University of Phoenix, Devry, Strayer, WGU, Grand Canyon University Reviews

If all you need is a check in a box they are fine.
But as far as legitimate universities, they aren’t

My brother did a few U of P classes before transferring to a traditional university and he said U of P was very easy.

I'm not in healthcare but as a hiring manager unless someone has a lot of experience in a field with demonstrated success, I would likely not seriously consider candidates with a for-profit degree since I don't believe it to be academically rigorous.

However, I believe grade inflation to be a huge issue in this country where all universities are having to compete and retain students. Lazy rivers don't pay for themselves....A 3.0 isn't what it used to be regardless of the institution.

I am concerned that the U.S.A allows institutions like this operate. They usually go after kids from poor communities that have no idea about reputation, debt etc. They just see "University" and sign up. Do you think the US should come up with a tier system? Like,

Tier 1 = Harvard, Yale, Stanford etc.
Tier 2 = Big state schools like Umass, LSU, Alabama, Penn state etc.
Tier 3 = Smaller state schools like LSUS, ULL, University of South Alabama, UMUC etc.
Tier 4 = For profit Schools like UoP, Devry, Reminigton College etc. (with regional accreditation)
Tier 5 = Nationally accredited institutions.

and the amount of student loans the government will pay depends on which tier you attend?

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Go to a reputable school’s online program before considering any of these. Or, go to a school near where you live and do night classes or weekend programs.

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Agree with this 100%. I have known a handful of people that have gone through the Phoenix program, and none of them know anyone in any of their classes that ever received anything less than a C. From what they were saying, all you have to do is pay your tuition, meet the minimum requirements, and the school would make sure you passed.

There are two angles you have to consider. Fresh college grads and those who have been in the workforce for a at least a few years with real experience in their field.


Back when I was in the military and I wanted to further my education (I was enlisted) there simply was not many online/distant learning options. Your major schools now have online classes, but back in the pre-2006 range, they didn't have many degree plans to choose from.

I went to UoP while enlisted to knock out my general studies. I wanted to apply for officer candidate school at some point and knew I needed to start. I then ended up cross training from aviation maitenance to cyber surety (Information Assurance for the Air Force). In doing this I decided to take classes at UoP for Information Technology which supplemented my job in the military and ended up getting BA a few years later. For me, it was a "check box". I also had a number of private-industry lvl tech/security certifications to back up my training and education so I was never too worried about the perception of UoP.

Now, when I transitioned out of the military, I know for a fact that UoP on my resume meant some people just threw it away. It is an actual degree, but over the course of time it got a very bad rap for simply not having ANY standards for acceptance. Like literally none. While the course work was accredited, they accepted anyone with a pulse to take classes.

Even though I landed on my feet in the private sector making very good money, I had real work experience via the military to support my education toolkit. There is absolutely no reason a person out of high-school should consider these schools. New college grads with no background will be at the bottom of the list with these schools.

Back pre-2006 it made sense for me because there were not many options and I was actively working in a field that I was studying for (it also didn't have a bad rap back then). I also didn't plan to exit the Military until Obama got his fingers in it.

I later used my GI bill to attend a local Texas school and completed my masters because I was afraid that the UoP decision all those years ago would hinder my ability to move up within my current company.


Back to my original point; new college grad = school matters. A professional with experience = you can get away with it, but it very much depends on your experience and field. Not worth the risk today now that all your major universities offer some sort of online/distant learning for basically the same price.


Just my two cents, but I have seen VP levels with UoP masters all over the place. I wouldn't recommend it having experienced both.

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I completed an accounting program that had classes that required real work, and others not so much. some classes were structured with 1-2 homework weekly assignments In addition to weekly assignments some courses will require 8-15 page papers that will spend lots of time on. Success in an online program depends on how seriously you take it.

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This is not unique to online programs, at brick and mortar schools in any program there will always be courses that you have to really grind it out, and others that require little more than showing up. Multiple sections of the same course can vary dramatically in difficulty depending on the person teaching it.

Would you consider University of Maryland, University College a real school? They are another school I found with a large online presence. It seems they are a state school in Maryland but looks like they deal more with the military. Thanks

I don't think earning a degree "Online" is the issue here. What matters more is what school you earned it at. For example, LSUS requires proctored exams which means, showing your government issued I.D. card and having someone watch you take the test. Schools like UoP do not require a proctor and many of their "professors" are just adjunct part-time facilitators. After making this post, I went and read some UoP reviews.

Hi Maximusheals,

I'll share with you some advice passed to me by my former CHRO when I was looking into online MBA programs. She's a 30-year HR executive and on the board of several HR associations, so I trust her opinion.

- If you're just starting in your career, going to the best school you can get in is important. However, for people like me who have established careers and experience, any "known" school is good.

- For business disciplines, she said the HR community does not view schools like UoP, Devry, etc. favorably.

- HR recognizes that technology has enabled more online options and do not view online programs from known schools negatively.

On your question about UMUC, I'm in the DC area and a Maryland college park alum, UMUC is a reputable school part of the University of Maryland system. In particular, their Cybersecurity program is top in the country and very well respected. I know lots of people working at major consulting firms and government agencies with a UMUC degree.

I'm currently in the LSUS MBA program and my biggest consideration was the AACSB accreditation, then the brand, cost and length of the program.

I agree with EA6B's comment that you can look into LSUS' online bachelor's program too. It will cost less than UoP, etc. (I think). Hope this helps.