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It's funny how people are quick to jump on the "bash the for-profits bandwagon" when they haven't really done the research. Are there some bad apples in the bunch? Sure, but not every non-profit is completely guiltless and not every for-profit is guilty. All schools, whether for-profit or non-profit vary in rigor and quality of education. That is just the way it is.
For-profits still have their place. There are people that want to improve their lot in life and already work hard and are raising a family and don't want to spare the time to commute to a college, sit their butt in a seat for hours and commute back home. For-profits recognized the need and began offering a convenient way to educate those people (students). After their success, the non-profits took notice and have offered online programs. It was just a matter of time before they'd jump in and compete. Education, with all of its lofty goals and aspirations, is still a commodity. At least for-profits started the process to give people a choice.
Now that more non-profits are offering on-line programs the gap has narrowed. But don't automatically discount the for-profits. Some are organized quite well and offer a self paced approach that most non-profits don't. Also some allow you to graduate debt free. Compare that to some non-profits that the student graduates with tens of thousands in debt.
I'm not saying one is better than the other. I'm just saying that there is more to what meets the eye.
Really? You are not saying that one is better than the other? I am saying exactly that. One is better than the other.
No one takes a degree from a "for profit" proprietary school seriously. Even if a student were to work their butts off - and I believe some do - it's not going to change the fact that it's from a 'for profit".
It also may prevent the student from obtaining employment or an advanced degree.
Really? You are not saying that one is better than the other? I am saying exactly that. One is better than the other.
No one takes a degree from a "for profit" proprietary school seriously. Even if a student were to work their butts off - and I believe some do - it's not going to change the fact that it's from a 'for profit".
It also may prevent the student from obtaining employment or an advanced degree.
One is "better than the other".
That is your opinion as I am entitled to mine. If a for-profit is accredited and accepted by the U.S. Dept. of Education that is sufficient. Also I'm an employer and I reimburse for tuition. Doesn't matter to me which way they go as long as it's accredited and accepted by the DOE. I've had PhD's from non-profits and degrees from for-profits to GED's work for me in my industry. As long as they know their stuff and have the credentials for the job that's all that's necessary. But I guess you talk for all employers and the U.S. DOE.
It's funny how people are quick to jump on the "bash the for-profits bandwagon" when they haven't really done the research. Are there some bad apples in the bunch? Sure, but not every non-profit is completely guiltless and not every for-profit is guilty. All schools, whether for-profit or non-profit vary in rigor and quality of education. That is just the way it is.
For-profits still have their place. There are people that want to improve their lot in life and already work hard and are raising a family and don't want to spare the time to commute to a college, sit their butt in a seat for hours and commute back home. For-profits recognized the need and began offering a convenient way to educate those people (students). After their success, the non-profits took notice and have offered online programs. It was just a matter of time before they'd jump in and compete. Education, with all of its lofty goals and aspirations, is still a commodity. At least for-profits started the process to give people a choice.
Now that more non-profits are offering on-line programs the gap has narrowed. But don't automatically discount the for-profits. Some are organized quite well and offer a self paced approach that most non-profits don't. Also some allow you to graduate debt free. Compare that to some non-profits that the student graduates with tens of thousands in debt.
I'm not saying one is better than the other. I'm just saying that there is more to what meets the eye.
The cheap for-profits with payment plans are usually accredited by DETC. Schools accredited by ACCSC or ACICS usually charge outrageous tuition rates. In another thread, the OP said he or she does not have enough experience for the PMP certification. Since the OP is in the early stages of his/her career, I recommend that he/she attend a regionally accredited school. It would be even better to attend one with national name recognition or regional name recognition in his/her area. Among regionally accredited schools, most of the for profits do not have competitive tuition rates. It would probably be best if the OP attend an in-state, public college.
The cheap for-profits with payment plans are usually accredited by DETC. Schools accredited by ACCSC or ACICS usually charge outrageous tuition rates. In another thread, the OP said he or she does not have enough experience for the PMP certification. Since the OP is in the early stages of his/her career, I recommend that he/she attend a regionally accredited school. It would be even better to attend one with national name recognition or regional name recognition in his/her area. Among regionally accredited schools, most of the for profits do not have competitive tuition rates. It would probably be best if the OP attend an in-state, public college.
For the OP I couldn't agree with you more. I'm just tired of the for-profit bashing from uninformed posters and the one size fits all approach.
I have mixed opinions about for profit schools (which most online only schools are).
I definitely agree there are some established biases about colleges and degrees when it comes to employers. Some employers look at online and for profit schools as a joke, even IF they are regionally accredited. Some don't care where you get your degree, just having it shows you put in an effort and completed it. There's even a small amount of employers that are starting to prefer degrees from online for profit schools because research shows they actually teach more practical knowledge in the subject area than the traditional non profit university.
