UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                             (Amendment No.______)*


                    Systems & Computer Technology Corporation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                                  Common Stock
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                    871873105
                  ---------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)



                                December 31, 2001
         --------------------------------------------------------------
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)


Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
                                   is filed:

                                [X] Rule 13d-1(b)
                                [ ] Rule 13d-1(c)
                                [ ] Rule 13d-1(d)


*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).

                               Page 1 of 10 pages



------------------------------                        ------------------------
  CUSIP No. 871873105                 13G               Page 2 of 10 Pages
            ---------------
------------------------------                        ------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P. 36-3820584
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
        Not Applicable                                          (b) [_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4
        Delaware
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF              None
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
     OWNED BY               2,130,000
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING               None
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                            2,130,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
        2,130,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
        Not Applicable                                                   [_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
        6.4%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        IA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!



------------------------------                        ------------------------
  CUSIP No. 871873105                 13G               Page 3 of 10 Pages
            ---------------
------------------------------                        ------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
        Not Applicable                                          (b) [_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4
        Delaware
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF              None
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
     OWNED BY               2,130,000
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING               None
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                            2,130,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
        2,130,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
        Not Applicable                                                   [_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
        6.4%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        CO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!



------------------------------                        ------------------------
  CUSIP No. 871873105                 13G               Page 4 of 10 Pages
            ---------------
------------------------------                        ------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
 1    S.S or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

        Liberty Acorn Trust
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
 2                                                              (a) [_]
        Not Applicable                                          (b) [_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      SEC USE ONLY
 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
 4
        Massachusetts
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          SOLE VOTING POWER
                     5
     NUMBER OF              None
      SHARES       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED VOTING POWER
   BENEFICIALLY      6
     OWNED BY               1,800,000
                   -----------------------------------------------------------
       EACH               SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                     7
    REPORTING               None
      PERSON       -----------------------------------------------------------
                          SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
       WITH          8
                            1,800,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
 9
        1,800,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
10
        Not Applicable                                                   [_]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
11
        5.4%
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
12
        IV
------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Item 1(a)      Name of Issuer:

                        Systems & Computer Technology Corporation


Item 1(b)      Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                        4 Country View Road
                        Malvern, Pennsylvania  19355


Item 2(a)      Name of Person Filing:

                        Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM")
                        WAM Acquisition GP, Inc., the general partner of WAM
                           ("WAM GP")
                        Liberty Acorn Trust ("Acorn")


Item 2(b)      Address of Principal Business Office:

                        WAM, WAM GP, and Acorn are all located at:

                        227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
                        Chicago, Illinois  60606


Item 2(c)      Citizenship:

                        WAM is a Delaware limited partnership; WAM GP is a
                        Delaware corporation; Acorn is a Massachusetts business
                        trust.

Item 2(d)      Title of Class of Securities:

                        Common Stock

Item 2(e)      CUSIP Number:

                        871873105

Item 3         Type of Person:

                        (d)   Acorn is an Investment Company under section 8 of
                              the Investment Company Act.

                        (e)   WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under
                              section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of
                              1940; WAM GP is the General Partner of the
                              Investment Adviser.

                               Page 5 of 10 pages



Item 4         Ownership (at December 31, 2001):

                        (a)   Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of
                              rule 13d-3:

                              2,130,000

                        (b)   Percent of class:

                              6.4% (based on 33,081,084 shares outstanding as of
                              December 7, 2001)

                        (c)   Number of shares as to which such person has:

                                 (i)  sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
                                      none
                                (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the
                                      vote: 2,130,000
                               (iii)  sole power to dispose or to direct the
                                      disposition of:  none
                                (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct
                                      disposition of: 2,130,000

Item 5         Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

                        Not Applicable

Item 6         Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:

                        The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf
                        of discretionary clients of WAM, including Acorn.
                        Persons other than WAM and WAM GP are entitled to
                        receive all dividends from, and proceeds from the sale
                        of, those shares. Acorn is the only such person known to
                        be entitled to all dividends from, and all proceeds from
                        the sale of, shares reported herein to the extent of
                        more than 5% of the class.

Item 7         Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
               Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
               Company:

                        Not Applicable

Item 8         Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

                        Not Applicable

Item 9         Notice of Dissolution of Group:

                        Not Applicable

                               Page 6 of 10 pages



Item 10        Certification:

                        By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
                knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were
                acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and
                were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with
                the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer
                of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in
                connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
                that purpose or effect.

                               Page 7 of 10 pages



                                    Signature
                                    ---------

         After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Date:  February 14, 2002


                The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
                and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this Schedule
                13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of the security
                reported herein.

                                   WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
                                      for itself and as general partner of
                                      LIBERTY WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.



                                   By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                           Bruce H. Lauer
                                           Senior Vice President and Secretary

                The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
                and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this Schedule
                13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of the security
                reported herein.

                                   LIBERTY ACORN TRUST



                                   By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                           Bruce H. Lauer
                                           Vice President, Treasurer and
                                           Secretary

                               Page 8 of 10 pages



                                  Exhibit Index
                                  -------------

Exhibit 1           Joint Filing Agreement dated as of February 14, 2002 by and
                    among Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P., WAM Acquisition
                    GP, Inc. and Liberty Acorn Trust

                               Page 9 of 10 pages







                                                                       EXHIBIT 1

                             JOINT FILING AGREEMENT

         The undersigned hereby agree to the joint filing of the Schedule 13G to
which this Agreement is attached.

                     Dated:  February 14, 2002


                                 WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
                                     for itself and as general partner of
                                     LIBERTY WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.



                                 By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                         Bruce H. Lauer
                                         Senior Vice President and Secretary

                                 LIBERTY ACORN TRUST



                                 By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                         Bruce H. Lauer
                                         Vice President, Treasurer and
                                         Secretary

                               Page 10 of 10 pages