Ashford University

My experience with Ashford was horrendous. After 3 courses they told me I should have not been accepted because I did my undergrad in Puerto Rico. Even though Puerto Rico is a USA territory ,I have a doctorate and been living in the USA for 20 years . They felt I needed to take an English language test, again this happened 4 months after I was accepted and completed 3 courses. I do not want anything to do with them. Staff is rude , university is sub par. Do not waste your effort or money here.

This is my second graduate level degree with Ashford University. I graduated with my MAOM in 2013 and returned for my MBA. The MBA program was challenging and at often times really hard. Online programs have this stigma that they are somehow easier. Technology has made it easier to ACCESS learning opportunities. The cirrculium is just as challenging as a traditional in- classroom learning institution. You must be self motivated and be prepared to show off and improve your writing skills. Yes there are exams and tests, and deadlines. The online library is an outstanding resource at your fingertips 24/7. I believe they've won awards for the vast and in-depth availability of periodicals and scholarly journals. The instructors are incredible. Yes, I've had a couple duds, but I've also had the opportunity to learn from professors who graduated from top schools such as Stanford or Cornell and former CEOs and CIOs of top firms. The virtual classroom experience is incredible and focused on learning. All I see is a name when interacting with other students in the discussion boards. This is important because in an in-classroom environment we, as humans, tend to judge others, and then filter our interpretation of their discussion based on frivolous attributes such as their posture, outward appearance or voice. In an online environment those factors are removed and are not influincing how I'm perceiving their discussion or response. Instead I'm focusing on what they have written in accordance with the topic. Lastly - distance learning is not for everyone, but if you want the flexibility to work full time and/or raise a family and earn a degree then consider AU. It will not be "easy" the programs are accelerated. Be prepared to dedicate several hours a week to your studies and assignments. It will be worth it. It will go fast and it will help you advance as a person and in your career. Yes I've studied theories but each degree program is designed to help you understand how to turn theory into practice. I can say with full certainty that earning my degrees with AU have helped me excel in my career and helped me showcase my skills and earn promotions and salary increases. You get out of it what you put into it. If you think 6-10 hours a week sounds like a lot ask yourself how much time you spend on social media, playing games on your phone and watching TV. Sacrifice that for a couple years and make the time you spend in front of a "screen" worth it. Good luck and congratulations in advance for choosing to better yourself!

I really like this school, but I do not like the way they handle student's financial aid & disbursements. It seems like every time I have a stipend due, I go through these same issues. They want to ensure we turn our work in on time and ensure we have no outstanding financial holds, yet you take your time with issuing refunds when they are due. My thing is, if I don't owe you any money then why should it take so long to release the excess funds?? Then with the new company they use, there is no consistency as to when they decide to process & release your stipend. I am upset because it seems like I am "begging" them to release money that is rightfully mine, and it seems like they try to patronize me by sending me the same email about 7-14 days... They never give a straight answer. They keep sending the same generated email. And when I call I get the runaround.

This school is definitely operating to make a profit. They make the most of student loan money. I do not have a problem with that as long as in turn I receive the education I agreed upon. I have received my B.A. and decided to continue on with my MBA. I enjoyed the classes, felt like I learned alot and the program worked well with my schedule since I work full time. As I approached my graduation, with 3 classes left, they changed the plan that they had laid out for me from the beginning and stated I needed to take an additional class to be able to graduate. This caused a major hardship for me for several reasons. 1.) I was up for a promotion based on the graduation date they had given me - I will now not be eligible. 2.) My student loans were based upon the number of credits and timeframe the school planned out for me. 3.) My graduation will be pushed back 3 months which is causing a financial hardship for me and my family. They will not discuss this with me and they led me to believe I was graduating 1/8/13. To this day, my account still states the original schedule and 36 credits to graduate, but my advisor says I must take 39 and cannot graduate without it.

Ashford University is a great school! I've been at this institution for three years and had no problems with the teachers, students and staff. I would recommend this school for those that are serious and ready for committment in their academics. I already obtain my Bachelors degree in Organizational management and now i'm currently working on my MBA!

I agree that communication can be bad between the financial aid department and the student, however it doesn't really matter if you are military or getting your schooling paid for from your employment. If you need money to live on or pay bills then it might not be the place for you. The teachers are great, they are knowledgeable and don't give away free grades. I agree that the discussion board can be kinda a joke, however the main assignments are not. I think the main assignments are your real meat and potatoes anyway. I attended this school for my BA and plan on completing my MBA from them. They give military free books, which are expensive normally. And also give students free grants for a percentage of the tuition. I would strongly recommend this school to military members. It is very affordable and military members with the post 9/11 GI Bill won't have to pay any money out of pocket for the degree.

