Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Elementary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at National University, UC Irvine, Brandman, and Patten University.
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 Hope International, The National Hispanic University, Bethany, and Pacific Union College.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Mills College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider The National Hispanic University, Patten University, UC Irvine, and Claremont.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Brandman, Holy Names, Claremont, and National University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Occidental College, University of San Diego, Santa Clara University, and Southern Cal.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Pacific Union College, William Jessup University, Occidental College, and Hope International.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Southern Cal, Occidental College, Biola, and Chapman.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Southern Cal, The National Hispanic University, Hope International, and Pacific.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Loma Linda University, Occidental College, Mills College, and Pacific.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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California State University Bakersfield • Bakersfield, CA
Studying Liberal Studies/ Elementary Credential (completion in 2009)
• 6/28/2011
"I couldn't have asked for more in a college, especially since it was in my own home town. I had the opportunity to get away form home and be an adult, yet I was still close to my family. The best part is that my school had one of the best programs for exactly what I wanted to be: a teacher."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school was great. Every professor had tons of knowledge in their subject area. The resources of the school were more than I could even use. If you don't want to be a teacher, we also have the best nursing program in state . |
| Program Reputation | 7 | California State University Bakersfield is one of the top schools for teaching in California. They are very competitive with Cal State Fresno. However, many people form Fresno come to Bakersfield for our program instead of theirs. |
| Program Quality | 7 | They provide a wonderful team. Every teacher from each grade works as a team to write lesson plans and decide on which tools to use to maximize our resources. The district also provides very competitive pay rates and opportunities to expand our own learning. |
| Instruction | 9 | In my college courses, we had a lot of on-the-job training. Almost every credential class required work in a classroom setting, whether it be teaching, observing, or helping. We had very good instructors, all with a master's degrees in different areas of education. I felt confident when I found my own job that I would be qualified to teach. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Each class had a work load related to the number of credits it was worth. Every credit demanded 5 hours of outside study/work time. Some classes required a little more and some a little less. Overall, it wasn't bad and I personally overloaded myself to get my degree in 4 years and only 2 quarters to get my credential. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some classes were very book orientated. There were lectures and reading and that was it. There were also classes that were completely hands on and required very little reading at home. It was more about projects and group learning. I also had classes That were a good mix of both. One of my favorites was an English class that was half hands on. It was supposed to be the hardest English class and it was my absolute favorite. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I took classes all year long. I even took a class over winter break once. I set up all the classes I needed to take when I was a freshman and I could take most of them in any order. There were more morning classes at the beginning. During the credential section, the classes were mostly at night. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We had a library with extremely great hours. Computers were not always available, but usually were. There were tons of resource books available to the students as well. We also a tutoring area, and you didn't have to make an appointment. All you had to do was go in and wait for a tutor in the subject in which you needed help. I rarely waited long. The teachers provided excellent office hours as well and were open to helping students and providing extra help as needed. |
| Social Life | 8 | I had a wonderful college experience. I wasn't into athletics but I was apart of many organized events. We did movie nights. We watched Monday Night Football in the pub. I was into theatre and did many shows. I learned a lot and made some great friends in the process. I also made some great connections that I could always count on or fall back on if needed. |
| Placement Services | 4 | They offer a college career center which shows jobs available. But I had to find my own job with no help, and so did many others. They mainly just prepare you. There is not much help with placement. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | The alumni program had no effect on me. I saw the alumni once and that was during my college orientation. So when asked if I wanted to join, I declined. |
California State University Long Beach • Long Beach, CA
Studying Single Subject Credential Program (completion in 2011)
• 7/5/2011
"I was satisfied with the instructors and the type of education I received. I was also relieved that the commute wasn't too long for me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend Long Beach State to other prospective students because it has a great hands on student teacher program. I would also recommend it to them if they live within 10 miles. It's a great commute, and it's by the beach. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Long Beach State's current reputation is average or above average. It's a popular program at the school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Long Beach State has the best program for potential teachers. The professors make all the difference at this particular |
| Instruction | 7 | The quality of the curriculum was the best. The instructors were great. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The work is very rigorous. The other students can be competitive at times. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school provides book learning, which I like the least. The hands on student teaching is what I like more. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Class flexibility is rough, because it's hard to get the class you want. Budget cuts and tuition hikes are awful. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | I had a good study group, which helped me through school. I used the library at times, but I also used an outside tutor. |
| Social Life | 8 | Everyone's social experience can be different depending on how social they are. I wasn't the type to make friends or be social, because I was there to just learn and get my degree. |
| Placement Services | 6 | The school's job placement services are there, but you must do most of the job searching. You must network and have a good resume. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | The school provides an alumni newsletter. It also provides us support with networking to help us find potential jobs. |
Westmont College • Santa Barbara, CA
Studying Liberal Studies (completion in 2007)
• 7/3/2011
"I am satisfied with the education I received but I'm not sure that I would go to my college again if I had it to do over. My reasons are less about the education I received and more about the social situations that I think could have been better and the fact that I wish I had went to a school with a more "urban" Ed program, specifically since that is where I plan to work most, if not all, of my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | My school has good and bad points, so it would depend on what is important to a person in their college experience and what they want to do post college with their degree. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Our school is a fairly competitive/well ranked school but is only really known in Christian circles since it is a small (1200 student) private school. Again our Ed program is good overall, especially given the goals of most people who complete the program. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Personally I have always known that I wanted to teach in low income/high minority areas, but going to a private school in a suburb didn't teach me the skills I wish it had for working in these environments. In hindsight I would have gone to a school with a program more focused on preparing teachers for the unique situations that come with schools that fall into these categories. |
| Instruction | 5 | Again because I went to a private college in a wealthy area I don't feel like I got the proper preparation for my personal career. But I think the average person in my graduating group would feel that their preparation was adequate for working in wealthier/private schools. such as the ones we did observations in during our program. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Our program was pretty challenging and incorporated a wide variety of classes from all subjects being that it was a liberal college and a liberal studies program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of our courses were a mix between lesson planning, book learning, and site visits to schools in the area. The mix was different depending on the course, but the site visits allowed us to get some hands on experience with students in a variety of classroom settings. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Being that we were a small school and a small major there was not as much flexibility with our major classes. Often there where classes of which there was only one section and/or were only offered every other semester. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | For the program, I think we had great resources. However, I wish that we would have had more of a variety of resources instead of lots of the same things. This would have helped give a more well rounded view of the profession than I think we got from the program. |
