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 Anoka - Ramsey.
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 Globe University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Saint Paul College and MCTC.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Northland Community and Technical College, Minnesota State, Southeast Technical, and Rainy River Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Rainy River Community College, Northwest Technical College, HCC, and Minnesota State.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at HCC, South Central College, Northland Community and Technical College, and Minnesota State.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Herzing College Online • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Health Care (completion in 2006)
• 8/11/2011
"I am very satisfied with the education I received from Herzing. It allowed me to better my education and get a better job."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Herzing is a good school for someone that wants to get their education online. They provide you with all of your educational tools and work with you every step of the way! |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I chose average as I don't know what the current reputation is. I haven't heard or seen anything about Herzing since I graduated. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The instructors were always there when needed and answered questions quickly. The counselors were there to lend a helping hand and always available to talk to. |
| Instruction | 10 | The quality of instruction was awesome! They allowed me to learn everything I needed to be able to better myself and the health care field. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I already had some work in the health care field so I had some prior knowledge. The program wasn't that hard for me at all. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I didn't have to do a practicum with this school. It was all book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | My classes were done online so they were very flexible. I liked being able to do them when I felt like doing them! |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Everything was excellent. They provided everything I needed. |
| Social Life | 1 | This is an online school so they don't have these events. If they did I am sure they would be good. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I already had a job when I was going to school so I didn't need these services. I would guess they are average. With the way the job market is these days, who knows! |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I never took part in anything so I would say it's average. Since it is an online college and such I really don't know what the alumni network is like. |
Concordia College • Moorhead, MN
Studying Psychology (completion in 2011)
• 8/18/2011
"I would suggest Concordia to anyone. I really enjoyed my time there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Concordia's high expectations have prepared me for my field. I think anyone would benefit from an education at Concordia. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The research done in the Psychology program has a high reputation. The professors do too. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My school's program was excellent. The one minor issue I have is that because it's a smaller school, the opportunities for experiences were few. |
| Instruction | 10 | The professors were very passionate about their subjects. They also made the effort to get to know their students. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Concordia overall has very high expectations for its students. The Psychology program in particular had a challenging work load. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It depends on the course and program, but generally it is a mix. Some courses require largely book learning, while other courses are extremely hands-on to the point where students are doing independent research projects. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Concordia doesn't have online course options, and only certain classes are available in the evenings. The summer offerings are varied, though. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | I never had a problem getting a question answered. I also never felt as though I could not access my professors. |
| Social Life | 10 | The events at Concordia are numerous. There is always something going on, and Concordia students feel a great sense of school pride. |
| Placement Services | 6 | It is a good resource for students. The Career Center could do a better job overall, though. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The school makes the effort to ensure that their alumni stay connected. I get emails on a regular basis from both the school and the psychology program. |
Rasmussen College • Eagan, MN
Studying Legal Administrative Professional (completion in 2001)
• 9/9/2011
"I am very satisfied with my education. My school prepared me more than adequately for my current career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My school was smaller, personal, friendly, accessible. I never felt I was wasting my time going back to school. It was one of the best decisions I made and I would definitely recommend my school to others. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I believe my school has a good reputation. The have several campus locations in the Minneapolis area and each is very well-known. The school is not new, and is well established. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My school prepared me well for my career. I have become the "go to" person on many computer related questions because of my education. |
| Instruction | 9 | My schooling covered a variety of topics, nearly all relevant to my current position. I took a variety of courses in communication, ethics, grammar, terminology, transcription and Microsoft Office. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Some of the courses required more effort than others. My courses in legal and medical terminology were very challenging. The classes I took to improve my typing skills came easily to me. Work load was ideal. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A majority of my schoolwork was hands-on, particularly my computer courses. We produced work that we were able to take to job interviews in order to demonstrate our abilities. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I graduated from my school about ten years ago. I was able to take classes in the evening which made it possible for me to go back to school while staying home with my small children during the day. I believe more online offerings are available now than when I was in school. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Because I went to a smaller school, the professors were always accessible and easy to reach when needed. All computer programs and equipment were up to date. I was also provided with a laptop computer while I was in school. |
| Social Life | 3 | My school was focused more on career-minded adults than parties. Most of my fellow students also had full-time jobs and kids at home to take care of. We went to school to learn, not to party or play sports. It wasn't a bad social experience, but social events were not our focus. |
| Placement Services | 5 | My school offers support but I have never used their job placement assistance. I did go through post-graduate job counseling sessions and was given some job leads. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I know my school offers post-graduate support and job placement though I have never used these services personally. |
Minneapolis Community And Technical College • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Human Services (completion in 2013)
• 9/7/2011
