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 Pellissippi State, Volunteer State Community College, Walters State Community College, and Chattanooga State.
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 Nashville State, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Pellissippi State, and Roane State Community College.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider West Tennessee Business College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Roane State Community College, Southwest Tennessee Community College, West Tennessee Business College, and Nashville State.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Nashville State, Cleveland State Community College, Southwest Tennessee Community College, and Northeast State.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Chattanooga State.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at West Tennessee Business College and Chattanooga State.
Spotlight Schools Search
Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: One relevant program; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Doctorate
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Associate, Diploma
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
Tusculum College • Greeneville, TN
Studying Organizational Management (completion in 2009)
• 8/20/2011
"I am definitely grateful that they made higher learning a possibility for me as an adult student. I just wish they had helped me get a job afterward. Any effort at all would be better than what I got."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would suggest getting a 2-year degree somewhere. My tuition was almost $30,000. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I had a very hard time finding a job when I graduated, simply because nobody had heard of Tusculum. Also, "Organizational Management" led people to believe that I organized closet spaces for a living. |
| Program Quality | 2 | The courses seemed to be disjointed. I was takinglLeadership classes and statistics classes, and marketing and speech, but there was nothing that really tied them into the real world of business. |
| Instruction | 2 | My degree program did not provide me with the tools I needed to succeed. I had to take a course after I had graduated to learn how to write a resume. I also have very little knowledge of how to do anything other than simple accounting. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The program was a little difficult. The courses were taken one at a time, one day a week. But the class was for 4 hours, seldom with a break, and so we were left to teach ourselves when class was over. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school setup required us to self-teach most of the material. There is just no way to get hands-on experience when you're at school for 4 hours a week. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I only had to go to school for 4 hours every week. If I had to miss a class, the professors were very amiable about make-up work. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The school was designed for adults who were learning later in life, so they made everything accessible for a person who has a hectic life. The library and study rooms were available in the evening hours rather than mornings, which was very convenient. |
| Social Life | 1 | There were no sports teams or games to go to. Also, adult learning means that there are no dorms or cafeterias. |
| Placement Services | 1 | Like I said before, I had a very hard time finding a job after graduation. The college offered some job fairs, but they were mostly people seeking health care professionals or recruiters for the military. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I actually have no idea how to answer this question. The school is really small, so the alumni doesn't really support sports teams or anything like that. I didn't really hear anything about alumni during my coursework. |
Lee University • Cleveland, TN
Studying Business (completion in 2006)
• 8/23/2011
"I wish I had a better job, but that is not the school's fault."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think the school prepared me very well. I think that the economy is the problem at this point. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Music is the major of choice at Lee. Business students were not given a new building or the best resources. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Lee University is a great school with a great curriculum. I believe the economy right now is not very favorable to recent graduates. |
| Instruction | 9 | I think that although I learned a lot from College, my current position does not really apply to all of my classes. I'm currently answering a phone and scheduling. You don't really need a college degree or courses in statistics and finance for that. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I think college is what you put into it. If you study you, will do well. The biggest thing I learned from college was not the stuff in the books - it was how to manage living on my own in a new environment and how to be responsible. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They used a good mix of teacher-taught and group/self-taught lessons. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | They offered morning and afternoon classes. There was nothing on the weekends. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | Every building was state of the art except for the Business Administration building. We were in the basement! |
| Social Life | 10 | Everyone who goes to Lee is very loyal to the school. I am proud to have graduated from there. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I did not experience any career service assistance. I think that if I stayed in TN after graduating, I may have. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't really have much experience here. I get letters in the mail asking for money, but that is about it. |
Northeast State Community College • Blountville, TN
Studying My Actual Major Was University Parallel. (completion in 2004)
• 8/25/2011
"I came away with a well deserved two year degree. I also came away with much knowledge and confidence that I had a wonderful knowledge base with which to work and excel at any job I chose to take on."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My school was affordable. The classes were flexible and plentiful. The advisers were helpful. Also, the experience overall was a refreshing change from conventional school as I always thought of it. They were very knowledgeable and helpful with financial issues as well. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Since my graduation, I have spoken to several other students who have given me positive feedback about their experiences at NSTCC. Also, I live in close proximity to the school and it has grown by leaps and bounds. Brick and mortar buildings have been added and a huge new technology incorporated library has been built. My conclusion is that they must be doing something right. |