| Social Life | 5 | My personal experience was a mixed one. I had an OK social experience in the sense that I was popular, well known, and involved in a wide variety of activities. However being that our school is in a mostly wealthy white school there were some difficult situations being a minority (African American) on a campus with a total of 30 African American students. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The career and life planning department works hard to assist students and alums with finding jobs/careers. The department helps with everything from posting jobs, working on resumes, getting business cards, and career counseling. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have mixed emotions about our alumni network because of the way it's run. There are a lot of resources that are offered to alums, which I think is great, but the way that information is distributed through "class leaders" is ineffective and causes most of the people I know to be less involved than they could be if the system was set up better |
CSU Long Beach • Long Beach, CA
Studying Education (completion in 2000)
• 7/3/2011
"I was very satisfied with the school and often suggest attendance to those needing suggestions for college choices. My overall experience was highly satisfying."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The classes are provided at times when even working adults can attend. There are also a variety of classes and certificates/degrees that can be obtained by attending and completing courses. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I do not feel that the programs offered for education are promoted as much as they could be. This could be due to all the budget cuts and layoffs California is experiencing in the school districts. Many are choosing other fields to major in. |
| Program Quality | 10 | All areas needed were addressed. I felt confident in my abilities to teach at the conclusion of my education. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructors were informative and insightful. They provided extra guidance when needed. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The most difficulty came from trying to remember all the major theories on the education of children. Also, psychology was not my strong point. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My courses consisted of both book learning and hands on activities. The books were long and not overly exciting to read, and the hands on projects were fun to come up with. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | They offer a variety of classes. One can choose from days, nights, weekends, and extensions. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Although I did not utilize these facilities often, they were offered to students frequently. The classroom size was adequate and the availability of the instructors was made known to students at the beginning of the term. |
| Social Life | 5 | I did not attend for the social aspects. From observing others, they seemed to have a good time with athletic events, clubs, groups, etc. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not utilize the job placement services. I was able to secure a position on my own. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | There are always a variety of extension courses and continuing education courses available. There are also other opportunities to be involved with the school and its programs as an alum. |
University Of California, Santa Cruz • Santa Cruz, CA
Studying Education/Mathematics (completion in 2008)
• 7/5/2011
"Everything about my experience was great, from the academics to the location. It is a great environment for any discipline."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think anyone could adjust to going to school in the middle of a redwood forest overlooking the ocean. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Not the best education department, but it was still a UC and therefore was fairly good. |
| Program Quality | 8 | We had a lot of programs that had us go into actual classrooms and work with kids. |
| Instruction | 9 | They had amazing job placement, plus the opportunity to make local connections. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The program was extremely hard and focused heavily on theory in the first two years of study. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Our program was definitely geared towards book learning. We did have experiential learning, though. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | They only had classes during certain times and there wasn't much flexibility on when you could change that. I don't think you'll find that kind of flexibility anywhere though. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | We had amazing facilities. The library was huge, there was a large media center, and our department had it's own building with a education library inside. |
| Social Life | 6 | School spirit wasn't very important at UCSC, nor were athletics. It was mainly a school for science students. |
| Placement Services | 9 | They have a good job placement program. Again I didn't really need to take advantage of it as I already had something secured. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | I haven't taken advantage of the alumni network as I already had a job secured, but other students said it was great. |
Cal State Fullerton • Fullerton, CA
Studying Teacher Education (completion in 2002)
• 7/5/2011
"Overall the school I attended has great academics and a very nice staff. I must say I would do it all again."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school is very nice for any student. It makes sense to go there versus a more expensive school. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The school I attended has a very large name in the Education field and continues to make a new name for itself yearly. It is a very prestigious school. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The school I attended gave me all I needed to have a successful future in the subject I did study. I really did like the staff and help was available. |
| Instruction | 9 | The quality of instruction was very straight forward and bland. In my opinion it could have used something extra. |
| How Difficult | 9 | I really did not think the area I studied was difficult at all. I think this was because I had a lot of background knowledge in the subject. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Being that my major is what it is, the program was very book study related. I did not have any problems with that approach. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | The school's schedule flexibility was very smooth and appropriate to what I needed. There was time for school and for myself. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school was very strong in their resources. They had all the law books needed for my area. |
| Social Life | 9 | The school had a very polite and friendly staff. Even the students were helping. |
| Placement Services | 9 | During my college career I was given a job straight out of graduation that was very prestigious. I really did find it easy to make a smooth transition. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | My school's alumni network gives me everything I need. I still currently know all of my college friends. |
Cal Poly Pomona • Pomona, CA
Studying Teacher Credential (completion in 2001)
• 6/29/2011
"It was a means to an end. I needed a teacher credential, and the program provided it. I understand that I traded a traditional school experience for a program that was more centered around my experiences as a new teacher."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | Although I got my credential through my program, it made it harder for me to get my Master's degree. Some places won't accept my credential program as my basic coursework. |
| Program Reputation | 2 | I'm not sure the program even exists any more. It was designed to get people into the classroom right away, and now there's absolutely no need for that kind of program. |
| Program Quality | 6 | It was an OK program. I felt like I learned a lot, but it needed some improvements in terms of the support it provided. |
| Instruction | 6 | My program was non-traditional, so I did a lot of the learning on my own. I did get support, but it was all provided by one person, who I did not care for. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It wasn't very challenging academically. The workload, however was very heavy. I had to do a lot of assignments in addition to teaching in my own classroom. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was based around my teaching in my own classroom. I was able to take the things I was reading about and use them in my own classroom right away. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | This was the good part about the program. I was able to pick when I would work on my assignments. We did have a few mandatory Saturday meetings, but they were not very frequent. |
| Academic Facilities | 2 | Since almost all of my learning took place off campus, I didn't really use any of the campus resources. When I did use the facilities or resources, I found them to be adequate. |
| Social Life | 2 | I had infrequent opportunities to socialize with the students in my cohort. Most of the time, however, we worked on our own. There were no parties or school spirit-type activities. |
| Placement Services | 2 | Part of the qualification for getting into the program was to already have a job lined up. However, I think they may have helped a few people who didn't already have jobs get them. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I am not connected at all to any alumni group for my teacher credential program. I know there's a Facebook group, but since I didn't see my fellow students very often, we didn't really connect. |
UCLA • Los Angeles, CA
Studying Geography (completion in 2006)
• 7/9/2011
"I was very satisfied with UCLA. It was very easy to pursue a degree and to get it at UCLA."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I got a teaching credential at UCLA. It also is a well known institution and has high standards. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It has a very good reputation. Also, I have heard many people discussing the Geography program at UCLA. |
| Program Quality | 7 | There are too few academic programs. There needs to be more extracurricular activities after school to enrich the student's minds. |
| Instruction | 6 | I learned a lot about teaching while I was getting my degree. However, nothing compares to actually being in a classroom and interacting with the students. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I found it relatively easy to get a degree in geography. As a child I traveled many places and I was able to relate my experiences to the course. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was very mixed in terms of hands-on and book learning. We combined the two which I found to be satisfactory, although I learn better hands-on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I suppose that UCLA has an average schedule flexibility. Many of my friends in college agree. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | It was easy to schedule a meeting with a professor. Also, the library was a great resource and was easily accessible. |
