<p>Princeton has one of the best CS programs in the country but whether or not is a good program for you depends on your specific interests. Berkeley and MIT have more students majoring in CS. Carnegie Mellon has done innovative research. I will try to provide information so that you can decide if CS at Princeton is a good fit for you.</p>
<p>PtonGrad2000 has done an extensive analysis of the The National Research Council’s data of the quality of graduate programs. See: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/1006939-princeton-2010-national-research-council-nrc-rankings-news-item.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/princeton-university/1006939-princeton-2010-national-research-council-nrc-rankings-news-item.html</a> This analysis ranked Princeton as number two in the U.S. after Stanford and before MIT. I think a fair analysis is that most observers would say that Princeton is a top five CS program and differing measures would sort the five universities in different order. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings’ Engineering and Technology ranks Princeton third in the world after MIT/Cal Tech and before Stanford. See: [Top</a> 50 engineering & technology universities](<a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-12/subject-ranking/subject/engineering-and-it]Top”>Subject Ranking 2011-12: Engineering & Technology | Times Higher Education (THE)) </p>
<p>Many ranking consider the number of courses, the number of professors and students. Larger departments are ranked higher. This type of metric would rank Princeton lower than larger universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked Princeton number one in terms of scholarly productivity. Your opportunities to be taught by a well known CS researcher is very high at Princeton.</p>
<p>Video on the history of computer science at Princeton: [Princeton</a> University - Alan Turing at Princeton University](<a href=“Alan Turing at Princeton University”>Alan Turing at Princeton University)
Alan Turing Symposium: [Alan</a> Turing Centennial](<a href=“Conifer | Archived page from the “Turing” Collection on Conifer”>Conifer | Archived page from the “Turing” Collection on Conifer)
Eric Schmidt’s keynote address: [Princeton</a> University - Honoring past computer science great, Schmidt looks forward](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S33/67/65Q12/]Princeton”>Honoring past computer science great, Schmidt looks forward)
Turing’s Legacy And Computer Science At Princeton:
Video: [VIDEO:</a> Turing’s legacy and computer science at Princeton ?*Princeton Engineering](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/engineering/video/player/?id=7260]VIDEO:”>http://www.princeton.edu/engineering/video/player/?id=7260) and [Princeton</a> Alumni Weekly: Daybreak of the Digital Age](<a href=“http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2012/04/04/pages/5444/index.xml]Princeton”>Daybreak of the Digital Age | Princeton Alumni Weekly)
Princeton research in modifying the Internet Protocol to allow for users to move between wireless networks and to enable companies to switch traffic among servers: [Princeton</a> University - Upgrading the Internet for the mobile age](<a href=“Upgrading the Internet for the mobile age”>Upgrading the Internet for the mobile age)
Princeton University’s High-Performance Computing Research Center: [Princeton</a> University - Princeton’s new computing research center builds research capacity](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S32/26/06E22/]Princeton”>Princeton's new computing research center builds research capacity)
Researchers have developed software that allows companies to substitute flash memory for RAM thus reducing the electrical power required. [Princeton</a> University - Innovation promises to cut massive power use at big data companies in a flash](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S34/22/11E01/]Princeton”>Innovation promises to cut massive power use at big data companies in a flash) </p>
<p>Non CS courses may be more different at the top CS universities. Berkeley is a very large state university. MIT has strength in every STEM subject. Stanford is in silicon valley. Princeton’s liberal arts departments are outstanding. Good luck in your university search.</p>