Westwood College

does Westwood give us any money left over from fafsa after our term?

Look into Full Sail University for web design.....Westwood is crap.

I have been thinking of their Graphic Design Program for Online.  Is this a College I should consider. They say they are accredited and help Students find a job in the field they major...but is Westwood a good college for an on line only student?

Westwood needs to be shut down.  They convince you to enroll by lying about tuition costs, lying about their accredidation, lying about instructors backgrounds and experience, etc.  Once there, you discover everything the recruiter told you was false.  Think of Westwood as an overpriced Vo-Tech, only their education is far more watered down.  You will not graduate with the skills necessary to land a position in the field you're studying.  Their degrees are worthless.  Keep in mind that while Westwood itself may be accredited nationally (by the same body that accredits beauty schools, mind you), many of it's courses are not.  If you're pursuing a field that requires certification, you'll find you're ineligible to take the exams for that certification.  If you doubt that, research the many lawsuits against them.  For one, the whistle-blower lawsuit in Texas was settled for $7 million stated that Westwood is lying about it's placement rates.  Less than 50% actually find a job, and those students took it upon themself to acquire the skills they needed outside of the classroom.  That's fine if you want to throw your money away, the spend time learning all the things Westwood was supposed to teach you in the first place, but that's your call.  Do yourself a favor, pick a different school.

Just check out the video that ABC News did on You Tube about these people! 'Nuff said! I am so glad I saw that report! I was about to go there too! 

BTW, anyone HERE know of a REAL, & good school for website design? Either certificate or an Associate's degree w/as little gen ed as possible? & they MUST be accredited too! & it MUST be online as there's no school w/in an hour of where I live in CT.! :( 

If so, please just post here, I will save this page & check back. I have been researching schools for almost a year, & so many get such crappy reviews! & BTW, I went to the A.I. of Pittsburgh Online, & they are a total rip-off too, & waste of time as well!

By the way, it only took me a couple of minutes to copy and paste those schools from the Southern Regional Board website onto here.

Already had my BA from Columbia College, but was looking to study IT and Graphic Design... Went to Westwood just to see what they're about. Complete waste of time and a disaster, I was even pressured...and at one point the recruiter actually told me that I'm not geting any younger. SAVE YOUR MONEY... try looking into other school who over continuing education certifications like Loyola or UIC... you'd spend far less than you would at this Westwood Garbage, and at least have a reputable organization/school behind you.

This company is a joke! The Faculty changed every "term." Your credits do not transfer! They charge the hell out of you! I attended the dupage campus for a year give or take and I already owe $15,000! The teachers don't understand all of the criteria and tend to show movies and watch youtube during class! DO NOT WASTE THE TIME AND STRESS!!!! 

i went to westwood college to get a degree in medical assisting

don't go to westwood! PLAIN AND SIMPLE-THEY LIE! EVERY BAD COMMENT HERE IS TRUE OF THEIR CAMPUSES NATIONWIDE. STOP THE LOANS, DO NOT RE-ENROLL AND SEE IF A BETTER SCHOOL WOULD WORK FOR YOU. WHY PAY $60,000 FOR A CRAPPY EDUCATION WHEN YOU COULD PAY HALF THAT AND GET A GOOD ONE?

Westwood is the biggest rip off ever!!! Everthing negative said here is true and MORE! They only lie to get you in, charge you the highest rates of interest on loans (25% annnually in one case) and will not help you find a job at all. Once you graduate you are "persona nongrata" and you will get nothing from them at all. I will never pay off my loans as they will ultimately add up to nearly $200,000-YES, $200,000!!! TELL ALL TO STAY AWAY!!!

In my point of view you its up to the person and their well to succeed i have been attending westwood for 1/2 year. I have learned alot about the courses i have taken and have developed business plan that has helped me start a successfull business. people with their negative comments are people that want everything the easy way nobody gets a job handed to them you have to apply everything you learned from your degree to get it.

the reason they get accepted here and couldn't get accepted at a REAL COLLEGE is here its ALL about the money you are paying for a worthless piece of papr you KNOW you barely (if you did) make it through high school this is a school for total losers 

there will be an education backlash soon. People going to college on low income grants etc are barely literate, but they are being passed through. also there is a serious lack of common sense and it is being found in those who are teaching as well. the worth of education is not what is should be and it is not respected because of this "push through" and these schools are the biggest rip offs around the degrees are basically worthless go to a real school quit taking shortcuts or you are shortchanging yourself 

this school is small and it is ghetto.

I ATTENDED THE MEDICAL ASSISTANT PROGRAM ... THE INSTRUCTORS ARE GREAT.
THE SCHOOL ITS SELF IS NOT A CREDITED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS OR RECOGNIZED AS A COLLEGE ... IT TOOK  ME HALF A YEAR TO FIND ME A JOB; NOT ONLY THAT BUT I FOUND IT ON MY OWN. THE JOBS THEY TRY TO FIND YOU ARE IN GHETTO PLACES, WITH UNEDUCATED PEOPLE. I AM NOW IN DEPT AS WELL ... YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF GOING TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND GETTING YOUR ASSOCIATES DEGREE OR BACHELORS, FOR THE PRICE THAT THEY CHARGE YOU TO GO TO SCHOOL. DONT GO TO THIS SCHOOL SERIOUSLY . SPEND YOUR MONEY SOME WHERE ELSE. 

All Colleges are the same way, Ive never met a college Instructor that cared. They dont pay college Instructors to care, they pay them to Instruct. You guys are thinking of High School that's why you messed up. Its All about you in college and its your fault for not dropping out fags they offer a masters degree there! You dont just drop out because you didn't know they were private. Its just like private school VS high school that's why your paying more to go there. Some people prefer that, and to me it sounds like they treat you allot better than regular college. There always calling the police on us in our dorm and they dont even lure us anywhere, sometimes it would be nice to have some guidance.Ohh yeah and if you screw up here there is no money back garentee. They take it all and they find ways to keep it rolling in. I know people who are still paying rent for there dorm and fall classes. they kicked them out of the dorm but made them continue to pay and didnt warn them to drop there classes when they couldn't find a place to stay. ITS ALL THE SAME

I graduated from Westwood College two years with a B.S. in Information Technology. Although I did not find a job at the beginning, I now have a job that is paying me $39 per hour. I could not have done it without a degree.

I graduated from Westwood College two years ago with B.S. in Information Technology. Although I was unable to find a job at the beginning dueto the economy, I eventually landed a IT job that is paying me $39 per hour. Couldn't have done it without a degree.

Attending this school for 9 months only got me 15k in debt. They care about you when they are trying to get you in but dont care about you once you are in. No teacher can give you a straight answer about their accredidation. Your better off going to a communitty college. 

Your credits won't transfer, jobs won't hire you due to lack of education, and you will pay way too much! Not worth it at all! 

I have been attending Westwood College on-line for over a year now and I have to say that I am very satisfied with the school. My acedemic and financial advisors stay in regular contact with me, which is helpful if I have any questions or concerns and I always recieve e-mails back from my professors within a day of posting them. This school and the faculty has worked hard to make sure everyone is satisfied and all questions are answered. For everyone that is saying the school is a joke, then you should have worked harder or worked harder to keep your advisors updated on any problems you may have had. This is an on-line course so if you don't talk to your professors or the faculty then there is no way they are going to know what is wrong or how to work with you. This school is no more expensive than any other school and they also except grants. This is college so you should have been more aware that it is different from High School. I am happy with my choice in attending Westwood. I would advise it to anyone that is serious about wanting a degree.