I am a current graduate student at Ashford (Online studies) and I must say it has been a challenge. For the most part, my instructors are very educated and trained in the courses they teach. There have been some instructors who have pushed my level of learning to a higher degree of expectation. It is difficult for me to believe that some state they did not have to work hard to earn their degree. I consider myself to be a business professional and an excellent reader and writer and I had to study to earn my grades.The work was not easy. If you enroll at Ashford thinking it will be a breeze, you will be unpleasantly surprised. It is a good school but expect to be challenged and to work for your grades!

If you are thinking about getting a Project Management M.B.A. from Ashford University then STOP NOW! and go somewhere else. Ashford University FAILS to review the Project Management Body of Knowledge, which is REQUIRED for both the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) AND the Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications. Ashford's Project Management Specialization is not really an M.B.A. either since they do not discuss business plans. Be warned, don't waste your time or money with Ashford University.

I have been with Ashford since 2007, I have attained my AS and my BA. I have read all reviews and have to say that Ashford is not a diploma mill, when I slacked off in class my grades suffered and when I worked hard, they were great. My employer (Top employer in its industry), recognizes my degree and has seen the knowledge I have attained through Ashford University. Some people are quick to give bad reviews when they went through a bad experience and sometimes exaggerate the situation, so try and look at the majority of ratings not just the few whom give bad reviews. No school is perfect and they are accredited or financial aid and the military will not pay for the students education.

I am a recent graduate of the MBA program at Ashford. Some courses were rigorous and others came a little easier.. for me because I had experience. I recommend the MBA from Ashford if you are a working professional who is looking to get ahead in your career and need to complete an MBA program. The coursework may come easy to those with experience in the field. It is not an easy A for those without experience. I would not recommend the program for someone without experience or undergrad coursework in business administration. This is a program that requires self-discipline and the work is done on your own. There are no team assignments for one to ride on someone else's coattails. Some of the students in my classes were less than stellar with their postings. I do not believe they are getting A's. In fact, when I attended my graduation ceremony, many students discussed GPA's and I was actually shocked at how few had a 4.0. Most had between 3.0 and 3.2. I never had any problems with contacting someone at Ashford and getting a timely response. They are always quite willing to help out the students and answer any questions. I have had some really great instructors for about 70% of my courses. I believe they are good because they continue to work in the field. This contributes to current and relevant knowledge. Most have been quite active in the discussion boards and provide excellent feedback. If you cannot write - DO NOT enter this or any other online program. If English is not your first language, you may also experience difficulty. Everything is graded based on your ability to write, therefore, communicate your ideas effectively. Good luck in the program you choose.

If you want an easy degree, this is the place to get it. I completed my MBA at Ashford University with a 4.0. I barely had to work to get A's in all of my classes. If you just turn in your work, you're pretty much guaranteed an A. There were students that copied my discussions word for word without any repercussions. I informed the teacher of these students, but the teacher didn't do anything about it. When the University says that Plagiarism will give you an automatic F, they lie. It irritated me that people could just copy my work and receive the same grade as I did. Some teachers were better than others. Some teachers actually responded to questions and others never responded when you sent them an e-mail. I wouldn't say that Ashford gives you a quality education, but if you just want the title of a Master's degree to earn more money at work, then Ashford is an easy place to get it.

I am a proud, recent MBA graduate of Ashford University. I had an instructor or two that I felt could have exerted more effort and things did not always go perfect. The other eleven or twelve instructors were outstanding. I put an effort into my reading, my discussion answers, and my papers that gave me maximum value for my future. The program will develop your writing skills to the point you feel you could write a corporation’s policies and procedures handbook. The program’s design allows a student to become comfortable with the online environment and progressively becomes more challenging. I know the accounting, economics, finance, and operations management classes are thought-provoking and sometimes perplexing. In life there are many kinds of people, including solution finders and complainers. I am a solution finder. I had questions pertaining to financial aid and questions about taking two classes at once. It may have taken a few days to get the answers or work out the details, but because I did not wait until the last minute and I was patient, the very capable administration at Ashford University provided the needed outcome. I am now enrolled in a PhD program at Ashford’s sister school the University of the Rockies.

