Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Graphic Designers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Northeastern, Emerson, Quinsigamond Community College, and Endicott.
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 Becker, Mount Ida College, Bridgewater State, and Fitchburg State.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Simmons College and Lesley.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Endicott, Mount Wachusett Community College, Bunker Hill, and BU.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Lesley, Fitchburg State, Greenfield Community College, and Northern Essex Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Emerson, BU, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, and Northeastern.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Lasell, Montserrat College of Art, Mount Ida College, and Endicott.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Northeastern, BU, and Emerson.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Northeastern, Emerson, Lasell, and Endicott.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Montserrat College of Art, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Suffolk University, and MassArt.
Working as a Graphic Designer in Massachusetts
Graphic designers use software to create art and communicate messages using combinations of fonts, colors, paper, images, sound, motion and artwork. Read a detailed Graphic Designer job description and schools overview.
The State of Massachusetts does not regulate the practices of graphic designers. The local Boston area chapter of the AIGA can provide helpful professional resources.
Major Industries
Most graphic designers in Massachusetts work for private companies, organizations, institutions and government agencies in:
- Specialized design services
- Retail trade
- Manufacturing
- Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishing
- Advertising and related services
- Printing and related support activities
- Self-employed jobs
Major Employers
A few representative major employers of graphic designers in Massachusetts include:
- Reed Elsevier, Incorporated (Publishing, Advertising)
- International Data Group, Incorporated (Publishing, Advertising)
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company (Publishing)
- Globe Newspaper Company, Incorporated (Publishing)
- S and S Media Incorporated (Marketing / Advertising Agency)
- Mullen Communications, Incorporated (Marketing / Advertising Agency)
- Ahold USA, Incorporated (Retail)
- JS USA Holdings Incorporated (Retail)
- Staples, Incorporated (Retail)
- WGBH Educational Foundation (Movie and Video Production)
- Channing Bete Company, Incorporated (Movie and Video Production)
- Smartroute Systems Incorporated (Media Content)
- Bay State Reporting Agency (Media Content)
- Hispanic News Press Incorporated (Media Content)
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Fitchburg State College (Now University) • Fitchburg, MA
Studying Communication Media (completion in 2006)
• 7/6/2011
"It's a school where you make the most of what you've got. I made the most of every year, and I was rewarded for it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | It depends on their career goals. Or lack of career goals. But its a good, cheap school and a place to meet nice people, good professors, and to get your feet on the ground. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It's one of the top 3 applied to programs at the college. The other two are nursing and teaching. |
| Program Quality | 3 | Practical training does not start soon enough, and you NEED to master Photoshop, InDesign, etc. before you graduate to be competitive. |
| Instruction | 8 | Artists are super supportive of each other. The teachers were great at teaching the basis of design theory. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I was not particularly challenged. However, I did graduate with a 3.96 GPA. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Small classrooms are key. I'm still friends with many of my professors. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | There are not many classes offered in the summer. I never took a class before 11AM. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Considering it's state school, its adequate. The computer labs were great when I was there. |
| Social Life | 8 | The Greek life is rather vibrant. There are many of other activities to participate in or to start if you have the ambition. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The internship period is super helpful, but nothing else is. Charles is great at placing people. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I keep in touch with some people. Most of us have moved on to other careers now. |
Art Institute Of Boston • Boston, MA
Studying Illustration (completion in 1999)
• 8/1/2011
"Very satisfied with the experience. I didn't feel very prepared when I left, though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Boston is a great city for students. AIB is located in the heart of Kenmore Square and is very community oriented. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I believe it was better before they merged. There are several successful graduates, though. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The actual mechanics of creating visual art was great. I would have liked more art business background. |
| Instruction | 9 | Again, the actual mechanics of creating visual art was great. I would have liked more art business background. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Expectations were high grade-wise. Additionally, juniors and seniors had to pass a jury. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Very hands-on, which was appropriate. I don't think I bought many books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Flexible. I was able to work around my work schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | At the time there were limited computers. The location was good, though. |
| Social Life | 9 | It was community oriented. I enjoyed that aspect a lot. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I received no job placement support. All they seemed to offer was employment at the school. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | They merged with Lesley University shortly after. AIB alums are sort of an afterthought. |
University Of Massachusetts, Amherst • Amherst, MA
Studying Visual Art (completion in 2007)
• 8/2/2011
