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 Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State University, East Carolina University, and UNC Charlotte.
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 Methodist University, Chowan, Salem College, and Pfeiffer University.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Bennett, Meredith College, and Salem College.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Livingstone, North Carolina A & T, North Carolina Central University, and Elizabeth City State.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Fayetteville State, UNC Pembroke, Winston-Salem State University, and Western Carolina University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Bennett, Elon University, Johnson C Smith University, and Wake Forest University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of St Andrews Presbyterian College, Chowan, Livingstone, and Brevard.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at UNC, Elon University, NC State, and Appalachian State.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Johnson C Smith University, UNC, Campbell, and Wake Forest University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Piedmont Baptist College and Graduate School, Bennett, Brevard, and Wake Forest University.
Spotlight Schools Search
Study from Anywhere at Online Schools Related to This Career
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master
- Programs: 7 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Bachelor, Master
Jones International University
- Programs: 2 relevant programs; click the school name for details.
- Degrees: Master
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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North Carolina State University • Raleigh, NC
Studying Math Education (completion in 1993)
• 4/29/2011
"I really like going there. It was a really good experience. I feel like I experienced a different culture/(s) than I was used to and it opened my eyes to all kinds of different experiences."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | As a teacher I always recommend NC state to my students or others. Because I live in VT I don't have a lot of takers. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | I think NC state has a good reputation for all of their majors. Maybe not education as much as say engineering but math education yes. |
| Program Quality | 8 | North Carolina State was a great place to go for education. I think that they could have done a bit more with classroom management but overall it was a good place to go. |
| Instruction | More than 5 years ago | |
| How Difficult | 5 | I would say that the education and psychology classes were fairly easy. The math classes and computer classes I had to take were difficult. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I would say more book learning than hands on. It does depend on your major though. I am sure that there was more hands on learning for different majors. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | There was a wide variety of summer classes offered. Online was not an option when I got my degree but it probably is now. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | NC state had more than I could ask for in that department. I don't even feel like I could have touched on all the facilities and resources that were available to me. |
| Social Life | 10 | I had not experienced the whole ingrained spirit for a school before the NC state experience. The social part of college was definitely the best part of school. I met many people from all over the country/world who are friends for life. |
| Placement Services | 4 | I felt like they did not do a great job with career placement. That was definitely up to me. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | NC State has an extensive alumni network. I get letters from them all the time. |
Elon University • Elon, NC
Studying History (completion in 1996)
• 10/28/2011
"Elon is the complete package. If you do not want a large university to get lost in, it's the place. From the standpoint of a teaching degree, Elon has worked with the community to offer opportunities to work with local school children from day one rather than the last two years like some schools."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would absolutely recommend it. It's a great campus to learn the craft and share ideas with students from all over the country and world. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Elon is one of two private universities in NC that offer the NC Teaching Fellows program. Several of NC's TOY participants and winners have come from Elon University. |
| Program Quality | 10 | Elon University was a wonderful campus. Small enough to know your professors but large enough to get the full 4 year experience. Elon also provides an extensive study abroad program. I spent a semester studying at British schools as part of my studies. |
| Instruction | 8 | Some professors were better than others. All were totally approachable for questions and suggestions to improve. |
| How Difficult | 5 | I was totally prepared to teach high school students. I was not prepared for the course load in graduate school. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I was there during the whole "group learning" push. Not my thing, but I do know that the focus on group learning did hurt the prep I needed for the book learning style of graduate school. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | Elon has a 4-1-4 schedule. This allowed me to take a class in January when it wouldn't fit in my regular schedule. They also offer two summer school sessions. |
| Academic Facilities | 10 | Professors were extremely accessible with regular posted hours. Several offered study groups outside of the schedule class hours. |
| Social Life | 5 | There was as much social interaction as you wanted. There was a large Greek population but I was not part of it. |
