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 The Evergreen State College, Bellevue College, Seattle Central, and Washington State 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 Eastern Washington University, Walla Walla University, Northwest University, and Saint Martin's University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Heritage, Seattle Central, Shoreline Community College, and City University of Seattle.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider City University of Seattle, Walla Walla Community College, Heritage, and Edmonds Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Antioch, Walla Walla University, Seattle University, and The Evergreen State College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Walla Walla University, Northwest University, Saint Martin's University, and Seattle Pacific University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Whitworth University, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, and Western Washington University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Whitworth University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Walla Walla University, Antioch, Saint Martin's University, and Pacific Lutheran University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Northern Arizona University • Flagstaff, WA
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2000)
• 4/29/2011
"One of the best elementary programs I have heard about, especially at the Arizona State level. Felt extremely prepared going into my first year of teaching."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Hands down a great school for pursuing a teaching degree. Provides a lot of support and structure to learning students. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Compared to other state Universities, NAU provides a quality program. It has one of the best in classroom teaching experiences for the students. |
| Program Quality | 9 | High quality classes that provided a great base for teaching. The hands-on experiences really prepared me for student teaching. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 6 | I felt the program was "fair" when thinking about work load and being academically challenged. The field experience was sometimes a bit stressful, but provided a much needed opportunity for real learning to take place. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The elementary education program was a mix of book learning and hands-on. I felt the program was well aware that the best learning on how to be an effective teacher was to witness it first hand by being inside the classroom. Throughout the course of earning my degree I was given the opportunity and required to be inside an actual elementary classroom. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They offer online classes which provides quite a bit of flexibility. They also have summer classes that you can take. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I had many fantastic teachers that provided their expertise in the field of elementary education. The availability of resources was consistent. |
| Social Life | 5 | NAU was a smaller state University so the social experiences were probably about average for its size. The dorms provided structured activities at least once a month. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The programs ability to find a classroom to student teach in allows students to get a foot in the door at many of the local schools. This opportunity of working at a school before actually applying to become a full-time teacher helps establish relationships with staff and students. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I receive information about alumni opportunities in the mail and through email. I have not participated in these opportunities so I feel it is probably about average. |
Central Washington University • Ellensburg, WA
Studying Elementary Education; Middle Level Mathematics & Science Education (completion in 2010)
• 7/3/2011
"Aside from jumping through some hoops due to degree requirement changes, I highly value the CWU teacher education program. I would consider going back to CWU for my MA."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, I would recommend CWU to others pursuing education. CWU provides excellent experiences that prepare you for the teaching world. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Central Washington University has long been an education-focused university. I highly recommend aspiring teachers to attend CWU. |
| Program Quality | 7 | CWU prepared me pretty well for being an educator. However, while I was attaining my degree, there were several degree changes going on and I had to jump through many hoops and take more and more classes to meet the new requirements. |
| Instruction | 10 | I apply many of the teaching methods I learned in my education program to my daily teaching practice. My professors are still in close contact and I know I can go to them when I need help. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The elementary education degree was not difficult to attain. Coursework was time consuming, but not intellectually difficult. My middle level mathematics and science education degree required more academic rigor. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | CWU encourages hands-on learning and provides examples of how to teach in this style. Although there were many hands-on opportunities, there were also text book readings to strengthen our knowledge of the theories and reasoning behind teaching in this way. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Some classes are only offered in certain quarters. Because of this, it is important to really plan ahead and meet with your advisor frequently. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | I had a wide variety of materials and resources during my teacher preparation. In addition to resources in the college, my courses required that I teach in local schools, which is not offered in every education program. This experience added another whole bag of tips and tricks for me as a teacher. |
| Social Life | 8 | Although I participated little in social events, as my academic quarters were overloaded and I worked part-time, CWU had many social events available. Athletic and artistic events were most common. |
| Placement Services | 7 | My student teaching advisor placed me in an excellent district where I was able to make connections. The district connections helped more than anyone from CWU, though. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I don't expect much from the alumni network and support. I receive emails and mail concerning alumni network and support, but I disregard them. |
Central Washington University • Ellensburg, WA
Studying Elementary Education (completion in 2008)
• 10/15/2011