"I double-majored (with writing) and felt that I had a good art/design experience without being in a school that was exclusively an art school. I only wish that job-placement and alumni network resources were stronger."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If someone was interested specifically in design, it would be better to go to a school with a stronger focus on the field. Even within the University of Massachusetts system, UMass Dartmouth is a better fit for people pursuing design or industrial printing, etc. If the person had wider interests than design alone, UMass Amherst could be a good fit for them. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I would say the program has a fairly good reputation for a university art program - certainly not as strong as going to an actual art school, but good nonetheless. However, it is understood that for more design-oriented, applied art, other schools are better choices. |
| Program Quality | 6 | There was more of an emphasis on studio ("fine") art, but I was able to take many graphic design/digital art classes. In the middle of my studies, the graphic design program was completely restructured, leaving many students in the lurch. |
| Instruction | 8 | The professors and teaching assistants that I had were very knowledgeable with the Adobe Suite and taught well. Projects could have had a stronger design/practical focus. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The difficulty and size of the work load was extremely high, especially considering that many students did not have Adobe programs on their own computers and had to use labs during the hours that they were available. Definitely hard work! |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Only rarely was reading or taking notes in a lecture part of my art-department classes. One large exception was Information Design, but this still didn't compare to any academic classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Art classes run on a completely different schedule than other departments, making it difficult to fulfill requirements. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Libraries and computer labs were excellent, though they tended to be extremely crowded as it is a very large school. Studio facilities were also available to junior and seniors. |
| Social Life | 5 | The school did a good job of organizing and promoting events. In-department, however, I felt like there could have been more of an effort to help art and design majors form connections with each other and attend events. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I was not able to secure an internship through the school, despite professors saying that there were many available. Post-graduation, the job-placement and career services are almost non-existent. The alumni network claims to have job postings, but these are only a tiny handful of jobs that are not in my field. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | Our alumni network is much more skewed to business school alumni. There's no direct support for people in more creative fields. |
University Of Massachusetts, Amherst • Amherst, MA
Studying Mass Media Communications (completion in 1982)
• 8/3/2011
"I had intended to gain practical knowledge of my intended field of study (which was advertising media production), but ended up having to gain that post graduation instead, on the job, since that side of the school's curriculum was new and under developed at the time. I had anticipated hands on training but got very little due to (at the time) inadequate production facilities."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | As mentioned I was part of the very first year that my department existed, and so I realize that it had not yet had the time to develop or mature. As I understand it, The school has since developed a very good media department, with appropriate lab facilities and instructors to staff them. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | From what I understand The school now has a fully functioning Media Department, with a program that has developed over time. The School has, as I understand it, purchased and currently utilizes lab equipment with staffed labs that are more appropriate for my field of study. |
| Program Quality | 5 | At the time, my department was new and untested in the field (I was part of the first class to enroll), and so was a 'work in progress.' The school is very large, and at least in my opinion, could have benefited students more by having smaller class groups, especially in more specialized subjects. |
| Instruction | 5 | Most of my instructors, whilst being accomplished academics, did not have resumes to speak of in the field, or practical experience. Some of the courses had multiple choice option exams, while other, more comprehensive formats would have been more beneficial. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The courses tended to be more rote formula memorization than project oriented. A larger percentage of the exams were multiple choice. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of our courses were all theory, and rote learning from study materials rather than hands on experience. Our Instructors were academics themselves, rather than former or current career professionals in their fields. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The scheduling took into account that some students had to work, in addition to attend to their studies. Our Department provided multiple times at which a student could attend a class. Morning, noon, and evening options were often available. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The availability of our professors was very good. They were typically very easy to schedule meetings with, and were also typically available at scheduled office times for consultations. Lab facilities were non existent at the time (this has since changed), apart from a very developed campus radio station and audio production facility. |
| Social Life | 7 | The school had over 28,000 students, and so there was a very wide variety of different types of people from many nationalities and backgrounds, including those from one's own peer group. The campus had a well developed social program that included concert series, themed social events and the like, all of which extended through each semester. |
| Placement Services | 3 | Not really their fault, but at the time ours was a brand new department, and hence there had not been time for any career services functions to have developed. The Staff were from the most part from academic rather than practical career based backgrounds, and so had more advice to offer on theory, rather than on career placement. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | The school is more centered on the social aspect of Alumni function. The school does not offer (or at least when I was there it didn't) any support network, other than as a way to keep track of the whereabouts and careers of one's class peers. |
Fitchburg State University • Fitchburg, MA
Studying Communications/Media (completion in 1996)
• 10/2/2011
