Aralia Students Are 3x More Likely to Place Top Computer Science Competitions
| 2024 Ranking by CS Major | 2024 Overall Ranking by U.S News | School | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | MIT | Massachusetts |
| 2 | 24 | Carnegie Mellon University | Pennsylvania |
| 2 | 3 | Stanford University | California |
| 2 | 15 | University of California, Berkeley | California |
| 5 | 35 | University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign | Illinois |
| 6 | 12 | Cornell University | New York |
| / | 60 | Rensselaer Polytechnic University | New York |
| 10 | 40 | University of Washington | Washington |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT is renowned globally as a STEM powerhouse. The Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) department offers several majors, including Computer Science and Engineering, Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making, and Computer Science and Molecular Biology. MIT places a strong emphasis on academic research, allowing students to learn about cutting-edge advancements in computer science, and potential opportunities to participate in some of these research projects.
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University’s computer science program has a long and distinguished history. The university is particularly noted for its strengths in artificial intelligence and introduced the first undergraduate AI major in 2018. In 2020, it also established a human-computer interaction major. The school emphasizes undergraduate research, with most CS students completing research either at the university or through internships.
Additionally, Carnegie Mellon offers interdisciplinary majors that combine CS with the arts, which are valuable for students interested in robotics art, game design, and interactive stage arts.
Stanford University
Stanford University’s Computer Science Department, established in 1965, consistently ranks amongst the top in the world. Besides coursework, students can participate in Stanford’s Undergraduate Computer Science Research Program (CURIS). Stanford places a high value on undergraduate research, offering many opportunities for CS students to gain hands-on research experience through internships, classes, or independent study. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford offers students easy access to numerous tech companies for internships or future career prospects.
University of California, Berkeley
Like Stanford, UC Berkeley benefits from its proximity to Silicon Valley, and is renowned for its excellent STEM programs. CS students can choose from multiple tracks based on their goals, whether they aim to pursue a Ph.D. or enter the workforce directly. With its large size, UC Berkeley offers various courses, allowing students to tailor their education to their interests.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
UIUC is known for its top engineering programs, including computer science. Historical data shows nearly 2,000 undergraduates enrolled in its CS program, with around 20+ CS undergraduate pathways. Students can choose interdisciplinary majors, combining CS with advertising, chemistry, music, philosophy, or other fields. This flexibility helps students prepare for specific industries where they plan to work in computer science.
Unlock Your Programming Potential: Students in Our American Computer Science League Competition Preparation Class Are More Likely to Secure Awards
Cornell University
Cornell University’s CS program provides a solid foundation in algorithms, data structures, logic, programming languages, and theory. After completing the core courses, students can choose from various CS electives based on their interests. Cornell offers small class sizes and opportunities for independent research under the guidance of renowned professors. The university has several student organizations focused on CS, including the Information Science Student Association and the Women in Computing at Cornell, providing students with numerous networking opportunities and support systems.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)
Computer science is currently the most popular major at RPI, with hundreds of students enrolled. The program emphasizes flexibility, offering many elective courses and options for minors or dual majors. Students can conduct research at the Rensselaer Center for Open Source and earn both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in computer science in five years.
University of Washington
Located in Seattle, home to many leading tech companies, including Amazon’s headquarters, the University of Washington offers significant opportunities for CS students. The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering has around 2,000 undergraduates majoring in computer science or computer engineering. The program’s large size provides students with numerous course options, research positions, teaching assistantships, study abroad opportunities, and internships.
Prepare for Computer Science Competitions With Aralia Education
For students interested in applying for a CS major in their undergraduate studies, especially those aiming for prestigious universities, it is essential to maintain strong academic performance while enhancing their application profile through extracurricular activities. Participating in computer programming competitions is an excellent choice! Not only does it improve your technical skills, but it also showcases your competitiveness and other soft skills. These competitions help develop problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and performance under pressure, all qualities that US college admissions officers value.
Overall, students planning on a future career in the dynamic field of computer science should seriously consider these 8 universities as their first choices for higher education. Doing further research into the pre-requisites and requirements for these school’s programs is an important step for high school students to adequately prepare for their future at any of these prestigious universities!
• The program begins with two weeks of dedicated programming practice to provide participants with an opportunity to enhance their skills.
• Each of the 12 ACSL topics is allocated a two-week period, allowing ample time for in-depth exploration and understanding.
• Prior to each contest, participants are presented with two programming problems that are intentionally unrelated to the current topics.
• A Scholastic National Silver Medal Instructor and award-winning coach for major competitions
• Teach creative writing at a university and mentor young writers
• She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a Juris Doctor degree
