Alternative College Criteria

With the Fall semester upon us, I see lots of television ads promoting various Colleges and Universities promising quick, painless "get me a job now" programs.

As I'm in the business of teaching at the college level, I've learned a few things along the way, and have some suggestions for you as you make your decisions.

1) Consider community colleges. Here in Colorado, most are in partnerships with major universities, and the "GT" (guaranteed transfer) courses transfer nicely to 4-year (and up) institutions, allowing you to get your basics (and not-so-basics) out of the way for MUCH less money, and move on to the larger institution for your upper-division courses.
2) If those catchy ads for other institutions catch your attention, there are a few things to check before plunking your hard-earned tuition dollars.
a) Is the institution accredited? and by whom? It's a big deal, because some employers check the credentials of the school you got your degree from (to make sure it wasn't a "diploma mill", and you actually learned something.
b) See if other colleges (or schools) you're considering will accept credits from classes from the school you're looking at. You'd be surprised how many well-known "off brand" schools' credits either aren't accepted by anybody else, or for far fewer credit hours than you paid for.
c) Ask to see actual job-placement statistics from the school you're considering, and ask to talk to a graduate who got a job as a result of the training. See how realistic your goals are based on what happens in real life.
d) My old rule-of-thumb for selecting a reputable institution used to be "do they have a football team?". It doesn't work any more, because some well-thought-of colleges (University of Phoenix comes to mind) focus on education, not the extra-curricular activities. In a pinch though, it can still serve as a filter.

You should absolutely, positively get more education! Just be sure the education dollars you spend move you toward your goal.