Undergraduate Degree costs

[tigerbob]

I've been considering the option of doing an additional Bachelors degree and looking at the associated costs. I will need to study around my working life, so it will need to be online. I thought it might be interesting to do a comparison of what the cost would be in the US against what it would cost in the UK.

For the purpose of the comparison (although this isn't exactly what I'm planning to study), I assumed no existing credits and selected degrees in broadly similar fields at arguably the 2 best known distance learning institutions from each country.

BSc in Management from the University of Phoenix
BA in Business Studies from the Open University

There are slight differences between the two, but we all know that 10 years from now all the qualification does is provide the hygiene factor of a couple of letters after your name, right?

The cost for the Open University (using and exchange rate of £1 = $1.50) is well under $10,000.

The cost at the University of Phoenix is $72, 201.

WHAT A FUCKING RIP OFF.

 

[MeBelle]

And neither of them are nationally accredited! Basically they are 'trade colleges'.

Several years ago, unaccredited colleges made their own accreditation standards, which go largely unrecognized by any nationally accredited college, and usually any savvy employer.

Sorry I don't have a link for you, but the accreditation system is easy to learn about. Pay attention to the accreditation letters and what they mean.

~~I think this is the only time I have ever used the word accreditation so many times in such a short response!

 

[Warrior102]

U of P is where I got my MA, however, the Navy paid for it. Got it while on active duty. 72K is actually not bad - I am paying roughly 45K/year for my son's tuition now at a private college in Va. Actually - we're deferring it- he can pay when he graduates ...

 

[Warrior102]

And neither of them are nationally accredited! Basically they are 'trade colleges'.

Several years ago, unaccredited colleges made their own accreditation standards, which go largely unrecognized by any nationally accredited college, and usually any savvy employer.

Sorry I don't have a link for you, but the accreditation system is easy to learn about. Pay attention to the accreditation letters and what they mean.

~~I think this is the only time I have ever used the word accreditation so many times in such a short response!

(ahem) - University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association.

 

[Douger]

Rip-off Report | University Of Phoenix | Complaint Review: 324028

 

[Warrior102]

Rip-off Report | University Of Phoenix | Complaint Review: 324028

A couple of whiners "complaining?"

Sure -

run with that

 

[Si modo]

I've been considering the option of doing an additional Bachelors degree and looking at the associated costs. I will need to study around my working life, so it will need to be online. I thought it might be interesting to do a comparison of what the cost would be in the US against what it would cost in the UK.

For the purpose of the comparison (although this isn't exactly what I'm planning to study), I assumed no existing credits and selected degrees in broadly similar fields at arguably the 2 best known distance learning institutions from each country.

BSc in Management from the University of Phoenix
BA in Business Studies from the Open University

There are slight differences between the two, but we all know that 10 years from now all the qualification does is provide the hygiene factor of a couple of letters after your name, right?

The cost for the Open University (using and exchange rate of £1 = $1.50) is well under $10,000.

The cost at the University of Phoenix is $72, 201.

WHAT A FUCKING RIP OFF.

I recommend not doing an additional undergrad degree. Go for a masters. Your undergrad doesn't have to be in the same discipline as your masters area of study.

Undergrad degrees, unfortunately, are not what they used to be.

 

[aplcr0331]

And neither of them are nationally accredited! Basically they are 'trade colleges'.

Several years ago, unaccredited colleges made their own accreditation standards, which go largely unrecognized by any nationally accredited college, and usually any savvy employer.

Sorry I don't have a link for you, but the accreditation system is easy to learn about. Pay attention to the accreditation letters and what they mean.

~~I think this is the only time I have ever used the word accreditation so many times in such a short response!

YOU should probably read up on accreditation again. Nationally accredited colleges are actually inferior to Regionally Accredited colleges. NA is generally a term for accreditation by DETC (Distance Education Training Council). NA = Accredited, but not as good as RA. RA = Accredited by one of several accrediting bodies in the U.S.

