National University

I don't feel I learned much from attending this school. The faculty changes constantly so no one ever seems to know what is going on. I stuck with it for a degree but once I got close they added charges to my account and said that they were updating the system and couldn't do anything about it. Now, no one will help me. I get told that I need to pay before they can talk to me about it. I don't even know what the charges are for or why my financial aid won't cover them. They won't let me enroll in my last couple classes or get my transcripts to move on. I am stuck unless I pay them money. Stay away.

I believe this is a great school. I have had no problem with them. The tricky part is the hidden costs. I do feel like the cover up information until the last minute. However the costs compared to other schools is still low and the instructional format is phenomenal. I recommend this institution to anyone but do your homework first and see if its a good fit. They are not a rip off but they do need improvements in counseling and administration. Their degrees are regarded highly. I beat out many other people from the UC system for the job I have now.

I completed my BA, MS, and Admin Credentials at National University. I worked successfully as a teacher and an administrator and received recognition for my services as a teacher and an administrator. After recently retiring, I applied for an adjunct teaching position. I was told that they do not hire their NU grads as professors and hoped I understood why.

I just completed my graduate degree from NU and it was a great experience. I am in the military and I had previously completed two other graduate degrees from two well respected schools and the NU program was much more difficult. There are some individuals that bash NU and in my opinion it's because the school does not require standardized entrance examinations. Anyone with an accredited Bachelor's degree gets in. So you have individuals with poor writing skills that end up failing classes at NU and end up writing derogatory reports online. One of the previous graduate schools that I attended (Tier 1 school with GRE requirement) was an academic joke, but no one complained. Neither did I. Why would any of us complain if we're earning an easy degree from a well respected school? Again, schools with no entrance examinations, multiple campus sites in the US, and multiple online programs tend to get a bad reputation but consider this; NU is NOT a For-Profit school. I actually learned something (unlike previous schools that I attended) and the support staff and instructors legitimately cared about my success and my learning experience. I would recommend NU to anyone that wants a well-structured and quality education.

I graduated in 2013 with the MS Management Information Systems. Now this was my second master's degree (full disclosure). I also have a bachelor's degree from a well known state school (AACSB Accredited), and another master's degree from a well known private school. So I've experienced both realms of education from public and private institutions. I would say National University ranked up there with both. The professors are well versed in the fields they instruct in. My National University degree not only gave me the knowledge and skills I needed for my current job, but also helped me secure a $93K salary. There was no questioning my degree by employers for the people that try to scoff at degrees that don't come from ranked schools. National University is a quality education. If you work full time, have a busy life, and want an education that is flexible, try National University. I will tell you it's hard work.

I attended this school and was treated unfairly. I submitted my assignment but did not receive credit. I contacted the professor but she ignored my emails. At the ending of class the teacher stated that I was not going to receive credit.I repeated the course and receive the same scoring on every assignment from a different professor. The professor was anger because I tried to appeal the grade. I am looking for a different program.

I have read the negative reviews and I honestly cannot believe these people are talking about NU. I am a military veteran, and I have been working on my degree off and on since I graduated HS in 2001!! I have attended 3 Jr. colleges and one state university in 4 different states (always moved before earning degree) and NU has truly been the best experience I have ever had. Most of my college credits were accepted and applied to my degree. I have not had a problem with financial aid, all of my instructors have been helpful, encouraging and very knowledgeable. My advisor is absolutely AMAZING and has been so patient with me and very motivating. I am a stay at home mom with 2 kids and a husband who is active duty in the AF. We lead very busy lives but I still find the time to do my work and the work is CHALLENGING! Lot's of reading, writing and researching. Not a diploma mill, you truly earn your degree at NU. I highly recommend this school for anyone who needs personal attention from advisors and professors during your educational pursuits.