Westwood College - Anaheim, Ca Campus
I cant even rate this place becasue it is that horrible. They dont know anything about what they are doing. I am paying my Sallie Mae Loan and for no reason. I regret going to this school. They were a joke. We had TWO HOUR LUNCH BREAKS!!!! because our teachers didnt feel like coming to class or didnt feel like teaching. All tests were open book. The work was scary easy and wasn't even alot. Our finals and midterms were all open book as well. There was no point for finals. Sitting in classes were pointless. The teachers would rather talk to you about things they have been through then teach you about stuff from the book. One teacher Mr. Anderson (R.I.P), would go through chapter by chapter and tell us "this is going to be number 1 on the test" and so on until we got every answer. Really???? And people still complained and failed. Anyone who was in Mr. Andersons class knows this saying "this chapter.. No bueno for s***." THat was EVERY CHAPTER> I went to college to learn. ANd unfortunately going there for almost a year ruined my dreams of becoming a juvenile probation officer. I dont want to go school because i had such a bad experince with this school. I wouldnt recommend this school to anyone. Research it. Theyre arent accredited. They are in the process of TRYING. I went in straight from high school. Stupid and willing to go anywhere that would get me out as soon as possible. That is my fault i didnt do research but i dont want to see other people going through that. Its very depressing.

I attended westwood college , i was trying to get my Medical Assistant Degree, but the classes were to long and really not that great, i ended up dropping school, of course they called me back and told me they had a new program "Paralegal" my day is a lawyer and i sure know that's a lot of work and study, but i thought it would be a good experience so i sing up for it. and i regret it everyday. after 4 semester all we knew how to do was brief cases . they don't even have a good library or anything for that matter . worst thing, i asked them to transfer my credits . but they cant i have 71 credits which none of them can transfer .  
Now i have a huge debt! and i don't even know how I'm going to pay that much money! its a lie they don't help you get a job . or none of the things they promise. When i tried to ask the financial aid staff about my debt they just told me to wait till 6 months after graduation to pay it off. and know Sallie Mae wont stop calling me and sending me letters . to pay them .. 
Don't go to westwood...  

I attended Westwood College 2007-2008. I went to school to become a Medical Assistant. The school is a scam. I would not recommend it to anybody. The first time I came there they told me it was accredited. They said that they help you find a job. All these things were lies. I found out the campus that i was attending was not accredited after I graduated.  In order to apply for the RMA and CMA exam you have to come from a accredited school. The campus I attended in overall was not good. My loans are high too. I at least have to pay them back 23,000.

Google Westwood Scammed Me. 

Westwood has been put on probation by the ACCSC (formerly ACCSCT) which is a national accrediting organization for post-secondary institutions. In fact, Westwood always has a few campuses on probation at any given time. What is most important is that Westwood is being put on probation because it is not meeting graduation and post-graduation employment benchmarks. Now, ACCSC doesn't exactly have high standards. Westwood is based in Colorado and is now on probation with the state's education commission. Wisconsin and Texas are asking Westwood to stop offering online programs to its students and Texas is threatening to shut down its campuses in the state. In addition, Westwood College is no longer a candidate for regional accreditation with the HLC. At least 1,000 students tried to join a class action suit  in Texas, but class certification is being denied so far. The case is still going. I've heard there is another one in California. I would advise any prospective students to stay away from this school until it sorts out its issues. If it loses accreditation, it loses Title IV eligibility for financial aid. 

This school is not a good school they just want your money!!!!
The terms are so little and you don't learn the whole class it is not hands on for criminal justice they charge a lot on books and they are not even used in classes! I was goin for criminal justice and from what I think, community college is better they will teach the whole book and in more months then in a term! Also it does not look good in your resume!!!!!! They are looking for a better school that you have attended!! But overall the school is not worth going!!!

I believe that anyone that does not like Westwood College obviously could not keep up. Notice that all of the people that did not like it dropped out right away....never attended another college. One of the posters could not even spell "waste" and typed "west"....umm obviously you didn't like it because you need to be back in 1st grade to learn how to spell. I have been at Westwood College Online for a year and a half and I love it. I only have to pay $25 a month on a loan that I have and that is it. I have never had a problem with paying. It is also not easy. I have learned a lot since I have been there. Also, before I enrolled I called up the Law School that I will attend when I graduate "Depaul Law School" which is a well know school in Chicago, and they will accept my degree. I also called the FBI, who I plan to apply to work with, will also accept my degree. I just think that you have to make the best of a situation. It is not the college you go to that will get you in the door, its what you have to offer to back up your degree. Anyone can take classes and pass them. But what have you really learned. It is up to us to do the homework. The teacher just provides it. This is COLLEGE!!!

what you say here is all fine and dandy , but what will your degree be worth if they loose their ACICS accreditation. Another poster said that they have been denied Regional Accreditation. The problem with the unethical behavior by some at the college has ruined it for everybody. It might be better to just stick tho Regionally Accredited Schools like Notre Dame, Northwestern, DeVry University, or any State school.

Sorry for the spelling and syntax errors :( 

Well "known". Also the advisers are great. When I enrolled, my admissions counselor was very helpful and even sent me a cute little planner in the mail. We still keep in touch to this day. My advisers call me twice a term to check on me. When I email her she emails me back immediately. As far as the professors, you know how that is. Not every professor will be easy to get along with or lax. One of my professors actually took the time out to listen to me have a melt down once and gave me great advice. I still keep in touch with her as well. Like I said, it is all on you to make your education worth while too, not just the institution. 

Those who were helped by my recommendations don't thinks so. Obviously you need to not read something if you don't care to read it and waste your time going to crappy, expensive schools like Westwood.

Obviously Tammy is correct. Westwood College is just like UoP....it's completely worthless.

Obviously Tammy needs to get a life.

Obviously, this is just the South, so just imagine how many non-profit schools across the country offer online courses and/or programs.

Even more traditional schools with online courses and/or programs.

Texas
Alvin Community College
Amberton University
Central Texas College
Dallas Baptist University
Dallas TeleCollege
Grayson County College
Lamar University
Midwestern State University
Northwest Vista College
Odessa College
Palo Alto College
Panola College
Prairie View A&M University
Sam Houston State University
St. Philip's College
Stephen F. Austin State University
Tarleton State University
Texas A&M University, College Station
Texas A&M University, Commerce
Texas A&M University, Kingsville
Texas Wesleyan University
University of Houston, Clear Lake
University of Houston, Victoria
University of North Texas
University of Texas, Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
University of Texas, Dallas
University of Texas, El Paso
University of Texas, Health Science Center at Houston
University of Texas, Permian Basin
University of Texas, San Antonio
Wayland Baptist University
West Texas A & M University
Western Texas College

Virginia
Blue Ridge Community College, Virginia
Central Virginia Community College
Dabney Lancaster Community College
Danville Community College
Eastern Shore Community College
Germanna Community College
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College
John Tyler Community College
Longwood University
Lord Fairfax Community College
Mountain Empire Community College
New River Community College (Virginia)
Northern Virginia Community College
Old Dominion University
Patrick Henry Community College
Paul D. Camp Community College
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Rappahannock Community College
Southside Virginia Community College
Southwest Virginia Community College
Thomas Nelson Community College
Tidewater Community College
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Highlands Community College
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Virginia Western Community College
Wytheville Community College

West Virginia
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College (West Virginia)
Bluefield State College (West Virginia)
Bridgemont Community & Technical College (previously Community & Technical College at WVU Tech)
Concord University
Eastern WV Community and Technical College
Fairmont State University
Marshall University
Mountwest Community & Technical College
West Liberty University
West Virginia Northern Community College
West Virginia University
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
West Virginia University Institute of Technology

More traditional schools with online courses and/or programs.

Louisiana
Baton Rouge Community College
Bossier Parish Community College
CALL
Delgado Community College
Grambling State University
Louisiana State University and A & M College
Louisiana State University, Alexandria
Louisiana State University, Eunice
Louisiana State University, Health Sciences Center, New Orleans
Louisiana State University, Shreveport
Louisiana Tech University
McNeese State University
Nicholls State University
Northwestern State University
Nunez Community College
River Parishes Community College
South Louisiana Community College
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southern University and A&M College
Southern University at New Orleans
Southern University at Shreveport
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of New Orleans

Maryland
Anne Arundel Community College
Capitol College
College of Southern Maryland
Morgan State University
Towson University
University of Baltimore
University of Maryland Baltimore
University of Maryland Baltimore County

Mississippi
Alcorn State University, Natchez Campus
Coahoma Community College
Mississippi State University
Mississippi University for Women
Mississippi Valley State University
University of Southern Mississippi

North Carolina
Alamance Community College
Central Carolina Community College
Cleveland Community College
Coastal Carolina Community College, NC
Durham Technical Community College
East Carolina University
Elizabeth City State University
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Haywood Community College
North Carolina State University
Pitt Community College
Randolph Community College
University of North Carolina, Charlotte
University of North Carolina, Pembroke
Western Carolina University

Oklahoma
Cameron University
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater
Rogers State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
University of Central Oklahoma

South Carolina
Clemson University
Limestone College
Medical University of South Carolina
Piedmont Technical College
University of South Carolina, Aiken
University of South Carolina, Columbia
University of South Carolina, Upstate
York Technical College

Tennessee
Austin Peay State University
East Tennessee State University
Middle Tennessee State University
Pellissippi State Community College
Tennessee Regents Online Degree Programs
Tennessee State University
Tennessee Technological University
The University of Memphis
University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, Memphis
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
University of Tennessee, Martin
University of Tennessee, Space Institute

All of these tradition schools offer online degree courses and/or programs.