U of P while certainly a money grabbing scheme if there ever was one, is actually Regionally Accredited. Just like Harvard, Brown, UNC, WSU, etc, etc.

There are so many colleges out there that offer distance learning and online degrees that anyone going to one of the for profit online only schools needs to do more research and find a more reputable and in 9 out of 10 cases a less expensive degree.

 

[tigerbob]

I've been considering the option of doing an additional Bachelors degree and looking at the associated costs. I will need to study around my working life, so it will need to be online. I thought it might be interesting to do a comparison of what the cost would be in the US against what it would cost in the UK.

For the purpose of the comparison (although this isn't exactly what I'm planning to study), I assumed no existing credits and selected degrees in broadly similar fields at arguably the 2 best known distance learning institutions from each country.

BSc in Management from the University of Phoenix
BA in Business Studies from the Open University

There are slight differences between the two, but we all know that 10 years from now all the qualification does is provide the hygiene factor of a couple of letters after your name, right?

The cost for the Open University (using and exchange rate of £1 = $1.50) is well under $10,000.

The cost at the University of Phoenix is $72, 201.

WHAT A FUCKING RIP OFF.

I recommend not doing an additional undergrad degree. Go for a masters. Your undergrad doesn't have to be in the same discipline as your masters area of study.

Undergrad degrees, unfortunately, are not what they used to be.

Very true. You get to pay $70k or much more for a piece of paper that 10 years from now allows you to do little more than check a box.

I still struggle with the fact that a huge number of employers will happily consider a resume from somebody with 10 years experience and a degree, but if someone has 30 years of great experience and awesome references but no degree they tend to throw it straight in the trash. I've seen people do it, and it's because they're too lazy to actually put the effort into finding the right person.

I remember a few years ago receiving a resume direct from somebody who had already applied via an online channel. When I read it, I thought they were worth bringing in for an interview but then found that HR hadn't even passed the copy they had received on to me because the 'degree' box wasn't checked. When I complained that we were potentially missing out on qualified talent they looked completely blank. So sloppy, and we actually ended up hiring the guy they'd thrown away at a salary of $140,000. He was great too.

I feel sorry for anyone doing a bachelors now. It's a $100k safety net and the universities are quite happy for it to become even more so. The less a bachelors matters, the more a masters will, and it's all money for them. License to steal.

 

[Si modo]

I've been considering the option of doing an additional Bachelors degree and looking at the associated costs. I will need to study around my working life, so it will need to be online. I thought it might be interesting to do a comparison of what the cost would be in the US against what it would cost in the UK.

For the purpose of the comparison (although this isn't exactly what I'm planning to study), I assumed no existing credits and selected degrees in broadly similar fields at arguably the 2 best known distance learning institutions from each country.

BSc in Management from the University of Phoenix
BA in Business Studies from the Open University

There are slight differences between the two, but we all know that 10 years from now all the qualification does is provide the hygiene factor of a couple of letters after your name, right?

The cost for the Open University (using and exchange rate of £1 = $1.50) is well under $10,000.

The cost at the University of Phoenix is $72, 201.

WHAT A FUCKING RIP OFF.

I recommend not doing an additional undergrad degree. Go for a masters. Your undergrad doesn't have to be in the same discipline as your masters area of study.

Undergrad degrees, unfortunately, are not what they used to be.

Very true. You get to pay $70k or much more for a piece of paper that 10 years from now allows you to do little more than check a box.

I still struggle with the fact that a huge number of employers will happily consider a resume from somebody with 10 years experience and a degree, but if someone has 30 years of great experience and awesome references but no degree they tend to throw it straight in the trash. I've seen people do it, and it's because they're too lazy to actually put the effort into finding the right person.

I remember a few years ago receiving a resume direct from somebody who had already applied via an online channel. When I read it, I thought they were worth bringing in for an interview but then found that HR hadn't even passed the copy they had received on to me because the 'degree' box wasn't checked. When I complained that we were potentially missing out on qualified talent they looked completely blank. So sloppy, and we actually ended up hiring the guy they'd thrown away at a salary of $140,000. He was great too.

