Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Marketing Managers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Santa Monica College, Pasadena City College, Berkeley City College, and Moorpark 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 Mt Sierra College, San Diego State - Imperial Valley, San Diego State, and Hope International.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Advanced, Mount St Mary's College, LA College International, and Humphreys.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Northwestern Polytechnic University, Lincoln, San Diego State - Imperial Valley, and Rio Hondo College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Palo Verde College, Lake Tahoe Community College, Mendocino College, and Lassen Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of LA College International, Stanford University, Pepperdine University, and Whittier College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of University of the West, William Jessup University, Hope International, and Stanford University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Stanford University, Southern Cal, Cal Berkeley, and Biola.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Stanford University, Cal Berkeley, UCLA, and Cal State San Bernardino.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Stanford University, San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Cordova, San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia, and Whittier College.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of California Los Angeles • Los Angeles, CA
Studying Economics (completion in 2001)
• 10/9/2011
"The negative side of attending UCLA is the size of the university and the budget cuts they are facing. The positive side is also the size of the university in that there is something for everyone."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | A smaller liberal arts college would be more appropriate for a career in marketing and public relations. However, UCLA is still a prestigious institution so it may still be a good fit for some. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I think UCLA provides a good economics program. I believe they are competitively ranked and that the current reputation is accurate. |
| Program Quality | 1 | I was not a Communications major so I can not say that what I studied at University has helped me in my particular career. However, it did give me the discipline and work ethic that is helpful in any occupation. |
| Instruction | 4 | Professors did not provide individual attention and classes were too large. No real world internship programs or partnerships were available at this university, but they were at others. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The program was very challenging and required high standards. Core classes were also graded on a bell curve so only a certain percentage of students were allowed to receive high grades. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There seems to be a good mix. A lot of book learning is required on your own, but some classes had a lab component so hands-on learning was also part of the curriculum. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Summer classes are good for catching up. Core classes were offered each quarter but flexibility is average considering so many classes had to be taken in sequential order. |
| Academic Facilities | 4 | Resources were fine for a large public institution faced with budget cuts and other issues. Professors were aloof and very challenging to reach outside of the classroom. Most had bad reputations and were difficult to work with. |
| Social Life | 7 | One of the benefits of attending such a large university is the diverse amount of events that were available. There is something for everyone. |
| Placement Services | 5 | The University is very large and I have not personally utilized the career services assistance program. However I imagine it is no better or worse than another comparable public university. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | School is too large and fragmented to have a clear networking capability for their undergraduate alumni. Grad school alumni network is much more focused and connected. |
College Of Notre Dame • Belmont, CA
Studying Business Administration (completion in 1998)
• 11/30/2011
"It was not a top school, but I had a good experience and have a successful career. I made several close friends and am happy with my degree."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The college is very small, and depending on the person, I would consider my recommendation. As a small Catholic college, it is also very expensive. |
| Program Reputation | I have not followed the program or the college. I moved out of state and receive no communication from the college. | |
| Program Quality | 8 | The program provided good access to internship and mentorship programs. Professors had good industry experience. |
| Instruction | 8 | Professors had good industry experience. Courses provided good preparation for business scenarios. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Courses were challenging, but not overly stressful. Atmosphere was not exceptionally competitive. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The course combined case studies as well as internships. Faculty often included guest speakers, to balance book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | I took evening and day courses. I never had a problem getting the course I needed when I needed it. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The facilities were average, with up-to-date computer and research offerings. Faculty was always available. |
| Social Life | 4 | The school was primarily a commuter college. I did not have much experience with the social aspect of this college. |
| Placement Services | I do not recall using the career services program. When I graduated in 1998, jobs were falling off the trees. | |
| Alumni Network | I have not personally tapped into the alumni network. I moved out of state and have not tried networking with alumni. |
Cal State Long Beach • Long Beach, CA
Studying Marketing (completion in 2008)
• 11/22/2011
"Loved the school. It has a pretty campus, tons of parking and it's easy to get to."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I felt like it gave me the necessary foundation for securing a job. However, I wouldn't return for a grad program here. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | My school is not well known outside of the LA area. However, it provides great value for the investment, for students choosing to study here. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Cal State Long Beach had great professors and teaching methods. I also was involved in a marketing organization and got to meet many professionals in the industry. |
