Member Avatar for tborchardt

Hello All,

I'm a new member here at Daniweb and have been looking for an IT related forum to ask this question:

In your honest opinion, employee, employer, etc., do you think it matters what college one obtains a degree in Information Technology from when it comes to high amounts of competition?

One I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this question. If not could someone direct me to a forum that could assist me in this question.

Two if this is a good place for the question let me add a couple details about myself.

I am currently looking at Uni South Carolina and looking at their Integrated Information Technology degree with a minor in business from their highly regarded business college.


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To go along with this even though it probably does not pertain to the question but I'm an IT Intern at the college I'm attending (A freshman/sophomore college in Wisconsin).

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by loisnees2012

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Short answer for : school name can open doors early, but long-term hiring decisions come down to demonstrable skills, projects, and experience. That point echoes observations from and , while also recognizing ’s note that a degree signals trainability. In practice the difference between institutions is mostly about hiring filters and networking—certain selective programs or government/cleared roles will weigh pedigree more, but most employers move on to real-world evidence after the first job.

A practical checklist for comparing programs (beyond prestige): curriculum currency (are courses updated to industry tools and practices), capstone or portfolio requirements, internship/co‑op pipelines, faculty with industry ties, lab/stack access, career‑placement statistics, class size, and local employer connections. Where possible, review syllabi, ask career services for placement data, and contact recent alumni about the kinds of roles they obtained.

Concrete ways to make any degree "stand out": convert internship work into measurable portfolio pieces (public repos, writeups, before/after metrics), pick one technical focus to build depth while the business minor broadens context, complete 1–2 industry‑relevant certifications or short courses that fill gaps, participate in hackathons or open‑source, and collect at least two strong professional references from supervisors. Resume bullets that show impact (hours saved, features delivered, percentage improvements) speak louder than school names.

Longer term the pattern is consistent: after a few years of relevant work, hiring leans on outcomes and domain experience rather than alma mater. A sensible approach for is to prioritize programs that offer hands‑on work and employer connections over pure prestige, leverage the current campus internship for tangible deliverables, and map an annual plan (courses → project → internship → portfolio) to demonstrate continuous, transferable progress.

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Member Avatar for harinath_2007

do you think it matters what college one obtains a degree in Information Technology from when it comes to high amounts of competition

As in my opinion , The fame of the reputed college will only help you to the extent of getting a job . But ultimately , it is your talent and hard work that will mould your future.

After you get into a certain position in your life , i think no one cares about your college and from where you have been graduated.

All the best.

Member Avatar for deceptikon

In your honest opinion, employee, employer, etc., do you think it matters what college one obtains a degree in Information Technology from when it comes to high amounts of competition?

Realistically, it can matter. Most of the time it only matters that you have a degree, and in IT related fields that's usually only for your first job. Every job beyond that will probably care more about your experience than your education. But it all depends on the employer.

Member Avatar for stultuske

most employers expect a starter to have a degree, not so that they can prove they know "the stuff", basically, they don't, couldn't and aren't really expected to, but to show they are capable of learning new things on a short time, absorbing enough information to pass the exams.

but sure, there are (some) employers who will only take graduates of certain institutions, but after a few years, your experience will do the talking.

Member Avatar for loisnees2012

IT education is becoming more and more diversified – the college you go to is important but the program you choose is equally important. Colleges that offer programs reflecting the current market job needs are obviously hot. For example, Stevens-Henager College offers IT programs with a choice of emphasis in networking, programming, social media technology, and information systems security. All of these are very in-demand career options

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