
<p>I'm not convinced that BS vs BA matters so much in computer science. Getting hired is more a question of what you know and what experience you have. (The difference in most places that offer both is a few more courses.)</p>
<p>I currently have two daughters majoring in Computer Science, one at UCSD and the other at UCLA. </p>
<p>Regarding Computer Science vs. Computer Engineering (and variants of this name) - The former tends to have a bit more programming courses and fewer electrical engineering courses and the latter the opposite. One isn't better than the other - it just comes down to what one is more interested in. In reality, there's a lot of overlap in the two degrees and many of them will be seeking the same jobs once done.</p>
<p>Some of the BA CS programs aren't in the School of Engineering at the colleges and may have more humanities and less of the engineering/programming requirements. At some colleges they may be easier to be accepted into.</p>
<p>And CS isn't about using applications (such as powerpoint, etc.). It's about learning the theory and practical skills to be able to solve problems and create the applications (this is very simplified - there's much more to it). </p>
<p>Let me know if you'd like more specific info based on my daughters' recent experience in this major.</p>
<p>Actually, I have heard that, unlike many areas of engineering, no one cares about ABET certification for computer science. Apparently many of the top CS programs are not ABET certified. Some places, like Harvard, offer only a BA degree, but students can take the number of courses that would be required elsewhere for a BS. At Princeton, they offer both BA and BS degrees in CS, and say that the computer science content of the degrees is identical.</p>
<p>I would agree with afan about ABET accredidation for computer science (computer engineering and electrical engineering are probably a different matter). Carnegie Mellon's CS program isn't accredited and neither is either MIT or Stanford.</p>
<p>As a student in computer science, I think it would be best to contact students at different schools and ask them what the focus is or look through course catalogs for graduation requirements. Even if you don't know what all the titles of the courses mean, you would be able to tell that CMU has almost no science core and a bunch of math classes, while MIT has much more of an engineering/science core. It's not an issue of one focus being better than another, but an issue of fit.</p>
<p>If anyone is in the Pittsburgh area and has a junior or younger interested in computer science, CMU runs a summer program that gives students a good idea of what computer science is other than programming. PM me if you want more information.</p>
<p>Paying3tuitions, thanks for the travel tips. The close proximity issue is related to factors that I wouldn't want to be public information. I appreciate your sharing information on the travel issues. It did give me some pause to look at our situation from a different perspective, and I did do a little research on travel costs. Thanks!</p>
<p>Everyone else: thank you! This has been a terrific discussion and you all have provided some very helpful comments for a newbie college-kid parent. I'm keeping lots of notes!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Rose-Hulman can't be that far outside the 300-mile limit. </p></li>
<li><p>I know nothing about computer science at any of these, but he should probably check out Grinnell, Beloit, and Lake Forest.</p></li>
</ol>