Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Minot State, Jamestown, North Dakota State University, and University of North Dakota.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Jamestown, University of North Dakota, Dickinson State, and North Dakota State University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Jamestown, North Dakota State College of Science, Dakota College, and North Dakota State University.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Cankdeska Cikana Community College, Minot State, Dakota College, and North Dakota State College of Science.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
University Of North Dakota • Grand Forks, ND
Studying Accountancy (completion in 2008)
• 4/30/2011
"I got a good education for a reasonable price. Learned everything that a more expensive larger school would teach you."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a very good choice economically speaking. Provides a very good business base to begin your career. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | They are highly recruited in the accounting area. All of the big 4 recruit. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I was never into getting involved with all the groups. As recruiting time became closer I realized I needed to get more involved so I joined a group. |
| Instruction | 8 | All the teachers were very knowledgeable. And they took the time to teach you if you were willing to put in the effort. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There were a handful of classes that were a breeze. While a couple took up most of your time just to achieve a B. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Would have liked more cases or real world experience in the classroom. A lot of concentration on book problems. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Never had a problem with scheduling classes. Was able to complete my degree without any scheduling conflicts. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Computer and technology services were very good. Business school was comparable to a larger institution. |
| Social Life | 9 | Made a lot of new friends and still keep in touch with them. Very easy to become friends with many of the students. |
| Placement Services | 10 | All of my friends in accounting had jobs before graduation. I think this attests to the quality of the program. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | A lot of alumni recruiting and social events. Although not as much as I see at other schools. |
University Of California, Santa Barbara • Santa Barbara, ND
Studying Business Economics With Accounting Emphasis. There Was No Accounting Degree, So An Accounting Emphasis Was The Best I Could Get. (completion in 1998)
• 7/6/2011
"I loved my time at UC Santa Barbara and am extremely satisfied with attending the school and the major I chose. I frequently wish I would have worked less and enjoyed the social aspects of school more than I did. In thinking about my time there I also strongly regret graduating in four years. I should have stayed another year to pursue some silly minor and enjoyed the beautiful campus and surrounding areas for a little while longer."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Absolutely I would recommend UC Santa Barbara for accounting or auditing. Aside from the fantastic qualities of the school as a whole, the accounting faculty is great and will prepare students for the real world. The school is visited frequently by recruiters from the Big 4 accounting firms, especially from Los Angeles, and your chances of getting a job (if you are at least an above average student) are very good. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I frequently encounter graduates from UC Santa Barbara at my clients and through the Big 4 auditors that service my clients (I work closely with the auditors as well), and all speak highly of the reputation of the school in the community. In my business dealings over the last decade I have consistently heard that UC Santa Barbara has a very good (but not great) reputation for accounting and auditing graduates. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I recall some classes being quite good and informative (the 3 classes in the tax series, intermediate accounting, finance) and others as being literally painful (cost accounting). In retrospect I realize that I wasn't necessarily ready to learn everything that was being taught. I was working approximately 30 hours per week to put myself through college and didn't have the time or resources to devote to my studies to get as much out of it as I should have. Since I had little real world experience (no internships) in accounting, I frequently was unable to apply what was being taught to real world situations. |
| Instruction | 7 | I distinctly recall several instructors as being very good, and very passionate about not only accounting, but teaching as well. There were a couple of instructors with communication issues (they were non-native English speakers) for a few of the pre-requisite classes, and I specifically remember the statistics class professor being particularly difficult to understand. I don't know if many of the classes really prepared me for my career or were particularly relevant to my current work, but they were very relevant to passing the CPA exam, which was the next crucial step between college and my work life. |
| How Difficult | 7 | My course of study was by no means easy, but it also was not extremely strenuous. I maintained approximately a 2.8 GPA by studying (more or less) one hour for each hour of in-class instruction. I could very well have studied harder and received better grades, and those who were the highest achievers in the program did indeed study intensely (probably twice what I did, 20-25 hours per week). Many of the classes, topics, and ideas were academically challenging and made me learn, grow, and stretch my foundation of knowledge, but I feel that anyone with a decent analytical mindset and reasonable work ethic could achieve the same results I did. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a good mix between hands on and book learning. My field of study wasn't necessarily conducive to hands on learning (there were no labs or practicums), but there was an emphasis on real world skills such as writing and communication. The general education classes I took that did involve labs seemed to have a good mix between hands on and book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I graduated in 1998, before online classes were offered. Evening and weekend classes were rare, but still offered on occasion. Summer sessions offered enough classes to help students graduate on time, but there wasn't a significant array of class choices. I assume that since my graduation the school has gotten more flexible in terms of online classes and other non-traditional learning opportunities. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The library, computer center and media center were of very high quality when I attended, and that was in 1998. I am quite sure that they have only grown in number and technological capability since then. Classrooms were mostly older (most building were built in the 1970's and 1980's), but still quite adequate. All professors were required to have office hours at least once per week, and many offered them more frequently than that. I never utilized academic advisers, tutors, or academic support during my time at school. |