I feel sorry for anyone doing a bachelors now. It's a $100k safety net and the universities are quite happy for it to become even more so. The less a bachelors matters, the more a masters will, and it's all money for them. License to steal.

Often, the first cut is decided by automated software. Not enough of those pre-decided keywords in the text of their CV/resume? Cut, even if a more exact term is used.

HR has gotten way too lazy.

 

[Warrior102]

U of P is not a money-grabbinig scheme, contrary to what a few kooks have posted on the Internet. It's an exceptional, accredited university. There are currently 420,000+ enrollments - and it has graduated over 580,000 people. While serving overseas - me, for example - attending grad school in Japan would have been impossible. U of P was the only option at the time. And they serve many, many military personnel. Did it all in classrooms on base and via the internet at U of P and finished up at AU once I got back to DC. It worked out very well. All on staff exremely professional and helpful. I highly recommend U of P contrary to any BS you read on the Internets.

 

[Ravi]

U of P is where I got my MA, however, the Navy paid for it. Got it while on active duty. 72K is actually not bad - I am paying roughly 45K/year for my son's tuition now at a private college in Va. Actually - we're deferring it- he can pay when he graduates ...

$72,000 at taxpayers expense?

Sounds like a program that could be cut.

 

[aplcr0331]

U of P is not a money-grabbinig scheme, contrary to what a few kooks have posted on the Internet. It's an exceptional, accredited university. There are currently 420,000+ enrollments - and it has graduated over 580,000 people. While serving overseas - me, for example - attending grad school in Japan would have been impossible. U of P was the only option at the time. And they serve many, many military personnel. Did it all in classrooms on base and via the internet at U of P and finished up at AU once I got back to DC. It worked out very well. All on staff exremely professional and helpful. I highly recommend U of P contrary to any BS you read on the Internets.

I agree with you that U of P is certainly a school that a person can choose, and it will get the job done. There are some absolute fucktards on this board and out in the world with so little knowledge when it comes to colleges and their accrediation that it's almost comical.

Tha being said....there are many many better options out there for your online choice of schools. Better reputations, cheaper, B&M traditional campuses, accept same transfer credits as most online schools, etc.

Choose a school wisely, do your research and most people can be happy with the credential they have.

I'm glad your U of P degree worked out for you. I went to an all online school and regret it. Even though its an RA degree and the school has a decent reputation...I don't like to have to explain my school to idiots.

It got me a promotion at work, I make pretty decent money so not all is lost. Knowing what I know NOW? I would definitely go to a different school.

 

[aplcr0331]

U of P is where I got my MA, however, the Navy paid for it. Got it while on active duty. 72K is actually not bad - I am paying roughly 45K/year for my son's tuition now at a private college in Va. Actually - we're deferring it- he can pay when he graduates ...

$72,000 at taxpayers expense?

Sounds like a program that could be cut.

I guarantee you that taxpayers do not pay that much for U of P degrees. They discount their tuition (or at least they used to) to a cap of $250 per credit hour for military. Plus most military people will transfer in some credits as a result of military training thus paying for less actual courses.

*I just checked U of P's website. Military tuition is still $250 per credit for a BA degree. So if a military person comes in with 0 college credits and gets a BA degree from the U of P, it costs taxpayers $30,000 for the entire degree (plus more maybe for some course fees) the military member has to pay for their own books. Certainly not the cheapest out there, but it's a far cry from $72,000.

 

[Warrior102]

U of P is where I got my MA, however, the Navy paid for it. Got it while on active duty. 72K is actually not bad - I am paying roughly 45K/year for my son's tuition now at a private college in Va. Actually - we're deferring it- he can pay when he graduates ...

$72,000 at taxpayers expense?

Sounds like a program that could be cut.

You're suggesting cutting the GI Bill?

That wouldn't be good.