"I am not very far into my schooling so I can't say whether or not I am satisfied with the full experience. Up to now I have had a good experience."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a very flexible and open program, but I feel that it could be more in depth in a university. There is an excellent transfer program. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | While it is a technical college, MCTC has a fairly high standing in this area. It provides quality education, and the ability to transfer. |
| Program Quality | 8 | MCTC is a varied and exciting college. The teachers are well-trained, and the flexibility makes it easier for me to work while going to school. |
| Instruction | 8 | The teachers are thorough and seem to care a lot about teaching. They are accommodating. |
| How Difficult | 6 | My program is a bit easier than most, but the job itself is more difficult. The training is mostly hypothetical but the job itself gets messy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There is a pretty diverse mix of hands on vs. book learning. It really depends on the program you are taking. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | You are able to hand-pick your class schedule to suit your needs. Classes are available early morning, late at night, and some weekends. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | There is a pretty extensive library, however I found that the computer system is not as up to date as it could be. It is sometimes hard to find an open computer when needed, and the technology outside the labs is not extremely current either. |
| Social Life | 8 | There are a lot of social groups and activities. Because it is a very multicultural and age-variant school, there are a lot of programs available in a wide array of topics. |
| Placement Services | 8 | There are counselors every step of the way from deciding which classes to take to finding a career. The school is in the heart of the city so there are many resources available to you. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I'm unsure about the alumni network in my school. |
Northwest Technical College • Bemidji, MN
Studying Accounting Clerk/Administrative Asst (completion in 2002)
• 10/18/2011
"I LOVED my school and wouldn't have done it any differently. I am very glad I made the decision to go to a technical college."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a good setting and is focused on the students. You can also get your degree in about half the time. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | There are a lot of students who go into the Admin field and complete their studies at my school. It's a wonderful school and is growing to show it. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I loved going to a technical college because it's smaller and you get more one-on-one time. The program and instructors were very friendly and great to work with. |
| Instruction | 10 | I learned a lot in a short period of time. They also helped me find a job that fit my field before I even graduated. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I had started in office work before I even finished college so some of the information was repeat for me. It was nice to be refreshed on the information though. There were items I had forgotten about. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of the learning was out of the book. Keyboarding was about the only hands-on learning I had. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | There are day and night classes, and even weekend times available. They've also grown huge in the online field since I went to school there. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They had a wonderful tech support group and a computer lab you could use whenever you needed to. Classrooms were large enough and easy to find. |
| Social Life | 8 | The school always had parties and events going on. It was nice to interact with other students on a different level. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Their career service department was very helpful throughout my school years. I had a job before I graduated. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I actually went to work for one of my instructor's friends. This was a good 'in' for me and helped me stay in touch with some of the faculty. |
University Of Minnesota • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Anthropology (completion in 2009)
• 12/12/2011
"I loved my school and experience. It was a fantastic place to study and meet people."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I wouldn't suggest my school for my particular career, but it was a great school for anyone to go to. I don't think my job requires a BA, so I feel a little overeducated. I am hoping to someday use the skills I learned for my degree in my career, but for now, I'm doing my best in my job. |
| Program Reputation | I don't know much about the reputation of my particular program. It seems respected at the graduate level, but I'm not sure about undergraduate level. | |
| Program Quality | 6 | I think the program was above average. I enjoyed my studies, but I wish I had more hands-on training in the field, so I could have gotten a job more closely related to my degree. |
| Instruction | 5 | There was no career preparation. Coursework was useful, but hands-on work is required to be successful. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Classes were not particularly hard. I studied less than my friends in other disciplines. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my classes were more book based and less hands on. Labs were not very common in my area of study. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I could take lots of different classes at varied times. The course offerings were expansive. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The academic resources at my school were excellent. The libraries were well stocked and extensive. Computer labs were accessible and staffed with tutors. It was easy to meet with academic advisors. |
| Social Life | 10 | School was fun. I enjoyed my time in college. The school hosted events on weekends, and departments had a great selection of speakers and workshops. The student body was social and friendly. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I used the career services at my school and was successful in my job hunt. I had 2 job offers. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I went to a large school with lots of alumni. It seems that that helps when making connections. Unfortunately, I no longer live in the same area, so the name of my school does not seem to carry as much clout as it did back home. |
MSU Moorhead • Moorhead, MN
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 1998)
• 12/15/2011
"If I still lived in the area, I would rather my kids did their gen eds at a community college and go to a better school for their major courses. I don't know what tuition is at MSUM now, but I'd be doubtful that it is a good value versus the jobs that are available in the area. Better to graduate with connections in the community where the well-paying jobs already exist."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | There are a lot of overeducated people working relatively menial jobs in the area. Despite the Bakken Oil Reserve, there aren't many opportunities for college-educated people in that area. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I don't really keep close tabs on its reputation, but when I got back home, it seemed that little had changed. |
| Program Quality | 5 | My education was adequate, but when I moved to another state, I had to complete other complex requirements in order to get a license to teach. The school's reputation nationally is fairly mediocre. I went there because it was close to home. |
| Instruction | 4 | I feel that the school really didn't care about students. It didn't really care about its reputation amongst other institutions either. It was just a sleepy little place where professors went to work on pet projects. |