| Social Life | 3 | I wasn't very social in college. I also didn't have much school spirit. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I already had the goal to become a teacher. Therefore, UCLA's job placement wasn't much use. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have heard that UCLA's alumni network is good. However, I am not really connected with it. |
CSU San Bernardino • San Bernardino, CA
Studying B.A. Liberal Studies; Multiple Subject Teaching Credential SB 2042 (completion in 2008)
• 7/10/2011
"Very satisfied. I liked that the programs were fast paced, and that there were always classes available. The campus is large but the classes were small."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, definitely. I believe that SCUSB is a great school to go to for those pursuing a teaching career. The program is nationally accredited. There are always classes available. The professors are great and the staff is always there to help you if there are complications with scheduling. Also, if you're a hands-on learner, then this is the place to attend. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | The program is accredited nationally. It is also in compliance with the teacher credential services and the no child left behind act. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Fast Program, very informative and supportive. Teachers are good mentors, they explain and provide real and necessary skills needed for the job. |
| Instruction | 9 | The preparation and amount learned was extremely relevant to the current curriculum and state requirements for student achievement. The program also required a lot of field work, which is great for obtaining real life experiences of teaching. |
| How Difficult | 9 | There is a heavy work load because of all the field work. One must also do a lot of reading, and testing to obtain credential. The program is also fast paced which adds to the work load. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program was very hands-on. All of the credential program classes, as well as some B.A classes, required field work. Field work consisted of completing several hours of observations, volunteering, and participation work inside of an elementary classroom. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The school provides a very flexible schedule for students. It offers summer classes, weekend classes, and late night classes for students who have day jobs. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school's academic facilities were always available. Classes in the program were small, so that allowed for a more active interaction with professors. |
| Social Life | 9 | The school is very organized. There were always a lot of organized social events relating to athletics or parties. I personally attended a few school events and in my experience there was a lot of school spirit. Events were family based, which was great. |
| Placement Services | 9 | The student teaching field work is a great help in job placement because it allows you to demonstrate your ability and capability as a teacher. The career services personnel also provided a lot of information about where to look for work and how to make a good impression. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Everyone was very supportive. The other students, teachers, administrators, and other programs at the school allowed for counseling and tutoring if necessary. |
California State University San Marcos • San Marcos, CA
Studying Liberal Studies (completion in 2010)
• 7/7/2011
"I think it was a great school for learning how to teach. I think that if you are working on getting your teaching degree, they are really helpful."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a great school with so much to offer between academic help and a variety of degree programs. There is also a great social aspect to the school, which is awesome. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | They are one of the best schools for teaching. They really help prepare students and it is a very popular program. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The teachers are very helpful there. I had a lot of guidance to help me finish on time. |
| Instruction | 10 | The teachers are great at giving instruction and guidance, which is very helpful. It helped to have study groups assigned to get us to do what we needed to. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was a tough program to complete. It was good that it was hard because it really helped prepare me for the test. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program I was in integrated taking a class and teaching the subject in a school. This program really helped me to learn what I needed to while teaching it, so it was ingrained in my brain. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | There was good flexibility. I wish they had offered more classes at a variety of times that did not overlap each other. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | There are many resources, such as the library and help center. There is always a way to get research done. |
| Social Life | 10 | There are so many things to do on campus that are non academic related. There are rallies and many events to allow students to unwind and get to know each other. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They worked very hard with me to get me a job my first year out of school. They have an excellent reputation, which makes schools more willing to hire graduates. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | There is a good amount of support from past graduates there. They help answer questions that you have and they share their experiences. |
California State Univercity
Northridge • Northridge, CA
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2010)
• 7/12/2011
"I was very satisfied with my academic experience at CSUN. I would have to say that it was some of the best years of my life. I had a great education, great teachers, and great support."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | CSUN offers a great teaching and masters program. Csun also offers great higher level education. Its a great location, offers great teachers, and a wonderful curriculum. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The program that I went through has a very good reputation. Northridge is known for getting students in and out as fast as possible. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I love my educational program. They were very helpful in directing and providing me with career counseling. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instruction I received was amazing. I realized this when I started actually working. Everything that they taught me in my classes was very true on the job as well. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The program was very challenging, there is a reason that it is called a Masters. The hardest part was balancing the practical education that was required in class room field assignments and class work and tests. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was really based on hands on learning. We did alot of simulated class room activities and programs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I would say that CSUN offers a decent variety of times and schedule but its not perfect. CSUN is a larger campus but the masters program is not that large so there is always going to be limited schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The CSUN library and other resources are very extensive and up to date. I spent many a night working in that library. |
| Social Life | 5 | Csun has a great social scene for the undergrad students. As a masters student I really didnt have time to engage in too many social events and functions. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The Job placement program was very good. They gave me alot of information about local openings and internships. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni association at my school was ok but it really does not do anything. I receive some emails and letters but nothing of consequence. |
California State University, Northridge • Northridge, CA
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2010)
• 7/12/2011
"I was very satisfied with my academic experience at CSUN. I would have to say that I spent some of the best years of my life at that school. I got a great education, had great teachers, and received great support."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | CSUN offers a great teaching and masters program. CSUN also offers great higher level education. It's in a great location and offers great teachers and a wonderful curriculum. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The program that I went through has a very good reputation. Northridge is known for getting students in and out as quickly as possible. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I loved my educational program. They were very helpful in directing me and providing me with career counseling. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instruction I received was amazing. I realized this when I started actually working. Everything that they taught me in my classes was very true on the job as well. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The program was very challenging, and there is a reason that it is called a Master's. The hardest part was balancing the practical education that was required in classroom field assignments with class work and tests. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was really based on hands on learning. We did a lot of simulated classroom activities and programs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I would say that CSUN offers a decent variety of times and schedules, but it's not perfect. CSUN is a larger campus but the Master's program is not that large, so there is always going to be a limited schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The CSUN library and other resources are very extensive and up to date. I spent many a night working in that library. |
| Social Life | 5 | CSUN has a great social scene for the undergrad students. As a Master's student I really didn't have time to engage in too many social events and functions. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The Job placement program was very good. They gave me a lot of information about local openings and internships. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The alumni association at my school was OK, but it really does not do anything. I receive some emails and letters, but nothing of great importance. |
University Of The Pacific • Stockton, CA
Studying M.Ed. + Cert (completion in 2008)
• 7/20/2011
"I've heard it's even worse in other places, so, yeah."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If you've gotta slog through it somewhere, then you might as well do it there. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It has a great reputation, because the dunderheads who teach in it are the same dunderheads at other schools who rate these things. |