"I was very satisfied with my school. The department's professors were very good, I graduated cum laude, and it didn't take long to find a job in my field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this school to any future graphic designer. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I am unsure of how well the current department is regarded. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Fitchburg State University (formally Fitchburg State College) has an excellent Communications/Media department. I was able to complete a semester-long internship in my field. |
| Instruction | 10 | The instructors at this college are very knowledgeable. Students are required to complete an internship, and the Communications/Media major lets students learn about communications as a whole, in addition to their individual concentration. |
| How Difficult | 8 | I found it challenging because in addition to taking courses in my field of study, I also carried courses for my major (Communications), as well as liberal arts. We also needed to complete projects on a regular basis. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The majority of my courses that pertained to graphic design were hands-on, due to the nature of graphic design itself. We did design using computers, illustration, photography, etc. We also used books to learn the technical aspects of graphic design. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | FSU has course schedules available online. There are many courses to choose from. I was able to have a 4 day school week most semesters so I found the scheduling to be flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The Communications/Media department has many studios and computer labs available to graphic design majors. For the other Communications/Media majors, it is very easy to sign out equipment, such as cameras, to use for projects. FSU has a well-stocked library as well. |
| Social Life | 9 | FSU has many sports teams to choose from. Both residents and commuters can join clubs and fraternities. There are many social events planned throughout the year. |
| Placement Services | 8 | At FSU we learned how to write a proper resume. We also completed a semester long internship, which gave us a foot in the door at companies across the country. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | FSU does have an alumni program, which includes networking opportunities. I have not taken advantage of them, though. |
Massachusetts College Of Art • Boston, MA
Studying Interactive Design (completion in 1999)
• 10/28/2011
"I was very satisfied with my school. I think it helped me in my career immensely."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a great school and so anyone interested in graphic design would be well-served. It is also an inexpensive school compared to some other art schools. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Massachusetts College of Art is extremely well-regarded in the design field. Their interactive media program is also unique and prestigious. |
| Program Quality | 6 | When I went to college web graphic design was a new field, so the school didn't have an extensive program. It has probably improved since then, and I learned a lot regardless. |
| Instruction | 6 | I learned a lot of the basics of web graphic design and classic graphic design, but web graphic design was new at the time so the curriculum was still under development. I think it was a good curriculum for the time. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Design is a difficult program. There is lots of hard work and a lot of theory to learn. There is also a lot of craftwork involved so there is knowledge and skill combined. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was extremely hands-on. It is the best way to learn design. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The school had a good summer program. I made use of the summer schedule a couple times to make up credits that were required. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school had top-of the line equipment and adequate classroom and studio space. Professors were very accessible and eager to assist. |
| Social Life | 8 | The school was not big on athletics, but there was a strong sense of pride and school spirit. There were large annual art shows that were widely attended by the students. |
| Placement Services | 8 | I had good luck getting a job through the job placement office while still attending school. After that I was able to use that experience to get more jobs. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | My school has an alumni network but I don't make use of it very much. Mostly they just ask for money. |
Emmanuel College • Boston, MA
Studying Fine Arts (completion in 2012)
• 12/7/2011
"I love Emmanuel College, despite the criticisms I have. The atmosphere is fantastic for learning and networking. The Art professors are leaders in their field and very connected. Overall, I feel Emmanuel would be a fantastic Graphic Design school if the school would catch up with technology. That said, I have received a great education, and have been able to teach myself the latest design technology to make up for anything the school doesn't have."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | My recommendation would depend on what the prospective student was looking for in a design program. If the prospective student was more interested in being challenged by his/her professors, exploring the boundaries of Art, and learning how to adapt to public criticism of her artwork, I would highly recommend Emmanuel. If the student was more focused on learning the ins and outs of the technological aspects of the Design field, I would not recommend Emmanuel. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I believe Emmanuel's reputation is below average but improving concerning the Art Department, including the Graphic Design major. When I began at Emmanuel, there wasn't much knowledge of the college beyond Education, Management, and Nursing. |
| Program Quality | 2 | I don't think Emmanuel is the best choice for Digital Arts. The school is definitely not on top of the latest technology, but especially as it relates to design software and hardware that is equipped to handle the needs of designers. This is a field where the available work is awarded to folks on cusp of new design technology. However, the school as a whole is good and I find the professors in the Art Department to be dedicated and honest. Plus, the relatively new consortium with Massachusetts College of Art will help to bridge the gaps. |
| Instruction | 7 | The technological advances at Emmanuel could definitely use improvement but I do not want to rate it low because the professors are excellent. My perfect Art School would meld the professors at Emmanuel with the technology of MassArt. |