| Social Life | 9 | UC Santa Barbara was widely regarded as one of the best party schools during the 1990's, and that held true when I was there. There was never a lack of social outings or parties to attend, and it was a great school for partying and meeting new friends. Our football team had disbanded the year before I arrived in 1994, so basketball was the biggest sporting event at school, and games were strongly attended and very festive events. School spirit and general happiness were very good as the location was beautiful and encouraging of good times. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I never utilized the job placement and career services centers at my school, though I do acknowledge that they had a high visibility and large presence on campus. They did have a reputation on campus (during my time there) as being quite capable and helpful in job placement. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I can't really answer this question as I haven't explored the alumni program for my school much, if at all. I belong to a newsletter that sends information and updates to alumni, but that's about it. When I lived in Southern California (near where the college is located), there were regular events in my area, but I never attended. In my current location in North Dakota, I doubt there are any alumni events in the area, but to be fair I haven't explored it. |
University Of North Dakota • Grand Forks, ND
Studying Social Work (completion in 2004)
• 3/23/2012
"The information was fun and interesting. I enjoyed learning. I do not like having a large debt and no job in my field as of yet."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school is excellent. It is the job market that makes it a struggle. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The college is very well known in this region. Other programs are known nationally. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The classes were very informative and hands on. If jobs were available, I would know how to operate well in my field. |
| Instruction | 10 | There were a variety of learning opportunities. I was able to do field study during my graduating year. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I think studying is made easier by the amount of effort you put into learning. I was very interested in my field, so studying was fun for me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had book assignments, but as you progress through the program there is a real focus on field experience and hands on work. We did mock report assignments and visited different sites to see how others work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | You have to take the classes when they are available. Some students had to wait a semester or 2 before they could graduate because classes were not available. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We have a very supportive community as well as good amenities on campus. There are multiple libraries and tutors available for all types of learners. We also have special needs programs for individuals that struggle with learning skills. |
| Social Life | 2 | I like to stay home. I am shy around people I don't know. |
| Placement Services | 7 | If you are able to do your field study (job shadowing) in a place you are interested in working, you are likely to get hired on there. If you don't and have to try to find a job fresh out of college, most people don't get hired without experience. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Alumni donate back to the college and give speeches about and tours of their businesses to current students. Alumni in town open the doors for students to come get hands on experience in their fields. |
Minot State University • Minot, ND
Studying Accounting (completion in 2013)
• 3/26/2012
"I'm very glad that I chose to go to this school. I feel that going to this school has prepared me very well for my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | This is a great school for accounting. They have some of the best teachers I have ever had and the curriculum is fantastic for accounting. The college of business at MSU is a great place to get an accounting degree. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is easy to find a job as an accountant when you come out of MSU. The program gets you prepared for the career you want. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I thought the program at my school was very good. I feel that I am qualified for what I am doing. I went through very advanced accounting classes. |
| Instruction | 9 | I really enjoyed every teacher I had. They were very good teachers and they explained the concepts very thoroughly. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There was a very large work load. The worksheets we filled out took lots of time and concentration so that no mistakes were made. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some of my classes were all hands-on learning. Most of my classes were a good mix of hands-on and book oriented. I hardly had any classes that were all book oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | It was fairly flexible. Some classes were only offered every 2 years which made it hard to schedule my classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library is one of the biggest in the state. The computers are all up to date and some classrooms were just renovated. The advisors that I had to deal with were awesome and helped me choose which classes to take and when. |
| Social Life | 9 | I was very involved in school spirit. I loved going to the games. There were lots of social events that were so fun to attend. |
| Placement Services | I have never used the career placement center at my school. I went out and found a job on my own. | |
| Alumni Network | 6 | They have a great alumni network. They keep us up to date about what is going on at the school. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.