Texas State or U of Houston? (Austin, San Marcos: schools, university, pros and cons)

[Nillitonn87]

I've been planning to attend the University of Houston for graduate school (social work) starting in the Fall.

Today I received a response from Texas State in San Marcos saying I got accepted there too. Now I keep going back and forth on where to go. I currently live in IL so I have not been on either campus.

Does anyone know the pros and cons of Texas State in San Marcos and UH? Any information would be helpful as I make this decision.

[Pontificator]

We toured Texas State and were impressed with the people, interesting programs, and the campus is stunningly gorgeous. So is San Marcos in general. It's known as a party school......but isn't every school?

[Topaz]

Very, very different atmosphere. San Marcos is a smallish town in Hill Country. UH is an urban campus in the fourth largest city in the U.S.

UH is on this US News & World Report list of top ranked schools of Social Work - UH is #36 of 82 ranked schools. Texas State isn't ranked on this list.

It really depends on what you want to do. If you want to go into private practice, ranking doesn't matter much at all. If you want to land a job doing something specific, then you could make a decision by exploring the placement rate of each school for the particular goal you have in mind.

[houstoner]

Is there a big difference financially?

[chris_ut]

For graduate school you should really base your decisions on the professors. Which school has professors who specialize in the areas that you most want to study.

[Maybe So]

If you want to work in Houston than University of Houston may be a better way to go....you will most likely develop relationships in the social work field here that can help translate to a job upon completion of your degree.

[texas7]

U of H Clear Lake campus (located in the suburbs of Houston and not on the main campus) has a great masters program in social work and some great profs. I'm sure U of H main campus does as well.

[txstate]

Texas State for sure, take it from an alumnus. Most people who go there are from Houston, you have things to do in Austin and SA.

[Mustang1]

I would choose UH unless you prefer living in a smaller town vs a big city.

[TexasTheKid]

Originally Posted by chris_ut

For graduate school you should really base your decisions on the professors. Which school has professors who specialize in the areas that you most want to study.

Yes. What's your area of study? Make your decision based on that. When it comes to graduate work outside of an MBA, who you study under is more important than where you studied. And, take it from me as someone who took the opposite course and later regretted it, don't base your decision on where you'd rather live. If you're doing it right, you won't have much time to participate in the social scene or make use of the city's amenities.

But, if you're getting an MBA, just go with whatever city you prefer. Where you get an MBA doesn't matter to any employer unless you got it at an elite school like Columbia.