Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Family And School Social Workers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Kirkwood Community College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider University of Iowa, Northern Iowa, University of Dubuque, and Mount Mercy College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Upper Iowa University.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Mount Mercy College and Saint Ambrose University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Dordt, University of Dubuque, Luther, and Loras.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Loras, Dordt, Luther, and Wartburg College.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of Iowa and Luther.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Loras, Clarke, Luther, and Mount Mercy College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Sort Reviews By:Sorting by: • Show All Details • Hide All Details
University Of Northern Iowa • Cedar Falls, IA
Studying Criminology (completion in 2006)
• 8/15/2011
"I loved the atmosphere as well as the coursework at UNI. It was very positive and uplifting."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The teachers were excellent and dedicated to this field of study. They provided an interesting education which made it much easier to learn. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I think that it is a great program. However, I do not know that it is well recognized as one of the best programs. In my personal opinion, it is above average. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I feel like my education was very consistent and of very high quality. I left college feeling like I was prepared for the social work field. |
| Instruction | 9 | I feel like the professors at my college took their jobs very seriously and provided a high quality of education. All of the instructors that I had developed a different way of teaching that was highly effective. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I feel like the academic challenge and workload of my program was pretty average because I saw other programs that were more math and science oriented. These type of programs were much more difficult and time consuming than the program I was in. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I do not remember having very many hands on classes. I felt like there was quite a bit of studying out of a book. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There were plenty of night classes offered, but most of the classes were offered at regular times. There were some online classes but not many. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | Academic resources were excellent at my college. The library was fantastic and centrally located. |
| Social Life | 4 | I did not get very involved in college. I feel like I made a decent amount of friends and acquaintances but did not get involved in much else besides working on campus. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I do not feel like my school helped much with job placement. I think that if they offered these services, they did not advertise them very well. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I do not know a whole lot about the alumni network at my college, but I do know that they try to reach out frequently. I know that there is something established but am unsure of the dynamics exactly. |
University Of Iowa • Iowa City, IA
Studying Sociology (completion in 1997)
• 9/30/2011
"I believe having a four year education is the bare minimum of what you need to get a decent job. A Bachelor's is good preparation for entering into the workforce."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | I would recommend this school if it meets your criteria, but if cost and location are not concerns then there are better options. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I do believe that my favorite professor, Dr. Stratton is recognized in the criminology community, but other than this I believe the Sociology program is pretty average. I am not really sure what the U of I is best known for, but I would say their Writer's Workshop in the English Department and their Medical school are pretty highly rated. |
| Program Quality | 5 | Some criminology and juvenile delinquency instructors were good. Other professors were unmotivated and uninspiring. |
| Instruction | 5 | Absolutely no career preparation, advice, or mentoring once I declared my major. I have only met with my advisor once. |
| How Difficult | 4 | I enjoyed my area of study once I declared my major. I did very well in these classes as compared to the rest in my four years of instruction. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some of my classes were great, most weren't, they were just requirements to get me through graduation. My year-long internship that was sponsored through the school as a class credit was invaluable. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 4 | I did not have any trouble getting into classes, with the exception of having some pre-requisite class order issues which delayed my graduation a bit. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | The Sociology program offices were located in possibly the oldest and most decrepit building on campus. |
| Social Life | 8 | I am a native to Iowa City, both of my parents, one grandparent, and many aunts and uncles are graduates of the University of Iowa. I grew up loving the school and wanting to go to there. For that reason, my experience here was very positive. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I totally lucked into my job. I was participating in an internship through school and my mentor in the internship program suggested that I apply with the State of Iowa for a job as a social worker because of the benefits and case management experience I would get if I wanted to eventually get a job in correctional services. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have not really stayed involved with the Alumni Association. This could be as much my choice as theirs. |
Ashford University • Clinton, IA
Studying Psychology (completion in 2008)
• 3/19/2012
"Overall, the experience at Ashford was excellent. I received the education I desired and felt prepared to enter the workforce. The courses were user-friendly, professors were encouraging and coursework was college-level."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend Ashford to other students, especially those considering an online degree. The courses are challenging and rewarding. They keep you excited about your choice of major. The professors are helpful and encouraging, and the program is flexible. If these are things you want in a university, Ashford is worth looking into. |
| Program Reputation | I am currently unsure of the rating of the program that I completed. I would recommend this program to others, because I felt that it prepared me for the career I chose. | |
| Program Quality | 10 | Ashford is a wonderful school. The staff was helpful in working with us to help us succeed in our goals. The coursework was relevant to jobs within the major. |
| Instruction | 10 | Professors were always very helpful with assignments. Coursework was very beneficial in learning the key concepts of a career in a social work setting. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Workload was awesome, because courses were at an accelerated pace; however, you took one course at a time. This gave you the ability to focus and really put your best effort into each course. The course material and assignments were challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In an online program, it is difficult to do hands-on learning, although some assignments were aimed at getting field experience and reporting it back to the virtual classroom. Most of the learning was book oriented and discussion boards. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I chose Ashford because of their online degree program option. I was very pleased with the outline of the program and its flexibility. It was just as challenging and effective as an on-campus program, with the added flexibility. |
| Academic Facilities | I never visited the campus of the college. The online platform, however, was up to my standards. | |
| Social Life | 10 | As a nontraditional, online student, I was still aware of the school mascot. I was also aware of social networking within the school. The online students developed their own social networking as well. I bought and wore school attire because I was proud of my university. |
| Placement Services | I am not aware of the career services and job placement options for online degree students. I was never contacted in regard to job placement; however, these services were not needed on my part. | |
| Alumni Network | 5 | Occasionally, alumni surveys are sent and grants are offered for further degree completion. The effort to contact alumni for career help is limited. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.