11 Best Mfa Programs In St. Louis, MO (2022 Updated)

School was a complete scam. The President and Financial Aid Director were in cahoots to charge all that money. Only one credit transferred. My counselor had to work to get me two. Everyone i know from there got jobs in different fields, including me. They do not help find work the Fashion Merchandise program was a joke. The head of the dept literally told me i was fine where i was at. Terrible place watch out… Added notes I was even accosted by the Financial Aid Director at my job. After seeing me I was mailed a bill saying I still owed and when I paid that's when I got two credits to transfer after two years of school. There's nothing to reach out to you about. The damage is done you scammed me. How could you possibly fix this. This place is a joke and should not be allowed to scam anyone else.Kathleen Jefferson

I absolutely love SIBA! They have a supportive, nice, accommodating, and informative staff. A large number of their staff currently work in the fields that they are teaching in and they keep the curriculum interesting and current. As an older student who has done college before, I knew that I needed to get a better education and find a better job to take care of myself, but I also didn't want to invest in 4 years of schooling. I love that you can earn a bachelor's degree in less than 2 years and be set up for success in the field that you're studying!!Tiera Harris

Do not let the size of this school fool you. It may be small, but it is a powerhouse! My sister recently graduated from here, is doing fabulous, and has already landed her first job!!! She only had positive things to say about her program, her instructors, and the quality of the education she received. The school invested in her and helped give her direction, which is not always a given. I am so proud of her and what she has accomplished. I am thankful that SIBA provided the opportunity and guidance to get her there!Jasmine Quintana

I'm a Fontbonne University Art Alumni and I can say that it's one of the best kept secrets of St. Louis Colleges when it comes to Art. With a focus on classical, figurative studies you won't find any school that can touch the expertise of the professors in the Art Department. Take one class with the famed Victor Wang and you'll see why students come from all over the world just to learn from this master. The faculty provides next-level support that goes above and beyond teaching skills … they help you to navigate the difficulties and intricacies of the "real world." That can be said of many of the faculty outside of the art department, too. I feel that Fontbonne really prepared me for life outside of college and they did everything they could to provide me with opportunities. The small, historic, easy-to-navigate campus provides a scenic and intimate college experience but still has a lot of the experiences you would expect at a larger college. As small as it is, you really feel as though you matter at Fontbonne. The class sizes are small, providing you with the best possible interaction with the professors. The library has an incredibly curated collection for such a small school, and the cafeteria turns out great food. Seriously, though … it was an amazing experience. Don't let the "Catholic" designation turn you away, either … Fontbonne is very welcoming to all sorts of people. I absolutely suggest you look at Fontbonne for your college education. I really felt upon graduation that I was leaving a family and a community of people who truly cared about me and my development as a professional. I still keep in touch with my mentors to this day and I can say, that, YES … I'm a non-starving artist and a BFA graduate using her art degree. The information I learned at Fontbonne was fantastic, but I learned much more than the books could ever teach me. And I can say today that I'm proud to be a Griffin!Samantha Beaty

I transferred there in the Summer of 1995 and graduated in May 1997 with a B.A. Art. After attending 3 other colleges my basic credits transferred. I was homeless and they let me live in the upper class dorm. I was able to get an on campus job at their library, financial aid, and took out student loans to pay for everything. Three months before graduation I felt I was unfairly fired from student teaching & that was painful. Judith Failoni asked me to quit college and leave. I said no. Instead, I was offered and did volunteer work at SLAM to graduate with a B.A. in Art. I'm glad I'm not a teacher. I'm glad I decided to get my degree. The wife of Dennis G. Golden, the President of Fontbonne, helped me get an impacted wisdom tooth removed for free from an oral surgeon she met at a party and drove me to and from my appointments. I didn't have any insurance and was grateful for the help. I enjoyed making friends with some of the Taiwanese students. I helped them adjust to American life by practicing English and going shopping. I test drove used cars for them to help them decide which one to buy. I didn't own a car and took Bistate buses and Metrolink everywhere. I'm United Methodist and didn't attended Catholic parochial or high school.Jean Montgomery

