Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Home Health Aides
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Bellevue College, Spokane Falls Community College, South Seattle Community College, and Clark.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Highline Community College, South Seattle Community College, Renton Technical College, and North Seattle Community College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Clover Park Technical College, Spokane Falls Community College, Centralia, and Renton Technical College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Walla Walla Community College, Lower Columbia, Big Bend Community College, and North Seattle Community College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Big Bend Community College, Yakima Valley Community College, Edmonds Community College, and Wenatchee Valley College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Maryann's School Of Nursing • Vancouver, WA
Studying Certified Nurse Assistant (completion in 2010)
• 7/26/2011
"This nursing school was the best in town. I would recommend it to anyone. It lived up to it's reputation."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I never thought at 50 years old I'd ever pass the state boards and this school gave me confidence and a career. Maryann's School of Nursing is the only recommendation I will ever give. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | If you ask 10 people where to go for CNA training, 9 will most likely tell you Maryann's. Many have left and still go back to just say hello. She is very well respected and liked in this town. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The instructors were patient and worked very hard to make sure that we could pass the state boards. The owner was very caring and I could see that she loved helping us to achieve our goals. She is still available to us if we have questions. |
| Instruction | 10 | The curriculum was easy to follow. It was also very detailed. The instructors were as much hands on as we had to be in order to pass the state boards. We were never rushed or made to feel like we couldn't do everything asked of us. |
| How Difficult | 7 | For me it was hard simply because I had been doing the job since 2007. In order to pass the state boards, skills had to be done precisely in order. My way was correct and good, but old habits were very hard for me to break. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Book study was self paced and mostly outside of class. The most important part of our state boards was the skills test and we spent 98% of our time on that. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | We had one high school student who was scheduled to go on a cruise for graduation. Every effort was made to reschedule his clinical hours so that he would be able to pass the state boards. Extra time for classroom clinicals was offered to him to get him ready. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Our instructors were always willing to make time for us. The clinical room was big enough that we had plenty of room and the student count was low enough that everyone had ample opportunity to get the content. |
| Social Life | 9 | There were no school events. The group that we had was social and helpful. Ex: if someone needed a ride home, there was always someone willing to help out. This was not that kind of school as far as "social" events or parties are concerned. |
| Placement Services | 5 | There was no job placement as such, however she did encourage us to network within our class about options. Instructors do give ideas about who might be hiring, but they aren't active in placement. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | There really isn't a "network," however the continued support from Maryann and her staff is amazing. I received a phone call from her about a month ago asking how I was doing and inquiring about what work I had found. |
Edmonds Community College • Lynnwood, WA
Studying AA Transfer (completion in 2011)
• 7/25/2011
"It is giving me an edge in life for cheap. Others studying in big schools are taking the same classes for three times the price."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is cheap. It offers some of the most interesting courses available. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | My school is a “brain stimulator” for my community. it produces a variety of graduates with different sets of skills. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I am finally done with my two year program. School has been hard, but getting it done is my ultimate goal. |
| Instruction | 5 | The instructors are very strict. I believe I have learned a lot from school and I am on the right path in life. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I should have been done with my program sometime back but because of my lack of skills in math, it has been very hard to get it done. I am finally done with the math, so things should be much easier for me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Well, there are more classes on campus so instructors assign readings. They will meet with you one on one if you need help. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | There are almost the same amount of classes that are taught in class as are taught online. The instructors take their time with you online just as much as they will with you in class. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | They have all kind of support systems, including tutoring centers where students with much more knowledge of a certain course can tutor other students. They also have a 24hr online support system. |
| Social Life | 7 | We have sports teams but it seems like every time we have financial problems thats the first program that gets threatened. There are school functions once in a while. |
| Placement Services | 9 | It is much better than other schools around here. My school is the biggest community college in my area because of its high academic outcomes. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I don't know about it. I just finished my program. |
Everett Community College • Everett, WA
Studying Nursing Assistant (completion in 2010)
• 8/31/2011
"I'm quite satisfied with my school. I feel it prepared me for work as a home care aide and gave me solid education and preparation for this type of work."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend this school to others interested in my career because I feel it provides a professional training program. The quality of the education was worth the money and I'm proud to say I'm a graduate of my school. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | I believe my school is one of the primary places people in my community go to for nursing assistant/home care aide training. It's a professional college and has a good reputation. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I think the school provided a very professional education. It prepared me for all aspects of the job. I felt very prepared to take the state certification test after completing my education. |