Classes are interesting and practical. Most instructors display knowledge and participate with interactive discussions. Reading some of my fellow students discussion boards, I question how they have made it into an MBA program. If you want to learn...you can learn in any program as long as the materials and instructions are provided to you...Ashford University does provide a good avenue to learn. For a "for profit" institution, Ashford does a good job.

I am working on my MBA. Classes are very challanging especially accounting, finance, and economics. I am learning real life needed educational experience in order to do the job. I will recommend this school only and only to those students who actually want to learn because in many traditional schools, degrees are easy to obtain since most students are doing a group homework and cheat all the time. Trust me on this. I graduated from traditional school and have seen student doing it but me. That's is why I have chosen Ashford. Live to learn and not learn to live.

If you can go to a traditional campus and take 5 classes a semester go to a traditional campus. If you work full time or have a family, and can't take AT LEAST 5 classes go to Ashford otherwise it's going to take 5-12 years to get a degree. They offer an accredited degree for a fraction of the cost of their competitors. Every school makes money off of you and your financial aid. Tuition costs pay for faculty and staff at ay university, plain and simple whether it's a community college, online program, or ivy leage campus. Most of the people on here who complain about Financial Aid are the students who are only signing up for a school and using Financial Aid to try and pay some bills. Unfortunately, if you don't go to school, post attendance, or do your work you get dropped and have to pay for the class that you failed. Long story short, don't sign up for school ANYWHERE unless you're actually committed to finishing. If you can't go to a traditional campus go to Ashford. If you can't go to ashford don't go because if you can't succeed there, you shouldn't be going to school. PERIOD.

I received my MBA from Ashford in 2009. I have attended brick and mortar schools and am currently obtaining a master's degree from another college in another field. The classes are as challenging as you want to make them. As in any college program, you get what you put into it. If you are willing to work hard and learn without a lot of double checking from the school, you have found a good fit. As a college student, I feel that you are responsible for yourself. If you don't learn - it is your fault.

I started Ashford in 2009 after I withdrew from an MBA program at another online university that did not give me the support I needed. What I found at Ashford was that the courses are divided into six weeks, and there is a certain value for each week's work, which keeps you working, and aware of deadlines, which is of real value in today's business world. Each course culminates, typically, with an assignment that pulls in all the learning of that course and ascertains that the student really does understand what the course has taught them. The coursework was challenging, and even though the school has no official thesis requirements, as my last assignment for my Information Systems specialization, I had to write a strategic plan for an IT project. As the assignment was laid out, it ended up being a total of over 50 pages at completion, but not only incorporated my IT courses, but actually finance, operations, marketing, and legal aspects as well. It was a great review, and underscored the learning I achieved in my program as a whole. I am now done with this program, and can call myself an MBA, and am proud to recommend Ashford's MBA program to others. There was only one problem I ever had with Ashford, and that is that their financial aid representatives are not very good at communicating with students, and at one point my financial aid did get fouled up and was late. Knowing that this might be the case, when I did not get a response from my Financial Aid rep, I contacted the main office and got the information I needed. It all worked out. I got all my loans and was able to complete my program. All in all, I would say the school was worth my time and money, and will make a positive difference in my employability in the future.

I have been with Ashford for a year now completing my BA in ECE I will be done this november ( 2010) and though I have not taken as many classes as someone that started their BA at Ashford I feel like I can write an honest review. I haven't had any issues with financial support, I have never been asked for money or hassled about it. I receive notices to update loan information when need be. Advisors have been a hit or miss. I have had two for classes and they have both been great keeping in contact with me via phone and email. Financial advisor has been great as well via email. Books I usually find online cheaper. Many Ashford students use ebay to sell books so I found them at decent prices. Professors are a hit or miss as well. I had some great ones that really interacted with the class and some that seemed to just let everyone receive and A. But I got that at the other colleges I went to (non online). It really is up to you what information sinks in and what doesn't. There is a lot in squashed into 5 weeks but it is well worth it if you are trying to get done quicker.

