Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Secondary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Purdue, IUPUI, Indiana University, and Ball State.
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 IU Northwest, IU South Bend, IU East, and Indiana University.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Calumet College, Vincennes University, and IU Northwest.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider IU East, Grace College and Theological Seminary, IU Northwest, and IU Kokomo.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Notre Dame, Earlham, Taylor University, and Valparaiso.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Hanover, Earlham, Goshen, and Manchester.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Notre Dame, Earlham, DePauw, and Indiana University.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Notre Dame, University of Saint Francis-Ft Wayne, and Marian.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Hanover, Earlham, Notre Dame, and DePauw.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Manchester College • North Manchester, IN
Studying Secondary Education Life Sciences (completion in 2013)
• 4/29/2011
"They are giving me the degree I want. They are also giving me the knowledge and experience I need in order to succeed in the teaching profession."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | They have a great education program. When you leave you will be prepared and confident and it is likely you will get a job almost immediately. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | They have great graduation rates and placement rates. The degree earned is very well respected. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My school has great placement numbers, and the classes are good at preparing students for educating. |
| Instruction | 9 | All the teachers were very qualified to teach. They were all helpful and they cared about their students success. |
| How Difficult | 6 | The classes were fairly difficult. It was very time consuming because we had to do a lot of field experience at local schools. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We do some book learning and tests over the material, however a lot of our time is spent in the schools around the community. We do a lot of teaching before we can actually get our degree. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | They didn't have weekend classes. However they did have summer classes and some online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The library was excellent and could request books from anywhere in the country through interlibrary loan. The Science Center is still fairly new and everything in it is in great condition and always available. |
| Social Life | 7 | There are always social events going on. School spirit can be found every day, people are always getting ready for games or activities. |
| Placement Services | 9 | Job placement is one of the best things because it is so high. Career services is always available and provides a lot of much needed help by helping to prepare a resume to doing mock job interviews. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | Alumni give a lot of money to the education program. We had lots of field experience opportunities provided by alumni. |
Grace College • Winona Lake, IN
Studying English Education (completion in 1995)
• 10/30/2011
"I appreciated many of the paraschool events as much as the classes themselves. I enjoyed the educational setting."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I actually recommended the school to someone this week. It is still a quality Christian college. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I am not sure how the program currently is because I am not involved with the college any more. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I felt the college gave me a well-rounded education. However, some of the specific English courses were lacking. |
| Instruction | 5 | I was prepared for a career in education. The relevance of the curriculum was lacking. |
| How Difficult | 7 | Actually, this was an area I thought the college did well. I was sufficiently challenged. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was a good mix of hands-on and book learning. I spent a lot of time in local high schools. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | |
| Academic Facilities | At the time I attended, they did not have very flexible scheduling. However, I understand it is much different now. | |
| Social Life | 10 | I made the best friends of my life at college. There were many social events. |
| Placement Services | 9 | I was quite pleased with the services offered, both before and after graduation. I got my first teaching job through the college, and have used their career services since. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | The alumni program regularly contacts me. They hold special events for teachers, etc. |
Indiana University • Bloomington, IN
Studying Education (completion in 2005)
• 10/30/2011
"I loved my college experience, everything from the parties to the people I met along the way. The only reason I didn't rate it a 10 was the cost."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend school to anyone looking for a University in any field. I would not recommend my career field. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Indiana University is well respected in-state and most people went there. Most of my superiors graduated from IU. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Well respected in my field. Provided me with classroom and real world experiences that equipped me with the tools necessary for success. |
| Instruction | 9 | They gave me good classroom instruction and provided real world experiences that prepared me for my career. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The program was challenging at times, but never to an extremely difficult manner. From my experiences with others it was about the same. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | In depth classroom learning about theory was followed by extensive time outside of the classroom hours to practice theory. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I took classes all times of the days and weeks. I also took a class online. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Second to none. I have been to multiple universities and IU is the best. |
| Social Life | 10 | Our basketball team has won 5 national championships. The teams is no longer as good but everyone still goes to the games and has fun. IU also hosts The Little Five every year. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They found me a job one month after graduation. My friends have had similar experiences. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Biggest alumni network in the state. Not hard to find alumni anywhere I go. |
Saint Mary's College • Notre Dame, IN
Studying English Literature And Secondary Ed (completion in 2014)
• 1/5/2012
"In the end, I walked away with a great degree, feeling well prepared for my field and having studied abroad - a wider knowledge of the world."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I loved that because the college wasn't overwhelmingly big, the professors were able to provide such a personal touch to our education. And this was by no means a sacrifice of faculty - I felt they were all well researched in their individual fields and were good teachers, offering us the best they had so we could be better teachers. The staff treated the students with respect and knew us personally, which is something that I find highly valuable. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I believe that SMC has a very good reputation, because it is connected to many opportunities around the country and abroad, and works in conjunction with Notre Dame. I also feel that the professors are well connected in the community, and because of this, they are able to provide first-rate experiences for student teachers at every stage. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Although my program was very intense, I think it was good in the end, because I started my field experiences when I was only a sophomore. I actually started in kindergarten and ended up moving into high school, where my real passion was. |
| Instruction | 10 | My professors were very good at helping us recognize our strengths, and they provided the right field experiences for us, so that we could develop proper skills. I am very grateful to them for guiding me in the right direction. |
