Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Computer Support Specialists
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Pellissippi State, Walters State Community College, Jackson State Community College, and Columbia State Community College.
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, Le Moyne-Owen College, and Pellissippi State.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Le Moyne-Owen College, Tennessee State, Roane State Community College, and Southwest Tennessee Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Lincoln Memorial, Union University, Nashville State, and Southwest Tennessee Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Vanderbilt University, Fisk, Sewanee-The University of the South, and Rhodes College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Hiwassee, Tennessee Temple University, Fisk, and Sewanee-The University of the South.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Vanderbilt University, Rhodes College, Sewanee-The University of the South, and Belmont.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Vanderbilt University, Lane, Tennessee Temple University, and Rhodes College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Hiwassee, Rhodes College, Sewanee-The University of the South, and Vanderbilt University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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UT Knoxville • Knoxville, TN
Studying Business (completion in 1986)
• 5/3/2011
"My overall experience was good. I was able to achieve the things that I set out to do and I was also able to continue additional studies later."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this college to anyone who is interested in attending college. The cost of all universities are high, however, with the help of some financial assistance, this school can provide a student with the requirements for many careers that they would like to pursue. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I have rated this a seven because within my field, most students aspire to go this school. The school is also large enough to offer most of the majors that people want to pursue, specifically in this economy. |
| Program Quality | 6 | The school that I attended was a little better than average compared to other colleges. I know that I received a great education because I have had the opportunity throughout my career to apply the things that I have learned. |
| Instruction | 8 | Over the course of my studies, the majority of my instructors were very good and helpful. I enjoyed the instructors that I had, specifically within my major. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Most of the classes within my study were relatively simple for me. However, there were some courses that were more challenging such as the finance courses that were included with my last year of study. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the courses that I had were book oriented. The upper-level courses included very little to no hands on training opportunities. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I rated this section as average because we had class options available that for the most part, fit my schedule. However, I would always try to register for classes as early as possible because the courses that I needed would fill up too quickly. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The university had above average academic facilities. Most of the time I was able to secure the resources needed, including study rooms and other support,like tutors. |
| Social Life | 5 | I rated this as average because I only attended a few activities within the year. I did not go to any college parties |
| Placement Services | 5 | I rated this section as average because I did not use the job placement help offered by the University. I had assistance outside of the school with securing employment. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I rated this as average because I do not know very much about the alumni at my school. Over the years I have received numerous communication but I have never had the interest nor time to follow-up with any of them. |
Martin Methodist College • Pulaski, TN
Studying Management Information Systems (completion in 2010)
• 8/12/2011
"The school is growing in potential. It is not there yet, but in 5 years it will be a great institution."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I wouldn't right now. In a couple of years, yes. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | People are not aware of Martin. The MIS program is under appreciated and few know about it. |
| Program Quality | 4 | They are a little subpar compared to other schools with the same degree. It could use some work and they are working on improving it. |
| Instruction | 4 | The school is working on improving itself. Right now it's just not there yet. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The classes are average. The good part is how the teachers work closely to help you do well. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most everything you do is in the book and you learn it by doing it. It is straightforward. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The flexibility is average, maybe slightly below average, It is hard to find classes sometimes. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | Currently we are below average. Yeah, we have a lab with some computers, but much improvement is needed. |
| Social Life | 2 | Social life at Martin is zero. There is not much to do on or off campus. |
| Placement Services | 6 | This division works hard. They have helped many with finding jobs after college. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't know much about our program. I am still completing course work to further my education. |
University Of Tennessee • Chattanooga, TN
Studying M.B.A. (completion in 1999)
• 2/20/2012
"It worked for me. The MBA program with a concentration in information systems was a good fit for me and for what I wanted to do with my career. The school offered credits, like in-state tuition if I worked full-time in the state while going to school, which I was doing, so it made it more affordable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It's really well suited to people in that area. Now that I'm in Atlanta, there might be better options for some of the people here. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | They try to keep the standards pretty high, but it's still a Tier 2 business school. They are a reputable school and program for a Tier 2 school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | It has helped me to accomplish what I wanted. The school, though small, has reasonably good standards. |
| Instruction | 8 | I had some really good professors. I learned plenty. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I wouldn't say the process was easy. Then again, I wouldn't say it was overwhelmingly hard. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was mostly by the book, but I remember doing at least one marketing project to support the local Alzheimer's foundation, so experiential stuff did happen. We did a reasonable amount of team-based work too, which was great consulting/executive prep. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They've had the same basic schedule options for years, as far as I know. That said, the schedule works. All their regular MBA courses are at night. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | I used to go over to Chattanooga State to research my papers, because the library was better there. Other than that, I never had any trouble with any of the other resources. |
| Social Life | 4 | The undergrads had social experiences, but there wasn't a lot going on for grad students. I would say that was more due to lack of interest on our part than anything else; we were all holding down full-time jobs and many of us were raising families. Very few MBA students were straight out of their undergraduate program with nothing else to do except party. |