I have been reading a lot of the negative reviews about both the Undergrad and the graduate level classes at Ashford and before I expand on my point I must say you get out what you put into your coursework. When I enrolled in April of 2007 for my undergrad degree it had been 18 years since I went to school. Everything had changed for me. It took some getting used to but the advisor team is set up great. The enrollment advisor gets you in the door the academic advisor walks you through and the financial aid advisor answers questions. If you need to talk to an advisor all the time you do not need to be enrolled online. Save yourself the pain and enroll in a brick and mortar school so someone can hold your hand. I was into my 3rd class before my financial aid kicked in but I never got a call saying I was in default or an email. As to the cost of books yes, they are high but if you use a bit of common sense then you would know that there are dozens of ways to get textbooks online. If you are working and going to school waiting a refund check let me be the first to say you are silly. After earning my BA in 2009 and taking six months off then enrolling in Grad school I found that the classes were just as challenging. Having to write six papers per class plus discussion board posts may sound easy but if you do not digest the material you will not get it. As I said earlier you get out what you put in. When I graduate in March of 2011 it will not be because the GPA I have was handed to me or some touchy feely moment on the phone with an advisor it will be because of my hard work. If I have any complaint about my time with Ashford it is the lack of consistency about the APA writing format. My current instructor is tougher on APA than the content of the class which bothers me in that I am not taking a class on the finer points of APA but a graduate business level class. Will advisors call you a lot? Only if YOU don't hold up your end of the bargain. Is financial aid slow? Yes but you are in school to take classes not get refund checks. Are the classes challenging? Yes and no, but I can tell anyone enrolling at Ashford if you screw up in week one you will have to be perfect to get better than a C in the class. In talking to students enrolled in brick and mortar colleges they are surprised at the amount of work I have to put in such a short period of time. If Ashford was not on the up and up I can guarantee they would not have a partnership with the US Military or receive the accreditation awards they have received. More importantly, if Ashford was not on the up and up there is no way I could take the skills I have acquired in the classroom and apply them to my business with measurable results.

If you are thinking of doing the MBA program at Ashford because 1)requires no GMAT 2)you think it's cheap, think again! I highly recommend that you look into other online programs, and one of my favorites is the Florida International Online-MBA program, not only will you be at a better school but it is AACSB! Get that AACSB with no GMAT required as long as you have work experience. So if your already enrolled in the MBA program at Ashford, here's what you should do, STOP now! The program here is a joke, I was getting A's without owning the textbooks! I am so glad I transferred out! Not only have I enrolled myself in a better MBA program but I am truly learning something!

This school is a JOKE! I was attending Ashford's online program, and when I decided that it wasn't for me, they made it impossible for me to withdraw. My academic counselors did not answer their phone, return phone calls or e-mails. They signed me up for another class, and I just did not log into the class at all. When I did finally hear back from them, they were demanding money for the class that I never took. I also had a student loan (and Pell Grant) and they had all the rights to take more money from the loan, yet they were still coming after me for over $1,000. And now that I am ready to go back to school, they will not release my transcripts because they are still claiming this non-legit charge. Basically, Ashford has screwed me over because without my transcripts, I cannot attend school anywhere! THANK YOU ASHFORD!!!!

My undergraduate degree was from Penn State and in the traditional classroom setting. I was surprised by how much more work an online degree commands. I believe the reason is due to the limited interaction I had with the other students and the professors. I prefer face-to-face contact and in class room instruction but with the online degree I had to master the subject pretty much on my own. It is not impossible but it requires a lot of reading and seeking out alternate sources of information to understand the concepts being presented. The price of tuition is far less than a lot of instructions and I would not have been able to attempt or graduate with a MBA if it wasn’t for Ashford fair pricing.

I am currently enrolled in the MBA program. I have had a wonderful experience so far with the institution. The enrollment counselor has been wonderful, from applying to the support she provided me during my first online class. I began at Ashford in May of 2010. I feel that the education and value are well worth looking into. I have referred two of my friends to Ashford as well, and they too have had nothing but a positive experience. Before you listen to these negative posts, you should research the school yourself. For every 1 negative posting there are hundreds of satisfied students.

Lets see I was currently in Ashfords Masters program. The school is online and I yet to see the value of such a degree in the business world. The classes are easy and in fact you can pretty much write two sentences in the discussion and receive an A the professors are simply not that they are facilitators as anyone can download the course guide on their homepage and complete the entire class before it begins. High school students could complete this degree. I understand you get what you make of it but truly this school needs more work. Financial Aid is another issue and trying to get a hold of someone is next to impossible, yes they are there when you first sign up but once you complete that first class its almost like the are non existent. For those of you you want numbers try asking on of the enrollment couselors the average number of people that graduate from Ashford and with that the starting salary of Ashford graduates simply put they wont know!