| How Difficult | 9 | We had a wide range of classes that were challenging, including child psychology and an elementary Physics by Inquiry for teachers, which challenged me a lot; however, it helped me remember where my students would be coming from when they didn't understand something. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Each professor had their own style, and some were more book oriented. However, most of my experience was field-based and very hands on for education. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | While SMC does offer summer classes, the education there is more centered around a traditional college experience. However, each professor in my experience was willing to accommodate my special needs. I believe they can offer more personal help because the campus is smaller. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Because SMC is a private school, they are continually searching for funding to improve facilities. However, I found the resources and facilities to be more than accommodating to me, despite the offers of other bigger universities. The students are also permitted to use the research libraries and labs of Notre Dame, which are more sophisticated at this time. |
| Social Life | 8 | SMC always did a great job at advertising and collaborating with other venues to create opportunities for social mixers. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I have not personally utilized this service through SMC, but I know people who have been successful at finding jobs this way. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | While I have not utilized SMC's alumni network, I know many people who have found jobs through alumni connections. Also, the college does a good job of sending quarterly alumni magazines and email updates out. |
Ball State University • Muncie, IN
Studying Secondary Education (completion in 2004)
• 2/19/2012
"I loved my time in college. I felt like I was becoming very prepared for my career and I was surrounded by wonderful people. Unfortunately, my career has changed dramatically since I graduated so now I am not very satisfied with my career. I am still very satisfied with my college experience though."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would not recommend becoming a teacher to anyone now, but if they still wanted to teach I would highly recommend they go to Ball State. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | BSU is known as one of the best education schools in Indiana. Their teacher's school is exceptional in preparing new teachers for the classroom. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Ball State encouraged us to focus on pedagogy, but also practical issues such as classroom management and portfolio building. I had a very strong showcase of work that I could provide to employers because of Ball State. |
| Instruction | 10 | BSU is a mid-sized university so the class sizes were relatively small compared to larger schools like Purdue and IU. The professors really got to know the students and took the time to help them work out any issues. |
| How Difficult | 8 | We were expected to provide research that went beyond the state requirements for our teaching portfolio. We created lessons and graphed success to prove our efficacy in the classroom. I felt like I not only understood how to teach, but also how to effectively assess my success at teaching. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | We definitely were always integrating practical, hands-on experience with theoretical knowledge. We read and reported on many education issues, but we also conducted research in the classroom setting. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Many of my classes were offered at different times of day, including night. I took a couple independent study classes from professors who were willing to accommodate me when I couldn't fit their classes into my schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | We had a huge building with great labs. We even had a lab school on campus. We also partnered with many local schools. |
| Social Life | 10 | BSU is a very eclectic university with very interesting students. I made some wonderful life-long friends there, especially when I completed a study abroad in the UK. |
| Placement Services | 10 | I found a job rather quickly, largely because of a job fair that the teacher's college sponsored. I also feel like the education program focused on preparing me for job interviews. |
| Alumni Network | 8 | They call at least every year and let me know what is going on at the school. They provide job-search information and I even purchased my supplemental health insurance through BSU at a discount. They also send a quarterly alumni magazine. |
Indiana Wesleyan University • Marion, IN
Studying Music Education (completion in 2010)
• 3/13/2012
"I met my wife here. I also gained much skill and knowledge."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Absolutely, I would. Indiana Wesleyan is the only place I would ever recommend for someone seeking a private university. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | It is young and still growing. I expect it to continue to grow, even though the school is making budget cuts like everything else in this country. |
| Program Quality | 9 | IWU has a great and solid music program. It is academically rigorous and quite difficult to finish in 4 years. |
| Instruction | 9 | There were many different theory and ear training professors throughout my career; however, there were many great professors in private lessons. |
| How Difficult | 10 | I practiced at least 30 hours per week, along with at least 35 hours of homework and projects. I did not have a life; however, my academic progress was excellent. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my work was hands on. There was not a lot of spoon feeding. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 9 | Traditionally speaking, the school is not flexible. Online and Adult studies are the exact opposite. They continue to work to our schedule. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The facilities are as modern as modern could be. The library has extensive resources. |
| Social Life | I was a music major. I did not have a social life. | |
| Alumni Network | 10 | I get mailings about 3 times a week. I get to work with people I graduated with as well. The alumni network is extensive and vast. |
Indiana University • Bloomington, IN
Studying English (completion in 2005)
• 4/1/2012
"I love IU. There's very little I would change. Student housing offers some challenges - especially in dorms without A/C. I steer students toward IU whenever I can."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | The English Department is phenomenal, so I would recommend it without reservation. The School of Education I'm not so sure about; I've heard good and bad reviews. I completed my certification requirements in another school's Transition-to-Teaching program after receiving my BA in English. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I'm afraid I don't know the details, exactly. I remember reading in an English Department newsletter recently that they had received a good rating. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I didn't have any gigantic classes in my major. I was pleased with the quality of all of my courses and instructors. |
| Instruction | 10 | The required courses should be required; I didn't feel like any class was just filler. I learned new things and grew academically from every course in my major. |
| How Difficult | 9 | IU's English faculty is a demanding bunch; they expect original thinking and true scholarship. The workload is significant, but that's to be expected when your major is reading and writing. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I didn't take classes in which hands-on learning was really appropriate. Discussion could potentially be classified as hands-on, but it's all based on the text. English is a very book oriented subject after all. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | I think it's about the same as any residential university. Most of my classes were during the day. I took a few night classes, and many summer classes. I loved summer school in Bloomington. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The IU libraries are fantastic, world-class. It was a joy to immerse myself in the stacks. Classrooms aren't very exciting or comfortable, but they don't really need to be. |
| Social Life | 10 | IU is a very social school. School spirit is high - especially around athletics and Little 500. The university makes sure there's a lot going on - free movies, lots of activities. I was involved in Alpha Phi Omega, so I had a social network immediately and opportunities to do service for the school and local communities. |
| Placement Services | I haven't used these services. I have heard from others that they are extremely helpful. | |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Every major city in the US and every minor city in Indiana has a chapter of the IU Alumni Association. Communication from the Association is great - especially the top-notch magazine. |
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