| Program Quality | 5 | It's a program that gets you out in five years, usually with a job lead in hand. What more could you want? Oh, right; I guess you could want a program where you don't do inane crap like make posters and share your feelings for three hours on a weekend night. |
| Instruction | 3 | Mostly it was a waste of my time. The only useful stuff was fieldwork, one session of one course on classroom management (it was mostly fluff), and the only really useful course I had, which was on Child Development. It was largely an experience in extreme academic masturbation. |
| How Difficult | 1 | You're joking, right? It was ridiculous from start to finish. I made POSTERS, for the love of God! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Depressingly book-oriented. Yes, we did fieldwork, but it was never the focus, which is stupid, because you learn so much more from that than you ever could from some vapid teaching textbook. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Hellish. Hellish. Weekend & evening options were the only options. Three-hour classes on weekend nights, listening to asinine sorority girls drone on and on about how cute their class was this week. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Pretty good, I guess. Mostly I didn't want or need the resources they offer. |
| Social Life | 10 | It was really great, because I got to escape the School of Ed. |
| Placement Services | 10 | This I can say was excellent -- because the School of Education didn't handle it on their own. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | This they're kind of OK at, but I don't really respect the faculty, nor many of my peers (most people were getting SSCs and they are just not the most academically serious people), so I don't have much reason to use it. |
Humboldt State • Arcata, CA
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2003)
• 7/29/2011
"HSU sent me away as a very confident, excited teacher. HSU prepared me for all of my state exams."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend HSU to anybody looking into a career in teaching. HSU provides a real teaching experience for their credential students. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | HSU is a small school and I have not heard about a reputation pertaining to the credential program. HSU is known as a party school. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I loved Humboldt State for my undergrad and my credential program. The small school gave me an experience unmatched by any other CSU. |
| Instruction | 10 | HSU Credentialing program is far more student centered and student teaching centered than any program I have seen. As a student teacher I spent many hours in the classroom teaching with my mentor teacher and by myself. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The teaching credential at HSU was very time consuming. I could not have had a job and student taught at the same time. The exams were hard and the expectations high, but the professors provided optimum learning to meet those challenges. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had almost equal class time and student teaching time. I would not change anything about how our time was allocated. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I never had problems with my schedule. One class got canceled last minute which was important to me in my continuing education goals. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | All of our resources seemed to be up to date for the time. I enjoyed using our labs and classrooms. |
| Social Life | 10 | HSU provided the college experience I was looking for - low key and mellow, with a lot of small town experiences. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I moved out of town shortly after graduating so I did not use the career center often. As graduates we did have practice interviews with the staff and I found that very helpful. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I have not needed the alumni support very much. I have, however, needed to contact the office of credentialing on several occasions and have received the help I needed. |
Azusa Pacific University • Azusa, CA
Studying Education: Curriculum And Instruction (completion in 2000)
• 7/28/2011
"APU was convenient, flexible, and I was able to complete my degree quickly. I appreciated that this enabled me to go up on the salary scale rapidly, though the cost of the private university was a lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I am speaking only as a graduate student, but I'm very happy with the C&I education I received at APU. I would definitely recommend it to students who were pursuing a masters in Education. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school is popular locally with educators for flexible and online schedules. They have several satellite campuses as well. |
| Program Quality | 9 | APU did an excellent job preparing students and they worked hard to get us into the classroom or to use our current classroom as an action research lab. They did an excellent job of preparing us for the various duties of a teacher. |
| Instruction | 8 | I felt that the majority of my professors were qualified people with years of experience in the field. I appreciated that they knew what it was like "in the trenches." |
| How Difficult | 8 | The work load was time consuming, but I didn't find it particularly difficult. The greatest part of my workload was writing the thesis for my research. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Depending on the class, the hands-on approach was available for computers and technology training. Due to the fact that we were studying curriculum, we employed our own hands-on training in the classroom as action research. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was able to finish my masters degree program in two years due to summer options, evening classes, etc. I was happy that the classes were offered around my professional schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library media centers were accessible and the workers were knowledgeable. I never had difficulty meeting my professors or setting up extra hours conferences. They encourage it. |
| Social Life | 3 | I was attending as a graduate student in the evening and was not involved in on-campus life. I attended a few sporting events, but that is all. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I did not have experience with the career placement office. I was already teaching when I attended graduate level classes. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I receive an alumni newsletter. Other than that, there isn't much contact. |
California State University • Northridge, CA
Studying Liberal Studies (completion in 1990)
• 8/2/2011
"I enjoyed my time there. It met my needs at the time and I met my ultimate goal. I met the requirements I needed to become a teacher."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend it to people living locally. It will meet their needs, although I have heard it is overcrowded now. I have nothing negative to say about it. However, I live in Oregon now and see no reason to say it is better than the schools of education that are here. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I assume it was average. I chose to go to CSUN because I could still commute from my parents' house. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Although it was during the late 1980s that I attended CSUN, I learned that there were many things they did not teach in the student teaching classes. They taught theory and provided a total of 16 weeks practical experience (I think), but they did not prepare me for the day to day activities of teaching. As I mentored new teachers over the years, I made certain that they knew how to take attendance, record grades, and keep records of student behavior and parent contacts. Since they came to me with the same problems I had when I started, I believe this is a normal problem in most teacher preparation programs. |
| Instruction | 5 | Again, I learned many theoretical aspects of teaching. I, however, learned more practical things through district inservices and seasoned teachers. When I began teaching, new teachers were not paired with a mentor for their first year. They had to sink or swim and were fortunate if someone took them under their wing. The people now coming into the profession are fortunate because they have support. |
| How Difficult | 5 | It was rather easy for me. I was a good student and wanted to learn everything. Going to class and doing the work was entertaining. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my undergrad classes were book learning. However, when I got into my education classes, we were required to design and perform lessons with students to demonstrate what we learned. I loved "testing" the cognitive development of children. It was fun to observe their different levels, how some just could not see how the amount of a liquid was the same even though it was placed in two differently shaped containers and appeared different. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | When I was going to school, I was also working two part time jobs. I never had trouble taking a class I needed because they knew many of us were commuters and working. I have learned since then that CSUN is offering online and Saturday classes. All my professional growth classes are online now. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Again, I went to CSUN many years ago. The physical resources were limited then. We had no problem getting together for study groups and professors were always available during their office hours. Since then, I know they have built a wonderful and well-equipped school of education. |
| Social Life | 5 | From what friends told me, they had a good time. I remember that our sports teams were not good and we did not have a football team. I was too busy working to do any of this. |
| Placement Services | 5 | Again, I did not have anything to compare. They did have a career fair every spring and I did get my first job because of it. I do not know what it is like now. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I don't have anything to compare CSUN's alumni association to. I do know they keep alumni updated with newsletters, a website, and requests for funding. I, however, have no interest in this. I was there to go to school. I was not involved in extra curricular activities. |
California State University, Stanislaus • Turlock, CA
Studying Liberal Studies, Concentration In Child Development. I Also Received A Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. (completion in 1995)
• 8/10/2011