| Program Quality | 9 | NSTCC provided excellent class instruction. I was taught to learn by reading, visual, and hands on experience. I successfully incorporated all three learning styles into my education. Before college, I thought all learning came from reading books. |
| Instruction | 9 | My instructors were quick to pick up on my particular, quickest method of learning the subject(s) they were teaching. I learned MS Excel mostly from hands on experience. I learned Probability and Statistics mostly from intense reading of a textbook. |
| How Difficult | 7 | After about three semesters, the work load became much more intense. A lot more reading was required to prepare myself for in class instruction and tests. Upon entering school, I had to take some remedial classes, so this prepared me on how best to plan my time. I loved the intense environment. I knew I was investing this time into my own future. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Overall, it was about a half and half experience. Most of my science classes were mostly hands on while most of my history classes were strictly lecture and lots of reading. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Many of my classes were offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. Later, many of the lower tiered classes were offered on weekends and even on line. NSTCC was one of the first local colleges to recognize that many working adults needed flexible class time options to fit around busy schedules. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | As I stated in an earlier comment, the school has grown by leaps and bounds. However, when I was there the library was rather small and old fashioned. The instructors were always extremely accessible. I even posted an online student account of how the library was so dated and how modern learning strategies would entail much more internet research than paper book research. |
| Social Life | 7 | The fellow students were wonderful, helpful, and extremely friendly. However, we had no athletic teams or fraternities or sororities. We used to all gather in the courtyard and toss a football or frisbee in between classes. |
| Placement Services | 4 | As far as I know, my school offered one or two job fairs per semester. I was not very impressed. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | My school has never attempted to contact me regarding any reunions. But my Spanish instructor did stay in contact with me for quite a few years in order to follow my career choices. She allowed me to use her as a professional reference. |
Tennessee Technological Center • Livingston, TN
Studying Administrative Assistant (completion in 2006)
• 9/27/2011
"I think I made the right decision. If I had to do it all over again, I would."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | For the amount of time/money it made sense for me to better myself. I don't think a person can ever get behind by trying to become something more. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | Haven't been back since I graduated. Haven't really heard anything or tried to keep up. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Not only did I receive training, but TTCL placed me in my job. I know that with the economy the way it is, a lot of people went to school but then couldn't find a job. |
| Instruction | 10 | I have no complaints with the curriculum. I believe it prepared me for my job. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I have very proficient computer skills so Excel, Word, and Powerpoint were very easy for me. The accounting, on the other hand, was hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We worked out of books, but mostly we had to do computer work. We used transcriptors and also adding machines. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | For every minute we were late they docked 30 minutes. It was a lot worse then even being in high school. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There were all sorts of resources open to us. We had study groups and even after class tutoring. |
| Social Life | 8 | I met a lot of new people from surrounding counties. Quite a few of the girls I still keep up with. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I had a job interview while finishing up my schooling. Days after finishing I had a job that they had helped to place me in. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I live in a very small town and I knew most of the staff. They were friends and family of friends and I had a great overall experience. |
Tennessee Tech • Cookeville, TN
Studying Music Education (completion in 1999)
• 10/3/2011
"I was very satisfied with the university. It helped me grow and become a self-sufficient adult ready for the workplace."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | There would be no reason to study there to become an administrative assistant. I think it depends on drive and motivation. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | It is rated highly among every state. It also has the best instructors worldwide in some areas. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The university had the best music school in the state at the time. It was very rewarding. |
| Instruction | 5 | At that time, computer technology was growing by leaps and bounds. I think they prepared us as best they could at the time. |
| How Difficult | 9 | A music major has many aspects to learn, including classroom learning and practical studies. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Everything was hands on and lab orientated. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | At the time, there were no online classes. Very flexible in weekend and evening. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | There was always professor support with open-door policies. At the time, computer labs should have been more hands on. |
| Social Life | 7 | There were always social functions. Everyone was friendly and you were always welcome. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | Many people do not participate in alumni functions. They are not coordinated to make it easy for all. |
Tennessee State University • Nashville, TN
Studying English (completion in 2010)
• 10/16/2011
"I was satisfied slightly above average. I learned a lot and got the degree I wanted. I wish the school had a better reputation and was more academically challenging."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I probably would not recommend my school. I think there are better choices now for my career. A bachelor's degree is not really necessary for my career so I would probably recommend a person just get an associate's degree. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | The school's reputation is not very good in general. Most people in Nashville know that TSU is not a prestigious school and the academics are not very challenging. |