I am in my sixth class for My MBA in Human Resources. Never thought I would do it online but it is great. Find it challenging and it is really letting me express myself. Yes the response time to emails is somtimes a day or two but they are also teaching other classes so give them a break

First I must say that I as well as most of the adult learners who do online courses, do them because of the flexibility of time management. Being in the military and having completed five deployments it is not easy to take traditional college classes when you are deployed or doing work up training when you are not. Ashford University has not dissappointed me in any way. Their texts are up to date and the instructors I have had were very knowledeable and working professions in the Business field. I have taken 13 courses with Ashford and I feel confident I have learned just as much as a traditional college student. I have conversed with several business graduates and they were impressed with my knowledge. College in what you put into it. If you do your assigned readings as well as further research on the your subject you would be surprised at the level of discussion you initiate in the discussion forums.

What I think is...I am getting back exactly what I put in. Overall it has been a great experience. I am finishing my ninth course and I have zero regrets up to this point. I did my undergrad at a "real" school and I do not see any real difference in the quality of education. In fact, the online experience has proven to be a little more difficult due to that fact that I don't have someone holding my hand the whole way through. Some of the people that provided negative feedback on their reviews are the same people that complain about everything else in their lives. Ashford is not Harvard!!! Don't expect to be the CEO of Goldman when you get your degree. The course work is the same as any other business school. Read the book and apply the principles. If you need an instructor to hold your hand and work you through everything, go to a school with classes. The online environment is not for everyone. It takes a little more discipline and focus to do the work and get through things with minimal assistance. It is up to you the student to do the work and learn. By the way, every school in the US is in business to make money. The fact that Ashford is owned by a private company is irrelevant. So if you want to learn, you will. If you want to bitch and complain about the school, you will have a miserable experience. Something that complainers tend to deal with quite frequently anyway.

I am a current MBA student at Ashford, and will say that it is not the best, but it is an ok option for Military Service members, mostly National Guard that are working civilian jobs. For military you get at a minimum of FREE BOOKS, Half your Tuition fee covered, and your GI Bill to help you out. I had my doubts about online school, but I was surprised to see that ASHFORD is a real location in Iowa, it is an accreited university with a lot of positive feedback, and is not a fraud degree. It maynot have the pull that an MBA from a big known school has, but an MBA is not really a necessity anymore that people think, its a label, and I want to be able to say that I have an MBA, plus it helps to have a masters in the military for promotions. People are negative because they fail, but if you give at least an effort you will pass your classes. The instructors will answer questions and will give you feedback and teh advisors are always in touch when needed. I had a little fiasco when I first got in and was told I could use Pell Grants, (which you can not in the Masters Program) but I switched over to my Post 9/11 GI Bill and tuition worked out well with the TA from the Guard.

I received my B.S. Degree from a different school. Ashford has been great for the last 8 month towards getting my M.B.A. Their online format, support, and Teachers are great.

Ashford University's MBA program has provided me with an excellent education and experience. I would highly recommend it to any professional who is looking pursue an MBA or any advance degree that they offer. All of my professors are PhD’s who have excellent educational backgrounds.

It's true. I could probably learn as much about business a daily dose of Facebook. The Blackboard system works okay, but whew! the caliber of students-as well as instructors became a source of resentment over the course of the 2 years it took me to complete this program. I believe the instructors are told to hand out A grades liberally. I never received anything less than an A. Instructors often posted some impressive resumes, but were not involved with the class/Blackboard posts; except for a bunch of one-liners. I have a complete library of business texts now: haven't sold them yet...I could just as easily reread these texts and complete the exercises at the end of each Chapter and learn more than I did through the program. How could I not mention the lack of credible academic rigor? I recommend that one might better go to a REAL school. I am registered for my second Master's Degree now; at a school with real people and real interaction.

If you are planning on trying to get a good education or job advancement, do not go to Ashford. This school is a sales company and not a real school. The MBA program is not recognized as an accreditited business school. Most real business schools require some sort of entrance exam, especially the required GMAT for all legit business schools. Ask any employer if they have ever hired an Ashford graduate. They will all tell you no. This school is recognized as a joke all across San Diego County and nobody will hire an Ashford Graduate here. I even asked an advisor at Ashford what companies have been hiring their graduates and she said she could not tell me. The classes are even a bigger joke than the school itself. Any human with a writing level of fourth grade can be a grad student here. I could not believe the posts that people were posting in my classes. I seriously thought I was in a class with a bunch of third graders. People with real degrees from real schools laugh at Ashford students and their graduates.