| How Difficult | 4 | My degree program consisted of a lot of gen eds and a somewhat patronizing array of elementary education classes. All you had to do to graduate was show up. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a fair amount of student teaching and lab-type experience involved. On the other hand, I did a lot of rote memorization. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There were night classes and very limited weekend offerings when I went. I don't know what they offer now. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | I don't think we were the worst in the MSU system, but we weren't a flagship school either. The school is just really average. |
| Social Life | 2 | If you didn't live on campus, there was pretty much nothing. I grew up in the area, so this wasn't really a problem for me. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I moved away and found a job by myself. That is what most of my friends did as well. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | They can find me wherever I go, to ask for money. They don't really provide anything that benefits me. |
Hamline • St. Paul, MN
Studying English (completion in 2009)
• 1/8/2012
"I loved learning there. My teachers were great and quite encouraging. I will encourage my daughter to attend."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I will be going into nursing after I complete more education, and I believe that a good background in communications (including English) is key. As for administrative work, I don't know that there's much you need from a university degree in order to file, answer phones, or do other menial work. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school has excellent faculty. Yearly they take students to NCUR where they perform very well. Hamline's English Department is very active and hands-on with its students. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I had wonderful professors, and truly enjoyed my classes. Hamline makes it easy for students to achieve their potential. |
| Instruction | 10 | My professors were well-taught, and easily parlayed this knowledge into the classroom. They also encouraged students to learn more about the career world outside of university. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I did not have trouble keeping up, but I know others did. I would say that the amount of work was more than at other institutions, but it was so enjoyable that I didn't mind. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Lots of reading, but lots of experiential learning as well. We did many group readings and workshops to critique and perfect our work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They offer some evening classes, though if you are there to get an undergraduate degree, you need to be ready to schedule around your classes. When I was there, there were no online courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Excellent library and advisers. I did not use the tutors, but I heard that they employ very good ones. |
| Social Life | 10 | There are nice people at Hamline, and it's easy to find groups to get along with. I tended to hang out with others who were in my field, and there were a lot of smart individuals very eager to learn while I was there. |
| Placement Services | I really have not used Hamline's career assistance, as I currently live very far from the school. If I needed it, I am sure I could gain assistance. | |
| Alumni Network | I really don't use the network, so I cannot give a good answer regarding this question. If I still lived in Minnesota, I would more likely use the network and be able to give a better answer. |
University Of Minnesota • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Theatre (completion in 2010)
• 1/31/2012
"I chose this school for the networking opportunities within the theatre scene in the city. So while it wasn't the greatest academically sometimes, I got what I enrolled for."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a great school to get to know people and make contacts. So much of theatre is about talent and work ethic that unless you're in a conservatory or something, it really doesn't matter where you go. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The program is well connected within the local theatre scene. A lot of people working in the field graduated from the program. |
| Program Quality | 6 | The theatre program was too big. It was hard to compete with the other students, and the classes were too large. |
| Instruction | 7 | Instructors were good. The department could have used a few more, in order to have smaller class sizes. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The only really hard class was the history of theatre. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Theatre is naturally very hands on. We did have to do a lot of book studying for theatre history. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Between the required 2 years of languages and having rehearsals in the evenings, you had to stick to a certain way of doing things. The classes were also all in tracks. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | While architecturally, the theatre facilities were horrible, functionally, they were quite good. All the arts programs were on one section of campus, so that also made things easier. |
| Social Life | 1 | There is not enough student housing, so I ended up in off-campus, non-dorm housing. This severely restricted socializing. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I was not aware of any job placement services for theatre grads. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | There is really no alumni support for theatre grads. The alumni department likes to waste a lot of paper sending me boring newsletters, though. |
Walden University • Online, MN
Studying Healthcare Administration (completion in 2011)
• 2/2/2012
"I still think online school is a bit of a joke. However, I did get some good information."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It would depend on where you were in your career/life. New college students should go to a real college for the experience. I would recommend Walden to someone who already has a job and just wants some better information about administration. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I don't really know. I haven't heard about any schools with a good or bad reputation in healthcare administration. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I kind of think online school is a joke. Overall, Walden wasn't bad, though. |
| Instruction | 5 | The instructors were not always very helpful. The best information came from reading the texts. |
| How Difficult | 1 | The coursework was not challenging. As far as I could tell, if you did the work you would pass. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Since it was online it was almost entirely book learning. There were a few projects that required you to participate in a group setting, however. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Since it was online it was flexible in that there were no set class times. However, you were still required to submit assignments by certain days every week. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Walden had a lot of student support groups, and the advisors and instructors were always available to help. Their library was very helpful, even though it was entirely online. |
| Social Life | Online school. There were no social events. | |
| Placement Services | I did not use career services or job placement. I already had a job. | |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I am not involved in the alumni network, but Walden seems to have a great one. They are constantly sending me things to get me involved. |
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