"I was happy with my school campus and environment and the education I received there. I would have liked more of a typical college social experience, though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think we had some wonderful, passionate teachers in the credential program. From other teacher friends, I believe we received a more rounded education than other comparable universities. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I think the California State University system is regarded well, but my particular school was not well-known. It had a quality teaching credential program, compared to teacher friends I had that went to better-known schools. |
| Program Quality | 7 | Liberal Studies as a major was too broad. I would have rather earned a degree in elementary education. However, if you are speaking of my teaching credential program (which was another year after my B.A.), I would have rated it higher (an 8 probably). |
| Instruction | 8 | I felt like I was well prepared in most subject matters. What was lacking was preparation for all the rest of what goes along with teaching (classroom management, organization, communicating with parents, etc.). Also, teaching and identifying special needs students was neglected. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I felt like it was challenging and appropriate. I'm sure there are more challenging programs out there. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was happy with the amount of hands on experience offered along with book learning. I had lab experience, taught sample lessons in local elementary schools, taught to peers, took in examples of "living history", etc. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I am not sure if it has changed, but when I was there they offered two programs: one during the day (which I did) and one in the evenings. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Again, it was a quality school. We had more access to professors because it was a smaller school with smaller class sizes. We had everything else listed above. |
| Social Life | 4 | Definitely below average in this department. As I mentioned beforehand, it is a smaller school, and there also were a lot of older returning students as well as commuting students (many of whom lived at home). Because of those factors, CSUS lacked the typical social environment other universities had. |
| Placement Services | 3 | There was a career center - if you knew about it. If you knew where to look you could find some teaching jobs available. They also had a library with phone books... (before widespread internet!) Otherwise, you were on your own. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | Alumni support? There were some resources (not easily) available to help find a job, but that is all. |
San Francisco State University • San Francisco, CA
Studying English/Creative Writing (completion in 2009)
• 9/8/2011
"I received the education I was looking for, but I do wish I had more of a "college experience." I would have liked more academic support and more student activities and study groups."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | SFSU is as good as any state college. It has a good reputation for English and writing, and the professors are well-qualified and talented individuals. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | SFSU has a good reputation for English. However, I do not feel the curriculum is difficult enough. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Classes were unorganized and very packed. Teachers were well-qualified but unorganized. |
| Instruction | 3 | Minimal career preparation, and the materials studied were brittle and dry. The instructors were difficult to communicate with. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The most difficult part was keeping track of my homework. The actual material and schoolwork was not difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The text load was heavy and arduous. There were no classes that contextualized our studied material. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | Although the professors are usually happy to help out, the classes are so full that it's almost impossible to get into a class you need for your major. Colleges are extremely overcrowded. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | Advisors and professors are difficult to make an appointment with. When one is able to get an appointment, the advisor usually is not helpful, seeing as they receive the same information as the students do. |
| Social Life | 2 | I made no friends in college. There were not very many student activities or any active Greeks on campus. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I was not provided with any assistance in finding a job after graduation. I relied on references from my professors to find a job. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I am not active in alumni activities, but I do receive alumni alerts regularly. The organization does not seem to have a purpose, however. |
Cal State University, San Bernardino • San Bernardino, Ca, CA
Studying History (completion in 1976)
• 9/13/2011
"I was very satisfied with my major course of studies - History. I was not satisfied with my education courses. I felt they were not relevant to the real classroom and were more based on philosophy than practicality."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would recommend it for receiving a BA. I would not recommend it for the fifth year - obtaining a education credential. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I had a History major. The professors were extremely knowledgeable. I enjoyed and did well in all my classes. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Cannot major in Education in California. History professors were very good and keep your interest in the past and present. |
| Instruction | 3 | I had taught occasionally for a few years before I returned to school to get my teaching certificate. What was taught in the program was not what was actually going on in the classrooms: mostly philosophy - not practical. |
| How Difficult | 1 | I had already taught in the classroom and had practical experience to draw on. I considered most of my education classes to be a waste of my time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was a history major. This major was very book based. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I attended college during the daytime hours. I know that they had night and extension classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | I only used the library, and study groups. Professors were accessible. |
| Social Life | 5 | I returned to school as an adult and did not participate in the social programs. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I don't have an answer for this - I never used them. I obtained my job on my own. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Hear very little from them. I get the occasional newsletter and yearly phone call asking for money. |
San Jose State University • San Jose, CA
Studying (completion in 2014)
• 9/18/2011
"The TL credential program should have been more balanced with reality. The MLIS program should've offered more up to date classes aligned with the real world opportunities in records/archives; computer language and library systems; beginning systems librarians; advanced systems librarians; emerging opportunities for MLIS graduates as this field is rapidly changing."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend it despite the above caveats about the Teacher Librarian credential program. Students must be encouraged to examine many of the "new" classes for an additional path like archives and records; computer languages for systems; etc. Administrators should recognize the shortcomings of the online program: no face to face, no alumni support, little career support, higher costs, 24/7 student workload, etc. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The Teacher Librarian credential program is one of the very few offered in the US and is highly regarded. The MLIS program is usually in the top ten of all the MLIS programs in the country. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The program at SJSU is highly regarded. However, in application, the program is seriously lacking in connection with reality and district and state expectations. |
| Instruction | 6 | The program went fully online shortly after I started. I had never done online education and it was very stressful when the Learning Management software was replaced, fixed, down, upgraded, or dysfunctional as our participation in a timely manner with the professors, group mates, and other students was an expectation. The interfacing with our own home technology and connections with this courseware management software was incredibly stressful and anxiety producing on top of the course workloads. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Highly rigorous in terms of quantity, timing, and quality of work submitted for examination. Being used to working full-time and giving 110% meant that just one of these SJSU classes was enough to almost put me into a hospital with heart failure. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | With the exception of a practicum, it was very much book learning. Otherwise, individual experiences were shared in the course of online interactions and group work. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Extremely inflexible as the program has gone entirely to online education. If you want face-to-face or a blended experience you are out of luck unless you live in San Jose, CA. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | Each professor was accessible but not necessarily in a timely manner. The library and computer facilities in the distance program were at California State University Fullerton and were essentially the same as those offered to their own students. |
| Social Life | 1 | The only social experience with the online program is through class mates introductions, working with them in groups, and responding to their commentaries. It is a very limited social interaction scenario. There was no school sprit, athletics, parties, organized social events in this online program. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I don't know about SJSU's placement and career services assistance as I was already working as a Teacher Librarian as I was a fully credentialed Teacher with a temporary Teacher Librarian credential when I undertook the coursework. I seldom received any information from SJSU regarding career opportunities, workshops, placement opportunities, or seminars. It's almost as if SJSU perceives this area as an afterthought. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | SJSU has minimal alumni support despite its almost 100 percent transition to being an online program. There are no alumni perks such as borrowing library books via mail or access to databases from a distance. There are no alumni perks that I know about even if I was physically located in San Jose, CA such as access to the gyms, libraries, socials, discounts for any travel groups, insurances or tourist attractions. |
