I worked for the for-profit from 2003 to 2007… not that long ago. Hater? Maybe you’re correct. I hate to see students being taken advantage of.

If you haven’t seen the sales going on in your admissions dept, then you may also be unaware of the water you’re swimming in. Tell me, what’s your job title and in what department do you work? Are you at U of Phoenix or Walden U? You sound like you’re not too familiar with accreditation. Trust me, it’s tricky and this is how many for-profits work around it and mislead students.

There are businesses out there who will not accept a University of Phoenix, etc. degree due to not having specialized accreditations, specialized programmatic accreditations that are over and above regional accreditation. Some examples of these are AACSB for business, ABET for Technology and Engineering, APA for psychology programs etc. For-profit, online schools usually won’t have these types of accreditations. Many state schools will have these accreditations.

I called University of Phoenix for fun one day just to see the latest in their sales techniques… they tried to tell me that they issue teacher certifications for any state. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I only wish I could have legally recorded the conversation. BTW… only non-profit, traditional colleges (regionally accredited) are granted authority by a state to run a teacher cert program.

- scott

I work for a for a regionally accredited for-profit university. I can assure you there are no numbers, no quotas, no sales involved at all, WHATSOEVER!! You must have worked for a for-profit along time ago, or for a Univesity that did not put the students best interest first.

I also graduated from a state University. You are correct, if you graduate in 4 years, it is cheaper. However, it is so difficult to graduate in 4 years at a state University in California. Getting classes is extremely difficult. Books are around $800 a semester, parking is aweful, and the average student at my university graduated in 6-8 years. So if you add up all the additional years, the cost is about the same. At least if you go to a for-profit school or anyother private University, you are guranteed your classes and for the same cost you get done earlier and don’t have to deal with all the headache.

For-profit or traditional should be up to what is best for the students lifestyle. If you are a working adult, for-profit non traditional schools are just more condusive to your lifestyle. If you are an 18 year old and want a college experiece then a traditonal college is better suiting. Niether is better than the other. They fall under the same regional accredidation therefore it should all depend on what is in the best interest of the student.

On a side not most employers do not look at nationally accredidted Universities as something of value. I would thuroughly research the University and the company or field in which you are trying to enter and find out what is prefered.

Scott, you are a hater to the extreme!! you are bery biased. Education is important. The student should be encouraged to get their education regardless of the tactics of a particular university. Dont let one bad school spoil the reputation of others. Every University that I have come in contact with is only concerened, and should only be concerened with the best interest of the student.