Alabama
Amridge University
Auburn University
Calhoun Community College
Enterprise State Community College
Jacksonville State University (Alabama)
Lurleen B. Wallace Community College
Northwest-Shoals Community College
Troy University
Troy University, Montgomery Campus
United States Sports Academy
University of Alabama
University of Alabama, Birmingham
University of Alabama, Huntsville
University of North Alabama

Arkansas
Arkansas State University, Beebe
Arkansas State University, Jonesboro
Arkansas State University, Mountain Home
Arkansas State University, Newport
Arkansas Tech University
Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas
East Arkansas Community College
Henderson State University
North Arkansas College
NorthWest Arkansas Community College
Ozarka College
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas
Pulaski Technical College
Southeast Arkansas College
Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University Tech
University of Arkansas, Community College Hope
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
University of Arkansas, Fort Smith
University of Arkansas, Little Rock
University of Arkansas, Monticello
University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff
University of Central Arkansas

Delaware
Delaware Technical & Community College
University of Delaware

Florida
Brevard Community College
Broward College
Daytona State College
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Florida State University
Gulf Coast Community College
Indian River State College
Northwest Florida State College
Nova Southeastern University
Palm Beach Community College
Pensacola Junior College
Saint Leo University
Santa Fe College
St. Johns River Community College
St. Petersburg College
Tallahassee Community College
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of South Florida
University of West Florida

Georgia
Albany State University
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Brenau University
Columbus State University
Darton College
Georgia College & State University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southwestern State University
Georgia State University
Georgia Virtual Technical College
Gwinnett Technical College
Kennesaw State University
Middle Georgia College
North Georgia College & State University
Southern Polytechnic State University
Southwest Georgia Technical College
University of Georgia
University of West Georgia
Valdosta State University

Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky University
Midway College
Morehead State University
Murray State University, Kentucky
University of Louisville
Western Kentucky University

===Part 2===

Another teacher I’d like to discuss is a Mr. Grey Hash. Hes an experienced 3D modeler, painter, and overall geek (I love him). Hes a fantastic teacher, an obviously invaluable learning resource. This teacher is the best Westwood college will get in YEARS. If you ever have a chance, drive up to the Westwood Wilshire campus, visit him some time during a break and ask him about what he thinks overall about the students that go to that school. One nightmare, after another, after another. Hes another teacher that knows the school is garbage. Who KNOWS that less than 1% will get a job in the game industry. It makes me saddened that a teacher as talaented as he is is not teaching at Gnomon. A valued art school in Hollywood that ships off an EXCELLENT majority of its students to the game industry. A name KNOWN and not laughed at in the game industry. I wish you will Grey, and please leave that school as soon as possible. It does you no good to stay there.

The school often time blames unmotivated students for the failure rate. The thing is, the students going here are not “unmotivated”, they just weren’t properly given a GOOD introductory class to Game Design. And if they DO want to become properly motivated by taking the class again? Woop de doo, more $$$.  Would you enter a boxing ring if you didn’t know how to box because your coach was too busy working on things for his master’s class that’s “so much more important” than teaching students who are YOUR RESPONSIBLILITY!”? A Mr. Waqas teaching those classes, I’ll get to him later in this review.


Westwood College can obviously suck a dick. It’s depressing. The staff know the school is garbage. They look for work at much better schools. I'm somewhat bittersweet to hear that a lot of my old teachers aren't there but more happy they don't have to teach there anymore. I guarantee that campus will be shut down within 5 years time. Its desolate, quiet (not the respectable "people are learning" quiet, no the " this school is garbage and a lot of people know that and dont come here" quiet), full of "prospective college students" who obviously are unprepared and spend a good majority of their breaks playing Magic the Gathering in the lunch room. 

One good thing about this college...I made some GREAT friends for life. Friends who were interested in who I was, friends who took me places, who helped me mature, who helped be break out of my shell, who helped me graduate from this waste of money. Evan, Jermain, Jesus, I love you guys so damn much. I wish we all went to much better school and got a better education....

Oh btw, our graduation was at a small church. Across the street from the school.

AVOID.THIS.SCHOOL. AT.ALL.COSTS. GO TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND TRANSFER! TRANSFER! TRANSFER! TRANSFER! TRANSFER! TRANSFER! TRANSFER! This school is NOT worth the $80,000+ I have to pay back for loans taken out.

This review is from a Game Art student. I am reviewing the game art aspect of this school.

The school is complete garbage. Applied to a physical location Sept.2006 and graduated June 2009, took an online class for 1 semester. Majority of faculty had left to other schools, program head for Game Art (Mrs. Natalie Mendez) transferred to UCLA where her services were much more respected. Only a small number (IF YOU'RE LUCKY) of teachers are terrific at their job and care about what you do. (I went to the Los Angeles Wilshire-blvd Campus). It’s a small one floor building located at the 4th floor of a banking building located in the middle of noisy korea town. It’s the huge black building if you can ever google search the Los Angeles Korea Town skyline.


I was a game-art student. Making a game requires you work as a team as you would see in the "making of documentaries" for video games. This school does not prepare you for team work. That’s something you have to plan with other students on your time. Other students that have work and other things to do.

Our game design program has one success story.  “Jason Seabaugh”. A former student who currently works as an artist at a game studio. Hes…1 out of...about 100+ students who went to the school. The program milks his success story as if he were Jesus Christ himself. Truth is, Jason Seabaugh was an accomplished game artist BEFORE he came to this school.

One game art teacher I had *COUGH* Mr.Waqas *COUGH* or "whack-ass" as the majority of students at the school called him was taking a masters class at another sh!t college located near Los Angeles Intl' Airport while at the same time teaching classes at Westwood-Wilshire campus. He obviously was unqualified during the time of his hiring. His fatigue often times led to the slow-down of the class often to the point that we're were VERY behind and the majority of us ended up learning tutorials from the internet. Something we could do at HOME FOR FREE. He would then blame the slow down on us being undisciplined, unprepared, and lacking pre-requisite knowledge for the class. HELLO! Wake up! THIS IS AN INTRODUCTORY TO GAME ANIMATION, YOU A$$HOLE! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO TEACH US THIS! The school (during class time) gives students an evaluation report of their teacher. 1-6. 1 being bad, 6 being good. Waqas for 2+ years has received 1 and 2. But the school keeps him and fires other more valuable teachers. Why? No one ones, no one cares at that school. 
====end part 1=====

graduated in 2007 visual communications bachelors degree and still havnt received my diploma after 3 request...Anaheim, westwood college faculty and instructors should be ashamed...I hope god smites all of you...

ok so i went to Westwood in Upland, Ca for Game Art and design and graduated in Dec 2010 i say this school is a waste of time and money. my first year at the school was really good they take you threw a lot of beginner classes but by the 2nd year we had the same teacher for all our core classes who didn't even work in the game industry and had no idea about it. the only one good game art teacher was at night and if you have a job good luck with that 

other teachers would slack off or had their own agenda also if your looking to do the game art program and learn concept art your better off buying a book and i know a lot of people say work on your own time the but if your paying $80k for a school they better be teaching!!
i orginally wanted to do concept art but all they did was tech 3D which was decent but if you get a teacher that has you going on line to learn from toutorials that spell bad news. we did have a small hand full of teachers that were good and new their stuff but by the end of the 3rd yeah most had left. and as far as job placement i think only 2 of the students in the program with me got jobs on doing graphic design and the other in QA those are both far shots from being a hot shot game designer 

i have so much more to say but the list will go one so if your fresh out of high school go to a community college first 

iam not sure if all the schools were ran the same way but dont go to the (IE)upland CA campus its a waste of time and $80,000

ScaredLola:
Do not attend Westwood College. It is a diploma mill, please choose another school to obtain a degree.