"I look back fondly at my time in college and not just for the memories, but for the experience I gained in the classroom. I believe the high quality education I received prepared me for my career and helped facilitate my quick employment."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend the school for two reasons - it is affordable and provides quality career preparation. Central is a state school so it is rather inexpensive to attend, which is important to consider given the current economic situation that many people face. Central also effectively prepares students to gain jobs in the teaching field. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The education school is one of the largest in the country and has a record of producing high quality teacher candidates. Additionally, a number of the former graduates have earned high praise for their teaching at the state and national levels. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school I attended has one of the largest teacher education programs in the country because it is effective at preparing students to become teachers. The assignments and experiences that I was a part of at that school were instrumental in preparing me for a career. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instruction that I received was excellent. I was challenged and learned immensely from my professor. They helped me when I was struggling and they encouraged me to extend myself beyond what I thought I could handle. Consequently, I participated in extra academic activities that helped me further develop professionally. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I was expected to perform large amounts of work that was necessary in gaining a greater understanding of the material and the curriculum that I would eventually need to teach. At the time I needed to spend large amounts of time in the library to complete my coursework. I did manage to have some free time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was expected to teach lessons in front of actual elementary classes, which represents the extent to which the program was hands on. The other portion of the program was in class lecture, seminar, and lab type classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | I attended the main campus and it was very traditional with regard to class schedule flexibility. Classes were typically offered during the day on weekdays. I only attended classes that fit that time frame. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities and resources available to me were excellent. There were new computer labs with free use of copy machines and printers. The library stayed open sufficiently late enough and counselors and advisers were willing and effective in helping me. |
| Social Life | 5 | The school had great spirit when it came to athletics. The sports teams are very good so students were interested in the games. Parties were a frequent aspect of the social scene for many of the students at the school. Social events were also common and usually free to attend. |
| Placement Services | 6 | When I needed help with my resume they quickly helped me tailor it to the specific jobs I was applying for. The career center was also very quick to send my placement file whenever I applied for a position. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I receive email updates periodically for my alumni association. These are informative and keep me up to date with what is happening at Central. However, I know the association is not heavily funded and has few core members. |
City University • Bellvue, WA
Studying Master Of Educational Administration (completion in 1997)
• 11/27/2011
"My music experience was first class. My support network was good."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Yes, I encourage many students to attend this school as they still have a great music staff. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The music school travels internationally for competitions and nationally to promote the school. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I have the support of my principal and my community. |
| Instruction | 10 | I had excellent teachers at my undergraduate university. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Music has always come easily for me and so sharing my music with others is a joy. The program at my undergraduate university gave me many varied experiences, opportunities, and challenges. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Many basic courses are required. Many practicum experiences are required so that students are challenged early in their college experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I had to take summer classes sometimes to get all my classes in but it worked out. With good planning all students can finish the program in 4 years. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school is always updating and improving the campus music department. We have a new performing hall. |
| Social Life | 5 | It's not a party school but has good social connections. I'd have preferred a sorority but my undergraduate school had nice dorms. |
| Placement Services | 9 | 100 percent of the music specialists who graduate from my undergraduate school are placed every year in a program. The school does an excellent job of weeding out unqualified candidates early on. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | Our alumni network is shallow and only about donating money to the school. The network contacts us through the mail and phone calls using current students. |
University Of Washington • Seattle, WA
Studying Theater (completion in 2009)
• 12/27/2011
"I wish I had more peers I identified with and more opportunities for school involvement. I came out with a quality education."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The program I participated in was not aligned to my current profession. My school offers a teaching program which is ranked highly in the area. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | For the area it is not the top but is highly ranked. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I enjoyed my time in college. Classes were interesting and I felt I received a quality education. I did not feel my program fostered good peer connections. |
| Instruction | 5 | My major in college was not aligned to my current profession. It is difficult to assess this. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I had no trouble completing the work for my major but I know others did. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program had a good split of courses that were almost entirely hands on and more traditional courses. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | Most required classes were only offered in the mornings. I never saw evening of weekend options. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | My school offered both university-wide resources as well as major specifics. I was able to take advantage of many. |
| Social Life | 5 | I felt most of my peers weren't very smart so I did not have much of a social experience. I know most other students had a different experience. |
| Placement Services | 5 | There was no job placement offered by my program. There were plenty of opportunities for networking. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I know we have a good alumni network but I do not participate in it. |
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