Is this a good school? That's the question you should ask of every prospective college and university. Each institution will be proud of some statistics or aspects of their institution and they'll downplay their weaknesses.

Although the state of Minnesota does not rank postsecondary educational programs or institutions, there are several ways to determine the quality of different programs. Use the strategies listed below to help determine whether a school's claims are accurate.

• Is the school operating legally in Minnesota?
• Is the school accredited?
• Have any complaints been filed against the school?
• Check with employers
• Are there occupational licensure or certification requirements?
• Contact the school's placement or career counseling office
• Can you transfer any credits?
• Strategies to evaluate online education
• Compare similar programs

The school's catalog should describe each program's curriculum, course offerings, grading policy and graduation requirements.

Watch out for promises to award credits solely on the basis of your statement of previous life or work experience. Legitimate credits based on "lifetime learning" will require you to document specific knowledge that is equivalent to classroom work.