| Placement Services | 5 | I had to look for my own job due to my geographic region. I do know that they offer a Career Services office. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Elon publishes a quarterly alumni magazine. They also schedule regional meet ups with area alumni. It's a great way to network. |
North Carolina State University • Raleigh, NC
Studying Math Education (completion in 2007)
• 11/6/2011
"I am very satisfied with the university and quality of education that I received. I went for undergraduate studies and graduate studies, and I will be enrolling there in my education-related doctoral program next fall."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Definitely. In my position as a high school teacher, I have successfully "recruited" several students who were interested in teaching, to attend NCSU. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | NC State University has the best education program in the state. This statement was mentioned by faculty members and community members whenever the topic was brought up. |
| Program Quality | 10 | NCSU has the best education department in the state. Their coursework is rigorous and current, which cannot be said about many other education programs. |
| Instruction | 10 | The College of Education at NCSU provides lots of field experience opportunities, which is valued in education. They also support students' growth, by fostering opportunities to reflect. |
| How Difficult | 7 | I wouldn't use the term "difficult," only because education is something that interest me, so all of the learning tasks were what I would expect. There were no "busywork" assignments; all tasks were relevant and meaningful. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Research was conducted to serve as the explanation of the hands-on experience that we received. The school certainly recognizes the value of both approaches. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | The undergraduate program offered standard M-F and summer courses. The graduate program (which I also attended at NCSU for education) was completed 100% online. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The College of Education has its own facility with a library containing education-related books only and a plethora of technology for check-out. Anything that relates to education can be found and/or done at one location (Poe Hall). |
| Social Life | 9 | The school has lots of social groups that students are encouraged to participate in. Although it is a large university, the school still achieves a family-oriented vibe because of the social opportunities. |
| Placement Services | 8 | Through the many opportunities of field experience that is provided, job placement almost comes as second nature. We were also required to attend related job fairs and conferences. |
| Alumni Network | 2 | After commencement, I never heard from any faculty members or students again. However, if needed, I would be comfortable in contacting any of them for professional-related communication. |
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte • Charlotte, NC
Studying Education (completion in 1992)
• 11/27/2011
"I benefited greatly from attending UNCC. The program was well constructed and provided me with all I needed. The only real drawback was that the majority of instructors pushed their own personal beliefs regarding educational theories. I did not enjoy that bias, but everything else was very good."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I hear the program is even better now than when I left it, so I would advise others to obtain their education at UNCC. I would advise them to ask questions and take a class or two before fully committing, because while the program worked for me, everyone is different and they might have a different experience or be looking for different things. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | The school I went to has a solid reputation for producing good teachers. It was recommended to me as a "teacher's college" by my high school counselors. I believe my colleagues, and they were numerous, agree with the assessment. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The university I chose had a very good program, which taught me much in my field. My undergraduate curriculum was exceptional and varied, while my graduate courses were a little liberally heavy handed. The materials were top-notch, but I did not enjoy being pressured to accept the most popular leftwing theories regarding education. |
| Instruction | 8 | I was taught the basics of teaching high schoolers. The curriculum was good, though a little heavy on political perspective. I was given the opportunity to do some real-world teaching while still studying, which was, perhaps, the best instruction I received. My professors were caring and interested in the field as well. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The workload was very steady and the material somewhat challenging. I did not have the toughest of majors, but it wasn't the easiest either. Many times, it was up to me as to how much I wanted to put into it. The grading was at times subjective, and that did annoy me. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program offered much in the way of both hands-on and book learning. The balance was perfect, in my opinion, as I believe both are very important and have helped me tremendously in my career. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | UNCC is large enough to provide flexibility in choosing your schedule. There are a good many instructors with a nice variety of class times offered. I rarely had trouble setting up a schedule that worked for me. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | I enjoyed the libraries and computer labs. The writing resource center at UNCC is also an excellent facility. The tutors are well versed and plentiful. I never had to wait to use a resource either, which was refreshing. |