I think the important thing to keep in mind here is that getting a degree from a long established B&M school is going to gather the most interest from prospective employers. No employer will take a second thought if you have your degree from Penn State or University of Illinois, but put Devry, U of Phoenix, or Kaplan on your resume and employers might begin to ponder. The biggest thing I heard was employers feel these schools are diploma mills and accept anyone because they are for profit. (which is honestly true....) Employers wonder why this person chose such an easy or low entry program, and immediately they think it's because the person couldn't get into a non profit school or is lazy/underachiever. Wrong or right thinking, that's still the thought process currently happening.
Not to say that for profit schools are bad... here's some of my general opinions on the for profit.
For profit school pros:
- usually easier material to get through
- offers many more accelerated or advanced options to get done faster
- More practical or useful material taught for your area of study.
For profit school cons:
- More expensive than a public university
- Generally bad reputation from some employers
- Got to be careful with accreditation, school support, and financial aid.
In fact, I was talking with a Director of IT here in town recently and he mentioned he got his B.S in Business from University of Phoenix and never felt it had any negative impact on his career. In fact, he said that 1 year after getting his degree, he was offered high level positions at a couple companies, and most employers only said it was great he had his Bachelor's degree and nothing else. He is making 160k now as director of the department.
In the end, what's better? It's hard to say. I went to Penn State for 2 years previously and I honestly hated it. I could probably rant forever and ever. I guess the big question is will the employer who is looking at your resume have a biase against for profit schools or not? On the flip side, I've rarely heard of a employer having a biase against a non profit school, and many rave about them (oh the wonder stories I hear about Penn State Graduates.... lol) It seems smarter to avoid the for profits, at least for the next few or several years.
It's funny how people are quick to jump on the "bash the for-profits bandwagon" when they haven't really done the research. Are there some bad apples in the bunch? Sure, but not every non-profit is completely guiltless and not every for-profit is guilty. All schools, whether for-profit or non-profit vary in rigor and quality of education. That is just the way it is.
For-profits still have their place. There are people that want to improve their lot in life and already work hard and are raising a family and don't want to spare the time to commute to a college, sit their butt in a seat for hours and commute back home. For-profits recognized the need and began offering a convenient way to educate those people (students). After their success, the non-profits took notice and have offered online programs. It was just a matter of time before they'd jump in and compete. Education, with all of its lofty goals and aspirations, is still a commodity. At least for-profits started the process to give people a choice.
Now that more non-profits are offering on-line programs the gap has narrowed. But don't automatically discount the for-profits. Some are organized quite well and offer a self paced approach that most non-profits don't. Also some allow you to graduate debt free. Compare that to some non-profits that the student graduates with tens of thousands in debt.
I'm not saying one is better than the other. I'm just saying that there is more to what meets the eye.
For-profits rarely accept an applicant's existing college credits, even if they are very recent and for basic courses. Their own credits are, likewise, rarely transferable. I think they're a trap. I've also known too many people who were close to graduation when suddenly the goalpost moved, and extra classes were required for questionable reasons. Things like curriculum changes that students at non-profit schools would have been grandfathered out of. South University, Phoenix, Capella, Ashford, DeVry, Strayer, Virginia, Stratford, Waldorf, Remington, Monroe, Sullivan, Walden and Kaplan are all known for this, just off the top of my head. I've known at least one person who has been screwed in some way by each of these, and have seen reams of criticisms online from other unhappy students while shopping around.
So yeah, I do think one type of school is better than the other. People I know who have attended non-profits (including myself) have reported far fewer problems involving extra costs.
This is all anecdotal, but there seems to be a distinct pattern.
Very relevant to my research - I suggest choosing your preferred institutions first, then finding which ones offer an online option - preferably with nothing on their transcript or award outlining which mode the degree was obtained in... For the benefit of public perceptions
What are some of the most respectable online schools these days? For profit or nonprofit is fine, but I agree some for profit schools have really bad reputations from employers whether they deserve it or not. I'm looking to go back to school to get my Bachelor's in Business Administration or Project Management. Any recommendations are appreciated.
Online universities are a joke, sorry to burst your bubble but most employers don't take them serious and you're better with not having a degree at all. Also your credits wouldn't transfer if you decide to transfer.
Online universities are a joke, sorry to burst your bubble but most employers don't take them serious and you're better with not having a degree at all. Also your credits wouldn't transfer if you decide to transfer.
Can you give me an example of an online university because this is a commonly misused term? For-profit is not synonymous with online college. As far as credits not transferring, this has more to do with accreditation. I actually emailed most of the top 25 public schools according to U.S. News and all of them said they would take credits earned online at regionally accredited schools. Only one said that they rarely award credit for University of Phoenix courses, but UoP is not an online university. One school did say that they will not accept online courses in psychology and science no matter where they come from.
Online universities are a joke, sorry to burst your bubble but most employers don't take them serious and you're better with not having a degree at all. Also your credits wouldn't transfer if you decide to transfer.
There are differences between the poorly regarded "online only" and "for profit" schools like University of Phoenix, DeVry, Strayer, et al, and well-respected universities like Penn State, VA Tech, and Iowa State that have online programs and do not distinguish between the online and brick and mortar variants.
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