| How Difficult | 10 | At the time of my enrollment, I was cautioned that it required the highest number of credits of any major at Emmanuel. Taking the required number of courses alone while trying to graduate on time provides a challenge. In addition, Emmanuel challenges its students in every subject, and Art is no different. The professors are demanding, and the critiques (we have group critiques in place of exams for the Art department) are brutal. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the Fine Art courses are very hands-on and have only some book learning. There are required Art History courses which are all book learning, but most of the work is studio artwork done under close guidance by the Art professors. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Emmanuel has been great with flexibility, and has only seemed to improve. The entire school has been expanding class options to include nights and summer options, and the Art Department has really followed suit with class offerings morning, night, and summer. They haven't done too many weekend offerings, and they are relatively new to online education, but they seem to be catching up to the times. |
| Academic Facilities | 2 | There is not much art studio space on campus, and the technological options for design students are even slimmer. The general computer labs are not equipped for design work; the printers are black and white and only small scale, the computers are all PCs (whereas all of the computers in the design department are MACs), and the single computer lab within the Art Department has only 5 computers and 2 printers that constantly require work. |
| Social Life | 10 | Emmanuel has a unique social atmosphere. It's the only intact campus in the city of Boston, which helps to create an atmosphere of social interaction. It's a small school, so students get to know each other fast. Emmanuel is fairly picky on the types of students admitted, so there isn't much for trouble on campus. There are also unique and fun events, such as our International Fair and Midnight Breakfast the night before exams start. Professors serve breakfast in the school cafeteria, and there is music and dancing. |
| Placement Services | 1 | The Internship and Career Development office was revamped right after I began at the school. The office hasn't served me for much more than a room with tables and binders with job listings, unfortunately. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I have to give Emmanuel a terrible grade on this area. The school does not seem very interested in gathering or communicating with alumni, except for the occasional mailing asking for money. |
Bradford College (Closed In 2000) • Haverhill, MA
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2000)
• 12/28/2011
"I feel as if I received both a quality education and a classic "small, liberal New England college" experience. I do wish that the school had remained open, since it had a lot to offer students looking for this type of environment."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | The school has closed, but if it was still open, I would certainly recommend it. | |
| Program Reputation | 3 | When my school was operational, it was well respected as a "different" school that encouraged creativity and looking at the world from different points of view. Every year since it has closed, its relevancy becomes less and less important, though. |
| Program Quality | 5 | My school program educated me on the usage of software necessary to work as a graphic designer. I would have appreciated a further in-depth education on the history and theory of graphic design, however. |
| Instruction | 7 | My instructors had a firm grasp of the technology used for graphic design in the modern workplace. Many of them were freelance designers, as well as practicing fine artists. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The workload seemed appropriate for the major. We had a great deal of out-of-class projects to work on, which required working in the graphic design lab in the evenings and weekends. However, there was never a shortage of Macintosh workstations available to us. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Nearly all of the instruction that I received was hands on. The only classes that required book learning were the core curriculum classes. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | There were a number of evening classes. I don't believe there were any weekend classes. I participated in summer classes in the summer of 1997. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Professors were very accessible, and I continue to remain in contact with a few, considering them friends. The library was well stocked, and the graphic design lab was up to date with modern (for the time) equipment. |
| Social Life | 8 | Bradford was certainly a party school. We did not have an athletic presence, and athletics were not a priority to students. There were a number of student-run special interest clubs (literary club, GLBTA alliance, campus radio station). |
| Placement Services | I am not really sure of my school's job placement services. I did not seek them out, and I was able to find employment on my own. | |
| Alumni Network | 1 | My school closed due to financial mismanagement in the spring of 2000. Though there is an alumni association, it is not terribly active. |
Massachusetts College Of Art And Design • Boston, MA
Studying Painting (completion in 2003)
• 2/29/2012
"It was a good basic art education. It wasn't too expensive. I wish I had had the foresight to not take painting as a major."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would only recommend it for Graphic Design or other majors that have more modern mediums to work with. Otherwise it is very difficult to make a living using old mediums. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | I didn't know the reputation of the program beforehand, but I knew Massart was a good school. Some programs are really good there, like graphic design, and others might be fun to do, like glass-blowing or painting, but offer little applicable jobs after graduation. |
| Program Quality | 2 | Some of the teachers were helpful, but most of the ones I had were seeking tenure or supplementing their teaching jobs with other work and weren't really in the studio to help. Many of them did mostly abstract expressionist work and didn't really follow contemporary art very well. |
| Instruction | 4 | There were some really supportive painting teachers who gave really helpful advice. If I had known more about the business of selling your work as a painter in these modern times, I would have changed majors and done Graphic Design. |
| How Difficult | 2 | There was no final body of work we had to complete. There was also no work done to create a comprehensive portfolio of work using online tools. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of the things we did were hands on. The only courses that were book learning were the social science electives. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I was a full time student and took the standard course load. I didn't take classes on the weekends or in the summer. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The library had a lot of great art books and was helpful when writing papers. The computer lab was pretty good too. |