| Social Life | 5 | I commuted from my home and really did not participate much in the social opportunities provided by the school. If I had it to do over again, I would have stayed in a dorm and really got into college life, as I hear it is a fun campus to enjoy concerts, films, parties and dances. |
| Placement Services | 8 | My university had wonderful resources for helping me with job placement. They have an entire talented department, which helps provide this type of service of which I am thankful. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | The school supported me throughout my tenure and as an alumnus as well. I was helped in gaining a position and with counseling to help me juggle all that I needed. The support I received was above and beyond what I would have expected. |
North Carolina State University • Raleigh, NC
Studying Business (completion in 2008)
• 1/5/2012
"I am very satisfied with my school. They made sure I was able to go out into the real world knowing what it was like. I was not just taught from a textbook."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school has a great support group. The professors and instructors know what they are doing and they are willing to help. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | It is one of the top schools in the state and on the East Coast. The school has been around for over 100 years. Many people know of the school for its academics, as well as its sports teams. |
| Program Quality | 8 | The school I went to was great. I had professors who knew what they were doing, and they were extremely personable. The information they taught, they had used in their real lives. Thus, they could relate our class work to the real world. It made it easier to understand. |
| Instruction | 6 | Our professors were able to relate our course materials to the real world. It was easy to understand when we would use various theories or formulas. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Classes were a challenge. We had to take courses in virtually every aspect of a business. Many of the courses also required long group projects. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Most of my coursework required some type of real-world knowledge. We had to make connections with people in the community and at various businesses to gather information. It went beyond the information that a person is able to gather from a website. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | Some classes were only available at certain times. For the most part, it was easy to take a course earlier or later in the day as a person desired. The school was large enough to have multiple sections of a course. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The school had top facilities. The main library has 9 floors. It has various wings for group study. Each of the classroom buildings had large rooms that were updated. The buildings also had group meeting spaces and computer labs. Inside residence halls, there were computer labs and study areas as well. |
| Social Life | 9 | There were events for everyone. Different groups had meetings, community services, and parties on campus. It was a serious yet relaxed place. |
| Placement Services | 7 | The career center does the best it can. It hosts on-campus interviews for jobs and various job fairs. Individual colleges (also known as departments at other schools) host their own job fairs for their students. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | There is a strong support system; however, many former students do not use it. I believe many students leave school and get caught up in their careers and lives, and they do not give back. There are not many close networks outside of the Raleigh area. |
East Carolina University • Greenville, NC
Studying Secondary English Education (completion in 2007)
• 1/11/2012
"I am glad I chose this school. It has really prepared me for life."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | ECU is a caring place. It will cradle you until you're ready to fly. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | Being the original Teachers College of North Carolina, education has always been held in high regard. ECU continues the tradition to this day. |
| Program Quality | 8 | ECU provided me with plenty of opportunities to learn and grow as a teacher in training. However, as I stepped into the real world, I wished that I had been required to take more classes that would have me deal with students with special needs (both higher and lower) than I was actually required to take. |
| Instruction | 7 | The professors and faculty at ECU were marvelous. I felt really prepared going into the workforce. |
| How Difficult | 8 | The workload was not difficult to deal with. However, I wish that professors across disciplines would work better together when assigning work. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | From the time I walked in the door, I was always given opportunities to go to schools and participate in LEA classrooms. Books were merely guides. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 8 | Nearly all classes were offered online or in the summer. I was not hurting to find a section of a course I needed open when I did. I graduated on time. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | The Teacher Learning Center at Joyner Library caters solely to teachers-to-be. Education professors are always willing to help students, regardless of time schedules. |
| Social Life | 9 | School spirit is always high at ECU. Organized social events are held at least once a month for all students to attend. |
| Placement Services | 7 | I got help with my resume. I was also in attendance at the largest education-only career fair in the state. |
| Alumni Network | 9 | Once a Pirate, always a Pirate. That was explained in the beginning. |
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