I simply requested info and did not even attempt to apply and they harrassed me with phone calls - sometimes I'd have 6 or 7 missed calls a day from them. I finally picked up one time and told them to take me off all mailing, email, and phone lists. And guess what - got another call from them the next day.

This is all BEFORE I even try to start the program? No thanks, completely uninterested. They are a business, not a school, and just want to make money.

this is absolutely atrocious.
I mean, I just can't comprehend.
What is exactly going on?
I barely graduated and have everything ready for my fall semester in westwood college of south houston tx.
I want to get my associates in graphic design and later on get my bachelor's in visual communications but all these seemingly-deceiving positive comment and atrociously-honest negative comments are driving me nuts.
I was born a poor girl.My mother only made it to third grade and my father dropped out of college because my mother was pregnant.[Please do not be mean to my story of parents.Please that'd be rude.]My parents only wish to see me successful in life and not suffering with great debts like the ones the negativecomments mention with the whole financial aid and student loans s***. My sister is still paying for HER student loans.My other big sister is a single mother of three though with an economically stable job[thank goodness]. So you see my two older sisters have in a way failed to get a career and I do not want to be another failure. I DO NOT want to be the third sister to be talked of amongst family members because I didn't go to college [though they already talk about me because i'm not as pretty as my sister and am quite an oddball in their eyes]. 
I am playing a BIG ASS pity card here and begging someone to answer me honestly...am I guaranteed to be taken seriously with a bachelors degree in visual communications from westwood college in any place that I apply for a job?

Anyone who is from Westwood in south houston and is studying in my field please please please hellp.
Help me dearly.

I sound so pathetic but I am being honest.
TT^TT
this whole situation scares me.

contact me if you can:
powpow_mewmewyahr@yahoo.com

I am currently in my first term at Westwood; based in Virginia. 
I'm previously active duty Marine Corps, and my GI Bill will pay for my education; however, most of those I go to school with here...aren't exactly pulling in over minimum wage. 
I am saddened to think they are literally taking out a $4,500 loan amount every 10 weeks. Literally paying nearly 100,000...
I was ripped off as well by the complete lack of communication among, and incompetence of, the staff and Admissions Rep.
The Veteran's registrant here, who audits how many credits I receive from Marine Corps training...didn't even know she had my SMART transcript (military training transcript) already IN MY FILE; that was in her office. She obviously didn't audit it.
I was scheduled for, and am completing classes now, that I'm exempt from. Listed right there in my file.

My admissions rep also gave me the bull of telling me my books would be included in and submitted as one sum to the VA to pay for.
So, he ordered my books for me, $400 for 3 books.
Well turns out, Westwood just took out a loan FOR ME, through Westwood.
They let me know I can order my books free through them anytime I want, I just own them for the books. The first payment was due before I ever even saw paperwork stating this.
They let me know that since the VA essentially allots me $1,000 a year for books, that I will just pay Westwood my 1k stipend. Uhm, I can find 3 books on Amazon for cheaper than $400.00. And those are my benefits, not Westwoods.

My closing point. I am enrolled in three classes. Monday - Friday, 6-10pm.
In every class with me is a man we will call Bob. Bob is a native from Africa and has a hard time with the American style of speaking English. He speaks well, just very hard at times to understand his dialect. That being said, his basic communication skills and current grade level would not pass freshman level in high school. Yet, he has been pushed through to all of my classes. 
The structure of the college is a joke. If you don't turn in an assignment, no big deal. If you don't show up for the final, no big deal. I actually got extra credit for turning in my project, on time, because the majority of the class didn't even start it. 
I was completely mislead by my Admissions Rep. I was let down by the Veteran's Affair Representative. The combination of the two have cost me over $1,500 of my veteran benefits. So here is someone who essentially goes to school for free... STILL getting ripped off.
I sat in class yesterday and listened to, then tweeted my PROFESSOR tell a student who didn't turn in her mid-term project,
"You can't take no zero. You don't have no room to take no zero."
Enough said.

twitter.com/stupadgurl for any questions.

Unfortunately....the good reviews on here have all the classic mis-spellings of  -their- and -there- and -they're-. Every time I see something like that it drives my perception of the 'topic' mad. I hate that. English. Learn it. Then you can guide people "properly". Yikes. I hop their not my bohss sumdai! DUH!

Like Ana, I am interested in their online Interior Design degree and after reading all of these comments about this college I am not so sure if I want to enroll. Where I live there aren't any on campus colleges that offer a BA in Interior Design and when I heard about this college I was very excited, but not so much now. What should I do? Would it be best if I just walk away now and forget about Westwood? Any input is very much appreciated.

I attended Westwood College. I am now paying a Sallie Mae loan for over $12000 at 7.75%. The loan CANNOT be postpone or deferred while in school because it is a "career training" loan and not an educational loan.

Can't transfer any of the credit to another university/college.
I got a degree at Westwood and can't even use it. No one has heard of this college, no one hires from this college.
It is a serious joke.

I am now going to a real university and it is not as much work as Westwood.
Don't waste your time with online colleges.

I don't care about accredittation I just want to know when applying for a job do they take westwood college degree serious please help me?

To the poster who said transfer of credits is pure BS, perhaps you should look into stuff in more detail.  That is if you're not another cronie trying to defend this horrible school, which I suspect you are.  I have been to over two dozen colleges and none of them will accept my credits because they are NATIONALLY accredited.  Most colleges in this country are regionally accredited.  Anyone that tells you they're credits were accepted is either mistaken or lying.  Westwood does not qualify for regional accredidation.  They've been trying for years but are repeatedly told they do not meet the educational standards neccessary.  That's the biggest difference between them and other colleges.  Their accredidation comes from an agency that accredits beauty schools.  That's why there's no federal financial aid.  If you want a good education, find a school that's regionally accredited.  You'll get a far better education and your credits will defenitely transer everywhere.  Westwood is a horrible school.  DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!

Candy, if I were you I would look into somewhere else.  Westwood has been deceiving people for years about accredidation.  The undeniable truth is they do not meet the educational requirements necessary.  At best, Westwood offers an overpriced, watered down degree that that will be pretty much useless to you after graduation.  Employers are looking for people they can hire that will become an immediate asset.  They do not want to spend the first couple of months training you.  This is the purpose of college - to give you the skills necessary to do the job you're applying for.  Employers want far more than the basics, and Westwood's curriculum pales to most of the colleges in this country.  That's a fatal flaw they refuse to accept.  They are focused on money, not the quality of your education.  If you want to be saddled with $50 to $70,000 for basically teaching yourself, then continue at Westwood but I would suggest finding a more reputable college.  The sooner the better.

I just found this site and others like it today. I am really worried now. I started Westwood online in January. I started to notice that some of the students in my courses were utter total morons and I couldn't believe they were allowed to stay.(One even copied another persons discussion post TWICE word for word.) This got me thinking and I did some thorough research on the school. I really don't know what to do now. Do I drop out? Do I contact FAFSA and tell them I don't want the loans? This is my first college experience and I am afraid I made a horrible mistake.

I graduated from Westwood in 2005 with a BS in Visual Communications...and while I don't have a high-paying job I must say that I am one of the few people that actually landed a job related to the field (I work for a major Chicago Newspaper). I also worked extremely hard and while most people made the same grades (regardless of effort) the work ethic pays off once you have graduated. Do I feel I got the education I paid for? No. I should have gone to Columbia College,but I didn't. 
BTW the ridiculous deadlines are real world situations. We have hard deadlines every 2 hours where I work. It is how real life is in some jobs. Everyone should find a school that best suits them. If you are a slow learner...Westwood is not the place for you.