Cal State Fullerton • Fullerton, CA
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2004)
• 9/22/2011
"I am quite satisfied with my school. I feel that I had a good time and got a good education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | My experience here was great and I would recommend people to go to Cal State Fullerton. I learned a lot and benefited very much. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | My school has a satisfactory reputation for elementary education. It's not extraordinary though. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Cal State Fullerton was a very good school and I feel that I learned a lot. I am very satisfied with this school. |
| Instruction | 7 | The preparation involved in becoming a teacher was somewhat relevant to the curriculum. However, I ultimately learned my teaching values by experience. |
| How Difficult | 4 | Considering my study habits, I didn't find this major to be an academic challenge. It seemed very basic to me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We didn't have many practical or hands-on learning lessons. It was mostly memorization and facts from books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Although my school schedule is flexible, I still feel busy with the workload. I have summers off and my weekends are very free with limited work. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The academic facilities in my school were adequate. However, some laboratories and classrooms were very crowded and difficult to focus in. |
| Social Life | 5 | My social experience in my school was not bad. I enjoyed going to social events and meeting new people. However, the athletic events were quite weak and didn't strike my interest. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The job placement was very effective and helpful. The career services were to my standards and benefited me in finding my career. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | My school's alumni support is adequate. It is satisfying, but not remarkable. |
University Of California, Davis • Davis, CA
Studying English (completion in 1984)
• 9/22/2011
"It was and is a wonderful school. Just the name of it opens doors and provides some opportunities."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The English department there is great and offers so many courses in different types of writing and literature. The instruction leaves little to be desired. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I have spoken with many former students and a few current ones who tell me that the program thrives and has even improved. I also get newsletters once in a while which fill me in on the progress and status of the English department. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The University of California offers quality education at what used to be a fair price. Although my university is known mainly for agriculture and veterinary medicine, it also offers fine programs in other areas, such as English. |
| Instruction | 10 | We enjoyed the expertise of published professors who had studied long and widely on the subjects they taught. For example, we had a Shakespeare scholar who led one of our Shakespeare classes. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The program was not particularly difficult because I began studying at the university as a junior. I finished all my lower-division work at a junior college and was able to enjoy a more in-depth study of writers and literature once I reached the university. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In the English department, it's all about studying the classics and reading, so my studies were very much book-learning oriented. I can think of no real hands-on learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Classes were offered at many times of the day and evening. I never had a problem with enrolling in a course or finding one I needed to fit into my schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | UC Davis is a cutting-edge school with all of the latest technology and a well-maintained physical plant. Classroom space was always ample and materials and professors were always reachable and approachable. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was pretty much a wallflower in college, so I did not really socialize much. I do think that opportunities abounded for parties, athletics and other social events. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Since English majors enter many different fields upon graduating, it's often hard to focus on a particular job as a goal. The department itself did not offer much in the way of job placement assistance or interview help. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | The alumni program was probably great if you were able to pay for a very expensive membership. I did not have the resources for this, so I basically lost touch with the university and department once I graduated. |
California State University, Los Angeles • Los Angeles, CA
Studying Experimental Psychology (completion in 2014)
• 9/26/2011
"I had an overall good experience. I have good memories of the campus."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I think an attractive aspect is the low cost and the location in Los Angeles. The cost of living near the school is cheap for student residents. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I do not believe that the reputation is necessarily poor, but it is not a well known campus. The major on this campus is becoming weaker as certain programs are getting cancelled due to budget cuts. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I had a great experience in my program. I feel it was worth the expense and effort to receive a degree from this university. |
| Instruction | 8 | I feel adequately prepared for a career in research or counseling basics or teaching. The relevance of some of the curriculum was not tailored to the area I chose, and this forced me to take courses outside of my major area. |
| How Difficult | 10 | The workload was difficult but not impossible. It was very easy to collaborate on projects and assignments, and this was encouraged. I found this method helpful to both teach and learn from peers. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most classes required books, but we did not necessarily read the textbooks. The books were used as references. Most of our assignments were based on notes, labs, and independent papers. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The school is more expensive during summer than the regular school year. There are not enough online or night courses that would accommodate parents or full time workers. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The libraries were okay and it was good that inter-library loans were available to major universities such as UCLA and USC. There were few places on campus where group studies could be held. |
| Social Life | 5 | As a commuter most of my activities took place off campus. But I socialized with other students off campus. |
| Placement Services | 5 | While in school the placement is good. There are available jobs on campus for students. Post graduation, there is no longer the support of the school. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I hear a lot from them but they are expensive to join. I receive too much junk mail from them in my mailbox and my email inbox. |
University Of California San Diego • La Jolla, CA
Studying Education Studies (completion in 2010)
• 9/26/2011
"Overall, I am very satisfied because I learned a lot and a I feel well prepared. I felt I had a lot of support that helped me progress and graduate from the program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is an excellent program which will prepare them well for a teaching career. I have recommended the program to others and they are also very satisfied with it. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The program has a very good reputation being that it is rigorous and prepares teachers well. It has excellent, knowledgeable, and caring professors and staff. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I learned a lot from my graduate program and I feel that they have prepared me well for my career. They provided lots of support and not just academically. |
| Instruction | 10 | I learned a lot because not only were we in lectures learning about different teaching practices, but we were also putting what we learned into practice. What I liked the most is the way they delivered the knowledge of teaching methods to us. They would demonstrate the way to use the teaching methods which helped to see the various teaching methods in action. |
| How Difficult | 10 | It was hard being that teaching programs are usually two year long programs, but UCSD had a 1 year long program. They had high expectations not only in the classroom but in our student teaching positions. Although it was hard, the professors provided a lot of support. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We had lots of hands-on work after learning things through books and class lectures. Class lectures had lots of demonstrations and hands on work. Then as student teachers we had lots of hands on work in which we were able to put into practice what we had learned. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | The program was small, and therefore there was no flexibility. Everyone took the same classes at the same time. If someone failed or wasn't able to take a class, they would have to come back the next year because the class would not be offered until next year. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had lots of resources: professors, huge library, computer lab, and advisors. The staff and classmates were supportive. We occasionally organized study groups and often worked on classroom projects together. |
| Social Life | 5 | The program is part of a huge university (UCSD); therefore it was hard to know about social events that occurred. The program itself didn't organize any social events. The only social experiences I had were those that we would organize on our own. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I wasn't given any assistance in finding a job. They did provide forums where we could network and figure out how to find our own job placements. They were good at providing recommendation letters which were helpful in job hunting. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | It has been hard to network with Alumni. The school has not provided any type of alumni networking information or support after graduation. |
Claremont Graduate School • Claremont, CA
Studying Masters In Education (completion in 2000)
• 10/8/2011