I started the week of Thanksgiving 2008, probably not a good idea, was ill for about half of the class. The instructor never answered my emails requesting information about my progress (ie. Whether I should submit missed work, drop). I ended up getting an F, after my advisor told me to move on to the next class and I did not turn in the final paper (you cannot get an F). I obtained an 88 on the retake (for another $1500 charge) , plus A’s & B’s on subsequent classes. I prefer to get my books now from campusbookrentals.com to help defray out of pocket costs. I have been given the run around on financial aid. My most recent disbursement arrived on 7/7. To date, five emails to three different people over the last month have remained unanswered regarding when I can expect my $4000-5000 stipend. By the time it comes my car will be repossessed or just voluntarily relinquished to the loan company. The only way I received my last stipend was to call the supervisor and threaten to drop out of the school and contact a lawyer. I have considered going to another school but figured there are negatives all over. I also thought that attending an online school that actually had a physical campus somewhere would be more beneficial than the just freestanding Internet schools. But, clearly I was wrong. Another thing you must realize too is that online schooling is still in its infancy. It really emerged with the dot.com boom. But no one has as large a market share as University of Phoenix and even they have bad reviews. You need to do your research on their finances, professors, and login requirements. Also, what the other students are doing has nothing to do with you. If they can't put together a full sentence then that’s their problem. Surely, you can find 2-3 other classmates to correspond on a discussion with. No one really knows what the perception is in the workplace about online degrees because there really are not enough studies. But, employers have to realize that when adults go to school online it decreases the amount of time they need off or away from work. No, you are not going to be able to compete with the likes of Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. The teachers are all different. One can be demanding like you are at an Ivy league school and another can obviously be just doing this for extra money in between his real full time job. It’s what you make of it. You can skimp on the assignments just to get an A or you can apply yourself so that you can have some real world experience to use. If it weren't for the financial aid problems and conflicting answers that I get from the office staff, then I would have been able to recommend this school with no reservations to others. The staff knows that I prefer they not contact me unless in writing because of my dissatisfaction with the advisement that I have received since 11/2008.

Why do people have to be so polar? The school is not perfect but it is not bad. Many of the problems people seem have deal with communication. I had no issues with enrollment, financial aid, or my academic advisor. My undergrad issues at brick and mortar school were a nightmare compared to this. I too felt a little pressured into enrolling. Every other online degree program I talked to used the same tactics. Get over it people, they are running a business. With that said I do feel that they are in the business of quick diploma turn around. It’s not a diploma factory! My undergrad program at a large Big Ten University made me feel more like a number as they processed me through the educational process. I have B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. The online environment was more challenging in the beginning than my undergrad program due to my poor writing skills. This is something I wanted desperately to improve. Some of the classes are boorishly easy while others are difficult. You learn as much as you want to learn. You can and do learn in this environment. There are people that feel they have to be in a classroom to learn. My best friend from college made it trough most of in Aerospace Engineering degree going to less than 10% of the classes. He was a strait a student. It just depends on how you learn. The reason I picked this program was that I did not wand to rely on others for group projects and it was completely online. I travel a lot and need this flexibility. I give this program a thumbs up for flexibility and ease of use. Most of the Professors seem genuinely interested in your educational goals. I’m not a huge fan of the online environment but made a concession.

I am so insulted by some of the negative reviews that I have read about Ashford. I am in my second class with Ashford and have found that I am learning a lot, the course work is challenging, and I still have my enrollment advisor calling to check and make sure that everything is going okay. Before I started with Ashford, I read a lot of reviews both positive and negative. The negative ones made me question whether I should start with them, but now I am so glad that I did. I realize now that a lot of the people who wrote negative reviews must have been too dumb to pass the classes or didn't know how to use a computer very well. Don't let those idiots sway you from getting ahead in the world by earning a degree. For those of you like me who have a full-time job, kids, and everything else going on, Ashford is a really good choice. The good thing about Ashford is that you can wait until everyone is asleep to work on your schoolwork; it works around your schedule to a degree. I haven't been to any of the other on-line schools but I know that Ashford is a really good one so I highly recommend it! Thanks. PS: A very good enrollment advisor is Trevor Atchley.

I am currently enrolled in Ashford University. My enrollment counselor was extremely involved with my first few classes, helping me to become acclimated to the University. Since then, my academic counselor keeps me up-to-date on everything I need to know. The classes are awesome. The discussion boards, for the most part, are challenging and stimulating. The program definitely ramps up after the first few classes, but it is definitely doable. I disagree with anyone who feels Ashford is a diploma mill. While I am maintaining a 4.0, it is very difficult. The information covered in the coursework has improved my understanding of management principles, which helped me to become a better manager. I would recommend Ashford University to anyone who is serious about getting an advanced degree, but doesn’t have time to attend a traditional university. The only caution I would give is that you need to have excellent writing skills or you will not do well.

