Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Executive Secretaries And Administrative Assistants
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Front Range Community College and Community College of Denver.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Community College of Denver and Arapahoe.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Arapahoe, Front Range Community College, and Community College of Denver.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Colorado Northwestern Community College and Arapahoe.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Colorado Northwestern Community College.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Colorado Northwestern Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Colorado Technical University • Colorado Springs, CO
Studying Business (completion in 2008)
• 8/14/2011
"The online learning experience overall was positive. I feel there are many people who succeed due to increasing their value package through education. This did not seem to happen for me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I think it actually depends on the company you are working for when you decide to pursue higher learning. Some companies will increase one's pay and/or position to reward the employee for going above and beyond through education, but others will not. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | My program was BSBA with an emphasis in project management. The school doesn't rank very highly among construction professionals. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The program seemed adequate, but due to being an online school, not all employers view it equally to a brick and mortar degree. Some employers feel that an online school is much too easy to be adequate for professionals. |
| Instruction | 8 | I feel the entire program was adequate, other than assistance with finding work following graduation. Many colleges do have a form of job placement, however this one did not. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Even though it is an online school, it required daily work. It is always difficult to devote a major part of your life while raising children and working full time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | With an online school it seems to be all book learning due to the online learning environment. Adventures in business are not the same as with the medical field, which require clinicals. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | For an online school I feel the schedule was better than another online school I attended for an Associate's Degree. It was up to the individual to check in appropriately for course materials and meet the due dates. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | CTU offered a wealth of resources in order to complete tasks and coursework. Online libraries today are much better than physical libraries and instructors are available pretty much around the clock to help students. |
| Social Life | 5 | With an online school it is difficult to socialize unless one is adjusted to a chat environment. Just as with a brick and mortar school, by the time a student's work is done, there is not much time to socialize if you have family responsibilities. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Even though this area may have improved since 2008, it was quite lacking at that time. I do not recall any form of career placement at the time of graduating. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I did not participate much in online school activities. As far as support for academics, it was fairly easy to find as the school offers 24-7 support. |
University Of Denver • Denver, CO
Studying International Development (completion in 2011)
• 11/3/2011
"The professors at the school were very knowledgeable in their fields, however I don't feel like we were giving real-world experience to bring with us into the workforce."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would suggest they decide whether they are preparing for a professional or academic future. Korbel would be great to prepare students to go into academics. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Rated top 10 in International Affairs schools in the US. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school prepared me for a career in development. I just came into the job market at an inopportune time. |
| Instruction | 4 | I wish our program had more practical, professional instruction. I also wish our career service office had better helped to place us. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Heavy coursework in international affair theory. Lots of papers and research! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | This program was very theory-based. I would have loved more hands-on experience! | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Provided day, night, and weekend classes. They worked with students who were working full-time. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We were provided with a lot of assistance. The library was extensive however the graduate program school was too small for the number of students who were admitted. |
| Social Life | 5 | Graduate school provided less club/activity options than undergrad. However, we were provided with access to sports events and events in the city. |
| Placement Services | 3 | The career service did a fairly good job in helping with resumes and cover letters but a poor job helping to place us in jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I have had no connection with DU alumni. I also have received no notification of alumni connections. |
Pikes Peak Community College • Colorado Springs, CO
Studying Liberal Arts (completion in 2007)
• 10/28/2011
"Average community college. I got my degree and moved on to a 4 year institution."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would suggest doing a 60-60 credit transfer to a 4 year university because the cost is cheaper. I would not recommend them for people who don't know what they want to do when they graduate. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I went into college not knowing what I wanted to do. A lot of people get an Associate's in Liberal Arts because they want to get finished up and move on to a bigger, better university. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The degree I received has not helped me to get any additional jobs. Employers don't care if you have an Associate's degree. |
| Instruction | 5 | The junior college that I went to was average. It was difficult to get career advising after you get your degree. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The degree that I got did not involve difficult courses. I wanted to finish up my degree quickly and move on to a 4 year university. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Liberal arts degrees tend to be more book learning rather than hands on. Hands on work tended to be in the science related courses (biology, chemistry, etc.). | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | There's flexible scheduling due to it being a community college. Night, weekend and online classes were available. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | I only used the library and computer labs. The library was mediocre with most of my book rentals being from other academic institutions instead of the one I attended. |
| Social Life | 1 | I went there for 6+ years and never knew the mascot. I also didn't know about any additional social clubs/events. |
| Placement Services | 1 | They never told me that they have a career development center and they may not. I was not offered any insight into what I can do after I got my degree. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I registered as an alumni and haven't heard anything from them in the 4+ years since I graduated from there. They don't have a career development center either which would help. |
Western State College Of Colorado • Gunnison, CO
Studying Business Administration (completion in 1998)
• 11/19/2011