I ended up at NU after finding out I was .5 of a unit short in transferring to SDSU after already getting an acceptance letter. POINT FIVE! I was crushed when my acceptance was withdrawn. I was still able to take a course at SDSU for a semester while being enrolled in units at my community college so I did get to sample SDSU as a school. After completing my .5 of a unit, I had a change of heart and decided that with the crowding situation at state I may be there for another 3 years instead of my preferred 2 years. I decided to look into NU but had doubts because of rumors that it was a diploma mill. I was lucky to have an acquaintance as an advisor and I was blunt about my concerns about diploma mills. He educated me that NU is a non-profit and private university that is accredited by WASC which is the same accreditor for SDSU. All classes could transfer from NU to SDSU without any issues if I should change my mind again. I chose to complete my education at NU with a BA in Management and concentration in HRM. I could not be happier with my experience. I was working full-time so I took a handful of my courses online and have never worked so hard in previous schools as I have at NU. Keep in mind I am an A and B student and always have been, anything below is unacceptable in my book. I've had courses where I had 4 papers, 4 quizzes, 4 discussions, 4 live chats, a midterm, final and a whole lot of reading all in 4 weeks! It was much tougher than the course at SDSU I experienced. However, this is not the school for you if you are straight out of high school and looking for campus life and community. This is for people who are looking to put aside the BS and get straight to the point. I just graduated recently and am thrilled! Commencement was an amazing experience and everyone was very proud of their accomplishments after working so hard. I noticed some concerns about NU's financial and academic advisors. However, I hope my story shows that this is not unique to NU. As a student and an adult, it is up to you to make sure your requirements are met. I looked over my own units and went to TWO advisors on multiple occasions at my community college and the .5 of a unit was overlooked by everyone. I would have to wait another year just to attend SDSU and would probably have to spend 3 years there due to budget cuts. I am so happy that there are other options out there. As a student, remember you must check, re-check, and check again! If something still gets messed up in the process, the good news is you have options! I am now looking into getting my MA in HRM and National University is at the top of the list of schools I am considering. I hope this review finds everyone well! As the President stated at commencement: NU may make it a little easier to get in, but you are going to have to work your way out!

If you just want a diploma mill, then this university is for you. The institution is all about the almighty dollar. They will milk you for every penny they can get out of you. Coming from schools that actually cared about their students, this was a difficult transition. I was able to get my required credential to move on, but the experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Not what education should be about.

The MBA with a specialization in International Business is an excellent program. I am amazed at how much I learned and retained. The teachers are thorough and very much engaged.

From the first day I entered their facility I was lied to. I was told that I only needed a certain number of classes to graduate and they DOUBLED it on me half way through my education. They have this thing they call "Upper Division General Ed". General Ed is for junior college not getting your BA. They also lied and told me that a certain class would fulfill more than one of their general ed requirements, and then they went back on their word. And of course, shockingly, when I was ready to graduate, they were waiting in the wings and told me that I didn't earn enough credits at NU and had to take yet another class. Of course, because I was supposed to graduate in June, this extra class didn't happen until August, and what do you know, financial aid stops in June. So they tell me to reapply for the next school year, I jump through all those hoops only to get a nasty collection call telling me that I have to have 13.5 units to qualify for financial aid. Why did they tell me to apply if I wasn't going to qualify? Because they lie, and cheat, and steal and they aren't happy unless they are making someone else miserable. Do not go to this school, they treat you like a number not a person and all they care about is getting as much money as possible from you.

I did not complete my degree at National University but I did take several courses before transferring back to SDSU. All of my classes transferred and several were direct SDSU equivalents which was very helpful in obtaining my degree. I felt that the quality of learning was very high at NU and I did learn quite a lot. I loved the discussion element because it forced me to be engaged in the course rather than just sitting in a classroom and listening to a lecturer. I would definitely recommend NU to anyone seeking a bachelor degree.

I attended National for exactly two courses. Let me state, the Instructor for World Civilizations was fabulous. 1. The issues were with my First Instructor, who informed the class on the very first day that he does not give A's..grades are not important. It was his viewpoints that mattered only...unless you were the other white students in the class. I was one of two of the African Americans in this class. This man actually sang a song about slavery he learned while attending Catholic School as child..in class. The Judiciary committee did nothing. 2. I started class in July and have yet to receive my post 9/11 monies. I could not get the VA manager,s direct supervisor from my advisor and eventually learned by Veteran Affairs that the personnel with those titles at the Universities..are not employed by Veteran Affairs. 3. I was informed via email that I had been dropped by National because they had not received my transcripts, which my advisor stated she had ordered. My advisor, informed me there was nothing she could do. Imagine my surprise when I learned that all of my colleges had submitted my transcripts. I believe due to the incidents above and the omission of facts, especially by the VA Manager, the University has discriminated against me because I questioned and asked for resolution with the issues that arose continually during my time there. I informed the VA Manager(who is employed by National)The Judiciary Committee, My advisor and her immediate supervisor....I would be filing a formal complaint. One a good note... I called Veteran Affairs, made an appointment and was assisted by the Education Case Manager, who personally processed my claims and I should be receiving my payments within the next few days.

