Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Bookkeeping And Accounting Clerks
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Santa Monica College, Pasadena City College, Berkeley City College, and Moorpark College.
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 Rio Hondo College, Los Angeles ORT College, San Diego City College, and Institute of Technology.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Palo Verde College, Lake Tahoe Community College, Mendocino College, and Lassen Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of FRC, Santa Monica College, Laney, and Berkeley City College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Lassen Community College, West Hills College-Coalinga, Taft College, and College of the Siskiyous.
Excellence
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at City College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Mount San Jacinto Community College • Menifee, CA
Studying Accounting (completion in 2005)
• 8/10/2011
"I felt like it was a great experience to have. Everything went very smoothly and I passed my classes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think this is a great program. Everyone is so helpful and great at getting you the help you need. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It has a wonderful reputation throughout the area. The program is one of the highest rated in the area. |
| Program Quality | 9 | This major is a little boring, but the teachers made it interesting. The program has helped me become a great bookkeeper. |
| Instruction | 10 | They have lots of tutoring to help you get through the program. You can also take prep tests. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I did not find it to be extremely grueling. The teachers were helpful, and the workload was just enough. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Everything was very book related. There was a lot of studying out of books - there was not much to do hands on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | This school is designed for people who have jobs. You can pretty much take classes whenever they best fit your schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There is a wonderful library for any needs you have. There is also a learning center that has tutor help. |
| Social Life | 2 | I was not very social on campus. I went to school to get my classes taken care of mostly. |
| Placement Services | 9 | The school had lots of inside hook ups to help get you a job. I was even able to get placed in a job once I finished my courses. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I did not really see any alumni support. There didn't seem to be any. |
Mt. San Jacinto College • Menifee, CA
Studying Office Administration (completion in 2000)
• 10/23/2011
"Overall, it was a great experience. I wish I had taken advantage of the Nursing program, though. That is a field in which it is easier to find a job."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Again, it was a wonderful school. I learned a lot from all of my professors. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Although the computer and accounting programs are respected, it is known more as a school for nursing. I don't think I've heard too many people say anything negative about either campus of this school. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It was a community college so students really got to know each other in class. The teachers I had were amazing. They were extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and personable. |
| Instruction | 8 | I learned so much from each of my teachers. Even the basic education instructors (math, english, etc.) were wonderful. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It's hard for me to rate this. I don't find school difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The computer accounting courses were done completely on the computer. We had great labs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I was able to take classes around my husband's work schedule. Most of my classes were at night and I never had any problems getting the classes I needed. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We had a great computer lab. The room where I took my accounting classes had computers and software. |
| Social Life | 10 | It was really easy to get to know the other students. The teachers were pleased to have students get acquainted. The class sizes were also small which made it easier to get to know the other students. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not utilize these programs. I'm just not sure. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I really have not attempted to be a part of the alumni network. I'm rating it in the middle because I'm not sure. |
University Of California, Berkeley • Berkeley, CA
Studying Sociology (completion in 2011)
• 10/29/2011
"I was able to explore a lot of what my school offered in terms of various classes, extracurricular activities, and my social life. I made a couple of best friends and learned a lot socially, mentally, physically, and academically."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | Cal is not for the faint of heart or those who need their hand held. For those who have initiative and are self-motivated, be warned that you're going to work hard and that it'll be difficult, but you will learn a lot and you will expand your boundaries and standards. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | UC Berkeley has the number one ranked sociology department in the country. We attract professors and graduate students of high caliber. |
| Program Quality | 8 | There were a lot of great professors, who were able to motivate me and help me push past my limits. |
| Instruction | 8 | It's important to be aware of who the good lecturers are. It is easy to get stuck with a monotonous mono-toned professor, who just rambles off on topics not related to the class. |
| How Difficult | 10 | You have to keep up with the class in reading and paying attention in class. It is easy to fall behind. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | While options for research and lab work are available, most students learn via their lecture-based classes, where textbooks are stressed. Also, it may be difficult to obtain research or lab positions. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | You can take classes pretty much any time you want and there are a lot of options available. However, limits are set by your major and whether you wish to take classes through UC Berkeley or UC Berkeley Extension. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Buildings are old and dilapidated. However, there are a ton of resources available and UC Berkeley has one of the largest libraries in the US. |
| Social Life | 8 | There's some community, club, or organization for everyone. However, it is up to you to go out and find that community. Football games are a ritual that every Cal student must undergo, whether or not our team is a winning or losing team that season. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The resources are available, however it is up to you to initiate your search and figure out what you want. There's no hand-holding. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | The resources are available for contacting alumni. However, sometimes alumni may not respond. |
University Of California, Irvine • Irvine, CA
Studying Economics With An Accounting Minor (completion in 2006)
• 10/28/2011
"I, personally, enjoyed it. However, it is neither a socially active school, nor is it big on athletics. For me, going to school and coming back home was more than enough. It is usually a commuter school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It teaches you the foundations of all majors. It will give you a good basic understanding, and for those pursuing a CPA, most classes are quite effective in reaching that goal. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | It's average, perhaps slightly more. I'd recommend UCLA or USC more than UCI. I found the economics program, though, to be quite competitive with other major universities, however the Accounting is just average at best. |
| Program Quality | 8 | UCI, being a very accredited university, offers a very competitive accounting program. Unfortunately, they did not offer Business Administration as a major, hence I picked Economics with a minor in Accounting. |
| Instruction | 6 | Curriculum was applicable - however in theory only. When applied to real scenarios/companies, theory differs quite a lot. Systems limitations an company monetary funds limitations leads to restrictions in performing accounting duties. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I found it to be quite challenging, as not only was I doing a Major in Econ, but also a Minor in Accounting, and hence was over worked. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | As mentioned, I found it to be more applicable to theory, rather than hands on. Many professors did not make the effort to quote real examples. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I particularly enjoyed being able to take evening classes while working. There were also summer and online options. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | UCI, being a very new and growing facility, is quite well equipped with new libraries and computer resources. Labs were brand new and classrooms were very spacious. |
| Social Life | 4 | Not a particular spirited school. It's neither active in sports, nor a party school, and hence not many activities were organized. |
| Placement Services | 5 | As previously mentioned, I found it to be average, as only school campus recruiting assisted me in finding a job. It was not of major distinction to others. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I find it to be quite poor. Not many events are put together, nor any particular reaching out or assisting in job search. Many other universities seem to offer greater alumni relations. |
California State University, Long Beach • Long Beach, CA
Studying Anthropology (completion in 2009)
• 11/21/2011
"It served a purpose. I enjoyed my time there."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I do not know what the business department was like. I was in the social sciences. Therefore, I'm not sure if I would recommend it to others pursuing my career. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | Average anthropology department. Well known in the area, but not widely renowned. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Professors were wonderful. Program lacked funding that would be found at a private university. |
| Instruction | 8 | Professors knew what they taught. Wonderful teachers. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Easy first two years of college. Difficult junior and senior years, as the upper-level department classes were very challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Professors tried to make things more hands on, but budget cuts restricted their plans. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Budget cuts made scheduling difficult. Scheduling was very easy before funding to the school was cut. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library staff was very well trained and capable of helping students find what they needed. Good anthropology labs. |
| Social Life | 5 | I made friends, but it was a commuter school. Most people kept to themselves or their existing social circles. |
| Placement Services | I do not know. I have not looked into these services. | |
| Alumni Network | I have not looked into alumni support. I do not know what is offered. |
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