Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Middle School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Middle Tennessee State University, Austin Peay State, Tennessee Technological University, and UT Martin.
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 Aquinas, Victory, Austin Peay State, and Memphis College of Art.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Aquinas.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Aquinas, Victory, Tennessee State, and University of Memphis.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Victory, Union University, and Tennessee Technological University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Vanderbilt University, Fisk, Southern Adventist University, and Lee University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Free Will Baptist Bible, Fisk, Southern Adventist University, and Lambuth University.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Vanderbilt University, Aquinas, Belmont, and The University of Tennessee.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Victory, Vanderbilt University, Memphis College of Art, and Lambuth University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Vanderbilt University, Fisk, Free Will Baptist Bible, and Memphis College of Art.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
Tusculum College • Knoxville Satellite Campus, TN
Studying Elementary Education K-6 (completion in 2009)
• 2/23/2012
"After failing to finish college twice before, graduating has been one of the best things I have ever accomplished. My success at college can be very directly attributed to the teachers and the program being so encouraging and motivational. I never felt like a number or that my completion was just another cap and gown at graduation. I've felt from day one that I had a support system that wanted to see that degree in my hand and wanted me to move forward in putting it to good use."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | After such an amazing experience at Tusculum, not only will I recommend it to others, but I have already done so. In fact, my younger brother now attends there to complete his bachelor's degree in business, after more than a decade out of school. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | In the region, Tusculum is well known and recognized for its academic achievements, and those graduating with degrees in education are well respected amongst other teaching staff. Being so small, Tusculum's education program is sufficient, but does not receive as much public attention as its business program or its larger counterparts, such as the University of Tennessee. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Through the accelerated program, I was able to continue working full-time and attend school full-time. As an adult returning to college, though, I wasn't really interested in many of the extracurricular activities that the younger crowd enjoys as part of the "college experience." This program is designed to streamline coursework and focus on the education aspect. I had extraordinary advisors, instructors and other staff who completely understood the balance of class and life. Even though we moved quickly, after being on the job for 2 years, I don't feel I could've gotten any better education anywhere else. |
| Instruction | 6 | In an accelerated program where a single course is covered in the course of 6 weeks and then the next class begins immediately thereafter for another 6 weeks, working with multiple instructors is not as common as a traditional 4-year program. Staying with a core of instructors has its advantages and disadvantages. The best part for me was having a team that really got to know me and my goals, so that even outside of the regular class work, I was given numerous tips and real-life advice about being in the classroom. The curriculum seemed to be well designed, as each class served as a building block for the next class and contained very little "fluff." |
| How Difficult | 5 | Teaching is not an easy job by any means; however, just the class work is a bit simpler. While many classes required hands-on activities in groups or working with various levels of students, the textbook material isn't the biggest challenge. Taking the textbook information and converting it into practical use was the more challenging part, and while I understand college has little ability to simulate all of the real-world scenarios, there is little focus on how to handle parents or what to expect from administration. The amount of homework was reasonable, and being that the entire program is geared towards adult students, the expectations were kept within reason. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Education is a program that requires hands-on activities at some point, particularly during student teaching. We were also given several projects to complete that involved others in the class to participate. However, when dealing with children, the hands-on activities are limited, until certain coursework is completed or certification is obtained. Additionally, the evening hours of the class also posed some problems when attempting to use class time for hands-on time. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | The accelerated program provided much more flexibility than traditional settings, to meet the needs of adult and/or working students. Classes met only twice per week for 3-hour sessions. With small class sizes and teachers focusing only on one subject at a time, students received much more one-on-one attention, and both students and teachers had the flexibility to complete assignments, papers, and projects as needed. Some information was made available online, although online coursework is still in its infancy for the majority of programs. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Probably the most noticeable resource is the availability of the teachers. Since only one class is taught at a time, teachers are not distracted by preparing for other courses and can provide consistent and quality time for the students. The library, computers, and media resources are adequate, but nothing outweighs the value of teacher availability. |
| Social Life | Tusculum has some highly acclaimed sports teams, but as an adult student, that was of little or no interest to me. Classes were conducted in the evenings 2 to 3 times per week, and other than those times, I spent very little time or money making the commute back and forth for social events. | |
| Placement Services | 5 | Tusculum provides what I would consider to be typical and average resources for job placement. They do provide access to a fairly wide list of open positions in the Knox County schools; however, other counties aren't equally represented. Teachers are more than willing to run mock interviews, and advisors help build resumes, but job placement is primarily left up to the graduate. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | Being one of the oldest schools in Tennessee, Tusculum has some very, very deep roots in the community. Tusculum has also supported various activities in and around the East Tennessee areas. Year after year, the alumni step in to provide quite a bit of financial support, as well as time and effort to encourage all students, regardless of income or socioeconomic status, to pursue higher education. Alumni frequently will guest-speak in classes or come for meet-and-greet types of events, to share some of their success with those in upcoming graduating classes. |
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.