I am an alumnus of Fontbonne University. I earned both my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Marketing and Master of Management degrees from this higher education institution. I chose Fontbonne because the matriculation from Rosati-Kain high school to the campus was the next level for me in my education. The small classes were ideal for me because I had been groomed since grade school to excel with one-on-one interaction with the instructors. The student body is multicultural which is important because the world is a reflection of all walks of life. The most important component that drew me to Fontbonne was its mission statement. I am Catholic and it is very important for me to be able to exercise my faith. Potential students should select an institution that is a good "fit" for them and not based on popularity amongst friends or a name. I highly recommend Fontbonne University.Pinklamoda

The staff at the registrars office needs a lot of work. They have made the process of requesting a transcript a disaster. As a "catholic" educational institute the school should understand the need of transcripts and do their best to accommodate students in there path of continuing education. The staff needs to work on both their customer service skills and conflict resolution practices. The behavior of the staff during phone conversations and email correspondence has been completely inappropriate. Our firm would separate from individuals with their antics as soon as possible. I have been requesting my transcript since July 28 and my new school has still not received it. It my understanding that my transcript was finally sent on August 8 but I have been given no proof of that. UMSL understood my concerns on the situation and offered to accept the transcript via email. I sent an email to SLU at 10:40 asking them to send my transcript to UMSL via email as soon as possible. After hearing no response, I sent two additional emails at 12:30 and 2:00 but still received no response or indication my emails had even been requested. I finally called the school at 2:30 and the assistant registrar argued with for several minutes about how I was insulting and didn't allow them time to respond. However, she was well aware of the situation and knew who I was before I even mentioned my name. Instead of arguing for several minutes with a disrespectful attitude the correct method for resolution would have been apologizing for my experience and trying to accommodate my needs. After I explained it is taking more time to argue then to fix the situation I was told it would be emailed that day. At 3:30 I received a completely inappropriate email in which I responded with my concerns on how the school handled the situation. In my opinion the school is more of hassle than it is worth. You should always put the education of your students or former students first instead of treating someone with utter disrespect. I have asked to sit down with whoever oversees the registrars office. I have several suggestions on how the staff can improve and work with students in a respectful and helpful matter.Chelsea Langeneckert

It's a private university, so it costs more than others in the area, but if you have financial need or have great grades, you can get a LOT of help. The school itself feels very separate from the surrounding area. It's almost as if going into another city when you step off campus. The professors are wonderful, the reputation is good, and honestly the grounds are beautiful. I don't regret my time here and would happily attend again.Chelsea

I recently finished my first year at SLU and I could not be happier with my decision to go here. I am in the nursing program and lived in a learning community last year. I met so many amazing people and I loved my professors. I had so many great opportunity a this year alone and I will also be attending The schools campus in Madrid Spain in the full.Grace Miklosovic

Excellent Academic Environment! I see my son growing into a man of others!! This awesome environment is challenging and non compromising- which he needs to experience in a safe environment as he grows into adulthood. Words cannot express my deepest gratitude for teaching and insisting he become a man that cares for others!!! Thx you SLUH for a life changing experience!!!!Mary Crockett-Smith

Hard work, challenges the student, teaches good study habits, wonderful teachers and classmates, extensive courses in the Humanities, STEM, Computer Science including Artificial Intelligence, a Robotics Club, encourages students to work and learn to the best of their God-given abilities, great Jesuit education and experience,14tomac

St.louis is so lucky to have such a prestigious school in the heart of our city. Its so pretty and the campus is is pretty quiet at the moment due to covid but when everyone is on campus everyone you pass smiles and if you ever need help find a building everyone is willing to help point out the direction you need to go. I've worked here for 2 years and it is the best place I've ever worked. Looking forward to the next 20 years with this company. Such a great place to be.Tyler Uebel (Oshiznit)