| Program Quality | 5 | My school was the closest affordable university to my house, which is why I chose it. It is not a particularly good academic school. Also, the administration was pretty frustrating to deal with. They are unorganized and incompetent. The English program was not very challenging. |
| Instruction | 5 | The quality of instruction was average. Some of the teachers were very good, some were very bad, and most were in between. I would say that compared with other schools, the quality of instruction at TSU is average. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The program was not very difficult. There was a lot of reading and writing, especially writing essays. The topics were not very difficult and the tests were relatively simple. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The learning was primarily book learning. There was not a lot of hands-on except in classes that had accompanying lab sections like some of the science and computer classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The school caters to older students and those working full time. As a result, there is good flexibility in class schedule. There are many evening, weekend, and online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The libraries and computer labs are quite good. The classroom space is updated and modern. Tutors and study support is available and the professors have adequate office hours. |
| Social Life | 4 | The social experience is not very good. Most students are commuters, so there is not a lot of socializing on campus. |
| Placement Services | 6 | The placement office was pretty active and did a slightly above average job. The career counseling was also fairly extensive and had many resources available to students. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni support is quite good, definitely above average. Most alumni are local and, as a result, the amount of contact and support provided is good. |
Middle Tennessee State University • Murfreesboro, TN
Studying Political Science (completion in 2004)
• 11/17/2011
"I love to learn and enjoyed MTSU very much. My only complaints would be that they didn't really prepare students for real life and that there wasn't a sense of community among older/more mature learners."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | MTSU is a good school for Political Science, English, Communications, Equine professionals and other degrees. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of crime associated with the school in the last 5 years that was not there when I had attended; I would warn others about that. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Middle Tennessee State is one of the bigger colleges in the state of Tennessee. Vanderbilt University is less than an hour away, and they have the state's best law school; a Political Science or English degree from MTSU is beneficial if you plan to attend Vanderbilt Law. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I enjoyed school very much and feel that I did get a good education from MTSU. I believe that there is not enough emphasis on real-world experience and if there was, I think more people would have degrees closer in line to what career path they actually end up on. |
| Instruction | 8 | My instructors were very accessible, approachable, intelligent and easy to understand. I did have some professors that were nationals of other countries, and those classes were harder because of the language difference. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Some classes were very easy as far as workload; most of what my curriculum called for was reading assignments. Spanish II was the only class that I really struggled with. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Reading got me through college; it was probably a good 85% of my requirements. I had some papers, and there were not a lot of internships available, nor were they very interesting to me. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | MTSU had very flexible classes - online, nights, weekends, etc. I can't recall ever having a scheduling problem. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | MTSU was getting bigger and newer facilities when I was in college there, and it still is getting work and money put into the facilities. There is a new honors building, library, state-of-the-art communications department, and an art barn. The liberal arts building, English, political science, etc., still needs to be updated/rebuilt. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was in my mid-20's when I started college, and I didn't fit in with the kids straight from high school. The younger students appeared to have a strong sense of community; older students did fit as there were many 25-35 year olds about, but not with organized events, parties and such. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I was never contacted or provided with any career information. Colleges really should have a real-life working experience class, not an internship, to help students find the right path. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Before my graduation, I was never contacted or provided information about jobs. I get an alumni paper about every quarter asking for money. |
ETSU • Johnson City, TN
Studying Accounting (completion in 2010)
• 12/4/2011
"It left a few things wanting. I did enjoy the experience, though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | ETSU is a very helpful school, once you get into it. It's a great place to attend, with good faculty and staff. |
| Program Reputation | I'm not sure if they have much of a reputation for accounting. It kind of goes unnoticed, usually. | |
| Program Quality | 9 | ETSU is a great all-around school. I'd go back for anything. |
| Instruction | 8 | I would have preferred internships or better explanations of what the jobs can entail. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I only really had a problem with the math. The other areas weren't too hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of what I learned was from books. I would have liked more of a hands-on experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Great flexibility. Lots of online options for certain classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Great libraries. Easy to get all the information I needed. |
| Social Life | I didn't attend most social events. I don't enjoy extracurricular activities. | |
| Placement Services | I found my job myself. I uploaded my resume and was hired. | |
| Alumni Network | I wasn't involved with alumni. We had advisors, though. |
Review your current or past school and help others make better career decisions.