| Instruction | 9 | We learned from real-life scenarios found in major renowned publications like Harvard Review, LA times. etc. Projects were very relevant to things I do in the job. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Work was challenging - we had to read articles, write papers and present in class. People who didn't do homework or read textbooks typically failed. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We learned via book and hands on. In class, it was mostly book oriented, but projects involved us solving real-time problems. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was able to find classes in the evenings and mornings. However, it was more challenging for students with full-time jobs, because not all classes were offered at variable times. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | Tutors were available, as well as faculty hours. We didn't have labs. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I wouldn't say I got a lot of assistance. Majority of work was done by me in terms of securing a job, but that's expected. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I wish faculty had a tighter support system for new grads. Nonetheless, we were able to invite some to class to share their real-world experiences. |
National University • Los Angeles, CA
Studying International Business (completion in 2011)
• 12/4/2011
"I was quite satisfied with the school because I have a day job. However, I would have preferred to attend a more traditional university if I had the flexibility to attend day classes."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would definitely recommend NU to anyone who wants to keep their day job and study in the evening and weekends. However, if you have the flexibility to attend day classes, I would recommend a traditional university like Stanford, USC and UCLA. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The school's current reputation is very good when comparing it with universities such as Phoenix and DeVry. I think it's the best school for those who want to work full-time during the day as they offer evening/weekend on-campus classes. However, if you have the flexibility of attending day classes, I would recommend a more traditional university like Stanford, USC and UCLA. |
| Program Quality | 7 | National University is great, especially with it's MBA Program. The facilities are great but their student placement services are very poor. |
| Instruction | 7 | I can't really speak about career preparation because I held several executive marketing positions before starting my MBA program so I was already prepared. I have learned a great deal and I have been able to apply it into my consulting business so it was highly relevant. The only criticism is that I didn't get the opportunity to go deeper into the subject matter, which I would have liked to. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The workload of any MBA program is challenging, and then you add a full-time job on top and things get challenging. I implemented personal systems to make my life easier but I still had papers to write and copious research to do so it remained challenging. But I didn't mind it because I want to feel that I earned my MBA. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I think there is a very good mix of hands-on vs. book learning. Some topics are naturally very book driven so adding a lot of hands-on is not appropriate. NU provided plenty of hands-on learning with subjects that called for hands-on. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The class schedule is pretty flexible as they offer evening and weekend on-campus classes. However, they are not flexible if you have been scheduled to take evening classes and you request to for a day class if you have a day off from work. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | NU has excellent facilities and resources. They have more computers than needed and there was never a time when I could not find a specific book, journal or article from the library. The classroom space is very generous and the academic advisors, tutors and professors were readily available and helpful. There was even good study group support. |
| Social Life | 8 | The social experience at my school was fantastic! Unfortunately I didn't have much time to go to many of their social events. |
| Placement Services | 2 | Again, I think they have good intentions to create a job placement and career services assistance service. The only issue is that it is neither well-organized nor effective at present. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | The alumni network is not great. They mean well but I don't think they have a proper alumni network working as of yet. |
Cal-State Long Beach • Long Beach, CA
Studying MBA (completion in 2008)
• 1/31/2012
"I have a great relationship with my cohort. I would say that although there were some areas they needed to work on, I definitely came out of the program with outstanding presentation skills and analytical skills. But that was because of those teachers that took the time to challenge me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Now that AMBA has a new director, I'm sure that things will change. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | The Accelerated MBA just a few years ago went under a new director (one of my favorite teachers), so I'm sure it's turning around. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The program was accelerated and fairly new. I felt that since it was accelerated, it felt rushed. |
| Instruction | 5 | The caliber of the teaching staff was not consistent. Some teachers challenged me and I learned. Some seemed to not care or the content of the class seemed junior. |
| How Difficult | 5 | Was not difficult to complete. Since it was accelerated, the classes didn't seem challenging. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | AMBA had a great mix. Some teachers had a very hands on approach with presentations and group discussions. Some were more text book oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | It was VERY flexible. Just given the choices of 3 levels of MBA (accelerated, executive, or full-time) was super flexible. Also, my GMAT scores were not stellar. They gave me a chance, by interviewing me. The only reason I would not give it a 10 is because the classes felt rushed. |
| Academic Facilities | 5 | The accelerated program was in the Extended Classes Building. It didn't feel like we were part of the campus. I had to seek out resources on my own. But they were not outwardly presented to me. |
| Social Life | 7 | I was highly involved in our MBA clubs and cohort social gatherings. |
| Placement Services | I never utilized this. I think it was more catered towards undergrads, not so much grad students | |
