FINDING THE RIGHT FIT
No two institutions are the same. Like people, they each have their own personality. There are also differences between:
State vs private
Non-profit vs for profit
Liberal arts vs research vs technical
Co-ed vs women's
Community vs four year
HBCU vs diverse
A number of state universities have a lot of school spirit partially due to the success of their football (Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan) that spills into the daily campus life. Be aware that many are also known as "party schools". Most colleges are non-profit, but there are a number of for-profit schools, which are owned by businesses that usually offer career-oriented training programs. Their profits are used for non-educational purposes. They operate to deliver different learner outcomes. Classes are mostly online. Financial aid is available. This option gives students the opportunity to get a degree and still help out at home.
Popular schools are:
University of Phoenix
Capella University
Taylor Business Institute
DeVry University
Liberal arts schools have smaller class sizes and teach students subjects they're passionate about, vs research schools are a little more pre-professional. Tech schools are better suited for STEM majors; however, MIT also has their School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, and all first-year students begin undeclared.
Benefits of going to an all-women's college is females feel free to express themselves in the classroom, and find a more supportive environment, especially in STEM fields. HBCU students don't have to worry about racial inequality.
For those graduating at a young age, needing to improve their grades, or having family obligations at home, commuting for the first two years to a community college can be an ideal solution to start out with, possibly leading to transferring to a four year school later.
Students can take this quiz to find the right fit.