<p>Some of the most influential universities in computer science include Carnegie Mellon (they set the industry standard in software engineering!), Georgia Tech and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. You’d find an abundance of courses and research activity at these big public universities, but you wouldn’t get anywhere near the personal attention as at a smaller private university.</p>
<p>The University of Washington has a top-ranked CS program and is particular popular because of its location in Seattle (home to many tech companies). The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is smaller and slightly less-selective but renown for the strength of its engineering programs. Northeastern has made a name for itself with its co-op programs. </p>
<p>Prestige aside, most big universities have good CS programs. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville (in-state for you?) has a perfectly fine CS program too.</p>