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 Butler Community 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 Washburn University, Kansas State, Wichita State, and Fort Hays State.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Dodge City Community College and Seward County Community College and Area Technical School.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Seward County Community College and Area Technical School, Baker University, Dodge City Community College, and Labette Community College.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Benedictine, Bethany, Tabor College, and Sterling College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Sterling College, Bethel, Tabor College, and Bethany.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Bethel.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Newman University, Sterling College, Kansas State, and Baker University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Bethel, Bethany, Sterling College, and Seward County Community College and Area Technical School.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Johnson County Community College • Overland Park, KS
Studying Liberal Arts (completion in 2011)
• 2/9/2012
"I really enjoyed school, minus the social aspects. Had I been more involved I think I would have enjoyed it more."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I did love my school, regardless of the social hardships. I also think had I been down there without my group of friends to fall back on, I would have enjoyed it more, but I just wanted to hang out with them and no one else so I never met anyone new. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | A lot of older people returning to school choose JCCC so that they can get a Liberal Arts degree. On the same note, a lot of newly graduated students go there so that they can transfer to a different school with a degree in Liberal Arts. |
| Program Quality | 8 | JCCC was a great school to attend. They had a beautiful campus and my instructors were great. However, it was hard to meet people and really get the 'college experience' there. |
| Instruction | 8 | The information I learned there I learned very well. I feel like I could go back and take any test I took in college and still know the information. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I didn't find my program of study to be extremely difficult. It was quite general so I didn't get too in depth in any topic, which meant an easier workload. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I'd say it was a very good mix. We had a good mix of lab classes in comparison to lecture courses. I felt like we got the best of both worlds. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | They had a lot of different options, which is why the school had such high enrollment. However, if you were going into nursing or dental hygiene, it was far more difficult to find flexible classes for these programs. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | There was a decent amount of computer labs and a lot of good tutoring services. Professors were very willing to work with you in most instances. However, it wasn't anything special. I think every college offers the same amount of support. |
| Social Life | 4 | It was very hard to meet people because there were no dorms, so you didn't have that experience. Parties were basically just for athletes. I only went to one ball game while at JCCC and it was dead. |
| Placement Services | 10 | They had an amazing center for career placement services. They had assessments you could take to get placed in a career you'd enjoy and so forth. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | I've never really heard much about my college's alumni program. I've heard of them working with previous athletes a lot, but that's pretty much it. |
University Of Kansas • Lawrence, KS
Studying Teaching And Leadership In Mathematics (completion in 2001)
• 2/24/2012
"I think I got a good education. I still have good memories to this day."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It was a good school. Also very affordable. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | At the time I attended, it was good. I don't know where it is now. |
| Program Quality | 8 | They trained me well. I have used many of the things that I learned in my methods classes. |
| Instruction | 9 | The methods courses taught me a lot. The professors were former teachers, so they knew what they were talking about. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The math courses were a bit tough. I didn't think the teaching courses were difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There was more book learning in early classes. There was more hands-on learning as time went by. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Classes were often available, though there weren't many options. The times were not flexible. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The facilities were great. The program moved into a new building my last years there. |
| Social Life | 9 | I had a great time socially. Very accepting of all. |
| Placement Services | 8 | They did a great job helping me understand requirements in different states. They also helped me find job placement tools. |
| Alumni Network | I really don't know if there is one. I have been contacted a few times, but that is it. |
Emporia State University • Emporia, KS
Studying Biology, Special Education, Secondary (completion in 1998)
• 3/23/2012
"The school was really my only option, as a nontraditional student who did not have the ability to commute. I was lucky that it was such a good teaching school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Anyone who is interested in being a teacher could not find a better school to prepare them. I have spoken about this school to a number of my students who think that they may someday want to be a teacher. The cost is also very affordable. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | ESU has one of the best teacher education programs. Many people come from quite a distance to enroll. It also has been listed as one of the top one-hundred small universities on several lists. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Emporia State University is well known as one of the best teacher education universities. The professors were experts in their respective fields and had experience in the public school system. |
| Instruction | 8 | What I liked about my teachers was the fact that they had been in the field. Most of them had recent experience in the public schools. They also kept up on the standards and requirements set forth by the state of Kansas. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I found that the courses all required my work and also required me to think critically. I appreciated that I was not given meaningless work for the sake of work. I thought that it was relevant to my course of work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I felt that the school had a good mix. I appreciated the time I was given to practice teaching in a wide variety of situations. I also enjoyed the lectures and books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I only ran into one conflict during my time there. This was with one class that was only offered during the spring semester and I wanted to take it in the fall. They now have quite an extensive online course catalog. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The library is really rather small, and at the time I was in school, they did not have enough computer labs that stayed open late at night. This was the best time for me to use the labs. |
| Social Life | As a nontraditional student, I did not participate in the social aspect of school. I had a family and six children at home. I did find that the nontraditional center was a good place to study. | |
| Placement Services | 9 | The school holds several teacher days in which schools can come recruit from the soon-to-be graduates. I had a job secured before my graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I choose not to participate in the alumni association, except to send a bit of money each year. However, I do believe that the school does have an extensive system in place. |
Emporia State University • Emporia, KS
Studying Library Science (completion in 2004)
• 3/23/2012
"I've had great jobs...except the recent one. I loved the school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | There have been at least three students who attended the same program, partly based on my recommendation. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | One of the best in the nation in regard to library science. |
| Program Quality | 5 | They trained me very well as a librarian, but I'm currently working as an English teacher, out of my certification area. |
| Instruction | 7 | As a librarian, it was superior; going out of my certification area, not so much. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was very challenging, but the degree was attainable. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was very theoretical. Said we'd get the hands-on in our first job...and we did. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I'm sure they're now doing online programs. Back then, they had weekend classes and satellite classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Library was excellent. Professors were the best. |
| Social Life | I was a graduate student at the time. I didn't have time for social activities, as I worked and went to school. | |
| Placement Services | 1 | In 1994, it was nonexistent. Too bad. |
| Alumni Network | 4 | Don't care about alumni. Don't care to get fundraising letters. |
Kansas State University • Manhattan, KS
Studying Music Education (completion in 2010)
• 3/20/2012
"My program was practical and useful. I feel I progressed significantly."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | If students intend to teach band in Kansas, I suggest attending KSU for a master's program. Outside of KS and for any program other than band, I would not suggest my school. |
| Program Reputation | 4 | I don't think the program is well known nationally. Within Kansas, the program is gaining steam. |
| Program Quality | 9 | My school was very practical. The professors provided information useful for teaching in Kansas. |
| Instruction | 7 | I think the career prep and relevance were most valuable. The amount I learned may have been negligible and related to experience rather than content. |
| How Difficult | 4 | The work was done in the summer and was not challenging. The thesis project was time-consuming and difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most classes were experiential. Some were based on texts. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 1 | Classes were offered at only one time. Also, most classes were only offered every three years. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | The facilities were relative to a major university. The music facilities were renovated and topnotch. |
| Social Life | My program was in the summer for only a few students. I am not aware of social events. | |
| Placement Services | I did not use the school's job placement or career services and I am not aware of their quality. | |
| Alumni Network | 9 | They constantly are in contact. Also, professors are friendly and available at conferences and meetings. |
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