Beautiful campus with all the traditional styled buildings. I really like the new Bauer hall which features a huge glass roof. I went to Sam Fox school to learn more about their Architecture programs. The staff and faculty there are super friendly and answered all my questions with passion.Yuchen Guo

I'm currently a graduate student here at WashU. It's a good school and top ranked According to US news ranking. What I liked about WashU is the campus which is neither too big nor too small. I almost forget to add: wifi connection speed is very bad.Aung Myo Htut

Personally, if you're political beliefs lean to the left, you'll probably enjoy it here. If you're like me and you lean far to the right, you'll probably hate it here. Keep in mind that I was at the south campus where all the nursing students are at. So this may not apply to the entire campus. This isn't my first time at UMSL, but it will be my last. I used to think that people saying that college campuses were liberal strongholds was a myth, I found out the hard way that its not. There are gender neutral bathrooms and the campus police even called me directly when they were concerned that I was concealed carrying on campus. So needless to say, they're not exactly pro 2nd amendment on college grounds for the sake of "public safety." In short, i don't think this college teaches you much in terms of being independent. Hell, the BSN program didn't even recognize the critical thinking and analytical skills I got from my history degree, and they sure as hell didn't like how troublesome I was in their program for being a dude. Jokes on them I suppose, I passed the NCLEX after not studying for 6 months, putting forth minimal effort, and after failing a class. YEAH!!! Passed on the first try too. No joke.David Wang

The University of Missouri St Louis delivers the same quality education and has the same admissions standards as the rest of the university system. It just happens to be right here in our fine metro area instead of a dumpy little town in the middle of the state. I graduated from UMSL seven years ago and my education has served me well. I had fantastic professors and have been excited to see how much they have expanded and improved residential life since I lived on campus a decade ago. When I’m ready to start grad school, I have no doubt this is where I’ll go. They offer the best value and most options for working adults. Yes, parking is and probably always will be an issue. I was ticketed unfairly a few times in my day but every time I disputed a ticket, it was waived. The reality is that there’s a limited amount of space and a lot of people competing for those spaces so the police do tend to be pretty hard core about ticketing. Put simply, if you want access to a limited resource, you should be prepared to pay for it. There are some amazing economics professors on campus that would be happy to provide a lesson in supply and demand.Kim H

Better than I thought it'd be but still would not recommend going here if you don't have to. The Rec is amazing and some teachers I've had were great. But most teachers are not, I feel like they don't take into account the feedback you give, most offices in the student center are not very helpful and the school needs some serious parking, road and sidewalk improvements. Also side note, I had my license plates stolen in one of their main parking lots. How do they not have surveillance cameras? I think this school has potential but for me to raise my rating they need to improve their customer service, education quality and infrastructure. Instead of spending money on new buildings as well as incentive payments and over the top car allowances for executives they should fix up the buildings they already have and provide students with a higher quality education experience. I mean the goal ultimately is to raise attendance and make more money right? Building more buildings doesn't equal more people filling up those buildings.Tristan H

I wish I had never gone to this college. Classes were cancelled last minute after they were paid for and books were bought multiple times. I was a Legal Studies major, and the classes themselves in this department are severely lacking any substance. Every single class, a professor droned on and quoted, verbatim, a PowerPoint presentation. I learned virtually nothing; I felt that I paid for the privilege of getting a paper degree but did not get any real knowledge. The Legal Studies academic office is so disorganized and nobody there can do anything to help you if you have an issue. I was supposed to have a certain number of core classes that I was required to take before graduating, but three of those classes were either cancelled multiple times due to low enrollment, or they were offered at the same time as each other so I could only take one at a time. Webster's solution to this was for me to substitute a non-legal course for one of these important legal courses, leaving me with no ability to learn that class material. To rub salt in the wounds, some incompetent person decided it would be a great idea to hold a graduation ceremony at an outdoor venue with no inclement weather plans. I had to sit in the rain for hours with no umbrella to be able to walk and get my degree, and most of my family ended up not being able to see me graduate because they got pushed away due to the rain. I would NEVER recommend this college to anyone. Beware!Kayla Womble-Davis

