If the University of Phoenix is so bad, then why do so many people attend there?

Question

I've read tons of bad reviews about University of Phoenix and that it has a really bad reputation. But if it's so bad then why do like 400,000 people attend there?

I'm not defending UOP or anything but I'm really curious.

Answer 1

"It's not that it's a "bad" school. It is often looked down upon due to it's for-profit nature and lack of research"



No. It's truly, objectively bad. This assessment comes from detailed examination of what students learn in a UoPhoenix classroom compared to what they would learn in a "real" course of the same title in a real school. UoPhoenix students graduate with a level of knowledge far below that of "real" graduates.



Incidentally, UoPhoenix are often the last to know — they often actually sincerely believe they're getting a good degree. The most pathetic are UofPhoenix doctorate students who don't seem to realize their UoPhoenix doctorate is of no value and they will be laughed at their entire careers.



Why UoPhoenix is successful is due to several factors. The main one is the ease of getting guaranteed loans. This is so crucial for for-profit schools and their marketing plan that the federal government has had to limit federal funding to 90% of school's revenue. Also, UoPhoenix offers the possibility of an accredited bachelor's degree to students not bright enough for regular college.



There's plenty of blame to go around for UoPhoenix' success: Students should be more discerning about the actual value of the school's degree. Many employers should not be so quick to approve a school merely because it is accredited. Accrediting agencies should have higher standards. Government is at fault for not blowing the whistle on the rise of substandard for-profit universities. News media should be doing a lot more investigation — though recent articles in NYT, Barron's, NPR have started to shed some light on a very dark corner of USA tertiary education.

Answer 2

It's not that it's a "bad" school. It is often looked down upon due to it's for-profit nature and lack of research, which probably gives the "bad" vibe from those that don't like it. A lot of people also have issues with online degree programs. The research crowd does have legitimate complaints that the University of Phoenix teaches students what we already know without doing anything to contribute to the advancement of knowledge (research). I'd say the massive number of students "attending" Phoenix are due to it's convenience. They offer career centered degree programs on your own schedule, which is a great benefit to working adults. My biggest gripe with Phoenix is their high cost (often much higher than state flagship schools or even some private schools) and resulting high levels of student debt and loan defaults. I also think that the majority of people would probably be better off financially, etc. if they looked into the online options their local public non-profit universities had instead of jumping at the school spending millions on TV ads and billboards.

Answer 3

First of all, it's super expensive. If you're just planning on getting a AA in Psychology, many community colleges offer that at probably 1/4 of what you're paying. Univ of Phoenix also has a reputation for not being able to find jobs for graduates so that's another red flag. Do you plan on eventually getting a BA or Masters in Psychology? If so, Univ of Phonenix is not a good way to go.

Answer 4

School, despite opinions to the contrary, is a place or situation wherein those who desire to learn are afforded the opportunity to do so.

The question isn't "what can a school teach me?", it's "what can I learn there?"

My wife is earning a doctoral degree at UoP and she is decidedly NOT "buying a diploma."

She works very, very hard to write in the ASA style and complete each assignment to the best of her ability.

UoP instructors give no quarter, and those who fail to tow the line, fail.

We have witnessed many learners drop out because the curriculum is simply too difficult.



As to the person who intimated that schools which make a profit are somehow less scholarly than the "free" public universities might do well to study some economics, and not just Keynesian, but the monetarist (or Austrian) school as well, i.e., Friedrich August von Hayek.

Answer 5

they have a good marketing division