picture of cap and gown, textbooks

City-by-City Directories of Universities, Colleges and Trade Schools in the Central, Western and Midwestern States

—Colleges, universities and vocational institutes in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming

See further below for college preparatory information and Career Information System (CIS)

colleges and universities

Arizona
- Phoenix metro
California
- Los Angeles metro
- San Fran metro
- San Diego metro
Colorado
- Denver metro
Idaho
Illinois
- Chicagoland
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
- Detroit metro
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Dakota
Ohio
- Cleveland metro
Oklahoma
Oregon
- Portland metro
South Dakota
Texas
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- Houston metro
Utah
Washington
- Seattle metro
Wisconsin
Wyoming

trade schools / career colleges

Arizona
- Phoenix metro
California
- Los Angeles metro
- San Fran metro
- San Diego metro
Colorado
- Denver metro
Idaho
Illinois
- Chicagoland
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
- Detroit metro
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Dakota
Ohio
- Cleveland metro
Oklahoma
Oregon
- Portland metro
South Dakota
Texas
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- Houston metro
Utah
Washington
- Seattle metro
Wisconsin
Wyoming

So where are our directories for the southern and northeastern states? These are planned for 2012.

Picking a location to attend college

At some point finding the right college or trade school will be on one‘s agenda. Oftentimes their location is the deciding factor and our ‘browsable’ directories of colleges are the quickest way to see the schools within a given area. And, with just links to their websites lets them tell their own story. It's a simple approach.

Help for counseling, admissions, scholarships and student loans

While there are many questions one faces in choosing a career, from its stability to the financial rewards, high schools and colleges can make counselors available to help you decide. Of course, in order to achieve your goals, it’s also about finding the right college, getting admitted and paying for it all.

Although not all states belong to the Career Information System (CIS) network, it's an excellent source for guidance and information (generally free to the state's residents). Check for fees using similar systems and programs.

Career Information System (CIS) and similar programs (so far included are only the central, western and midwestern states):

Arizona Career Information System
California - see California Career Planning Guide or see Eureka
Colorado - see Career Services
Idaho Career Information System
Illinois Career Information System
Indiana Career Information System
Iowa Career Information System
Kansas - see Kansas Career Pipeline (powered by Kuter)
Michigan - see Occupational Information System
Minnesota Career Information System
Missouri - see Missouri College and Career Planning System (powered by Kuter)
Montana Career Information System
Nebraska Career Information System
Nevada Career Information System
New Mexico - see NM Career Match or read about CIS in Special Programs (Santa Fe Community College webpage)
North Dakota - nothing found
Ohio Career Information System
Oklahoma Career information System
Oregon Career Information System
South Dakota - see SDMyLife
Texas - see Labor Market and Career Information
Utah - see Utah Futures
Washington State - see WOIS/The Career Information System
Wisconsin (not found - see instead the UW-Eau Claire webpage career Information for some good tips)
Wyoming - nothing found

If you need additional help the following links may prove helpful:

Cappex (offers college search, merit aid and scholarship listings, what are my chances scattergrams, road trip planners, and student loan information)
Careers & Colleges (offers searches for scholarships, colleges, student loans, career schools and provides career assessments)
Common Application (The) (for undergraduate college admissions)
My College Options (offers college search, help researching majors, college planning tips, high school counselors, college admissions)
Xap Student Center (offers how to plan and prepare for a career, college matching wizard, financial aid wizard, scholarship search. application assistance)
Zinch (offers application assistance, schools search, scholarships search, guidance counselors)

Fateful college decisions

Since decisions are always fateful, of an everlasting impact both professionally and personally, the need for due diligence is stressed as the rewards are often relative to one’s researching efforts. Right decisions shouldn’t rely on luck. A flexible curriculum should also be considered allowing one to re-focus later if a better idea arises. After all, born of the imagination goals evolve… seldom resembling the targets of yesteryear.

Important: Be aware of deceptive 'diploma mills'... for more information see:

Council for Higher Education Accreditation
FTC Consumer Alert - Diploma Mills: Degrees of Deception
FTC (facts for business) - Avoid Fake-Degree Burns By Researching Academic Credentials
Washington (State) Higher Education Coordinating Board - FAQs about Diploma Mills

Thoughts on education

With an agrarian society having been tossed aside as an ideal, one of true independence and self-sufficiency at the household level, of a closeness to nature, to family, getting a good ‘bourgeois’ education is more important today than ever before. In the process however one’s spiritual side should not be forgotten. While it’s the tendency, often being intellectually incompatible, it is the other half of 'success'. Whether for better or worse, it is the reality we've been dealt… the first minted coin made it inevitable.

"Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs." --- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Last modified: 02/01/12
Notice: By listing any particular school or company does not constitute an endorsement