I want to share this with anyone who is considering attending any Webster University Extended campus across America. I attended the Columbia SC and Fort Jackson campus – became ill in 2016 and 2018. I submitted medical documentation in support of both illness as instructed. We are in 2020 and Webster University in Missouri has not adjusted my account to reflect and nor are they being helpful in this process. My appeal was denied because it did not fit the criteria ( 5 days in the ICU clinging to life) with clots in my legs and bilateral in my lungs, numerous surgeries and other treatments. They refuse to educate me on the criteria and dismissed my concerns by stating this is the final communication we will have with you. They treat our people differently because we make up the majority of their extended campuses. The main campus could care less about the minority population and they make it known. I refuse to let this to go without escalating my concerns. This is not ok! When you fight you win, by not fighting you will lose every time. It should not be difficult to treat someone with the upmost Dignity and Respect. We are not bad peoples because of our skin color – we deserve the best opportunities life has to offer as well.Leigh

I attended Webster University because it is an excellent and an accredited University with national and international reputation. It is a truly global University with its campuses in almost all the Continents of the world. In fact a graduate of Webster University is considered a citizen of the world! This University has been training and will continue to train graduates for the progress of the global community. This is saying that you must be responsible and hardworking before you can truly graduate from this prestigious citadel of learning. You can only earn your degree from Webster University and not buy it! So for quality education consider Webster University.Samuel Onyewuchi

I have a child that's been getting picked on since school started. The first time a child was trying to cheat off her class work so my daughter got loud and told her to stop cheating off her paper so the suspended my daughter for 10 days because she was loud they said she was the aggressive one. The just two weeks ago two students was getting on the school bus and my daughter was sitting in a seat that one of the young ladies wanted and she told my daughter to get up out her seat which they don't have assigned seats. My daughter told her she not getting up cuz she was there first so then another young lady joined in with the other girl to try and get her out the seat but my daughter got upset and start defending herself. So when it was time to get off the bus the girls had they mother waiting on my daughter. The mother tried to fight my daughter. And once again the school suspended her for 5 days and kicked her off the bus til next year. This school is not the best school for my child I will be unenrolling her outLakisha Watson

My wife our daughter and I moved to saint Louis from new Hampshire in June 2021 we new no one our zip code is for Maplewood but we actually live on the south side after finding that our daughter couldn't go to Maplewood schools the superintendent of Maplewood referred us to cipp who I'm very familiar with back in Boston my niece and nephew are graduate's of kipp in Lynn Massachusetts needless to say the staff welcomes our daughter with open arms and, and my wife and myself couldn't have asked for a better transition for our daughter who instantly made friends and will graduate with the class of 2026Shane Robinson

My son transferred mid-year in his freshmen year after not being happy at the other Magnet H.S. he was at. Were so thankful to get in. It's been a great fit ever since and he's a senior this year. Lots of great teachers. Haven't had any problems with kids or teachers. Love all the visual art classes. Has had great teachers in all the academic classes too. English, math, science, finance, history. Lots of memorable teachers and classes.Mary Banach

(Translated by Google) In this place music is taught, what many do not know is that inside there are some pictures of old construction models, according to reference of people in the center these pictures represent the prototypes of the replicated or reproduced constructions within the university, to To say that each department or center within this large student conglomerate presents similarity of image with famous constructions of other times. (Original) En este lugar se enseña musica, lo que muchos no saben es que en su interior se encuentran unos cuadros de modelos de construcciones antiguas, segun referencia de personas del centro estos cuadros representan los prototipos de las construcciones replicadas o reproducidas dentro de la universidad, a decir que cada departamente o centro dentro de este gran conglomerado estudiantil presentan similitud de imagen con construcciones famosas de otros tiempos.Bendizu