| Placement Services | I haven't had any dealings with career placement at UTC. | |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The alumni groups are pretty visible, but they are mostly regional. I have lots of opportunities to socialize, but fewer to career network. |
Bristol University • Bristol, TN
Studying Computer Information Science (completion in 1992)
• 3/2/2012
"Had I the resources I would have went somewhere else. It was good for a community college."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | The school has closed. I have had no contact with the school in several years. |
| Program Reputation | The school has closed. I have had no contact with the school in several years. | |
| Program Quality | 5 | The school was not forward thinking. The school didnt offer more specialized Computer Tech degrees. |
| Instruction | 8 | My instructors offered real world experience. I appreciated the hands-on instruction. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I thought the work was challenging. I wish more attention had been paid attention to high level programing. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had almost an equal book to hands on training. The instructors worked in the private sector and government in the past. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I didnt have a problem getting most courses for my schedule needs. I did a lot of night classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | For the time I went to school, the machines were up to date. The overall experience was good, but could have been better. |
| Social Life | This was a business/tech school. No sports teams were there. | |
| Placement Services | 1 | The school offered no career placement services. No job related courses were offered either. |
| Alumni Network | The school has closed. I have had no contact with the school in several years. |
University Of Tennessee • Knoxville, TN
Studying Psychology (completion in 2001)
• 3/14/2012
"I felt very much like a number. Once they got my money, they no longer had much interest in dealing with me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I simply did not like the overall experience of attending UT. Perhaps it's because I was an older student, but the inefficiency of almost every process involved in being a student there drove me nuts. On the day I went to pick up a financial aid check on my last semester, I was directed to four different rooms in sequence before I could actually pick up the check. It wasn't that I was being sent to the wrong place, but I had to actually go to each room before being directed to the next. I never have figured out why they didn't just send everyone to a large room, have stations set up for blocks of names, and let the students do everything needed at one place. |
| Program Reputation | I actually don't know. | |
| Program Quality | 5 | I found many of the instructors to be quite knowledgeable, however, there is an underlying contempt for any program that does not involve athletics. I found that as an older student, my needs were often dismissed as not being relevant. This definitely impacted my learning experience. |
| Instruction | 5 | The quality of the curriculum, again was relatively good, but did not include as many classes as I would have liked in more specialty areas. In addition, as I discovered my affinity for computer support during the time I was attending, I found it very difficult to add classes in that discipline, even as electives. |
| How Difficult | 5 | As I never attended another institution, I'm not sure how to compare. My worst difficulties were in navigating the red tape involved in going to college as an adult, not in the class work itself. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The only hands-on learning I did was for electives. For example, Sign Language classes involved visiting with hearing impaired at outside events. Perhaps if I had gone past the Bachelor's degree, this may have changed. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Some classes were flexible, but mostly electives such as language classes. The core curriculum I needed was very much set not only as on campus, but some classes were only available in certain semesters making it difficult to schedule around a full time job and family of four at home. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Library and Computer facilities were quite good. However, since I was a non-traditional student, mentoring and study groups were difficult or impossible to fit in to my schedule. |
| Social Life | 8 | It was very satisfying to interact with the larger variety of students. Being exposed to younger (and a few older) points of view and having the opportunity to socialize at planned events gave me a much wider perspective of the world. |
| Placement Services | I did not use their placement services as I had already begun to work in the computer support field and it was not my field of study. | |
| Alumni Network | 4 | The only contact I ever have with them is when they want to solicit donations. The few times I've tried to contact the Alumni Association for other reasons, I've found it very difficult to find any type of support. |
Freed Hardeman University • Henderson, TN
Studying Accounting (completion in 1996)
• 3/17/2012
"Freed was a great school with a great environment. It was small enough to get around quickly and big enough to not feel like you were in a hole in the ground. The teachers really care and help you start a successful life."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Freed would be a great school for anyone to attend. My daughter is there now in her Freshman year and loves it. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I had no problems finding my first job in the accounting field. The person who hired me knew about the school I went to and I think it helped get me that job. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The teachers are very knowledgeable. The only reason I do not rate higher is that it is a small university and therefore the electives and additional subjects in the major are limited. |
| Instruction | 10 | I really enjoyed the teachers at FHU. They did not treat me as just a number; I was a person. They knew what they were talking about and did what they had to to make you a successful person in both their class and in life. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Accounting is a hard major. The classes expect you to have a strong statistical and analytical ability. Although I did not end up with Accounting in my career, it definitely helped me in my skills for my current position. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The teachers always used the books with the class. This made it easier to study for tests. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | They offer year round school, both with summer school and short courses multiple times a year. It wasn't hard to get the classes I needed to graduate. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Everything I needed to complete my studies was available on campus. The teachers were very easy to talk to and encouraged one-on-one communication. |
| Social Life | 2 | I had no social experience, not because they do not offer it, but because I got married at an early age and was too busy trying to balance work, home life and school. The school has social clubs, activities and plenty of events for the social person. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I didn't really use the services from my school for this, but they do have them available. They also have a center specifically dedicated to this. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Being a small school, I get regular information and updates. Both of my children are attending as Freshmen there this year. There are also regular reunions and fund raising for alumni of FHU. |
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