All I have to say still waiting for my finacial aid its been 5 months and all because the financial person that did my paper works did not know that she had to send more paper work.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the academic quality of this program. For those who wonder if an online environment can be academically rigorous - yes, it can and it was. In fact, in many ways the online environment is more demanding. National University has the advantage of being only one of a few universities that has successfully developed an online graduate program in English and I am surprised there aren't more. There is a wide selection of courses and taught by a mostly outstanding faculty. Don't expect a free ride and be prepared to work very hard and write and write some more. The only down side is an often non-responsive administration that appears disorganized and not very efficient at times - however, I have recently noticed efforts to remedy this.

I agree with the most recent review. I experience the most interesting array of teachers at times. When I was younger I was an Honors advanced student with letters of interest from colleges as of taking the PSAT. However, I was abused in my family situation. Thus, while I have somewhat made peace with these facets of life, I can never seem to please the teachers at National University. Having studied abroad and on the east coast and received good grades from prestigious Universities, I find it utterly baffling that teachers that continually post about their professed love for reality tv, grade me down on my discussion posts and provoke for more quality work from me. Additionally, I discover it even all the more puzzling, how a professor [can] maintain even the slightest ethical integrity and their position within the University when they explicitly denoted instructions for a comparative essay and then had the extreme philosophy to essentially flunk me out of two major assignments and midterm and thus ruin my entire month of work because he was not fond of my stance and he claimed that "I couldn't possibly write with such advanced vocabulary." I appealed to the University and they told me that someone would be in touch. Of course, nobody every did rectify or even attempt to appease the situation. I have never in my life been basically forced to withdraw from an English class in the attempt of salvaging my GPA. Being that English has always been my top subject since I was a little girl, and that I have been immersed in Classical Literature since that time as well, I would never have imagined to be accused of intrinsically falsifying my manner of speaking and writing. I have been always fond of 'elevated' language. Connectively, [this professor] would have remembered this of Longinus and his philosophy on 'elevation of style,' within language if he had perhaps inhaled a few less herbal substances in his years of California educational system. A waste of a Phd. Truly. Forgive me if I am bitter. However, you would think National University would advocate for a student so close to graduating, whom has always performed exceptionally well in her prior English courses. You would think a student graduating would be an amicable event, and nothing something that should be vindictively deterred.

First let me explain that I have attended University of Phoenix prior to going to National U. What National makes up in better academics it lacks in customer service. They are never available to deal with you on the same day. It takes them over 48 hours to respond to questions and one must often call/e-mail several times or threaten to speak to supervisors. Also,they lack the organization to speak between offices (example, Financial Aid and Academic advisors are never on the same page.) Finally, never expect that they inform you that they require information, forms filled, etc. until a lock has been placed on your account.

First, I am not flunking and have never flunked any courses at NU. My lowest grades are B's. So this is not one flunked-student reviews. I filled out a grade appeal after struggling with a professor I felt was not grading my assignments fairly (if you've ever had a professor who graded your work based on his personal beliefs other than following the school's guidelines, then you probably know what I mean). Of course, the school didn't approve of the appeal. After this, I realized the two professor's I've had are saying similar things as the previous professor regarding my work (even though I follow THEIR rules for the assignments) and giving the same grades. I wouldn't mind calling this a coincidence if for the past four years I've been in college I hadn't received the appropriate grades for the SAME type of assignments (writing activities, journal entries from reading assignments and comments on students' stories). And I know I'm still a hard working student and if anything, I've made much improvement. So, what exactly could be going on here? Now, the advisers and student services are excellent in contacting me when I have question about something. So are the professors. But it seems to me like the professors from this program are going overboard with their expectations on how students need to answer to each other's work. Sometimes, it almost seems like if you don't see things their way, then you're wrong. I had one professor who even when I would follow his suggestions on commenting would not be satisfied, and probably wouldn't be even if I was to give the very answers from He'd come up with. It was like a child asking why why why why why every you answer a question. I'm currently taking a course in which the professor is behaving similarly and I'm wondering, is this my punishment from the school for filing an appeal or what? For the MFA program, I'd recommend another school.

I transferred from a California community college and completed my BA Interdisciplinary Studies at National and found my experience to be very good. The courses were very good and my professors (except a couple) were also very qualified in their subject. I found that when I had a question or a concern, my advisor was always available to helpful. Sometimes I thought I was a bother with all of my questions, but the advisor never displayed any indication that I was an annoyance. After I graduated I was able to get a job at a great company with better pay (amazing since the economy was bad). NU is perfect for those who work and want to attend and finish college without the hassle of all the public college mess and hurdles. I am glad NU exists or I would probably still be attending classes toward my degree. It was a perfect fit for me.

If you're looking to party, look elswhere, this place is for serious people looking to get a serious degree. Classes are hard, you have to read a lot and write a lot. Highly recommended.