I just wanted to add my two cents into the topic because I too am currently a part of Westwood College in the Game Art and Design course. I've been thrown into classes that have little if any instruction and it is difficult to learn all of 3D modeling in a 9 week course. Learning 3D max, Maya, and animation in 9 weeks is nearly impossible and it caused me to miss mainy deadlines. I agree that Westwood has rediculous requirments and only a slight handful of courses are taught appropriately. My advice is that it really is better to attend a regular classroom where you have hands on learning rather than having to sit behind a computer screen and teach yourself.

I suppose I should give my opinion.
I'm an attending student (1yr left), I'm going Game Software Development.
Well Westwood is VERY expensive & offers no financial aid nor grants only FASFA grants. The total cost is roughly $65 - 70k, which ends up to about $95k in repayment (starts 6mth after you graduate or go below 1/2 time). My rep did inform me of that upfront, though she worded it as though that's all I'd pay, but not really her fault I should have asked for her to specify.

The faculty (Admin), I've had ups & downs from them, but they do get back to you though it may be a day or so depending on the time. I have a counselor contact me every 2 weeks for the 1st year and then monthly thereafter to ensure I have no complaints or issues to get resolved. I have had a few and they got taken care of within a day or so (nothing major really).

Be aware that these instructors work at multiple schools & also work on the side, so they are not always present. I've had pretty good instructors mostly, only a few have been negative & at the start of week 8 you are given a survey (which you must complete), which asks you for your opinion on that course material, instructor & the term. No one calls to force you to say anything, you can opt to have Admin call you back if you wish. Also every instructor gives you their hours & offers you their phone number and email for contacting them for help.

The material, well it varies sometimes it's easy and other times it's difficult. As for the outdated part of it, let me know of any school that is up with the times, authors need to USE the software in order to write about it so textbooks (any book really) will always be behind a version or 2. As for all my coding classes, we've used VS 2008 and C++ as well as C#. Nothing outdated there, my math is current I suppose (nothing to compare it to really).

As for being online, it is tough since you have to motivate yourself the entire time. So if you can't do that I recommend going somewhere else.

Now for the credits, I've contacted UAT & my local university (UTPA) & both would transfer most of my credits, the ones they wouldn't was because they didn't offer that course at their respective school. So the crap about credits not transferring is total BS.

Also Westwood has seminars from those currently in the field of your studies to speak to you via web chat room discussing how to get in the field. You also have access to alumni that work in your field to contact them for help getting in the door. But since I'm not at that point yet I can't comment on it working or not.

The only negative thing about Westwood is being online (very tough to maintain a 3.75 and work 40hrs a week, and I've maintained that for the entire time), and the huge cost of the education. Otherwise it's as good as every other college around.

Hello. So I'm interested in interior design and i NEED to know if westwood college offers a good interior design program. So far I've seen lots of bad comments and some good ones. It's kinda confusing. Would somebody tell me what are the pros and cons of this school? Thank You.

ok... so i'm seriously thinking about going to westwood for their medical assisting program. I've read all the previous articles but nobody has seem adress the health care programs, is it a good school to go to for medical assisting? will i get a decent job with their "degree?"

I'm currently attending earning my BS in Game Development online. I happen to enjoy this school, but like with any college(and I'm a returning college student)a lot of what you get from college depends on how much work you put into it. if you think it's easy, or cheap, or the degree is just suppose to give you millions of dollars as soon as you step out, or that people are just suppose to accept you because you went to school, Then maybe you aren't ready for college or for life for that matter until you get the reality straight.
 I happen to know that the credits are transferable if you don't give up. Every college would rather you didn't transfer credits so you can spend money with them instead but if you file the college of your choice application and set up an interview with the admissions office and in the event of a denial appeal it, then you can accomplish much more than calling and then whining when they say no.
 If you network before you graduate then you find yourself in a better position for jobs. Join clubs, intern, go to events for your field choice talk to professors, advisers, send letters to different companies,ANYTHING, to stand out above the crowd.
 Every college has recruiters and every one of them are a pain in the neck.it's their job to get you to spend money at their college. doesn't matter they don't have anything to do with your education. 
 If you never graduate, never network, never complete what you start, then you're proving that you'd rather complain when life gets bumpy instead of making lemonade out of lemons. Most of you don't do your research, don't ask questions, and just expect things to be handed to you. Even with a degree you still have to work hard to make it work for you. 1.413 million college grads were unemployed last year alone. So suck it up and find out the facts before you waste our time with your complaints.

I am currently enrolled at westwood online. I have done all the research. If you believe all the hype that this college is a scam, go to the better business bureau. It is recognized as an institution of education. If you look further on the site the reason for the C+ score is the complaints, which upon further review, they were almost all adressed!! The reason the credits may not transfer depends on which type of accredited college you are trying to transfer to. Regional accreditations only take their own. It is nationally accredited. The people who were dissatisfied probably didn't check into it far enough. I have been very happy with the service that I have received!! Any questions that I have had were answered in a timely manner. I don't know much about the gaming aspect of the college but so far I am very happy with the paralegal studies!!

If you go to westwood for networking you'll probably be ok , anything else your asking for a debt filled Crater and agonizing worry/stress.Here here also a Graduate Of 2009 with so many mixed emotion's.

But if you do not want a debt filled Crater do yourself a favor and just say NO TO ATTENDING WESTWOOD you won't regret it.

It took me exactly 3 years to obtain my A.A.S. degree at Westwood College concentrating on Network Engineering and it was well worth it. I agree with all the positive comments about this school and not too sure about the negatives? It's true that after the 3rd or 4th week of a semester you start to notice a smaller class. I attended a traditional school when I first graduated HS and Westwood is no different except for the accreditations. Algebra is Algebra; Calculus is Calculus etc…etc… WC may not be recognized as a RA school but I feel that I received the best attention and support from their entire staff members. For those out there and their negative comments, hey you have the right to express yourself. I am truly sorry that things did not work out for you the way they did for many that managed to graduate from Westwood and flourish in their chosen career. Westwood is no different from any other online colleges so I am assuming that most online universities and colleges have similar forums and blogs like this one?
Well, good luck to all of you seeking a degree whether it’s on traditional campus grounds or online.
Cheers!
Graduate of 2009

I looked into going to this school a couple months ago. I have in no way been scorned by these people. I would caution that my experiences with their recruiters and with the pre sign up in general have been extremely similar in most of the negative ways people speak of.

In fact.

John, a councilor, just below read the fine print's post towards the top, mentioned December 17, 2008 at 1:52 a.m. that the school "should be approved [accredited he is referring too] this year." Going into a councilors office a couple months back and posing the same question 7 months later, that councilor told me the EXACT same thing. "should be approved this year." I recall someone somewhere in the vastness of the internet mentioning the same thing a couple years prior. If they are in fact as good as they say, why, to literally this very date, are they "still waiting to be accredited."

In truth all this really scares the hell out of me. I've nearly landed my 2 year ass. at a community college and you know how I know that was a good place to attend? I am set and guaranteed in writing to transfer to CSU. My degree is actually recognized by potential employers. My expenses were totally manage able and within reason. I'm not losing any sleep over them. Further more there was not a thing against FRCC on the internet let alone countless horror stories (however biased they might they add up and there are A LOT), expose's on youtube done by News Casts, and even a multimillion dollar lawsuit.

I am reminded of my past experiences in life involving my best friend and his girlfriend. She was always happy, loyal, honest and a swell person to your face. However if you met anyone that ever had any past dealings with her they said she was a liar, manipulator and cheat who had wronged them, often severely. Months turned to years and his conclusion was that people just didn't like her through no fault of her own. These people were just upset, or mean, or had nothing better to do. Later he finally figured out she'd been cheating and lieing to him for two years.

I told him, if it looks like a dog, and smells like a dog and everyone swears to god it's a dog...

Just think. You don't see this kind of stuff for your local Major College do you? Isn't that why your here in the first place? Looking for that one review that makes it feel like it'll be ok to try your luck? :P Don't worry, that's what I was doing too. And if you were just doing research as someone else said. There are better, cheaper, safer ways (that don't have lots of scary reviews) to the same goal.

Peace out and good luck in life.