"Looking back, I would have taken on the debt to attend a school that was rated higher. At the time, it was the best decision for me, as it was cheap and I was able to get a degree without acquiring any debt."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | From my experience, I found the education to be acceptable, but the information was old and idyllic. It would have been nice to graduate and have been up to date on technology and not to have to spend the next 4 years learning about the way a real business operates. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | This is not a college people choose for business administration anymore, as far as I know. I would not recommend it. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I found the information was two or three years out of date when I secured my first position after graduating, making me scramble to gather the most up-to-date information. The tenured educators who taught seemed to fall back on antiquated information frequently; they were not able to answer the challenging questions from students who were truly enthusiastic and inquisitive about the current emergent situations in the business world. |
| Instruction | 5 | Instructors were more occupied with their personal projects than with providing the education students came for, and they would fall back on prefabricated course schedules from years past. The information the instructors provided was often too out of date to be applicable in the current business markets; more work on their part to keep their classes current would have been most helpful. |
| How Difficult | 3 | Because the courses were based off of older and often antiquated business practices, there was very little challenge or opportunity for pushing the boundaries, other than hypothetical situations. Because the educators were teaching to the test, exceptional grades were the norm. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It seemed as if professors self-published and then made supplemental income by requiring that students purchase their texts for their courses. The entire experience was a litany of self-aggrandizement through text. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The courses were pretty inflexible, offering no online options, few evening options and no weekend options. Please consider that I attended college more than 10 years ago, so these options were not really the norm for small state colleges. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The facilities were constantly being improved and the library was excellent. Study groups were also easy to attend, but accessing time to professors was close to impossible. |
| Social Life | 4 | I never found a cohesive experience, but instead found fractious groups and very little cooperation when working for a common goal. The student government was a joke, and the athletic field, though varied and well funded, was always on the bottom tier. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I never received any assistance for job placement, nor did I receive an offer from the school to provide this service. Students were given a diploma, a pat on the back and sent on their way. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I have only received petitions for money as an alumnus and never received any support in job searches. Because I paid my tuition in cash, I never had any experiences with assistance and follow-up with financial aid; however, I have acquaintances that had very poor experiences working with the financial aid department in financing and paying off their education. |
Mesa State • Grand Junction, CO
Studying Finance (completion in 2009)
• 11/30/2011
"Very satisfied. Worth every penny."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Maybe if they have a limited budget. Maybe if they live in Grand Junction. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Does not have a reputation for being a business school. More of an education and engineering school. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I should have had more accounting classes. I think I need to take additional classes. |
| Instruction | 10 | Instruction was fine for the classes I had. Wish I would have had more accounting classes, though. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Could have been harder. More analytical and case study skills. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Hands-on learning was great. Plenty of experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Class availability is poor. Class options are limited. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Recently updated. Adequate facilities. |
| Social Life | 6 | Social life is great. Community was a great size. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The career center is helpful. Job placement is hard. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | No network events. Doesn't have an alumni program. |
IBMC • Fort Collins, CO
Studying Associate Of Accounting (completion in 2005)
• 1/18/2012
"While it didn't land me in the career I wanted, the experience was enjoyable. It motivated me to do more with my life than I had been, and the instruction broadened my horizons."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Mostly, I would advise people pursuing my career to do something more interesting. In my job as an assistant, I feel like a nanny to my boss a lot of the time, but that might just be my experience. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | They are far from the highest rated, but I would say they are solidly in the middle. The problem was a lack of focus on business. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The curriculum was fine. The problem is that I rarely use much of the more interesting information. No real-world experience included. |
| Instruction | 5 | The professors were experts in their fields, and always willing to help. The problem was that the material was often theoretical rather than utilitarian. |
| How Difficult | 2 | I found that most of the work could be completed quickly and easily for anyone with any technological savvy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a mix, but the hands-on learning was unhelpful in real-world job situations. The book learning was often theory that was interesting, but ultimately fell into the category of useless as well. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They had several options, including a large online curriculum. This is because they serve mostly working adults, rather than typical college students. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | My program was not their primary specialty. The advisers, professors, and tutors were always willing to work with you, but they had limited hours and too many students. |
| Social Life | 2 | The school was intended for those looking to further their education. They did not try to organize social gatherings. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They work with alumni to find jobs in the field and location that they want to work. It is a simple phone call to request that they find you what you want. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | They work very hard to place alumni in appropriate jobs. It is very useful when you are looking to relocate or change the focus of your career. |
University Of Denver • Denver, CO
Studying International Development (completion in 2010)
• 1/25/2012
"I got an excellent graduate education. It did not quite prepare me for the state of the economy, but it allowed me to explore my passion."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The program is not the best in the country, but it is quite good. The Denver location is incomparable. I certainly learned a lot and met great people. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The program is considered about 12th in the nation for International Development. We have notable alumni, such as Condoleezza Rice. |
| Program Quality | 8 | It is a strong program, but it does not offer the variety I was looking for. However, the instructors were topnotch. |