 

[Warrior102]

U of P is where I got my MA, however, the Navy paid for it. Got it while on active duty. 72K is actually not bad - I am paying roughly 45K/year for my son's tuition now at a private college in Va. Actually - we're deferring it- he can pay when he graduates ...

$72,000 at taxpayers expense?

Sounds like a program that could be cut.

I guarantee you that taxpayers do not pay that much for U of P degrees. They discount their tuition (or at least they used to) to a cap of $250 per credit hour for military. Plus most military people will transfer in some credits as a result of military training thus paying for less actual courses.

It was a long time ago, but that sounds about right regarding the payments. And yep - military experience - an E-7 in the door with a high school diploma, based on experience and a CLEP exam or two can have an associates degree almost immediately - in some cases an undergrad.

 

[tigerbob]

U of P is not a money-grabbinig scheme, contrary to what a few kooks have posted on the Internet. It's an exceptional, accredited university. There are currently 420,000+ enrollments - and it has graduated over 580,000 people. While serving overseas - me, for example - attending grad school in Japan would have been impossible. U of P was the only option at the time. And they serve many, many military personnel. Did it all in classrooms on base and via the internet at U of P and finished up at AU once I got back to DC. It worked out very well. All on staff exremely professional and helpful. I highly recommend U of P contrary to any BS you read on the Internets.

Please don't take my comments as being aimed at one university or another - they weren't intended that way. My issue is with the way the structure of higher education is developing in this (and other) countries, the fact that corporations are blindly following this lead and that those who wish to pursue a degree are left to carry the cost burden with increasingly little chance of the degree being worth what they paid to get it.

 

[aplcr0331]

quote]

Please don't take my comments as being aimed at one university or another - they weren't intended that way. My issue is with the way the structure of higher education is developing in this (and other) countries, the fact that corporations are blindly following this lead and that those who wish to pursue a degree are left to carry the cost burden with increasingly little chance of the degree being worth what they paid to get it.

100% Agreed.

Tuition costs have risen faster than just about any thing else since the 70's (healthcare probably beats it out).

 

[Ravi]

U of P is where I got my MA, however, the Navy paid for it. Got it while on active duty. 72K is actually not bad - I am paying roughly 45K/year for my son's tuition now at a private college in Va. Actually - we're deferring it- he can pay when he graduates ...

$72,000 at taxpayers expense?

Sounds like a program that could be cut.

I guarantee you that taxpayers do not pay that much for U of P degrees. They discount their tuition (or at least they used to) to a cap of $250 per credit hour for military. Plus most military people will transfer in some credits as a result of military training thus paying for less actual courses.

*I just checked U of P's website. Military tuition is still $250 per credit for a BA degree. So if a military person comes in with 0 college credits and gets a BA degree from the U of P, it costs taxpayers $30,000 for the entire degree (plus more maybe for some course fees) the military member has to pay for their own books. Certainly not the cheapest out there, but it's a far cry from $72,000.

That sounds better. What is it for a MA?

 

[Warrior102]

U of P is not a money-grabbinig scheme, contrary to what a few kooks have posted on the Internet. It's an exceptional, accredited university. There are currently 420,000+ enrollments - and it has graduated over 580,000 people. While serving overseas - me, for example - attending grad school in Japan would have been impossible. U of P was the only option at the time. And they serve many, many military personnel. Did it all in classrooms on base and via the internet at U of P and finished up at AU once I got back to DC. It worked out very well. All on staff exremely professional and helpful. I highly recommend U of P contrary to any BS you read on the Internets.

Please don't take my comments as being aimed at one university or another - they weren't intended that way. My issue is with the way the structure of higher education is developing in this (and other) countries, the fact that corporations are blindly following this lead and that those who wish to pursue a degree are left to carry the cost burden with increasingly little chance of the degree being worth what they paid to get it.

Trust me - when I hire someone, where they got their degree is not important. What they're capable of doing is, as their desire to work hard and be honest/trusted.