Sincerely,

Me

It's a true shame that a supposed "institute of higher education" exists to merely rip-off students and to bury them in financial turmoil.  It's also highly deceitful that some of the Westwood College "admission reps" (please!) are found on this web page posing as current or former students.  I laughed outloud when I read Bruce's comments about being a former premed student at Binghamton and then deciding a couple years later to go to Westwood College instead.  His story just screams B.S. to the highest degree.  Game engine courses with a calculus component?  By the third week in a dicussion course, the class drops by about fifty percent?  What other clouds of smoke are you going to blow up innocent people's rears, Captain Intelligent?                 
     Unfortunately, a good friend of mine who lives in Ft. Myers, FL has been taken to the cleaners because of this scam of a college (I shouldn't even be referring to them as a college).  Both of his parents didn't attend school and his high school grades were quite poor.  Both of these two factors caused a target to be placed on my friend's back and Westwood College pulled the trigger.  It's a shame that they go after honest individuals who may not be the sharpest acadmically speaking, and who come from households where acadmics were never held in such high regard.  These potential students are just trying to better themselves in life, and Westwood College in return slaps them with debt totaling close to eighty grand and hands them a worthless degree.  The writing is in black and white and on the wall people.  DO NOT and I repeat DO NOT sign up with these jokers.  They will break you financially as well as emotionally.  You do realize that if you are willing to pay nearly 80 grand for your education and your grades are decent you could easily attend one of the prominent ivy league schools in the Northeast?  Hmmmmm...A Cornell degree or a Westwood College Online degree.  That's a tough one.
     Use what's between your ears folks.  Go to an accredited university or local community college.  Don't sign up with this scam; you'll regret it for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.        

John Doe-Proud graduate of the University of Florida.  Go Gators!

DO NOT GO TO WESTWOOD! For all the money you pay, go to an accredited university where you'll be educated and not scammed. This was the worst mistake I ever made and I'm just glad i only wasted one year instead of 4. Please please, if you're looking at school, go to a real one. Not this garbage institute

I recentely received a job offer for an Admissions Rep position at Westwood, but after reading all of this I don't think I can ethicly take the position regardless of how great the pay is. Thank you to all who are honest about this school for preventing me from making a big mistake.

Okay, does anyone have any info about westwood online accreditation regionally?? Is it still pending? how much longer until a decision? maybe a link for supporting reference that they even applied, if possible? I am sure current and potential students would LOVE to know. It will quiet a lot of people, like me! For me the only other Grapic/game design school I have available to me is 25 miles away, which I can not commit to b/c of distance and my family. Westwood online is as good as it gets for me, right now. Soooo, it would be a tremendous plus for me to know where they are in the regional accreditation process. I really hope the get it!

I have been told that my problem will not be solved until sometime in mid-June , so until then no refund for me until it's fixed.This would be fine if I worked or didn't need to buy a new laptop that can run game that's needed for my class(The school does not sell or offer any laptop deals so you going to have to buy one).Luckily I had a credited amount that can be used in the meantime to not miss any payments I might have.Now with that mind I still stand by what I said previously and if you think I'm being harsh , put yourself in my situation. Think about what if their wasn't any credited amount forcing you to miss payments or possibly be evicted out of an apartment because westwood extreme incompetence.Now it's been since January since I received any loan refund and have been using saved money.I was suppose to receive money in march and due to foul ups + incompetence I've got to wait longer which I fear many people if they were in my situation would go insane.

My Review:May 26,2009
(Sorry for it being long , but it's what you want know)

Speaking from the Westwood Online part(Game Art and Design) ,Westwood is a school where you can learn a lot but your basically going to have to teach yourself.That's not to say they just ship the books and software to without any guidance , but the only thing that you have to reference is teacher , lecture and book examples(and online search examples).A tutoring link is available for some classes.Certan teachers will have videos of how to do whatever is required in a course but most of them your on your own.(Which is not too bad.)

My main gripe is over the previous semester into the coming semester it took a number of times of me calling back and  forth to get what I wanted out of loan to get refund money.The loan would be ok'd through Sallie Mae but westwood would deny it.It took weeks of the loan being rejected by the school to figure out it was higher than the cost of attendance.I had to tell the person to just put in the new amount instead putting the old amount and than changing because every time that happened it would get rejected from the school.

Skipping ahead I received half of the money , the new semester about to begin and I still do not have the other half which was suppose to be available to me on May 19(due to switching some system over which was  completed last week) , and my only answer I have gotten is an email will be sent asking about it. 

If you can find a place like ITT Tech or better, go there first and get a two year or four year degree.If you want to receive a bachelor's degree on top of your Associate's degree keep looking at other online schools.If you do not have any other choices and really need a four year degree, please go two years at another school then switch to westwood you'll come out a lot better(This is what I have done).Do not for any explanation go a full four years at westwood.($80,000 more than likely more now.You do the math)

(And also be prepared to deal with what's happening to me at westwood.The good news is this may semester is my last and I only have one class due to transfer credits from ITT Tech.)Note: Some , not all credits transfer to westwood.

Can somebody help me please? If I take crimminal justice classes at Westwood college are they transferable to the UC's or CSU's

Woo hoo!  Getting ready to graduate from the school of design in a week and I was just directed to a video on youtube about a Westwood College scam.  Scary?  Oh yes, but it's too late now and thank goodness I'm so friggin' talented!

I loved Westwood- and my portfolio rocks.  I have seen some who will be graduating from the school of design who have no business designing though- and I feel for them.  Those are the individuals who will be posting complaints- they just aren't in the right field of study!

Good luck to all you Westwooders, looks like we might need it!

Wow, after reading all what was said on this web site I don't know if I want to go to westwood. I really want to study web design online...anyone one knows the best school for that?

A little advice.  In latin thay say "Caveat emptor"  Let the buyer beware.  This is all that needs to be said about this school.

Hi everyone and I usually do not post comments in this type of website but it seems like there are number of people here that are looking for a real legit information.
I am currently majoring in Game Software Development. Westwood online college is actually the 2nd college that I am attending after my first college in State University of Binghamton, which I withdrew after 3 years of pre-medical program. 
So I didn’t even bother trying to go to medical school, instead I ended up working in a local shop as a manager for 2 years. I really wanted to study something that I wanted to do, which was programming. I got into game development program in Westwood college.
At first, it seemed pretty easy(like people who wrote above bragging about 3.7 GPA after first two semester)but after about half year later, we got into more serious classes such as game engine courses and calculus. One thing I always notice in difficult class is that number of students in discussion sections usally cuts down to more than 50% after the third week. I won't be surprised if some of the negative comments above were made by one of em. 
But truth is, you'll also be surprise by some great experience these instructors have and some classmates are actually ones who already work in big name company like Microsoft.
There are also many clubs in this school that really focus on real-world experience. For example, there is competition going on in my development club for pretty much creating a full game. 
Also, one thing to keep in mind is that this school is not CHEAP. This is a private college and most private colleges are over 15,000 a year. 
You will have to read 20-30 pages (or more) every week in order to keep up with the course, and you have to do that by yourself without someone behind your shoulder. 
I have many friends who have graduated from my previous school(SUNY Binghamton) and some of them are currently jobless or do something even high school graduate can do. Not because the school itself is bad(this is one of top public college in US, go ahead and google it), but because of poorly chosen major and some just never bothered to do any internship or other activities and just relied on school course itself. Your dream job won't come to you without some sweat on your forehead. 
Bottom line is, College itself is really not IMPORTANT, only about 70% of game developers even have college degree(and how many of that do you think are actually really from top colleges). College name is not important either. What is important is your SKILL and PASSION. But one thing thats true is that college is one of those place that will teach you that skill. There are tons of accredited colleges and institutions online or most likely atleast couple around your town. Spend some time researching them if they do teach you the skill you need because thats what really matter. Good luck!

