University Of Phoenix Reviews

Is the University of Phoenix a good school?  It's a question many people ask themselves everyday as they ponder the alternatives to completing a college degree as an adult.  For these people who have been out of school for a few years and have started careers, created families, and have many other life and community commitments, the prospect of giving all of this up and returning to school on a full time basis to fulfill their dreams of completing a college degree is definitely easier said than done.  But these days it's more important than ever to have a college degree in order to work your way up the career ladder.  But what do these people do?  Many people are turning to the University of Phoenix to either earn a degree part time at one of their many locations across the nation or to earn a degree online.  But is a degree from this school worth anything?  Do employers respect it?  Let's take a look and see...

All University of Phoenix reviews should start with a brief history of the school and its structure.  The University of Phoenix (UoP) was established in 1976 in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the name) and rapidly expanded from there.  Today the school has many “campus” locations in the United States as well as The Netherlands, Canada, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Chile.  Without a doubt, there are many University of Phoenix locations to choose from.  In addition, the school has an enormous online presence as well, offering many of its degree programs online.  The school now has well over 300,000 students and a staff of more than 12,000.

The University of Phoenix is structured a little differently from most schools around the world.  Typically, most institutions of higher learning around the world are structured as legal entities that are referred to as “non-profit.”  This means that the tuition money the schools take in are reinvested back into the school.  The University of Phoenix, however, is different.  It is structured as a “for-profit” university.  What does this mean?  It simply means the school was created and continues to operate primarily as a means to generate a profit for its owners.  There's nothing inherently wrong with such an arrangement but it's an important thing to be aware of.  The UoP is owned by a parent company, the Apollo Group, Inc., and is traded on the NASDAQ under the stock symbol APOL.

When it comes to degree offerings, there's seemingly no shortage of degree programs to choose from.  University of Phoenix degrees are available in just about any subject you could possibly think of.  Programs of study are available at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree levels.  The school even offers doctorates in such fields as business (business administration, management, or leadership concentrations), education (educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, and education administration concentrations), psychology (industry/organizational psychology), and nursing (health administration and nursing concentrations).

A school's accreditation is one of the most important things you should consider before enrolling.  Is the University of Phoenix accredited?  The short answer is yes, the school is accredited.  Like most colleges and universities in the United States, UoP is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies in the nation.  This type of accreditation is the best a school in the nation can hold.  The school's primary accreditation definitely checks out.

There is another type of accreditation you should be aware of.  It's a type of secondary accreditation or “specialized accreditation” that many schools pursue.  Specialized accreditation does not cover an entire university, rather, it covers specific degree programs or schools within a university.  For example, the American Psychological Association (APA) covers schools of psychology within some universities.

Specialized accreditation may or may not be important to you.  It really just depends on what you intend to use your degree for.  UoP does possess specialized accreditation in some areas.  It's business school is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).  The school's BS and MS degrees in nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).  In addition, the school's master's degree program in Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Perhaps the main thing that most people are concerned with is how potential employers view degrees from UoP.  There's no easy answer to this question.  It's truly a mixed bag.  There are many employers who are fine with UoP degrees and are only concerned with the fact that the school holds regional accreditation.  One of the largest employers in the nation, the Federal Government, is one such employer that is mainly just looking for candidates with degrees from regionally accredited schools.

Some employers, on the other hand, have a bias against degrees earned from schools that are structured as “for profit” entities.  It's not always possible to tell which employers will have such a bias but it's important to know up front that there are some that do.

Yet another thing you'll want to consider prior to making an enrollment decision is the school's tuition.  In other words, how much is it going to cost?  Since most schools frequently change their rates, it won't do any good to quote tuition rates here.  Most likely any rates quoted here will be obsolete in just a few short months anyway.  However, it is safe to say that the UoP tuition is (usually) more expensive than most state colleges and universities. 

Whether or not you should enroll in a degree program with the University of Phoenix is ultimately a decision only you can make.  The school is definitely accredited by the premiere accrediting agency in the United States, so there's no problem there.  And many tens of thousands of UoP graduates are now employed by countless companies all around the world.  If you are someone who leads a truly busy lifestyle, UoP may indeed be a viable solution to your higher education needs.