| Instruction | 8 | The instructors were all well-educated, experienced, and professional. They cared about the students and helped us when we had difficulties. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The coursework was not particularly difficult. There was a lot of information but it was not hard to understand, nor was it complex in nature. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Due to the nature of nursing assistant/home care aide work, much of the learning was hands-on. There was some book study and an included textbook, but most of the classroom time was spent in the hands-on lab. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The school had several options for evening and summer classes. I don't believe they offer the nursing assistant course online but the teachers were flexible with students who had jobs or other things going on in their lives. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | My school is a 2 year college, so it didn't have the resources that a university has. However, it does have a good library, laboratory for practicing hands-on nursing assistant skills, and study groups and clubs. |
| Social Life | 5 | I am aware of several organized clubs and student activities, although I did not choose to participate in any. It does not have any major sports teams. |
| Placement Services | 6 | The school offered several opportunities for students to meet with potential employers. We had instruction about job search, placement, and what it would be like working in the field. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | I have had no contact from an alumni network. I am aware of an alumni club but they have not contacted me and I am not involved with them. |
Big Bend Community College • Moses Lake, WA
Studying Business Administration (completion in )
• 10/30/2011
"Less than satisfied. I wouldn't recommend distance learning for people, at least not from a regular university. I also think that university programs are incredibly overpriced and overrated. But maybe I'm just a little jaded."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | For business administration, I'm not sure I would. I would definitely tell people to look for a more hands-on program or at the very least to look for a school that has teachers who are actually interested in teaching. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The university has a very strong accounting program and a fairly good business program, partly the reason why I decided to transfer there. The community college is known for a good nursing and pilot programs but the business department could use some help, in my opinion. |
| Program Quality | 4 | The community college was largely hit and miss, with some teachers being excellent and others unbelievably bad and uninterested in passing on any knowledge. The university portion of my education was via long distance learning and this was a fail for me, in part because of the wide gap between myself and my much older peers in a tiny classroom setting... it was difficult not having a real hands on university experience. |
| Instruction | 5 | The transition between college and university and the long distance director from CWU made things more difficult than they had to be. I felt the experience could have been much easier if the college had more information available early on for freshman regarding transfers. |
| How Difficult | 8 | It was a fairly difficult program with high math requirements for things like statistics and also a lot of accounting classes involved as prerequisites to the program. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would have preferred more hands on and less theory. But it was mainly textbook learning with not much teaching going on and tons of studying and tests. I guess this is pretty average across the board for all colleges and universities, but when they charge such exorbitant tuition, what they actually provide in terms of what you learn is disappointing. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Fairly flexible. Although I did wish for more online options and more class options for the University portion. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The community college could have had more business offerings, especially in regards to business law. The university off-campus experience was terrible. |
| Social Life | 7 | The community college was pretty good. The distance learning social experience was non-existent. |
| Placement Services | I didn't use the job placement services at either of my schools, I'm sorry to say. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | What do you expect from a community college??? |
SEIU Training Classes • Everett, WA
Studying In-Home Care (completion in 2010)
• 1/10/2012
"I got all the certificates and it served its purpose."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I could refer them for doing in-home care; the facility would then send them to the training. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Most people complained about the classes. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I was sent to classes that were specific to my job. |
| Instruction | 10 | I had instructors who had done my job for years, so they knew every complaint and everything you encounter. |
| How Difficult | 2 | It was all stuff I knew; just refreshers on techniques and where to go for resources. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | They had labs we got to work in and dummies we got to work with. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | I had a year to take the classes required. |
| Academic Facilities | 2 | They served their purpose. |
| Social Life | 8 | It was a fun way to spend a week or a day. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They always had referrals and info on what you could do to advance. |
| Alumni Network | They were union-required classes; I've never seen those people since. |
South Puget Sound Community College • Olympia, WA
Studying Associate In Arts (completion in 2014)
• 3/7/2012
"I obtained my degree easily, with a lot of work, but the process was not horrible. I was able to make some friends and receive the degree that I wanted."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I am very excited about the school process at South Puget Sound Community College! I enjoyed my schoolwork to the fullest! |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I believe the Associate in Arts transfer degree is one of the most common degrees to obtain. The program was simple to understand, receive and transfer to another college. |