| Instruction | 7 | My adviser gave no guidance. However, the curriculum was excellent and I certainly learned a lot. I think that career preparation could have been much better. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There was a high workload and many of the classes were intellectually challenging. As with any graduate school program, a large amount of outside reading was involved for each course. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | While the book studies were both theoretical and practical, there was very little hands-on work in courses. However, internships were required, which provided hands-on, real-life experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Saturday and evening classes were very common for popular and required courses. This is helpful to working students. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The libraries and other resources are excellent. Tutors are easily available. Professors are accessible and love helping students, for the most part. I personally had a poor adviser, but I know many other students did not have that problem. |
| Social Life | 8 | As a graduate student, I primarily focused on schoolwork and my outside work. The student government hosted lectures and parties throughout the year that were good opportunities to socialize with fellow students. I did not attend any athletic events. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The career office is open to current students and alumni for assistance; however, it is understaffed. Additionally, the career services website is very difficult to navigate. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Our alumni group regularly holds happy hours for alumni of both our specific program and the entire university. There are plenty of opportunities for networking. |
Colorado Technical University • Pueblo, CO
Studying Business Management (completion in 2010)
• 2/13/2012
"It is ok, I guess. Mainly the instructors are great as well as the other students, but that's all."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I think it is way to expensive for the support and teaching we get here. It should be a lot better and focus more on the student. |
| Program Reputation | 2 | This major is not of great importance here. They focus on medical students and cater to them. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The quality of instruction was very good. The classes are difficult to pass, which means that you will learn something. |
| How Difficult | 3 | |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Hands on work is not done here much. It is mostly book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | They are very flexible. Most of your classes can be taken online if you would like. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | This is a very small campus. The only resources they have are computers. |
| Social Life | 1 | They really only have student senate here. No sports, activities, or fun of any kind. |
| Placement Services | 3 | There is no help for job placement. Once you graduate, you are on your own. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | The school's alumni network is poor since its a small private university. |
University Of Denver • Denver, CO
Studying International Business (completion in 2010)
• 2/4/2012
"Again, I loved DU. I found it very stimulating, engaging, and interesting. It was large enough that there were many choices, but not so large that you would get lost in the crowd."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think it takes a certain love for arranging things and careful attention to detail. I also really appreciate working with people, which I get to do on a daily basis - even at a very small firm! |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Daniels College of Business is rated 15th best by the Aspen Institute. It is constantly rated in the top 50 business schools in the United States. Every business program is very respected. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I loved my program at DU. My major in International Business prepared me to work with business professionals and gave me the skills necessary to handle information for high net worth clients. |
| Instruction | 10 | DU professors are all Ph.D. holders or the equivalent. I had professors who have worked in all ranges of business, both in the US and abroad, and who have taught in equally varied environments. They provided very helpful guidance. |
| How Difficult | 10 | I took it upon myself to enroll in very difficult courses at DU, taught by very good professors. I was also part of the honors program, which helped enhance my general curriculum classes. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Depending on the course material, teaching techniques vary. For most business classes there is a heavy emphasis on hands-on experience, creating presentations and portfolios. For most CORE courses, the work is more book-based. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Classes are primarily Monday through Thursday, generally meeting twice a week. The size of DU and its format provides a great number of course offerings for every subject. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Daniels College of Business is beautiful. In a fairly new building, it has state-of-the-art classrooms, meeting rooms, and common areas. There are projectors, smartboards, whiteboards, and some classrooms are equipped with video equipment. It really is a stunning facility. |
| Social Life | 10 | DU athletics revolve around hockey and lacrosse, both of which constantly make the playoffs and extend their seasons. Furthermore, there are a large number of clubs and a moderately active fraternity system. |
| Placement Services | 10 | The career center provided community support that helped me connect to DU grads as well as friends and former professors. Through these connections, I was able to secure a number of interviews and a permanent position. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Though primarily in Madison (I live in Milwaukee), DU's alumni program hosts regular programs in Madison and Chicago. We also have access to a wide range of alumni programs, including an alumni network, alumni post-grad support, and career center support. |
Arapahoe Community College (Online) • Littleton, CO
Studying General Studies (completion in 2006)
• 2/2/2012
"The school met my expectations."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The school is better suited for someone who is focused on either a technical or nursing career. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I believe they may have a strong community reputation, however I do not know of many people who are even familiar with the school. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I was undecided on my major when I attended school, which is why my degree is in General Studies. However, the course work met my expectations. |
| Instruction | 5 | I learned on the job and attended school online. I do not feel that my coursework had a direct impact on my career other than obtaining the degree certificate. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The course work was well planned and not extremely difficult. Some instructors graded tougher than others, but overall it was a good experience. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The courses relied heavily on print and audio/video media. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | ACC was one of the first schools to offer online classes, as part of the CCCOES. I actually started the classes in late 1998 and went back to complete my courses in 2006. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The online forum and support was a huge help, as well as the online study guides. |
| Social Life | I never visited the physical campus. | |
| Placement Services | 8 | Although I have not used their career placement services, they have similar options to other schools, ie resume and interview assistance, as well as job placement for some areas of study. |
| Alumni Network | I did not have an opportunity to interact, since the classes were online. |
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