Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
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 University of South Dakota, Black Hills State, Mount Marty College, and Dakota State.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Sinte Gleska University.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Augustana, University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota State, and Mount Marty College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Augustana, Dakota Wesleyan, University of Sioux Falls, and Northern State.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at University of South Dakota.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Augustana, Sinte Gleska University, Dakota Wesleyan, and South Dakota State.
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Dakota State University • Madison, SD
Studying Masters In Education: Instructional Technology (completion in 2002)
• 3/12/2012
"SDU helped get me a job doing something I love. One cannot put a price on that."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Great school. Good programs. Excellent career and academic planning services. |
| Program Reputation | 7 | Nobody really thinks of North Dakota having quality education programs. Most head to California or to the East Coast. |
| Program Quality | 9 | It's a quality university that offered great coursework and employment opportunities. The professors were also a boon to my academic success. |
| Instruction | 8 | The master's program I was a part of focused on the theoretical rather than just the practical. This helped prepare me for new theories in teaching that I could apply to my classroom. |
| How Difficult | 8 | Lots of studying and tests. Was difficult to find free time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I'd say it was a healthy mix of both teaching styles. I'm more of a "to do" learner. I like doing things myself. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | I suppose it's just like any other university. You take classes at the times that suit you. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | South Dakota U offered many useful services and resources. Their library was topnotch, even though I preferred using the computer. Their tutoring services were very helpful. |
| Social Life | 4 | SDU is considered a suitcase school, meaning it's quite empty on the weekends and most of the "fun" events didn't really interest me. |
| Placement Services | 8 | My school was definitely helpful with their career services. They helped me construct a CV and gave me interview tips. |
| Alumni Network | 6 | They mostly just ask for donations, even though they're already a well-established university. Other than that, I suppose it's typical of many schools. |
Northern State University • Aberdeen, SD
Studying Music Education (completion in 1998)
• 4/9/2012
"I learned a lot from my five years at Northern State University. My instructors were very helpful in helping me prepare for my career, and I will be forever grateful to them for all the wisdom they have shared with me."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Northern State University is a great school to attend for a music degree. The student-to-staff ratio is low, so you get a lot of personal attention. You are taught by faculty, not graduate assistants like in some programs. It is also a very reasonably priced university. Northern has a private school feel, but with public school tuition. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | Northern State University has a good reputation in our region for producing good educators. The music department, in particular, is one of the strongest in the region. |
| Program Quality | 8 | I feel that attending college at Northern State University provided me with a good start to my career. I was able to grow and flourish in a smaller university where I was able to build good relationships with the faculty as well as the other students. |
| Instruction | 8 | I feel that I was given a good education overall. I wish I would have received more training in a couple of areas, but the number of credit hours already needed for my degree would not have allowed the additional training. |
| How Difficult | 8 | My degree program was fairly challenging because I was expected to be prepared for nearly every class period in my degree program. I was expected to keep up my homework, practice music as much as necessary, and participate in a variety of events. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Due the nature of a music education degree, there was a lot of hands-on learning. Being able to teach woodwind, brass, percussion, and stringed instruments requires playing the instruments. Some classes were much more "book learning" however. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | When I was there, not all classes had multiple sections, so there were some rigidity in the schedule. Northern State University has numerous online offerings now, as well as some hybrid classes (a mix of face-to-face and online) I have taken after graduation. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The facilities are improving even more in the near future as the university will be expanding their building. The faculty are among the most accessible I have known, both while in school and after graduation. |
| Social Life | 6 | I enjoyed playing in the basketball pep band and the marching band. I was not much of a partygoer while in college. |
| Placement Services | I have been out of school since 1998. I have not needed their services since then. I don't feel I have enough information to currently judge their services. | |
| Alumni Network | 9 | I have a great rapport with the professors whom I run into. The faculty are always to answer phone calls or emails whenever I have a question. |
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