| Program Quality | 9 | I really enjoyed the courses I took at my school. They enabled me to easily obtain my A.A. in order to transfer directly to a state college to begin my major. I also took a CNA course program at another small facility and enjoyed the teachers to the fullest. |
| Instruction | 7 | The career preparation was there, but you have to be a self-starter, as I was in college. Instructors do not give out information for free all the time; you have to ask for it. |
| How Difficult | 9 | Very difficult. As I worked through my college career, I found that the time allotted was not the amount of time that I needed to be a successful student. My program was a basic program, i.e., math, English, etc. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Perfectly in between the book and hands on. Neither was dominant and I enjoyed this thoroughly. It's easiest to learn in a mixed environment, especially since it's easier for some to learn through bookwork, while some learn from example and hands-on experience. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | WONDERFUL! They had an abundance of day/morning classes, but they also offered evening courses. Their summer courses were almost as common as the other quarters. Their flexibility was great for my heavy schedule. I don't believe they offered weekend classes, however. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | SPSCC was up to date when it came to technology. They always had the resources available to students, including new computers, monitors and other classroom equipment. They had classrooms dedicated to tutoring and offered these classes to all students. |
| Social Life | 9 | I was working full-time and was a full-time student, so I had little time to experience extra fun. My social experience was limited, but with the intimate classroom settings, I was able to make close friends while I was in class and after class. We were able to go have coffee and snacks after class with one another in the lunchroom. |
| Placement Services | I never had career assistance or experience with their job placement programs. |
Kamanga • Des Moines, WA
Studying CNA Training (completion in 2009)
• 3/10/2012
"I was satisfied, as it helped me get my foot in the door as a CNA, and now I am finishing school to become an MA. I appreciate the education I received."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | If the person is well adept at the English language and has a decent knowledge of some things medical, then yes, I would definitely recommend this place. Otherwise, stay away. |
| Program Reputation | 3 | Only after I finished the class did I discover that Kamanga had a very poor rating. Their reputation shows that they are there for your money only. |
| Program Quality | 9 | It was a quick introduction to being a CNA. It was really designed for those who had a good grasp of the English language and had the fundamentals of health already down. Those who didn't already have these talents struggled. |
| Instruction | 8 | While the content was well prepared, many of my classmates had trouble with the English language. This made it difficult for those of us who had a firm grasp on the English language, both written and spoken. |
| How Difficult | 3 | I found the coursework to be easy enough. I ended the class with a 3.93 GPA. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | A lot of the instruction was given through repetition. It made learning easier for everyone. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They offered 3 different timeslots: days (8am - 3pm), evenings (3:30pm to 10:30pm) and weekends. |
| Academic Facilities | 3 | This school had the bare minimum as far as resources, but the instructor was very good at preparing us for the certification process. |
| Social Life | 4 | I still talk to some of my classmates. Sadly, most of them have not gotten jobs in the medical field. |
| Placement Services | 1 | This school has zero help with finding work. I was hired at the extern site they used, and apparently, I was the first one they hired in over 6 years from this school. |
MedPrep • Everett, WA
Studying Nursing Assistant (completion in 2012)
• 3/11/2012
"The school was very fast paced and the instructors had a lot of knowledge. It was also extremely cost-efficient."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | MedPrep was a lot more reasonably priced than their competitors. They also provided an extremely fast-paced program, which is important when you are looking for work. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | MedPrep doesn't have very many bad reviews. It has only been around since 2001, so it is still growing. |
| Program Quality | 9 | MedPrep was a very good school. They were fast paced and gave us plenty of hands-on education. |
| Instruction | 9 | All of our instructors were nurses aides at one point and knew exactly what to teach. We covered a wide variety of subjects and I learned more than enough to do my job effectively and successfully. |
| How Difficult | 10 | While MedPrep was a wonderful program, it was also very challenging. We completed the entire program in one month and had a test every single day. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We did two weeks of book learning at the beginning, followed by a test for every two chapters (two chapters per day). After that, it was all hands on, including two weeks of mock and one week of clinicals. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | MedPrep has two options for the course: morning or evening. While they aren't open on weekends, they are open all year long and have classes starting every month. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The school didn't have very many outside resources. They had plenty of classroom space, but there wasn't a library or any computer resources. All of my studying was done off the premises, either at home or at the public library. |
| Social Life | 5 | Because this was a technical training program, there weren't any social events or sports. However, all of the other students were very nice and we all became quite close. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They did bring in recruiters for us to talk to, which was wonderful, and they gave us a chance to ask important questions. But they didn't place anyone in a job, nor did they promise to do so. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | There wasn't a strong presence of previous students, although one of our instructors had gone through the program herself. |
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