I have been in the Criminal Justice field since 1984 working more than twenty years as a federal police officer and now presently a state parole officer. I was able to learn every aspect of Crime Scene Investigation and Forensics from this very intensive and high paced program. You will start a new class every 4 weeks. The material and test are very challenging and rewarding as well. The professors are highly qualified in their special fields (Subject Matter Experts). My professors currently work for the FBI, Homeland Security, San Diego PD, the Secret Service and many more fields and agencies. This program can be completed in about 14 months depending on your thesis topic and approval for research. My thesis was six months long allowing me too graduate with my Masters in 16 months. I would put my National Education against any Brick and Mortor Institution that teaches Forensic Science. I never had one problem with financial Aid and the VA department was very professional. By the way with my GI Bill and Military discount, my classes were only $988.00 per 4.5 quarter hours. This was less than my undergrad degree at another fine institution. The only thing that I disliked was the fact they don't offer any Doctrates Degrees online ....yet. You can't go wrong with this program even if your not a Criminal Justice professional. It is an outstanding program. Very Respected, National University Graduate

I completed my MA English degree at National a few months ago and I am very pleased with the entire program. The rigor, choice of courses, and the faculty were fantastic. I did not have a flaw in the program. I was worried about the thesis process, but the program has a very supportive process that put me at ease. However, be prepared to work very hard and do a lot of reading and writing. Since the program is accelerated, it can be overwhelming if one does not set enough time aside to be successful. I highly recommend the program.

I can say with confidence - and can back with plenty of evidence (I am writing a book on this topic) - that National University (NU) represents everything wrong about the for-profit model and the subsequent degradation of the American college education. I recently graduated with a MS in Information System, 3.9 GPA and "Honors" Capstone. In my evaluation of the school (part of the graduation process), I gave failing grades in nearly every category. Interestingly enough, not one person from NU has bothered to contact me to ask me how they can improve. I guess from a business process standpoint, they are doing just fine. Oh, and sure they have a regional accreditation, but after my experience - which was reflective of many others - it’s likely that accrediting bodies are highly political. In the end, NU was a gross waste of my time. The on-line instructors exerted very little effort; courses were unorganized; expectations were mixed and confusing; plagiarism among students was rampant (as was the school's lack of ANY enforcement), and learning through the nonsensical, plainly uninformed, and poorly written posts of my "peers" was not an effective learning methodology. PERIOD. Highly profitable (i.e., pay instructors little money, let the students "teach each other," give them a quiz and a paper that will not be read, and rake in the dough) . . . but ineffective. I know of at least two people who received Master's degrees without demonstrating an ability to form a sentence, construct a paragraph, or complete a thought above the 8th grade level. I know: They were my Capstone group members. I suppose it is a good thing that some employers place the value of a degree from NU in the same waste paper basket as those that come from the University of Phoenix, Capella, and the like. Please feel free to contact me at unodir72@gmail.com for more information.

Ugh, what a mess. Most of the instructors aren't qualified to teach their subjects and the classes were awful: poorly organized, several editions of each class had bits left on the classroom so it was hard to tell what was due and when, instructors were totally uninterested in the classes-sometimes not giving a single grade till the end. Financial Aid has zero idea of what it's doing. Everyone tells you something different. No one is ionterested in helping the student (customer!) There are better choices out there.

The academic quality of National University is well above average, especially if you're lucky enough to find a program that's offered onground in a traditional classroom. Online education, though convenient and a strength of the university, tends to be less predictable in terms of instructor quality, and many instructors have not yet learned how to really engage with students online. Many of the instructors also teach at other top quality public and private universities, so provided they're comfortable with the accelerated 4-week class format, and versed in best practices for online education, the instruction here can be compared favorably with any other 4-year liberal arts or technical college. Where National University really suffers is in administration and financial aid. The university is understaffed and systems are woefully inadequate; thus many important matters related to records, financing and progress toward graduation may be overlooked through no fault of the student. Students receive minimal guidance since staff is overworked, and must be exceptionally self-reliant and pro-active to get the service they need; even then major blunders can occur. Be especially careful and attentive to financial aid; make sure that you understand the full cost of your program and any classes that you might be expected to fund on your own. The university seems to want to minimize overhead by inadequately training staff and paying them below market. In the long run this works against the university as students may leave their program with a bad taste from the administrative and financial problems they had overshadowing what was an above-average academic experience. In the end, one cannot be proud of a university where one had such shoddy experiences, and this is no way to think about one's alma mater.