"I was satisfied with it at the time, but looking back I would have liked to have learned so much more about what the actual job of teaching entails. If I were teaching at this school, I would give real everyday solutions to problems that can and will arise in the classroom."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I say maybe because in CA any other school will make you get a credential and your masters separately. So this school will save you time. But I don't know if that is enough of a reason. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Claremont is a private graduate school. As far as I know it is a top rated school and is part of a group of other colleges referred to as the Claremont Colleges. |
| Program Quality | 4 | I was happy that I got my masters and teaching credential all in one year, but the program did little to prepare me for the realities of teaching. I did not learn how to deal with parents, how to grade, or how to handle classroom management. |
| Instruction | 5 | Like I said above, the program only focused on theory but did not delve into everyday problems that teachers face. I can understand how kids learn, but that won't happen if I don't have classroom management skills. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I think that compared to other masters degree programs, mine was relatively easy. I had to student teach while getting my degree, but I did not have to do a thesis or dissertation. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They were very theory oriented. This made it difficult to translate into actual teaching in the classroom ideas. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | My school had evening classes because we were all student teaching during the day. So as far as evening options goes, that was good. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | At the time, in late 1999, the campus was made up of several small victorian cottages. The library was impressive and I had a great advisor. |
| Social Life | 3 | The social aspect of this school was non existent for me. I student taught during the day and saw my classmates once or twice a week. We all lived pretty far away (not on campus) so there were no school sports, parties, or other events to join as a group. |
| Placement Services | 2 | My school did little to nothing to help me get a job after I completed the program. But the reason for that may be that I did not seek that help since I moved out of CA to FL. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I don't know any of the alumni but I do get emails from the school once in a while. I wish that I knew more about what some of the other people from my classes are doing. |
CSU • Fresno, CA
Studying English (completion in 1997)
• 10/14/2011
"I am less than satisfied. But I won't rank them a '1,' due to it being my fault for selecting English as a major. That was my call and I am stuck with it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I have already talked one friend out of being an English major and he's doing better than me. So much better that I am envious of him. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I rate it average. People graduate and people drop out. I was someone who graduated. |
| Instruction | 5 | Well, I did graduate. Some instructors were better than others. Some were more forgiving than others. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was English, so there was a lot of writing to do. For most people, writing rates near the top of the list in terms of difficulty. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was an English major. Obviously, it was very book oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | At the time I was there, the school offered evening and some weekend courses, like most schools did. It wasn't until I had graduated that courses were offered online. So I'll rate them average. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities I would rate above average. There were old buildings, but new class buildings had been built when I got there and new ones were still being built. Last time I was there, there were still new facilities. There were plenty of labs, and the computers and libraries were more than adequate. |
| Social Life | 5 | |
| Placement Services | 3 | I never got much in the way of assistance from them in 10-plus years, so they rate below average as far as I'm concerned. Of course, much of this could be due to my choice of major. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | Alumni support has been horrible. The only thing I ever hear from them is offers to purchase items. |
National University • Sacramento, CA
Studying Credential Program / Masters Of Education (completion in 2007)
• 10/21/2011
"This school provided me with what I needed to become a teacher. It was great to be able to accomplish this all while continuing to work full time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Same as above. National provided me with my credential and masters all while I continued to provide for my family. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My school was great for people working full time by offering night and online classes. It is an expensive program and has been explained to me as a program that allows one to "buy" their credential. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I don't think that credential programs teach students what the real teaching world will be like. There is no looking at textbooks and figuring out how to combine them to make more meaningful units for the students. There are no classes that help you with creative ways to discipline kids while continuing to teach and reach the whole range in your room, without another body or set of hands. |
| Instruction | 5 | I think that classes teach the standards and what it means to address them, but not what to do with the curriculum. Classes ask students to create elaborate lessons which in turn bring out creativity, but when you are actually in the classroom administrators require you to follow the programs with fidelity. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I didn't think that the work or academics were hard at all. They sometimes seemed tedious. I loved researching for my thesis, but I wouldn't say it was a challenge. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Little to no hands on. We weren't in the classrooms at all until our student teaching. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 2 | There was no flexibility in choosing classes with the program that I was in. My schedule was Tuesday and Thursday nights for two years. My class assignment would show up in my inbox about two weeks before the class started. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | My classes were held about an hour drive from the main campus and because I was working full time I never used the on campus resources. I will say that the online library was great for my thesis. I could go online and request the books I wanted, keep them for two months and return them in a prepaid envelope. |
| Social Life | 3 | This was more of a career college so most of us were older. There were no athletics, school spirit, or parties. As far as social events, they were casual and planned by people in the classes. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I have never had a conversation with anyone about job placements or career services. I have also never had anyone help with resumes, interviews, or even know if the school had this service. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I get emails every couple of months from the alumni association. I have never been contacted to see how my coursework helped with my career, nor have I really been checked up on other than asking for money. |
San Jose State University • San Jose, CA
Studying Educational Technologies, Instructional Technology (completion in 1993)
• 11/1/2011
"I got my degree and an award after completing the program."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a good school in the Silicon Valley. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I think UCSF has a better reputation. |
| Program Quality | 10 | We had good instructors and a solid program. |
| Instruction | Great content, always updated based on latest technologies. | |
| How Difficult | 7 | You had to keep working as the work load was pretty heavy. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a good balance of both styles. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The flexibility allowed me to complete my degree while working. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Campus is getting better. |
| Social Life | Never used them. | |
| Placement Services | Never used them. | |
| Alumni Network | Never used them. |
California State University Monterey Bay • Monterey Bay, CA
Studying Early Childhood Education (completion in 2008)
• 11/22/2011
"Overall, I was very satisfied with CSUMB. The flexibility and structure were terrific."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend this credential program to others who were interested. It allows you to both attend school to further your career, as well as have the time to work or to attend to a family. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | I have heard a lot of positive things about the program from fellow and former students. My four-year university highly recommended this program and structure to me. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The curriculum and structure of the program was efficient and successful. Overall, I felt best prepared for my career after completion of their program. |
| Instruction | 10 | The diversity in teaching styles allowed me variety and a different point of view for each course. Instructors always made themselves available to help in areas that I may have been struggling with. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The difficulty of the program was challenging, though not impossible. It took time and dedication to complete and could not just be picked up in one night of studying. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I had a good combination of both book and online learning. My courses were mostly completed online, though our texts were all hard copies. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I chose this school based primarily on the flexibility of the program. It is both online and on campus during the weekends. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The classrooms are new-age and provide all the resources you may need to succeed. The technology is up to date and readily available. |
| Social Life | 5 | Because I was in the online course and only attended on campus courses during the weekends, I wasn't able to attend many social events. I have heard from other students that the school is very united and the social events are great. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They are very helpful in preparing a resume and arranging mock interviews. They also notify you of openings within your area on a regular basis. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The career center for alumni is very helpful and readily available. Aside from that, I occasionally receive emails on Alumni News and Events which are great to attend and read about. |
