Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Accountants And Auditors
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University, UT Martin, and UT Chattanooga.
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 Hiwassee, Tennessee State, University of Memphis, and Martin Methodist.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Draughons Junior College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Tennessee State, Christian Brothers, University of Memphis, and Vanderbilt University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Lincoln Memorial, Union University, and Tennessee Technological University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Vanderbilt University, Rhodes College, Southern Adventist University, and Lee University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Hiwassee, Southern Adventist University, Lambuth University, and Rhodes College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Vanderbilt University, Rhodes College, Belmont, and The University of Tennessee.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Vanderbilt University, Rhodes College, Lambuth University, and Cumberland.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Hiwassee, Rhodes College, Vanderbilt University, and Carson - Newman.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Lipscomb University • Nashville, TN
Studying MBA (completion in 2007)
• 7/24/2011
"It provided the degree that I wanted without excessive busy work. The MBA program served as a good refresher from undergrad, but I wouldn't say that I learned anything new."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The name recognition is not good with Lipscomb. It turns out that nobody cares about the quality of MBA programs (probably because they are all largely ceremonial) and the most important thing one buys with an MBA degree is name recognition. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | People view it as an average university with a reasonable tuition cost. Unfortunately, it is not nationally recognized. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The professors were generally knowledgeable but the quality of the other MBA students was so low that I often found myself educating other students in group activities and not learning many new things. I would say an MBA serves as a good refresher from undergrad and a good item to have on the resume. |
| Instruction | 5 | The instructors had not, for the most part, had successful careers outside of academia. This hurt their credibility with those of us who were professionals. On the other hand, some professors did have successful careers, but they rarely discussed their personal views about the keys to success. The study material was largely canned since subjects in business are well known and fairly intuitive. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I would say the program was easier than average because I was working full time and only taking night classes. I never spent too much time at home working on homework, but rather, I would complete tasks during my day job. The professors rarely posed challenging questions - which is good because only a fraction of the students would have been up to the challenge. Any professor can assign a killer load of work. But will the work be meaningful? Probably not at my school. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The hands-on portion would be case-work and group projects, as well as an online business simulator we did during the first class. However, classes later in the program were more book-focused. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | They have day classes and night classes. I was most impressed by the fact that the international business trip was optional. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | All of the classrooms had good projector systems and the computer labs were well equipped and easy to access. Nobody really used the library, and labs were not dedicated to business. |
| Social Life | 5 | As an MBA program, there were really minimal opportunities for social (non-academic) interactions with fellow classmates. One exception would be the international business trip, which did allow us to socialize during our travels and tourism. |
| Placement Services | 1 | Little to no assistance is provided. Occasionally I will receive an e-mail notification that some low-level position is open, but never anything meaningful. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | Not much of an alumni network as far as I can tell. This is probably due to the fact that alumni rarely land positions after graduation that would grant them any kind of meaningful influence. |
University Of Tennessee • Knoxville, TN
Studying Liberal Arts, English (completion in 1982)
• 11/6/2011
"I certainly had a good education that prepared me well for the work I was to do. UTK was and is a very large school. It was hard to find a place to park to go to class, and on home game Saturdays, the library was often closed, which was frustrating."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If the person didn't mind crowds and wanted the big school experience, then UTK is a great school for them. If they want more attention and less crowds, then a smaller school would be better. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I haven't heard anything negative about UTK's business and accounting department. I would assume that they are still respected in this area. I know they now offer the Master of Accountancy degree, which is now required to sit for the CPA exam. Not every school offers this. |
| Program Quality | 10 | UTK has a strong and respected business department. The professors knew how to teach and were interested in their students. |
| Instruction | 10 | The professors were always on time and prepared. They were up to date on new trends in accounting. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I didn't find the program of study that difficult. I had already worked in the accounting field for many years and knew how to do the work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were some hands-on experiences, but it was mostly class work out of a book. Auditing had the most interesting class in a spreadsheet-creating activity. I still use the information I learned in that class. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I was able to take concentrated courses that were scheduled between quarters. I had night classes when I wanted them, and the other classes were offered at various times during the year. I never had to wait any time for a required class to be offered. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | I was able to have an appointment with a professor at any time. Labs, computers and library resources were readily available. |
| Social Life | 8 | So much was organized around football and basketball that if a student wasn't interested in that, there wasn't much else. However, there were other activities, if searched for. I was a member of the video tape committee and learned to run a camera and film shows. This wasn't funded very well, but we had fun. |
| Placement Services | 5 | When I was in school I was already employed by a CPA firm and I was going to work for them, so I didn't use this aspect of the university. I know some of the other students used this and seemed happy with the results. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I am not very involved with this. I do receive a magazine each quarter from UT with interesting articles about the school and some of the graduates. |
Middle Tennessee State University • Murfreesboro, TN
Studying Accounting (completion in 1986)
• 2/3/2012
"I liked MTSU, but I often wish that I had gone to a better school. I especially wish that I had completed my master's program at another university."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | For the price, MTSU is a good choice. I currently have a nephew going there for Accounting and a daughter in Music Business. But with the necessary finances, I would recommend a different school. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Since it has been a number of years since I graduated, I'm not sure of their current reputation. I was told that they lost their accreditation in the School of Business at some point, but I think that problem has been resolved. |