| Social Life | 5 | There was some fun events, like the Iron Pour in the courtyard, that became a regular thing. There were no sports to speak of, though. |
| Placement Services | 2 | I didn't think we even had a job placement service. There was a job board, and there were some minor grants you could apply for, but not enough to earn a living. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | The online system is not very conducive to use. There are few events that tie the alumni together. |
Springfield Technical Community College • Springfield, MA
Studying Graphic Design And Technology (completion in 2011)
• 3/16/2012
"They provided a great deal of knowledge. My overall experience was very pleasing. They made it very easy for me to achieve my goals and provided great assistance along the way."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this school to many people. They have a wide variety of academic programs and they are a great help to anyone going back to school or going to college for the first time. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The school is recognized in the city for its history and its many organizations and associations that do good throughout the community. The school has been noted as a school that many successful people graduated from. |
| Program Quality | 7 | The knowledge I received intrigued me. They offered many classes to choose from. All of their instructors were very knowledgeable. |
| Instruction | 5 | All of the instructors were very knowledgeable. They were all very easy to understand and were helpful. Most went above and beyond to make sure that everyone was on the same page, learning wise. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Some of the history of graphic arts became hard to follow being that there are so many different aspects of our lives that involve graphic design. At times the workload got kind of hard, but the school worked with my schedule and provided plenty of ways to make sure it all got done and that I understood what I was doing. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some of my classes involved learning straight from the book. I also had a great deal of very hands on learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The scheduling and flexibility was fantastic, as they offer classes all year round. There were day, evening, and even some weekend classes. I took as many class as I wanted at a time. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The school has many facilities. They have almost everything a student could ask for, and being that it is in the center of downtown Springfield, if something needed is not on campus, it's probably near by. |
| Social Life | I didn't really do much to get into any school events. However, I was very aware that there was much going on - always a game or a bake sale, etc. | |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school had many job placement and career services in place right on campus. They also work with many programs in and around the area. |
| Alumni Network | I didn't really get a chance to connect with the alumni at school. I was only there for a short certificate program. |
Boston University • Boston, MA
Studying Computer Science (completion in 1980)
• 3/8/2012
"Excellent education, it was easy to find a job. I felt my academic credentials are well-respected."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I received an excellent education. My academic credentials were well respected on interviews. I had many job offers. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | It's not Ivy League but still very good. They have an excellent reputation. My company happily hired grads from Boston University. |
| Program Quality | 10 | It provided me a great start. I was able to find a job quickly. |
| Instruction | 10 | I had a large variety of courses to choose from. Everything I learned I found to be relevant. It is a well respected school. |
| How Difficult | 6 | I was challenged but not beyond my abilities. I was in an advanced program that allowed to receive my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in 4.5 years. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The school provided a good mix of academics and hands-on learning. I spent most of my tab in computer labs. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I could find classes at the time of my preference. I lived off campus and did not like morning classes. This was never an issue. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | They have an excellent library with many computers and plenty of tutors. I was very satisfied. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was not much of a party go-er. The school is famous for its hockey program. Other sports activities are also very popular. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I found a job while still in school. My company's recruiters came on campus, and then invited me back to headquarters. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Very good. I am kept apprised of changes, and continue to be invited to events. |
North Shore Community College • Lynn, MA
Studying Graphic Design (completion in 2011)
• 3/10/2012
"I was pretty happy with the school. It helped me get my foot in the door for my career."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If someone can get into a better school I'd recommend they try that. If not this school is good for a community college. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is a well known program for a community college. The professors are known for their time spent in the career. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The program I thought was great. The professors really knew their stuff. |
| Instruction | 9 | The professors really knew what they were doing. They could have prepared me a little more. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The work load was usually average. At some points it could be a heavier challenge. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The program is more hands on than book work. However there is some book work involved. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The school can be quite flexible. Some classes however are not as flexible as others. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school has a great facility. They have all up to date software and computer technology. |
| Social Life | 7 | The social scene is decent. There are not any athletics or much school spirit. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The school does a good job at helping to find you a career. They know how to help you set up your resume and find work. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | The alumni network is great. I've stayed in touch with a lot of my class mates. |
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