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Well, DeVry makes sense for me, in my situation. It may, or may not, make sense for someone else.
For me, I HAVE to do online. I cannot go to a class three times a week, per each course that I am taking that quarter/semester. My job schedule is varied to be able to commit time for that. Plus, living in the Chicago area, there are not a lot of commuter schools here (like Wright State was, back in Dayton). So, it is just not easy to go to school in the Chicago area, unless you are able to go full-time and not have to work...unless you are willing to go part-time, and take forever to finish school.
So, for me, yes DeVry works, and like I mentioned, I do know that it is not as prestigious as a Harvard/Yale/Oxford, or even UIC, OSU, Wright State, etc. The online aspect offers me the flexibility I need, to complete my degree, so that my skillset is upgraded enough to compete in the job market. I could care less, now, about the campus experience, the football games, the frats, etc. I am 38 years old, and have 12 years experience in my field. But, I need the actual degree to stay competitive. For me, DeVry is just a stepping stone to get to Grad school.
There is a lot of confusion about what DeVry is. Yes, they are for-profit. A lot of people confuse them with ITT Technical Institute. DeVry does offer a good education, both campus-based on and online-based. But, like I said in previous posts, they do not offer the frat and football game type campus experience. DeVry's main thing is providing an education and a degree to degree-seekers, so that they can participate in the job market, with a marketable skill set. Sure, some universities may have more motivated students, or students who performed better in high school, etc. And yes, some may have better professors; maybe not. I know for sure, that I am getting a good education, as I am actively learning the trade that I am studying for. The textbook and the online lecture is pretty much the same thing as I would get at, for instance, UIC.
The MAIN difference between deVry, and the traditional schools, is that the state-run schools are mainly RESEARCH FACILITIES that then also instruction to degree-seekers. Whereas, DeVry is mainly a TEACHING FACILITY; there is no research done there (that I am aware of). It is a VENDOR.
And, as I mentioned above, I do think that DeVry is a good school with a good product; if not, then I would not see so many large employers on-campus, trying to recruit students for future employment.
Well it all comes down to cost in the end at for profits if they are you only viable option. Just like any degree your income potential has to be weighed against your cost of college. Unfortunately most for-profits inflate those numbers.
The purpose of a degree granting institution is to both educate and to evaluate. You don't get a degree unless you demonstrate that you meet criteria specified by the institution. These criteria are determined, via shared governance between faculty and administration, in a way to avoid (or at least address) a conflict of interest between business and academics.
For profit schools are primarily a business, so there is a clear conflict of interest in the awarding of degrees. In theory, there is no reason why a for profit university couldn't have high standards. In practice, pretty much anyone that can pay gets a degree. While I cannot comment on the quality of the education because of my limited exposure to for-profit graduates, a degree does not have any value unless it means something, and selling something of little value for a lot of money is a problem when tax money is subsidizing it.
I am a student at the UOP and it is interesting to see what so many people think about something they have never done. A degree is what you do with it, not where it came from. Yes I do agree that Yale and all of those big schools would be great but I am older and this was a good choice for me. Everyone says for profit schools are expensive so is milk but I still by that too. All of my books are included and if you compare what I have spent in school compared to my 23 year old brother who did go to a brick & morter school for 6 years it's a fraction of what he spent.
Everyone says "Oh, it's a degree mill & that's all." In a way thats true it gets me the degree I am looking for with no fluff and it's quick, I need the degree before I retire (laughing).
I have had amazing instructors that hold some pretty amazing jobs and have a lot to teach. There are good and bad apples in every basket and I think that in time people will think no less of a degree that came from a for-profit.
P.S. I work my butt of for my grades and no it's not easy. What I will be able to offer to an employer is a current degree and 15 years of work experience, if that's not good enough then I probably don't want to work there anyway.
Thanks for your anecdotal support to this thread. I only wish more would provide their perspective. However, it will never change the minds of the many who steadfastly hold onto the archaic and ineffective system of traditional higher education.
If Troy State Univeristy, one of the biggest players on online education around, is so "archaic and ineffective" why is it able to offer its online classes at half the cost per credit hour (out of state tuition) that Phoenix does?
Well, it seems a lot of closed minded people post here and it's too bad. I have been tagged as a plant which to me is comical and I would really like to know, what on earth I would be a plant for. Anyway there is no talking to these people without an extreme amount of criticism which I expected but I also see a lot of immaturity as well which is really sad.
I can definitly say I've seen the naysayers side & boy is it ugly.
So about 25% of Troy's revenue comes from the state of Alabama as a state appropriation. (pretty much the standard these days) Take that out, replace with increase in tuition for out of state/online students, and you're still 25% cheaper than Phoenix.
I will chime in here. Troy University is a great example of a higher education institution breaking the traditional mold and moving into the 21st century with its online courses. Troy can offer courses at a far reduced rate because it is state funded...subsidized by the state taxpayers of Alabama, and other revenue sources. Check out their finances from 2006.
This is the huge push from public universities now. Of course the requirements are still going to remain even though the courses are online. So while I think this will hurt the for-profits in the end the person who can't get into a legit school is still going to have to go to a for profit if a community college is not available.
With the government crack down on for-profits and their poor employment placement you'd assume at some point the people going their will catch on.
With the government crack down on for-profits and their poor employment placement you'd assume at some point the people going their will catch on.
The government crackdown will soon be coming to your local university/college as well, via the recently implemented gainful employment regulations. Don't think for an instance that they will get a pass on their poor persistence, graduation rates, and placement rates for too much longer.
The government crackdown will soon be coming to your local university/college as well, via the recently implemented gainful employment regulations. Don't think for an instance that they will get a pass on their poor persistence, graduation rates, and placement rates for too much longer.
Indeed. Two of the larger problems, as a few posters have pointed out in this and other threads, is the college for all mantra and student debt burden. Non-profits have a 4-year grad rate at 57% and for-profits at 16% IIRC. For-profits only add to the problem via riddling people with debt they cannot repay. It's already an issue with traditional schools let alone with folk that can't manage to get accepted to a run of the mill, less expensive, state school. It's just one more player in growing disparity. OTOH, I think for-profits that are priced like CC's or close, offering legit course work for LPNs or vo-techs, could be good for many.
The government crackdown will soon be coming to your local university/college as well, via the recently implemented gainful employment regulations. Don't think for an instance that they will get a pass on their poor persistence, graduation rates, and placement rates for too much longer.
As it should. Their are plenty of poor tier 3 schools out there they have poor results. The difference is the for profits charge you three times as much for a crappy product.
If public's get cracked down on for profits are really screwed as their statistics are horrific.
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