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 University of Minnesota and Inver Hills 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 Metropolitan State, Minnesota State Moorhead, Saint Cloud State, and Bemidji State.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider College of Saint Benedict and St. Catherine University.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider MCTC.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider St. Catherine University, The College of Saint Scholastica, and University of St Thomas.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of St. Olaf College, Minnesota State Moorhead, University of Minnesota, and Saint Mary's University of Minnesota.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of St. Olaf College, Saint Johns University, College of Saint Benedict, and Concordia.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at St. Olaf College, University of Minnesota, St. Catherine University, and Concordia.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at University of Minnesota, Augsburg, and St. Olaf College.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at St. Olaf College, College of Saint Benedict, St. Catherine University, and Saint Johns University.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Saint Catherine University • Saint Paul, MN
Studying Social Work (completion in 2011)
• 9/1/2011
"I had an amazing experience. I never doubted that I had chosen the right school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Obviously I can only recommend it to other women. It is an excellent school though. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | In the Catholic school realm, we are well known as a social work school. We are also one of only a few accredited by the NASWE. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The requirements were rigorous and I left feeling very prepared for the field. The two semesters of practicum were very helpful. |
| Instruction | 10 | It was extremely relevant and was constantly updated. The profs were always willing to discuss questions or concerns, or were just available to talk. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There were many requirements. You also had to earn at least a B in every major course. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a very balanced mix. We spent a lot of time getting real life experiences, and also had a lot of textbook learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The school offered both day and weekend class options for my major. From my understanding, the weekend courses were not any different from our courses. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | A large portion of the school's library is dedicated to social work and master's theses for those pursuing their master's in social work. |
| Social Life | 5 | As an all girl's school, this part was lacking. Most people went home on weekends. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The networking was a major part of the school's appeal for me. Katie's are often hired by other Katie's. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | “KatieClick” connects current students and alums for job networking online. It is very easy to use and people use it a lot. |
University Of St. Thomas • Minneapolis, MN
Studying Political Science (completion in 2009)
• 10/15/2011
"It was a great school and I loved going there. I still have yet to be back, but I plan on it soon."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | There are all the resources you need to be successful in your studies. Also, the atmosphere is fun and youthful. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | It has always been well respected. It has also recently added some buildings. |
| Program Quality | 7 | It was very good to me academically. It is hard to get around though. |
| Instruction | 8 | My professors were very smart. They were also very willing to help. |
| How Difficult | 6 | It was relatively demanding. There was a lot of writing. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were numerous opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Any time you desired a professor would help you out. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | It was tough sometimes. There are a lot of students there to contend with. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | There were a few run down ones when I was there. They were building some new ones, though, so I am sure it'll be nice. |
| Social Life | 8 | Met a lot of new and interesting people. They were all smart and had the same goals as me. |
| Placement Services | 7 | They helped a lot. They gave me advice and helped me with my resume. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I am not too involved. I do get a lot of phone calls though. |
Minnesota State University, Mankato • Mankato, MN
Studying Social Work (completion in 2011)
• 2/22/2012
"I am very satisfied with my training and schooling. I would not change anything about it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend MSU,M to anyone who wants to become a social worker. I enjoyed my professors, I enjoyed my classes, and I enjoyed the social atmosphere of MSU,M. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | From my understanding, MSU Mankato has a really great curriculum according to the Council on Social Work Education. I believe my program went far above and beyond the minimum requirements. |
| Program Quality | 10 | I really enjoyed how much choice I had in classes. I also enjoyed the variety in the ways the professors taught. |
| Instruction | 10 | I think that I was prepared going into my first job. When I started the program I did not even know what a social worker's responsibility or job was. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I would say it was moderately difficult. While I was going through the program I would struggle sometimes, but through that struggle I became a better writer, listener and speaker. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I enjoyed the mix the program had to offer. We had some classes that were entirely hands on, some that were entirely textbook/lecture, and some that were half and half. I think they truly found the sweet spot in this area. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I did not realize how flexible my class options were until discussing with a friend at a different school. I typically took 1 or 2 night classes every semester. I took one online course. I had classmates who worked full time jobs and could schedule classes around that. Minnesota State University, Mankato had a large variety of class options. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Minnesota State University, Mankato had a good library with some really awesome librarians. We had computers in almost any setting you could desire. They had computers designed for group or individual use. Classroom space was decent. My academic advisor was instrumental in my choices of classes. There were always tutors available. Almost every professor was very available for the students. |
| Social Life | 8 | School spirit was fairly strong. Hockey games were a very important athletic event. Being that MSU,M was a state school, students would throw many parties. However the college did try to offer many school sponsored (cheap/free) organized social events. |
| Placement Services | I did not use the school's job placement and career services assistance. However, the social work department has a listserv and through that I get weekly emails of social service jobs in my state. | |
| Alumni Network | It's hard for me to rate my alumni network, because I graduated within the last year. I have not been in touch with my school's alumni network. |
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