I have had the worst experience with Ashford!!! PLEASE do your research on this fake diploma mill before giving them your money!!!! I have two degrees already and had simply enrolled for my MBA. I decided to withdrawal the first week of class because of such miscommunication with Ashford! ONCE THEY GET YOUR MONEY THEY ARE DONE WITH YOU!!! Sure they are very proactive BEFORE they get your money but once you enroll and sign the papers---don't let the door hit you on the way out. They won't return phone calls, answer e-mails or anything! Horrible horrible horrible. My advisor was Ryan Castro, enrollment advisor Bridget. Don't recommend these people at all!!!!!! Go elsewhere--to a program that requires the GMAT or GRE--for a good education. This diploma mill hopefully will soon be shut down. Another thing, EVERYONE you speak with at Ashford tells you they are "working" on their degree at Ashford. Well they don't tell you that "working" on their degree simply means getting experience by working at Ashford--they aren't enrolled taking courses at Ashford!!!

I am now in my 4th class at Ashford University, and I find this to be a pretty good school. Ashford is a particularly good school for military service members, military spouses and dependents, veterans, and DoD employees, all of which are eligible for free books, discounted tuition at the Bachelor's level ($250 per credit hour), NO technology fees, and they take military credits. These are benefits that I greatly appreciate. I've read through some of the other reviews who complain about the problems with financial aid and complaining that the classes cram a semester's worth of material into 5 or 6 weeks (depending on if you are in the bachelor's or master's program). Apparently, these people haven't attended a real brick and mortar school. Financial aid offices at brick and mortar schools get just as many complaints about people's financial aid as Ashford does. Unfortunately that is a normal occurrence. As for the length of the classes, has anyone every when to summer school or Maymester at a traditional college or university. Those classes are usually 4-5 weeks long. It's basically the same deal. I actually found the summer school classes to be more effective than the regular classes. I got better grades then too. I will admit that the academic advisor's could be better. My first academic advisor was terrible, and I am glad to say that I don't have him anymore. My enrollment advisor was great, and he actually still calls once per class to see how I am progressing. The technology is fine. I've used Blackboard before when I was working on my undergraduate degree at a traditional university, which has one of the top international business schools in the country (graduated in 2006). It's a simple and effective platform to use. The classes do seem to require just as much if not more work than traditional ones do. The lessons do require critical thinking so this is not a degree that can be purchased. You do have to work for it. This is not a degree mill. If it was, I highly doubt that the US military would allow TA to be used here. This is a quality education. The books are about $75-$150 per class depending on if you are a graduate student or not (grad student books are more expensive). Those are reasonable prices because books at a traditional college or university cost just as much. The only thing I think that a traditional college has is that one can go to the bookstore and purchase used books, which can still be a little pricey. I, as well as my husband, has had nothing but a pleasant experience at Ashford. As a matter of fact, my sister-in-law now attends Ashford and is having a positive experience. You get out of college what you put into it. That is the truth at either an online or traditional school. If you work at it, you will do fine at this school.

I am currently a student at Ashford University. I have completed 3 courses and have a 4.0 GPA. The books are excellent, the teachers are mediocre, but everything else about Ashford is awful. The enrollment advisors will do anything to get you enrolled, but once you are enrolled you can never get in touch with them again. I have left message after message with no return calls. It is hard to get your financial aid. They send you one award letter then change the disbursement date two weeks later. When you threaten to cancel the financial aid they get part of the financial aid disbursed to them so they will not lose any money. WARNING: They have just instituted a new financial aid policy. You must be in school for seven consecutive weeks to get 30% of your financial aid, and the remaining 70% is disbursed after 15 weeks. It is essentially 9 and 17 weeks, because they have an additional 14 days to mail it to you. By the time you get your first disbursement of 30% you are into the second class, and the remaining 70% is not delivered until the end of the third class. For the second disbursement the 7 week and 15 week cycle starts all over again. So you are in your 5th class and the second disbursement comes at the end of your academic year which is at the end of your first semester starting into your 7th class. I know this is confusing, but it is the honest truth. They instituted this policy on October 13 2008, and they did not notify me until November 7. So make sure you have money to pay for books before you start, because you cannot count on financial aid for them. You will need to use your first disbursement for the first seven classes, so make sure you buy all of your books with the first disbursement. I would not want anyone to be in my situation. Keep in mind you are paying interest for the money they are keeping for as much as four months from the day it is disbursed. They did this "in case you fail a class so they will have the money on hand to pay for the class you have to take over again." According to the enrollment advisor I spoke to today, people were using their disbursements for car accidents, pregnancies, and medical costs, then they would drop out of school. So, we all have to suffer for what other bad people do. It is owned by a for profit company called Bridgepointe Education, LLC in San Diego, CA. The real Ashford University campus is in Clinton, IA, but the support for online students is in San Diego, CA. The Better Business Bureau has processed a total of 22 complaints about Ashford University in Iowa, and 10 more complaints about them in San Diego. I would not recommend this school to anyone. Financial aid is to pay for books and expenses for you to attend school. I already have my Bachelor's Degree, and my previous brick and mortar school was not run in this unprofessional manner. My recommendation is to look else where.