What I have read on this website is pretty much true. I have gone to Westwood college for the past week and what I have received from Westwood College is pretty much nothing. I was handed an application and was to sign it asap so that I can start college as soon as possible. I was interested in the Game Developement program. After everything that I did and went through in the office, I had a couple of questions that I wanted to answer. After multiple calls with questions that I wanted to have answered, I did not receive any answers. I was comparing ITT and Westwood. By far, I believe that ITT has a better ciriculum when it comes to game design because they have the art classes classes, the level development, and they have the programming languages that are needed for program design. The only thing two things that I don't like about ITT is that they have only two math classes and they do not offer C++ for the programming courses which are crucial for game design. I have research a lot of information on websites about game design and I do have a wealth of information, so if anyone wants to know about game design then you can email me and I'll give you the information you need to know about game design. My email address is norridgechopper@gmail.com. I'll give you a list of websites, programs needed for game programming, and information on programs used for XBOX 360 game designs.

To anyone that's looking into this school I advise you, DONT LOOK ANY FURTHER!!! This school is such a scam. They just want your money! The admission staff will tell you anything and everything to get you to sign up. They do not have any personal experience as a student of Westwood College so, how would they know? I should know I graduated this pass month. I can tell you this, I spent ONE WHOLE YEAR just surfing the web not having anything to do in class. I basically paid thousands of dollars just for books and to teach the course my damn self.  

And another thing, the only reason why westwood gets such high rankings is because Westwood gets audited so the staff will tell the students to say positive things so the school doesnt look bad. All in all tech/ trade schools are overrated.

I sent emails today asking questions to my representative, and have yet to receive any answers back. It's nearly 5 hours later.

After looking at several schools that offer online programs, and finding so much negative comments on most of them, that I've just about come to the conclusion that there's no good way of going about earning a Game Art and Design degree.

Anyone have any other names I could look at?

Westwood college is a total scam, plain and simple.
It's a complete joke--practically NONE of the credits will transfer anywhere, and the cost is MUCH higher than they make it seem.

Believe me, I went there until I realized that they are just a diploma-mill, shelling out essentially fake degrees.

I feel like I was tricked by one of those email scams and I'm now over 10,000 in debt because of it.

DON'T GO THERE!

I've been considering WWC online for a few days (Looking into the Video Game Art and Design bachelor Degree) but I'm not very familier with colleges and what to look for. The reviews here are very mixed, so I don't know what to believe.

Like some of the others before me, I'm Active Military.
What do I need to look for in a college?

i plan to attend westwood this year, starting august, and ill be majoring in Criminal Justice, anybody have any advice for me?

Westwood is a complete nightmare.  All they do is scam students out of money.  They'll lie to you in the beginning about the tuition a year.  It will really be about $20,000 a year which is ridiculous especially since their not even a university or regionally accredited for that matter.  I'm currently suffering from their scam, as I now have Williams and Fudge calling me about a balance that I know I don't owe Westwood.  I will be looking into this further pulling up all the necessary documents to prove them wrong plus I got a little plan to expose them for who they are.  I will take legal action against them if necessary.

Now for those of you who may think I'm some bitter student because you think I failed....it's not true at all.  I have maintained an incredibly high GPA since entering college.  I take my studies very seriously as I want to further my career path.  

Westwood is nothing but a scam company and everything will come out into the open in good time.  Karma is stronger than you believe.  What goes around comes around.

To all you Westwood employees coming on this page, you know that what you're doing is wrong.  Do you guys enjoy stealing away people's money and future?  You guys are heartless sorry excuses of human beings, lying over your telephones.

To those who are so excited about Westwood and are graduating soon, I will pray for you, as things will crumble before your eyes.  You will be in serious debt and have a degree that will be worthless. I have a friend that I met through this school and she is still there about to graduate in October.  I tried to warn her but she feels pretty confident about the school.  I just don't want to see what will happen when she's done.  Please get out while you can!!!

I'm currently going to Westwood online as well and they have been very helpful. I got married and had to stop a semester and right away when I got back the next semester they constantly got in touch with me to coach on the transition of going back to school. What you'll you'll learn online is "online" there is indeed a difference between online school and going on campus. But what you learn solely depends on you. They will give you all the resources and it's up to you to make it happen. But I might go to campus or transfer the few remaining credits to expand.

I attended Westwood in 2005-2006.  I have bad & good things to say about it.  First the bad, when I enrolled in their Video Game Art & Design course, I was rushed into getting everything signed & taken care of so I could begin classes two weeks later, I believe this was Oct 2005, I wasn't even sure if my financial aid was taken care of but I was in classes anyways.  I attended classes for a semester and did quite well, a 3.8 GPA with Deans List Honors at the end of the semester.  So I thought I was doing quite well until the second semester began.
  As soon as the 2nd semester started I was blocked from my classes due to "finacial difficulties".  I spent a solid two weeks speaking to WestWood financial advisors and my own admissions advisor about what to do and none them had any idea.  In the end, I was dropped from my classes and left with a 5k bill that I am still paying off.
  Now for the good part, the classes were great, I felt I was truly learning the video game industry.  In fact one of my professors whose name I cannot recall at the moment was a nationally recognized game designer and yes I did google her.  The rest of my professors seemed geniune and cared about us the student body, leaving comments to every student on every assignment that we handed in at the end of each week.
  So was WestWood worth it?  I can't say for sure really, the teaching staff that I had was spectacular but the WestWood financial / admissions office was a terrible mess and now several years later I'm still trying to find a school in which to finish my BA in.

I advise that all in-coming viwers will research Westwood college first.  Be careful of the information you buy from this site because all of the negative repsonses on this site might come from students who failed a class and had to pay money for it, so there trashing this school because their angry with it. On the other hand, all the positive responses on this site might have come from employees that are trying to cover up the evil things Westwood bestowed on their students. For all in-coming viwers I highly suggest that you research any college you choose to attend for all colleges are out there to get your money. No college will say to you that you can go there for free unless they want you real bad. Even in that, you, the student, are advertisements for that college. In other words if a college give you a full-tuition scholarship they know that, with out a shadow of a doubt, you will excel in that college and probably will inspire others to be like you, therfore, bringing prestige to that college and $$$. For all animation majors if you go to www.animationarena.com or google for the best animation schools you will find a list of the best animation schools to attend. There are 5 top animation schools, but when you view the full list Westwood is listed as one of them. So check that out before considering the pros and cons of this school. I also do know that Westwood do have a legal, but not a very good loan plan. Do not let any college sign for you. Read the fine print and if you need a dictionary beside you then have it. If you let Westwood sign for you then you probably will be paying a payment for that loan forever!. However, you must seek to take out loans like Perkins and Stafford, for your payment and interest will be in deferment mode or frosen off for future time. Thats right if you are in college and you take out loans from Perkins and Stafford your payment will be after you graduate, 6 months after of which your interest will accumalate on that payment.Now back to WestWood,  It is best to obtain a catalog of a college in which you plan to attend and discuss it with teachers and current students of that college. online college is definitely not for everyone, esp. animators. Animators need hands-on training. Now some people, "when they were 2-years old" animated a box-office animated feature, but if you started animating during your high school years its probably best that you attend the school on campus.  Hands-on allow you to work with others and bounce off ideas on each other. Remember that collges, esp. online are not there to baby you. Yeah the college you attend must give you the best education there is, but there not suppose to give you the answers. MY maxim is "you might be able to teach art, but cant teach creativity". Now take that to the bank!

Kevin and Mike,

I am one of the "highly paid sales people" that work in the Admissions Office for Westwood College Online.  I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about either the Game Software Development program, or the Game Art Design program and not pressure you for any fee.  Westwood College is a military preferred college, and we do have 2 military advisors on staff that will work with you and the VA with TA or the GI Bill.  By the way, I am making so much money here that I am enlisting in the Army, shipping on Dec. 30th.

As "Read the Fine Print" mentioned, online schooling is not for everyone. Westwood College offers students who didn't have the focus when they were in highschool to take the SAT's and ACT's the opportunity to gain a valid degree.  Our regional accreditation is being evaluated (they have to review the number of graduates per course) and should be approved this year.

You can post questions on this site for me, or reach me directly by calling 303-410-7869.

Best regards,

John Good

I'm looking into the Game design Bachelors program online and looking around online i havent found any information or reviews for that specific program.  anybody have any input? also being in the military any degree i go for has to be online.

I too want a Game developer degree and I am Military as well.
Where do I look? I was going to transfer to westwood in the fall 09.

