The issue with really learning computer science outside top well known schools is that you're basically on your own for education (or worse if taught wrong). Open source software somewhat teaches you things but usually by trial by fire.
I went to an unknown state school and I got a damned fine education. Top schools don’t have a monopoly on good teachers or good students, not even remotely close.
Really? I went to a non-top school and putting aside the formal education component, I felt like I also had plenty of co-learning. That is, I remember many study groups where we helped each other learn, including for programming.
Similar experience here, my university helped people form study groups near final exams and had a "homework club", where final year and grad students were paid to help first and second year students with their assignments for a couple hours a week, and people were encouraged to meet each other in that club and find "study buddies" (but no-one actually called it that, because ugh)
Covered everything from the programming to the multivariable calculus and data science (much harder to find students confident enough to teach others for those last two though)
Moreover, the on your own for education bit, even if true is a bit dishonest. Being "on your own" with this in 2018 is absolutely incomparable to how it was 10 years ago, much less 20 or more. The amount of materials accessible for free or extremely cheap is mind-blowing to people who had to learn programming from a single (physical) copy of Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language".
That isn't totally wrong, but I think you drew the line in the wrong place. There are numerous less-known schools that are OK, but a typical community college or liberal arts school isn't going to deliver the goods. State universities are sometimes good.
