This article was updated on December 4, 2023.
This article was reviewed byÌýMcCeil Johnson, JD,ÌýVice President, Accreditation and Regulatory Compliance.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ has been around since the 1970s, but even with its long history, many people still wonder, “Is the °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ legit?â€Ìý
Well, it’s not your typical 4-year college. It’s tailored toward nontraditional learners who often are not able to attend in-person college classes. And that’s why some people question whether the °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is a valid option for higher education.Ìý
Yes, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is legit. It might be a different type of institution in its approach to providing access to education and resources, but °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is accredited and legitimate. When it comes down to it, these factors make the University a valid educational path for many adult learners.Ìý
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is(, which oversees accreditation in 19 states.Ìý
The Higher Learning Commission has a variety of requirements for its accreditation standards, including:Ìý
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1978.
It’s not always an option for students to attend a traditional, in-person, four-year university. Life happens, and whether you are a working parent, military service member or a professional who wants to change careers, you may need an alternative way to learn without disrupting your life.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ was designed specifically for this nontraditional path, and it’s natural that people are going to question something that isn’t mainstream. Even so, the University offers learners the flexibility they may need to change their lives through education.Ìý
Many °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ÌýÌýare first-generation college students, but they’re also, often:Ìý
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ can be a welcoming place for nontraditional learners who might feel like they slipped through the cracks at other universities. The University recognizes this can be a reality for some, and actively tries to help nontraditional learners. For example, the University works with military service members and their spouses to help them achieve their higher education goals.
The University also works on educational equity with outreach like its Tribal Operations Team. Since justÌýÌýhold a bachelor’s degree, there’s a real need to welcome these students with flexible learning opportunities. °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ works with tribal leaders to support students and even does ongoing check-ins to help students stay on track.Ìý
Not just anyone can teach at the °®ÎÛ´«Ã½. Its staff is robustly experienced in their fields with over 27 years of average professional experience.Ìý
The University’s faculty are not just about theory. They design courses for real-world applicability, tapping into their professional experience in their chosen fieldsÌý so that adult learners can apply their new knowledge in the workplace. And since °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ faculty actually work in the industries that they teach, they know firsthand what skills you need to know to be relevant at work.Ìý
It’s an approach that’s paying off: a whopping 85 percent of °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ students recommend their instructors. Ìý
The influx of online learning during the pandemic proved that remote learning can beÌý just as valid as in-person methods and that you can’t discount the experiences of nontraditional students who learn online.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ started out as an in-person university, but it has offered online learning programs since as far back as 1989. While plenty of people like to question the validity of online learning, the pandemic proved that this way of learning can be just as academically rigorous.
The University was able to retain students during the initial surge of COVID-19 because it was already equipped for online learning. Actually, it was already so experienced with online learning that it created the Alliance for Virtual Learning, which provided a Virtual Teaching Academy in the early days of the pandemic to helpK-12 educators prepare to teach online classes.
Another consideration that shows that °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is a legitimate educational institution is the fact that its programs are designed to help teach skills needed for today’s careers.Ìý
The University also offers a lot of other career-focused perks like:Ìý
Yes, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is a good choice.Ìý
From its earliest beginnings as the University that changed higher education, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ has embraced excellence and innovation. Through academic rigor, flexibility and knowledge of career-relevant skills sought after by employers, the University strives to help students prepare for today’s ever-changing employment landscape.
Since 1976, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ has served nontraditional adult learners with flexible class schedules, experienced faculty with real-world experience, and degrees that enhance their careers. Whether you’re a new high school graduate, a full-time parent who wants to earn a degree, a veteran, or a first-generation college student, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is a good choice.Ìý
Like its students, the University is always pressing, never resting. Read on to discover 5 reasons whyÌý°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is a good choice.
Through Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) at °®ÎÛ´«Ã½, life experiences can be evaluated for potential credit. The University works with students to help evaluate their experience — everything from life experience to past jobs — to help them earn the college credits they deserve. For every three credits they earn through PLA, students can shave one course, three credits, five weeks, and over $1,300 off a bachelor’s degree.
That translates to saved time and money. Students with eligible credits and relevant experience on average saved $11k and 1 year off their undergraduate degree and can save up to $6,800 and 9 credits off their master’s degree.
Unlike other universities, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ does not charge an application fee. You can apply for free, and there’s no need entrance essay or exam required (e.g. SAT, ACT, GMAT, or GRE).ÌýAnd there’s no obligation. Plus, you can apply for Prior Learning Assessment (mentioned above) at no additional cost.
To apply to °®ÎÛ´«Ã½, you’ll need to meet its simple admission requirements:Ìý
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½â€™s Enrollment Representatives can guide you through the process.Ìý
And, of course, it’s also reassuring to know when you’re applying that UniversityÌýof °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ has been continuously accreditedÌý. This means the University passes the HLC’s standards for:Ìý
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ also has specialized programmatic accreditations for some healthcare, counseling, education, nursing programs. Programmatic accreditation represents an additional level of external peer evaluation and quality assurance that applies to specific programs within the University.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ helps students save time and tuition with PLA (covered above), transfer credits, scholarships, and more.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ first offered online classes in 1989, so it has a deep understanding of what works with online learners. With a University built for busy adults, the University offers flexible options, such as:
These flexible options often appeal to non-traditional learners, who generally are older, and balancing work, dependents, and other life demands. In fact, in FY23, the average °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ student was 38 years old. Eight in ten of the University’s students worked, and 63.5% of them had dependents.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is bridging the gap between the classroom and the workplace by aligning degree programs to the skills employers want. This is called skills-aligned learning, or skills mapping.
Skills mapping allows students to earn career-relevant skills and update their resumé in weeks, not years, with every 5 or 6 week course in its bachelor’s and master’s programs. Students can get value from their education before they even graduate.
In July 2023, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ announced that its innovative skills-mapped curriculum, focused on the working adult learner, has culminated in 100 percent of associate, bachelor, and master’s degree programs open for new enrollment now being full skills-mapped.
The skills-mapping journey looks like this:
Ìý to learn more about the skills-mapping process.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ connects non-traditional learners with flexibility and opportunity. In fact, the University’s Career Services for Life® commitment offers access to career services and resources from a student’s first course until graduation.
In fact, as long as you’re an enrolled student or a °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ graduate, you can tap the university’s career center for support for:
With over one million °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ alumni across the globe, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ is a good choice for nontraditional students who want to pursue a degree. If you’re considering °®ÎÛ´«Ã½, trust that it’s a good choice thanks to accreditation, experienced faculty, and flexibility — as well as because of the value it places on your life, and the skills-mapped programs that align the skills students are learning to the skills employers want.
So, what are you waiting for? Explore our academic calendar and upcoming start dates today.
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and its Writing Seminars program and winner of the Stephen A. Dixon Literary Prize, Michael Feder brings an eye for detail and a passion for research to every article he writes. His academic and professional background includes experience in marketing, content development, script writing and SEO. Today, he works as a multimedia specialist at °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ where he covers a variety of topics ranging from healthcare to IT.
McCeil Johnson has 20 years of professional experience in the areas of compliance, diversity and legal affairs. She currently provides leadership and management of the University’s institutional and college-specific accreditation and regulatory initiatives.
This article has been vetted by °®ÎÛ´«Ã½'s editorial advisory committee.Ìý
Read more about our editorial process.
Ìý
Want to read more like this?
January 30, 2024 • 6 minutes