| Alumni Network | 7 | They do a great job internally managing. I just wish they would reach out to me more, but I know their network is growing. |
California State University, East Bay • Hayward, CA
Studying Journalism (completion in 2011)
• 2/3/2012
"I felt the school served its purpose; nothing more, nothing less. It got me the job I have today, so for that, I appreciate it."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I don't feel like my story is an exception to the rule, but those looking to study a similar field best look elsewhere. There are better schools out there that would guarantee an even better experience. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | The school newspaper was widespread, filling coffee shops and the like around town. However, it was not their most popular program. |
| Program Quality | 5 | The school I went to was the closest one in the area. It was easy to get to, easy to attend, and easy to graduate from. |
| Instruction | 7 | There were some lousy professors there, but there were also those who went the extra mile. One professor in particular has roots in both Rolling Stone magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle! |
| How Difficult | 6 | Studying the rules and guidelines from my major was difficult. There was also the social aspect of learning how to talk comfortably with strangers. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I learned next to nothing in the classrooms. All the experience I gained from working on the paper itself was invaluable. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | I was able to choose both evening and online classes. This allowed me to work during the day and study at my leisure. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The technology was up to date, with state-of-the-art Mac labs and competent professors. The only problem was the age of the buildings themselves. |
| Social Life | 8 | There were many clubs on campus. Each fall, the quad was filled with registration booths! |
| Placement Services | I can't say I really took advantage of their job placement program. I decided to go out and find a position on my own. | |
| Alumni Network | 3 | The support at the school was fairly lousy. Nobody was really on my side, and I had to find my way through. |
National University • Costa Mesa, CA
Studying Organizational Management (completion in 2001)
• 3/25/2012
"It's always hard to keep up with academics. But if I had to do it all over again, I would choose the same style of eduction."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It's a quicker, more realistic educational experience, instead of a traditional program. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | Employers still view "accelerated" programs as less educational. I disagree. |
| Program Quality | 7 | National University brought in real life clients with basic projects to work on. It made for a much more realistic educational environment to work in groups on real, tangible projects. |
| Instruction | 7 | Compared to traditional universities where they lecture, the group and project style assignments brought together theories and experience. |
| How Difficult | 6 | My strengths are in problem solving, thinking outside of the box, and high energy. The style of eduction here utilized those strengths. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | National University is much more hands on, but mixed in theory and book study. We were able to immediately apply our studies to real life scenarios. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | That's their whole program - flexible! |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The classes were smaller (fewer students). I felt like I could access my teachers easily. They did a good job of offering computer labs, meeting rooms for study groups, etc. |
| Social Life | 4 | This school is designed for career development primarily. There are no sports, dorms, etc. Any social environment happens by the students. That simply is not the priority of the university. |
| Placement Services | 5 | They helped, but I really did most of my own job searching. However, I like being independent. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | I need to seek it out. There's not really a sufficient program, unless they've started one recently. |
San Jose State University • San Jose, CA
Studying Psychology (completion in 1996)
• 3/23/2012
"I felt like I got a very good education from a hometown school. The fact that the teachers loved what they did made it a great experience for me too."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It was a great school. I would recommend it to others, however, because of budget cuts, it's not the same as it used to be. It's hard to get into classes and they don't offer all the classes needed each semester to graduate. Some students have been there an extra year or two just waiting for a class they need. Overall though, it's a great education. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | SJSU is known locally to have a respected psychology department. In fact, there is a waiting list to get into some classes. |
| Program Quality | 10 | SJSU has a wonderful psychology program. It has really helped me in the field of marketing as well in understanding why consumers think the way they do. |
| Instruction | 9 | The instructors were passionate about their jobs and their field. It created a sense of excitement amongst the students. |
| How Difficult | 8 | There was a tremendous amount of writing and was very time consuming. We were required to write lengthy papers and research reports as well as written tests. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Some of the teachers provided a lot of hands on activities and others just lectured and taught entirely from a book. It was a 50/50 mix. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The class offerings were decent and the school made a point to let students with seniority pick classes first so they could get the classes needed. Things have gone down hill though as the state has cut budgets dramatically. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The school has a state of the art library. Teachers were also very accessible and always open to talking or providing extra help if needed. |
| Social Life | 5 | SJSU did an okay job of creating social experiences. But most of the students came to school and then left campus. They didn't spend much time there with extra activities. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I didn't use their job assistance program. They did have some internship opp's, but it wasn't great. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I have actually never been contacted by my alumni network. My husband went to a different school and they are in touch with him all the time. |
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