Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Automotive Mechanics
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Des Moines Area Community College, Kirkwood Community College, Hawkeye Community College, and Eastern Iowa Community College District.
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 Western Iowa Tech Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Southeastern Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Iowa Western Community College, Western Iowa Tech Community College, Iowa Lakes Community College, and Southeastern Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Iowa Central Community College, Iowa Western Community College, Iowa Lakes Community College, and North Iowa Area Community College.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Northwest Iowa Community College and Southwestern Community College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Hawkeye Community College • Waterloo, IA
Studying Automotive Electronics Technology (completion in 2010)
• 12/19/2011
"They could have had better communication with the students as to services offered. Also, I would have liked the class labs (hands on) to have been longer."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They do a great job, if you pay attention. In my experience, you need to be willing to learn and absorb, or it feels as though you didn't have enough time to learn it all. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I have only heard good stories. Most of the grads end up in high-paying factory jobs. |
| Program Quality | 10 | They had great professors. You were able to learn well. |
| Instruction | 10 | The professors took the time that was needed to teach you what you didn't understand. They were there to answer questions, and the information was thorough. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Classes were explained well and adequately, when you paid attention. They covered the needed material. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The book was touch and go. I wished that there was more in-shop, hands-on learning, as that is what we needed to learn how to do our jobs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | The classes aren't flexible, as they have to be taken in order. The times are normal for the average workday. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They had many study areas and resources. I never used them, but I knew where to go if I needed something. |
| Social Life | 10 | Hawkeye always had school events going on. I was surprised, as it is a community college and not a university. |
| Placement Services | 5 | If they have job placement services or career assistance, I was unaware. They need to get them or let students know that they are available. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | My professors found me a job. The school offered me no options that I knew of. |
Iowa Central Community College • Fort Dodge, IA
Studying Automotive Technology (completion in 1995)
• 1/12/2012
"I could have done much better at a larger more academic college. There was just not a priority placed on the programs that didn't produce football players."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The price tag for the education was too high. There is only one way to take the course, one way to succeed and just a general lack of culture, intelligence or activity beside drinking in rural areas. I do not drink so I spent a lot of time bored. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | It's the only game in town. There aren't any alternatives in a 50 mile radius and they know it. |
| Program Quality | 4 | The administrators were pulled up on academic fraud charges and one of them was convicted. That gives you an idea of the quality of the collage. Furthermore the lack of resources to the vocational program was pronounced - but there were really good sports programs for the non vocational part of the college that got plenty of funding. There were also drive-by shootings the years I attended the college. It's a rough area. |
| Instruction | 5 | My education and learning experience was enhanced more by my voracious appetite for reading and technical knowledge than by any instruction. One of the instructors had to drop mid year due to a heart attack and they replaced him with an 70 yr old retired mechanic with no advanced education who then refused to teach minority students. He was released from the position promptly. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I was on the Dean's list one semester, the course wasn't too challenging from most perspectives. I was not crazy about the math requirement and was disappointed in inability to take courses that weren't considered an option for someone in a vocational tech program. I wanted to take creative writing and some language courses but could not do so. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was some opportunity to tear apart old things and a bit of old equipment to test some basic functions of things like engine components. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | You took the course during their hours or you didn't take the course. There were no options for weekends or nights. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | They still had 28k dial-up on the few computers that had internet. Vocational people weren't encouraged to hang around the library either. |
| Social Life | 1 | The people in the vocational programs were treated like trash, leading to an incident with the not so tough football players that ended with police and suspensions. |
| Placement Services | 1 | Never got a bit of meaningful help from them. All the job postings were outdated or many miles away - like across state. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I haven't heard a word from them in nearly 20 years. It seems they wanted the tuition and after receiving the money their responsibilities ended. |
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