UC Santa Barbara • Santa Barbara, CA
Studying Law & Society (completion in 2001)
• 11/26/2011
"I had a great time and made a lot of friends. It was a great social environment which I needed at the time."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would say my school was a decent liberal arts education. I'd recommend majoring in a science at my school. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | It is fairly respectable. I wouldn't say the reputation got me my job, though. |
| Program Quality | 6 | I learned a lot of critical thinking skills. However, I did not acquire very many practical skills. |
| Instruction | 6 | Many of my professors had extremely respectable credentials. However, I did not receive a lot of practical advice. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I had to write a lot of papers. I didn't have to remember that much, though. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I did a lot of book learning and reading assignments. I produced very few practical, hands on projects. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Class schedules were very flexible. I was able to get classes at most any time I chose. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The library was very nice. I got a lot of help in the physics lab. |
| Social Life | 9 | I had a lot of fun and went to a lot of parties. The social environment was great. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I visited career services multiple times. They were of little or no help. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | I know a few people who are alumni. However, they haven't helped me in my career. |
CSU, Fresno • Fresno, CA
Studying Liberal Studies (completion in 2000)
• 11/26/2011
"I believe Fresno State offered a good education balanced with a fun "college life" experience. I would definitely return to the school if I had to do things over again."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | With the updated program allowing students to graduate with their teaching credential in 4 years, I would definitely recommend the school to others. It has always had a strong reputation for being a good "teaching" school, and I feel satisfied with my education. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I moved away from the Fresno area after college, so I don't know about it's current reputation. I do know that the semester after I graduated the school switched to a 4 year program for teachers, allowing you to earn your B.A. and your 5th year teaching certificate in 4 years. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Our first class related to teaching wasn't offered until our 3rd year of college. The actual skills I needed as a teacher (classroom management, lesson planning, modifying curriculum for various student levels) were only addressed in 1 class during our senior year. |
| Instruction | 8 | Two classes I took were directly related to teaching, the professors were very helpful and informative. Our other professors really did not offer much help in the way of job preparation. |
| How Difficult | 5 | As a liberal studies major, I only had to take 2 math classes (neither of which was higher than an algebra level class). None of the classes I took required extensive studying or subject matters that were difficult to grasp. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were classes offered that were hands on, but many weren't offered until the 3rd and 4th years. One of my best experiences was with an astronomy class where we spent lots of evenings viewing the stars and planets with high powered telescopes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | At the time, I believe there was ample flexibility. I don't believe there was a large online opportunity however. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library and resource centers were quite extensive. Staff, professors, and tutors were always offered plenty of time to schedule meetings. |
| Social Life | 8 | Fresno State has a very competitive athletics program with lots of school spirit both on campus and throughout the city community at large. I always felt proud to be a student at Fresno State. |
| Placement Services | I was never advised about job placement or career services. If those things are available, they were not advertised very efficiently. | |
| Alumni Network | I have not participated in my school's alumni network, so it's difficult for me to rate it appropriately. |
Fresno State • Fresno, CA
Studying CalStateTEACH (completion in 2010)
• 12/21/2011
"They met all of my needs. I learned a lot."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I have already recommended my school to two friends. I got everything I needed. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The school I attended was high quality. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I completed both. It was a good mix. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | It was an online program. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The school had everything we needed. The staff was great, too. |
| Social Life | 5 | Most of my coursework was done online, so it was hard to socialize. |
| Placement Services | 1 | No help with this. |
| Alumni Network | I don't really know. |
Sacramento State University • Sacramento, CA
Studying Fitness Education (completion in 2008)
• 12/26/2011
"I enjoyed the school very much, but wish I had participated more in social events."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I highly recommend it. The teachers were great, the learning was plentiful, and the classes were flexible. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | SAC State is pretty easy to get into. The program I was in was not impacted so that made the program a lot simpler. |
| Program Quality | 10 | SAC State made my college career very simple and worked with me for a lot of the time. It was not only fun but I also learned a lot. |
| Instruction | 8 | I liked my teachers a lot and they were able to connect with me on a level not usually received by a college professor. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work load was medium for a Bachelor's degree program. But don't get me wrong, it was very informative and beneficial. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a general mix of both styles. The professors, especially in my program, were more hands on than others, but I also read many books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | There are many summer and evening options and the professors were actually quite flexible with work and home responsibilities. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | SAC State has a very nice academic resource center. It contains state of the art technology and a large number of computers for study. More often than not they were open. |
| Social Life | 7 | SAC State has many clubs but I never participated. The sports programs, like football, were big and always fun and largely attended. |
| Placement Services | I didn't use the job placement programs after so I have no experience with it. | |
| Alumni Network | 9 | SAC State has a very strong alumni program. There are many donors and plentiful support from the past students. |
National University • La Jolla, CA
Studying English (completion in 2011)
• 12/22/2011
"I am very satisfied because I liked the online format and the large amount of book-work. At the elementary level, most of my career is spent on activities rather than bookwork. I was pleased with all of my teachers except for my thesis supervisor. Overall, I'm glad I attended National because I was able to take things I learned in class and immediately put them into practice in my classroom."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Overall, it was a good program that several teachers have completed. Not every professor is going to be stellar, so I would recommend National and just suggest that they don't take classes with my supervisor. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I know several teachers who have gotten Master's degrees in their educational disciplines. Out of the several teachers, more than half have degrees from National. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Classes were great until the Senior Seminar. My professor was very "hands off" and went on vacation for a month shortly before our projects were due. No one could get a hold of her until right before we were to hand in our projects. She wasn't much help at all. Otherwise, classes were fast-paced, yet interesting and had good professors. |
| Instruction | 8 | It was an online program, so there could only be so much interaction with others. This program prepared me individually and I learned a great deal. However, the lack of interaction slightly hurt because there were few chances to ask peers questions and help each other on group projects, as I did in my undergrad English Education program. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The classes were pretty easy for me because I am education-minded. The work load was quite heavy though. As it was an English program, it was quite writing-intensive and thus time-consuming. The difficulty came in the amount of work that needed to be done before certain deadlines. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were 2-3 books per class due to the online nature. Students were assigned readings during each class and we would have to do the bookwork on our own. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I could sign up for classes very easily either by phone with an advisor, or on my own by signing up online. I could take as many courses as I'd like in either a one month or two month format. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | National had some advisors available for the English department, but it was very difficult to get in touch with them. After several emails or phone calls, they became annoyed with students. This was no way to support students. No availability of tutors or study groups. As this was an online program, many things were left up to the students. If I had needed a tutor, I would have had to find one on my own. |
| Social Life | 1 | The extent of our social lives at an online school includes emails and discussion boards. The only face-to-face interaction was when some students resided in the same state. We'd plan to meet for coffee to discuss classes. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I don't know if they have a job placement center. It would have been helpful. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Except for my diploma from National, no one would know I attended classes there. I am never contacted by the school for any support. |
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