| Program Quality | 6 | MTSU is/was a good school and I feel that I got a good education there. The teachers were, for the most part, knowledgeable at what they were teaching. But every school has bad teachers as well, and MTSU is no exception. Looking back, I now wish that I had attended a more prestigious school. |
| Instruction | 6 | Every school has both excellent and poor teachers. I had a few excellent teachers and a few who were extremely bad. Most, however, were average. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I studied hard in college and was very concerned with my grades. Because I was very focused, I worked very hard to maintain a good GPA. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most classes that I took were very book oriented, but I would think that would be the case for all accounting programs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The class schedule offerings are very flexible now, with lots of evening and summer offerings. I have a nephew currently attending and majoring in accounting, so I am aware that he had flexibility when selecting his classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | I felt that MTSU had average facilities when I was there, but they continue to provide more resources to their students. I am not aware of the current resources in the accounting field. |
| Social Life | 7 | MTSU was definitely a party school, and from what I know, it appears that it still is. I was a little sister in a fraternity, so I was often at school events. |
| Placement Services | 4 | At the time, the school's job placement assistance did not seem very good. I did not go through the school to obtain my job. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni network appears to be average. I do receive information from them regularly, but do not participate in alumni activities. |
The University Of Tennessee, Knoxville • Knoxville, TN
Studying Accounting (completion in 1975)
• 2/4/2012
"I was just back from Vietnam, so any problems with the program were probably mine and not the business school's."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is my understanding the program has dramatically improved. It is also a good value when compared to other programs. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Not at the Vanderbilt level, but seems to be improving its rankings. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The program could have been more computer oriented. |
| Instruction | 9 | Professors were generally good, but sometimes short in the systems area. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was pretty difficult for me, but I was not a terribly well-prepared student. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | By its nature, accounting is very hands on. There was plenty of practical work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was in the full-time day program. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Facilities have much improved since I was enrolled. |
| Social Life | I was a newly married student beginning a family, so I was not very involved socially, outside the Church. | |
| Placement Services | 8 | I got a position right out of school, so it must have been adequate. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Seems to be oriented around the sports programs, and some around the business school. |
University Of Tennessee At Chattanooga • Chattanooga, TN
Studying Accounting And Finance (completion in 2002)
• 3/5/2012
"Overall, I am very satisfied with my time spent at UTC. However, I feel I may have missed out on some of the social aspects."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I believe UTC has an excellent school of business. I would definitely recommend it to anyone pursuing an Accounting or Finance career. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I have spoken with many graduates from UTC's school of business. All have spoken very highly of the professors. |
| Program Quality | 8 | UTC was a wonderful school to attend. However, I chose it for financial and geographical reasons, not because it was my "dream school." |
| Instruction | 8 | The vast majority of my professors were outstanding. They did their best to keep a challenging subject interesting. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I double majored in Accounting and Finance, so that was pretty tough. The Finance courses came rather easily to me. However, my upper level accounting classes were quite challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | With my major(s), it is a little hard to have anything but book learning. When it comes to accounting, we relied heavily on our textbooks. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I do not remember ever having trouble scheduling the classes I needed. I worked two jobs while in school and still managed to take my classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Our library was great. We also had computer labs dedicated just to the school of business. Our business school advisors were always available and willing to help. |
| Social Life | 4 | I lived at home and was not part of a sorority. I attended a few fraternity parties and football games, but I focused mainly on academics and work. |
| Placement Services | 4 | Upon my graduation, the job market was terrible. Even with my good grades and double major, I did not get any job placement from the school. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I do not know much about the alumni network. I rarely hear from the school, which is a little disappointing. |
University Of Tennessee - Nashville • Nashville, TN
Studying Business (completion in 1983)
• 2/26/2012
"It was an ok school. Not really the classic college experience that a big school campus has, but I wasn't really looking for that."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | As the school really no longer exists as it did during my years, I would be unqualified to tell you what the new school is like. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | As the school is really not the same as it was then, it is unfair to compare the two schools. I have had a class or two there in the last 20 years and it seems to be ok. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The school at the time was very disorganized with a lot of teaching staff leaving. The location was good but didn’t have all the classes I wanted to take. |
| Instruction | 7 | Most of the instructors taught at two schools, many of them teaching at prestigious Vanderbilt University. I got some excellent teachers at a bargain education price. |
| How Difficult | 3 | On the job training was tougher than the school work. I had a good mentor who prepared me well for real life work that made the class work seem easy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Almost all book. I don't remember having more than one or two classes that were labs or out of class cooperatives. But it was a business school, after all. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | It had a decent number of summer classes and classes didn't seem to get cancelled or changed. No online options back then, though... |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Seemed to have decent facilities, though the classes were pretty large. Some classes seemed to thin out pretty well. We organized our own group support. |
| Social Life | 1 | No real extra-curricular activities at all. This was a night business school though, so I didn't expect too much. Seemed to be a lot of tension at the time. |
| Placement Services | 1 | There was no job placement there in the school at all. Luckily, I was already employed at the time and didn't need any assistance. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I have no real contact, since the school rolled up into Tennessee State University years ago. A victim of downsizing in the 1980's. |
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