[educationbound2006]

I'm moving back to Florida from California, and I'm unsure of where to go. I want to attend a prestigious university (I plan to get BA & MA in Spanish to teach at local college), rent a family home in a good neigborhood (low crime rates?) at a reasonable price (around $1000-1500?), and find a job fairly quickly.

ANY IDEAS????????

[TriMT7]

The most prestigious university in Southern Florida is University of Miami. It's expensive though. Other Universities include the state schools: Florida Atlantic University (which has numerous campuses around SE Florida, including an "Honors College" with a good reputation and top-notch faculty plucked from some very big name schools).

University of South Florida is in Tampa, but I don't know anything about it!

[bale002]

Originally Posted by educationbound2006

I'm moving back to Florida from California, and I'm unsure of where to go. I want to attend a prestigious university (I plan to get BA & MA in Spanish to teach at local college), rent a family home in a good neighborhood (low crime rates?) at a reasonable price (around $1000-1500?), and find a job fairly quickly.

ANY IDEAS????????

Well, really, what does "prestigious" mean?

I think the only southern Florida university that has name recognition outside of Florida is the University of Miami.

UoM is located in Coral Gables, a good, family neighborhood. Rental rates, however, will depend on size of house and exact location, and you will be very hard-pressed to find a family house at $1500, though not entirely impossible.

Your other options in southern Florida include FIU in west-central Dade County, Barry University in northeast Dade County (I believe it also has a campus in Broward County, maybe Palm Beach?), there is a minor university in Broward whose name I can never remember, and in Palm Beach County there is FAU in Boca Raton, plus one or two minor universities whose names I can't remember.

I assume that you have either family support and/or a spouse with a sizable income, for obvious reasons.

Outside of southern Florida, you may want to consider Tampa, Gainesville, and Tallahassee.

Good luck!

[Momma_bear]

I am a student at Florida Atlantic University studying music education. It is not as prestigious as University of Miami, but you will get a good education there at a much lower cost. If you want to teach the cost of your education should be a consideration to you, and FAU will give you a good education, at a reasonable price. There is no point spending tons of money on a degree that will only qualify you for a $40K a year job.

I cannot speak for the language department but I know that in the music department the professors are knowledgable, have contacts statewide, and are concerned with student progress. All secondary certification students (music, art, language, english, social studies, science, math, etc.) have similar requirements within the college of education, although the core requirements for their subject areas differ.

Other universities in the area are Florida International University (Miami), Barry University (Miam), Nova Southeasern University (Davie), and Palm Beach Atlantic University (West Palm Beach).

Feel free to PM me if you need more detailed information about Florida Atlantic University, especially the college of education.

[spainbrit]

UF is in the top 10 public colleges in the US.
New College in Sarasota is small 750 approx students, but ranked very highly in Princeton Review. Its an honors college. UCF one of the largest in FL and very popular, USF, very good college, awful campus and surrounds. FSU, another good school, the students refer to area as South GA Depends on what you are looking for. I'd contact the language profs at each of the colleges you are considering. If you are looking for a reasonable price, I'd avoid Miami, the college is very expensive.

[bale002]

Originally Posted by spainbrit

... I'd contact the language profs at each of the colleges you are considering ...

I agree with this advice: in my view, prestige begins with the quality of the faculty, not the name recognition of what indeed may be some overpriced college or university.

And overpriced colleges and universities, like overpriced housing, are a dime a dozen nowadays.