When I was first thinking about enrolling I couldn't stop getting help and then slowly as I finished enrolling it slowed down dramatically. My financial advisor was always there to help answer questions but the company (thats what it is, not a school) started a program two weeks after I enroll that does not allow the student to have any left over financial aid at one. Instead, the student will get 30% after seven weeks and 70% after 14 weeks. This put me in a very bad position since I was about to make a huge move to start a new job with a company that hired me based on me working towards my MBA. The bookstore will screw you the first chance they get. The technology is horrible. After three weeks the blackboard program that the school uses crashed and the professor was forced to give us all full credit. They'll let anybody in, anybody. A person can learn from the material and some of it is challenging. The professor that I have had thus far was very intelligent and genuinely cared about the students learning. The financial aid department outsources out to a company outside of the United States and the employees and advisors are all students looking to get you enrolled so they can get a free tuition. The school is accredited and my MBA will be legit but being that Ashford has had a few different names not many people will have heard of them. I do like the fact that the school is primarily a brick and mortar school and that allows me to be a graduate of a school with an address, however, if I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I don't that I would choose Ashford.

I have read all the comments that range from horrible to great. I completed my B.A. through Ashford and I am currently completing my MBA. I agree that there do seem to be plenty of classmates who cannot write very well, but I do believe we are all entitled to an education. In addition, you can only get what you want out of the education. I agree that some of the classes seemed very easy; however these were classes I had much experience in out on the job. There have been plenty of classes I have spent 8 or more hours on just one assignment because of the difficulty. Again, this was in my accounting classes which I did not have much experience with on the outside. I do not think Ashford is the greatest school out there, but I do think it is the greatest online accelerated program. As far as responses from those who work there, I have seen that they are slow to respond and this can be cumbersome, but they do eventually get back with you. I agree they do need improvement in this area; however, I do not think this is the worst school ever nor do I think it is the greatest. It is what it is and I graduated with my BA in Organizational Management with a 3.92 and currently have a 4.0 in my MBA. Depending what you are looking for, this is a school that can meet your needs. Good luck to everyone pursing their degree whether it be through Ashford or another school of your choosing. An education is something to be proud of no matter where you get your degree.

Overall I am Happy with Ashford, I have read most of these post, and find that the most disgruntled students are the ones that are seeking finantial aid. I have never had to deal with that side so cannot comment on it. The military and my company have paid for 90% of my education, and would not pay if Ashford was not acredited..... This is a good institution, I have never had any problem getting a hold of anyone. They might not return your call in the next 5 minutes, but they do get back to you. I am in my 8th class working toward an MBA.

I'm in the middle of the MBA program at Ashford University. First of all, I'd like to say that I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the program so far. As someone who earned their bachelor's degree at a traditional campus school, I was a little apprehensive about going to class online. But I've found the program to be quite challenging, yet not so difficult as to be frustrating. Everytime I need help, my instructors are there to help me. Also, my advisor (Bill) was extremely helpful when I first enrolled. He answered all my concerns about going to school online including the cost, how long it would take to graduate, the admissions process, etc. He always makes himself available if I'm having issues. I know from reading other reviews online that not everyone has had a similar experience with their advisor. So I would recommend anyone who is interested in learning more about Ashford to contact him. His email address is william.saltmarsh@ashford.edu. I'm sure he can help you out. Anyways...I'm pretty pleased with my experience so far. I have recommended the program to some of my colleagues and I know at least two of them have joined me at the school so far.