Computing at the Peer Schools


These are the schools to which Drew compares itself (as of 4 Sept. 1998) and the computer systems they support (which is not necessarily the same as the computer systems they tolerate). I've removed the UNIX/VAX info since that's not really of relevance (though some places say that linux is growing in popularity).

No-Windows schools are highlighted in pale red, no-Mac schools in pale blue.

An asterisk after the school's name indicates that, like Drew, they use a Novell network on campus. It is likely that not all schools that use Novell are asterisked.

The Bottom Line

Of the 22 peer schools, 4 are No-Mac (including Drew), 3 No-Windows, and the rest mixed. None of the 11 overlap or aspiration schools were unmixed, though one was mainly Windows with little Mac support.

This seems to reflect a general trend in higher ed, where Macs used to dominate, but have recently lost ground to Windows, though few places have gone all-Windows, instead becoming mixed. (See a memo to the faculty from the head of academic computing at Haverford, which has recently made the move to add Windows.) The results of Apple's economic and sales successes in the last several years (until the recent industry-wide slow-down), especially since the release of the iMac, seem to have put Apple back into higher-education strongly. Apple has recently made several moves to improve its education sales, and they are likely to gain more ground in the next fiscal year.

Last updates were 30 Apr 01 for the previously all-Windows and all-Mac schools, and 10-12 Oct 01 for all realistic aspiration and overlap-not-peer.


SchoolSupported OSes
Allegheny CollegeWin (Macs have network access, but no support)
Beloit CollegeMac-Win
Connecticut CollegeMac-Win
DePauw UniversityMac-Win
Dickinson CollegeMac-Win
Drew UniversityWin
Earlham CollegeMac-Win
Franklin & Marshall CollegeMac
Gettysburg CollegeMac-Win
Hobart and William Smith CollegesMac-Win
Kalamazoo CollegeMac-Win
Kenyon CollegeMac-Win
Macalester College*Mac-Win
Occidental CollegeMac-Win
Reed CollegeMac
Rhodes CollegeMac-Win
St. Lawrence University*Mac-Win
University of the SouthMac-Win (only a few & for admin; not a standard)
Washington and Jefferson CollegeWin
Wheaton CollegeMac-Win
Whitman CollegeMac-Win
Willamette UniversityMac-Win
Overlap-Not Peer
Bucknell UniversityMac-Win
Lafayette CollegeMac-Win
Haverford CollegeMac-Win (beginning Fall '98)
Muhlenberg College*Mac-Win (Macs allowed but no Novell support)
Skidmore CollegeMac-Win
Realistic Aspiration Schools
Bates CollegeMac-Win
Colby CollegeMac-Win
Grinnell CollegeMac-Win
Hamilton CollegeMac-Win
Middlebury CollegeMac-Win
Trinity CollegeMac-Win