Which is better for computer science: Notre Dame or Virginia Tech?

For computer science specifically, Virginia Tech usually has the edge if you want a larger, more engineering-driven CS environment with broad course options, strong technical recruiting, and a campus culture where computing is a major academic center of gravity. Notre Dame is still a solid place to study CS, but it tends to fit students who want a smaller, more intimate program inside a university known just as much for its undergraduate community, teaching focus, and strong overall alumni network. In other words, this is less about one school being “good” and the other not, and more about which style of CS education you want.

Virginia Tech makes the most sense for the student who wants a classic big public tech-school experience. CS sits within a very established College of Engineering, the program is larger, and that usually translates into more classmates in computing, more specialized electives, more research labs tied to engineering and applied technology, and more employers who regularly recruit on campus for technical roles.

Notre Dame fits the student who wants computer science in a smaller-scale undergraduate setting where access to professors, advising, and campus community may feel more personal. If you care about combining CS with liberal arts, business, ethics, or interdisciplinary work, Notre Dame can be especially attractive. The university’s alumni network is very loyal and can be genuinely useful in job searching, even though the CS program itself is not usually the first one people name ahead of large engineering-focused publics.

For pure program strength in computer science, I would lean Virginia Tech. For a student choosing based on overall undergraduate experience, tighter community, and a broader university identity beyond tech, Notre Dame can be the more appealing place.