Will going to top liberal arts colleges for undergrad be that much worse than top CS uni's?

Each school's CS program will differ from the next one, but I think you should know that CS is a highly, highly competitive major right now. Many students with even 3.5+ GPA's are getting turned down from majoring in CS, at even state colleges.

So you should really determine which schools will even allow you into their Computer Science programs first by applying early, and then making a decision based off of the ones who will accept your application.

All of these colleges have to meet specific criteria in order to be allowed to award degrees in their fields of study, including computer science. A CS degree from nearly any school, whether Ivy League or "State", will offer the same base value on a resume. Avoid for-profit schools that are in the ITT Tech category. The name of the college from which you earn your degree is not nearly as important as the required job experience and demonstrated skills employers will want to see during the interview process. The degree is literally there to get your foot in the door, keep your resume out of their trash can, and meet a minimum requirement while showing that you are educated. The related job experience and your applied programming knowledge is what they'll be focusing on to assess if you are capable of working for them.

My main suggestion would be to research each school further, getting in contact with recruiters and the heads of their Computer Science departments. E-mail will be your best bet here. Set up campus visits or phone meetings, and have a list of questions that focus around you getting employed after graduation. Ask about internships, job fairs, networking opportunities, and just in general what the school can offer you regarding finding a job when you're out. Some schools will have a lot more to offer than others, and those will be the key colleges you'll want to get into.

TL;DR: A CS degree from any accredited Ivy League or Liberal Arts college will have equal base value, and employers will not care nearly as much about your degree as they will your related job experience and demonstrated skills. Ask the schools what they can offer you to help find a job after graduation.

/r/cscareerquestions Thread