I have been to Navy Post Grad, SDSU, SDCC and now NU--- I am very pleased with their program. The school is very well organized and has an excellent online program. It is more demanding than my previous schools but more bang for the buck. I have taken 8 classes and I walked away from each of them feeling satisfied. Some of their teachers also work in the field they teach(professionals) and integrate experience in the class. I couldn't be more pleased.

I paid over $5,000 to go to National University and they outsourced my training...it was so bad I quit. They are sneaky, deceitful, and downright awful. The training I got was just way below what standards for a college should be. Then because they outsourced my training I had a heck of a time trying to get help. What they did was WRONG. All just to make a buck.

This is my third course at NU and in case you're wondering this is REAL school. I have two B&M degrees and I have to work much harder in my NU program just to make the grade than I ever had to in my prior schools. Be prepared to do a lot of reading and a lot of writing. Discussions are either once or twice/week depending on a professor and you are required to give substantive feedback, respond to people who give you feedback and overall have quality interaction with the class, etc., in order to get optimum points for each discussion unit. A major paper is also required in every class and you have to think fast on a topic and getting research together on this this since NU courses are accelerated. My professors thus far have been pretty visible in the virtual class space, chats, group emails, etc. I have never had any problems getting prompt email responses from professors, advisers or administrators when I initiated contact. The one problem I've had with this school is the financial aid process which is sloooooow. I applied two months before enrolling which I thought would help speed up the process but apparently not. NU says allow for about 90 days and for me it worked out to about 70 days. Other than that so far so good with no complaints. I'm not going to make any excuses for being in online school. I like that is now possible to bypass the distractions and logistical challenges that are a part of traditional campus and focusing in on the pure subject matter. I like learning through this medium best and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Teachers really challenge students to achieve. Grades are not handed out freely. All courses I've taken have been intensive on scholarly research. I find it more challenging and more enriching than my B&M coourses at Nevada-Reno.

I completed my Masters in Forensic Sciences in 2005. While this degree program does not prepare students to "step right in" to a professional position in the Forensic Sciences field, it does a great job in laying a knowledge foundation to pursue specific training in most areas of specialization. The faculty are generally very good and are true experts in their ares of expertise. The classes were ten week when I went, eight weeks now and overlapped. The amount of reading and writing weeded out many students in the front end, and the Thesis writing weeded out many at the very end. (They had no substantive writing experience and did not finish their Thesis). This program is extremely well designed and a phenomenal amount of planning went into it before it went into motion. A really fine school that has improved greatly over the last 20 years.

I earned four degrees (an undergraduate [BPA-CJ] and three [MA/HRM, MA/MGT, & MPA] graduate) from National University while stationed in San Diego, CA. with the U.S. Navy in the early to mid 1990s. Ivy League it's not, but a solid education it is. Ninety-five percent of my Instructors were working professionals who brought great experience to the classroom; approximately 50% had earned terminal degrees. Five percent of the Instructors were, well, not so great, but I think that's the nature of any educational institution; however, now were malicious. My National University experience allowed me to later pursue a MBA in finance, and later an Ed.D in Organizational Leadership from reputable regionally accredited brick and mortar schools. I now have my own LLC, teach undergraduate and graduate studies as an adjunct at two universities in multiple academic disciplines, and attempt to give my students all the support and learning opportunities I was given by NU Instructors and Staff. Like most things in life, you get out of only what you put into any endeavor. National University was a great starting point for me and it has served me well.

An outstanding program. I expected a diploma mill, but was pleasently surprised to find the professors challenged me in every course. Brick-and-mortor and on-line classes available, I completed mine entirely on-line. Instruction was engaging and insightful. Thesis work was also challenging, however my advisor was very helpful throughout the process.

Excellent from start to finish! I received my MA in English from National University. The professors were great, and the material was very challenging. I encourage you to consider this university.

National University promises superior level of education, compassion, mutual respect, encouragement, support within classroom walls, facilitate educational access & academic excellence through exceptional management of operations. I did not receive any of the above mentioned they promised. The instructor did not provide any info on how to submit assignments but reserved the right to take points off which does not promote academic excellence nor it is superior level of education. When questioned about it, he attacked me on a personal level which cannot be called mutual respect. I was told no matter what I do I should not expect an A, which can’t be called encouragement or support. The instructor was unresponsive & did not provide feedback so that I could learn from my supposed mistakes, which does not demonstrate support or exceptional management. When I let National University know about the situation they told me that their teachers are “not required to give feedback on student submitted work”. Then, may I ask how we suppose to learn or verify that the teacher would be correct? I would never enroll in this University and would take the enormous amount of money education cost somewhere else.