Chris,
  Have you spoken to several employers in the computer networking field that you would like to work for upon graduation?  You may want to check with some of these employers; a lot of them aren't necessarily looking for a degree but are looking for certifications (CCNA, CCNP, etc).  You can generally get the training directly from the certifying body for less than $2k and take the test for under $500.  If the companies that you would like to work for aren't looking for a degree in computer networking, why spend $100,000 (once interest is factored in) when you could spend less than $5,000 for the same credentials.  
  Other than that, both ITT and Westwood are for-profit, private schools that are going to be very similar in cost and education.  Both have sales people (called Admissions Representatives at Westwood) that will try and convince you that the school they are representating is better than others.  In reality they are very similar- again do your research and find out if the IT jobs that you aspire toward really need a degree or if you would be just as well off taking some classes and getting your certifications in UNIX, Cisco, etc. A lot of the entry level IT jobs that you would be eligible for upon graduation are only looking for the certifications, so again why put yourself in debt around $100k when you can get the training and certifications directly through the companies for a fraction of that cost?  Check with the employers and find out what they are looking for instead of relying on what highly-paid sales people are telling you.

I am looking into the "Computer Networking systems" program at Itt-tech. I've heard a lot about itt tech as well as westwood.. I honestly don't know which school to choose.. any input?

As a former employee all I can recommend is that you read the fine print and take time to analyze everything that your admission representative is telling you.  There are many successful students who land good jobs in their field of study but many times more that end up with a lot of debt and nothing to show for their time/money.  The admissions reps are generally not very candid about the actual cost of the school and will explain to students that grants and/or student loans will cover most of the cost.  They will also ask the potential student if he/she can make a $150 payment a month while acting like this will take care of the balance not covered by student loans and grants.  Please do not fall into the trap of thinking that this $150 a month payment along with financial aid will take care of the cost, I have seen many students who truly believe this.  Everything is disclosed in the promissory note that each student signs, but because of the rush to start classes and the complicated legal writing of the promissory note most students sign without fully understanding.  Below are some things to think about before making such a big decision.

- Full time tuition is $4,149 per term (10 weeks).  There are 5 terms a year and a bachelor's degree requires 15 terms. Total cost for bachelor's degree is over 70k and over 35k for an associates degree including books, software and online fees.
- Any amount not paid for by student loans is being financed by Westwood at 18%.  This is made more enticing for students by asking if they are able to afford $150 payments on the amount financed.  The interest rate is 0% while the student is in school.  Once you are dropped or graduate the interest rate jumps to 18%.  By continuing to pay $150 a month once out of school you will basically pay double on any balance that you owe (ie. You will end up paying 19k for a 10k balance at 18%).
- Is there another option for education that won't put you in debt for around 100k? Many students that I spoke with would have been much better served by a local community college or at the very least an online college with regional accreditation.  National accreditation sounds great but most schools are regionally accredited and won't accept transfer credits from nationally accredited schools.  Think about what happens if you decide that Westwood isn't for you and you want to transfer your credits elsewhere. No school will guarantee the transferability of credits but "good" schools (state colleges, ivy league) won't accept Westwood's credits in almost any circumstance.

Please post here if you have specific questions- I'm happy to answer them.  Westwood is not a bad choice for every student but there are much better choices out there for most students.  Think about it and don't get rushed into making a decision that you later regret!

Do you get a student refund from the school?

When I first heard about West-wood college, I was ecstatic that I'm working on my BA in Marketing and Medical Administration.  Not only that, I found like three people who graduate or transferred from my community college to West Wood. However, ever since that news broke out about the suing of West-wood college, I decided right then and there that I wanted to leave. I've only been in that school for three weeks and already, I'm worrying about how to pay back the school 2500. 
Now here is my question.  Because that I'm half way finishing this first term, Do I have to take the other four terms to get out of West Wood college? I want to leave that school before the second term starts in March. 

Too much for a non-RA school.

how much does it cost to go to westwood college

If they are a candidate for RA they DO NOT offer it yet. It's not saying much that they beat out the likes of Devry and UOP.

Wow.  Its very easy to listen to a lot of negative things.  Especially when most people who post things are only motivated by their negative experience.  I did a lot of research to uncover both sides of Westwood College.  Aside from all the bad stuff on here there are a lot of good things.
For example, their online program is ranked in the TOP 10 based on an independent researcher: www.OEDB.org.  They beat out other places like Unv of Phoenix and Devry.  Also, they are the only online college with graduates in game software develop and game art design.  Under their Student's Right to Know, OVER 85% of their students are actually using their degree after they graduate---THAT'S A HUGE PLUS!  The cost may seem high and sticker shock is definitely natural!  But when you compare it to other private colleges, they are fairly competitive.  The Art Insititute wanted over $100,000 for a bachelors!  Oh and they are accredited by the ACCSCT and are HLC candidates also!  So they offer both regional and national accreditation.

I have a son in the Web Design program and I can't convince him that this is will not end up being good for him.  Any suggestions on getting him to stop and go to a state college?

I think that with on line college you will be getting a lesser quality degree for more money.  One of the things that I do not like about Westwood is that it is over $300 per credit out, no proctored tests are give, and the classes (most of them) are concerned with pushing you through at the fastest possible rate whether or not you learn anything at all.  I am currently in a compiler design course and I must say, it is the most ridiculously designed course I have ever taken.  The code we are given to learn from is more than 10 years old, which means that it will not compile on modern compilers (C++).  You might think that this sort of thing would be a good learning tool, having to debug old code, but when given a week to compile three decade old programs and turn in the output by Sunday night, it seems like we are being distracted from the purpose of the course.  

Another issue I don't like about Westwood is the fact that many of the "instructors" do no instruct.  They post what they are given and are barely around to answer questions when needed.  There were a couple of exceptions, but for the most part, the instructors seem like they lack the knowledge or desire to fill their billet.

I started off doing well there with a 3.7 GPA and now I am down to a 3.3 GPA because I just can't seem to stay motivated to continue the circus that is Westwood.

Is really this school accredited? They are telling me it is!

search google for "Is Westwood college good?"  and about the 3rd link down - read that.  Ex-Students and even teachers from several of their campuses are sueing them for deceitful business practices.  I noticed this too when the lady talking to me latched onto getting $100 from me right then and there and wouldn't let go for me to "sleep on it for tonight" like I told her.  That lady scared me, and I almost made the mistake of applying to a school that was (very CLEVERLY) luring me in to giving out my bank account information.

I was looking into this college because of the lack of other colleges that offer the degree I am looking for: Game Design.   Is this college good for what I am looking for?  From what I see here you say all they want is my money.

The animation program is nowhere near the caliber that is needed to be an employee at Pixar, Disney or Dreamworks.  Most of the work / lessons are very basic and you have to teach yourself all the important skills that are needed to work for one of the big production companies.  As for the cost, all that Westwood cares about is getting your money.

I was thinking about applying to the online animation program. Does anybody have any thoughts on the program?  What are the graduation rates like?  Is it really worth it?  Does anybody know if any of the graduates from the online program have made it to any big production studios, like Pixar, LucasArts, or even Dreamworks?  Any info would be cool. Thanks

is west wood accredited

-Aside from several individually meritorious instructors (whom I shall continue to respect), the bulk of faculty and administration seemed to have an almost complete disregard for the quality of education that was being delivered. Many students' queries would remain either wholly unaddressed or responded to with patronizing abstractions, even though repeated attempts were made by fellow students (and myself) to span the virtual distance created in an online environment. There were repeated instances in which instructors were for all practical purposes non-existent, and left many of the students feeling abandoned.

To add to the general feeling of unease, there is a distinct lack of organization between the various administrative offices. This becomes most noticeable when concerning any financial queries, which (due to their extremely disproportionate tuition costs) arise quite frequently.

In my own experience there was additionally offered no alternatives concerning the established course syllabuses (which often were several years outdated), scheduling, make-up work or extra credit options. All queries concerning such matters were either blatantly ignored or responded to with predictably uninformative "Not my problem. Go talk to so-and-so" advice. Yet the bills keep coming, and they are gaining interest as I write this.

I feel legally robbed blind.