Ashford University Online

| TBS Staff

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Highlights

  • New students can complete up to three weeks of their first course without a financial obligation.
  • Undergraduate students can complete a prior learning assessment to earn up to 30 college credits for work and life experience, continuing education, and professional development.
  • Through Ashford University’s full tuition grant program, students eligible for tuition assistance from their employers may be able to earn their degrees without incurring any out–of–pocket costs for tuition, course materials, or technology fees.

Overview

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Ashford offers more than 80 online college programs to students across the country and around the world. Ashford’s early history stretches back to 1918, where it originated as a Catholic college in Iowa known as Mount St. Claire College, and later the school became known as the Franciscan University of the Prairies. Bridgepoint Education purchased the university in 2005 and renamed it. Ashford closed its brick–and–mortar campus in 2016 due to low on–site enrollment, but decided to keep its online offerings. Today, Ashford serves more than 39,000 students in a fully online college environment.

STUDENT TESTIMONIAL
I love the online experience. Not only is my advisor with me whenever I need them, where as in a traditional school, it’s only when they need you or whenever you have an appointment, but if they miss my call, they get back to me right away. Which is so nice, because the only time I ever truly call someone is if I desperately need them. The other great thing that happened to me while attending online classes was, before I started this program, Ashford University allowed me to get on a mock portal so I could get familiar with the layout of their classes, and learn about how to access all the things I would need to know later. It helped me transition into my classes without a headache or confusion.
—Brittany, C., BA in Psychology, Ashford University

Ashford University Statistics

Public/Private Private, for–profit
Acceptance Rate 96%
Percentage Receiving Grant or Scholarship Aid 86%
Student–to–Faculty Ratio 13:1
Full–Time Freshman Retention Rate 25%
Graduation Rate 28%
Required Standardized Test(s) ACT or SAT scores requested
Accreditation WASC Senior College and University Commission
Student Population 39,000
Date Founded 2005
Colors Purple and gold
STUDENT TESTIMONIAL
One positive experience I have related to attending online college is when I received my first “A”. I knew I could do it, but to see an “A” in my grades after being out of school for so long is a great feeling.
—Shamika, C., BA in Human Services, Ashford University

Ashford University’s Accreditation, Tuition, and Admission Info

Accreditation and Approvals

Ashford University is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Several programs at Ashford hold specialized accreditation from the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Tuition

Program Level Cost
Undergraduate Online $485 per credit hour
Undergraduate Military $250 per credit
Graduate Studies $635–$705 per credit hour (varies by program)
Graduate Military $635 – $705 per credit
Postgraduate Studies $1,082 per credit hour
Postgraduate Military $920 per credit

*The Ashford Military Grant provides reduced tuition for active servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

Admissions

To be admitted into an online program at Ashford, students must meet three levels of admission requirements: Conditional, Provisional, and Full.

Admission requirements for prospective undergraduates are divided into three levels. To secure conditional admission, each applicant must possess a high school diploma or equivalent and meet at least one other criteria regarding minimum age or minimum transfer credits. Students can secure provisional admission after attending week four of their first course, having attained a grade of C– or better.

Full admission requirements must be completed before beginning the fifth course in a bachelor’s program. These include, if applicable, proof of English language proficiency and submission of official transcripts from prior college attendance.

Graduate admission requirements also follow the three–level system. Requirements include a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 2.0 GPA, proof of English language proficiency, continued attendance in the first course, and submission of official transcripts from prior college attendance.

Additional programmatic admission requirements may apply.

Conditional

The Conditional period allows students to determine whether Ashford is a good fit for them, risk free, by helping to ensure they are familiar with what will be required of them as a student. During this period, the following will be required, depending on degree level (please note, this is not an exhaustive list of requirements):

  • Undergraduate:
    • High school diploma or equivalent
    • Access to a computer and an Internet connection that meet the minimum computer and technology skills
    • Be at least 22 years of age
    • Demonstrated ability to learn and study in English

  • Master’s:
    • Meet all requirements listed for Undergraduate
    • Possess a Bachelor’s or post–graduate degree with a minimum GPA of 2.0 from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution

  • Doctoral:
    • Meet all requirements listed for Undergraduate
    • Possess a Master’s or Doctoral degree with a minimum graduate–level cumulative GPA of 3.0 from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution

Provisional

To be provisionally admitted to a program, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Undergraduate:
    • Complete the Student Success Orientation (if required)
    • By day six of week 3, students must attain a cumulative minimum grade of C–
    • Attend week four of the first course

  • Graduate:
    • Attend beyond week three of the first course

Full

To be fully admitted to a program, students must meet the following requirements:

  • Undergraduate:
    • Submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores (if required)

  • Master’s:
    • Submit official trascripts showing a Bachelor’s or post–graduate degree with a minimum GPA of 2.0 from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution
    • Submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores (if required)

  • Doctoral:
    • Submit official transcripts showing a Master’s or Doctoral degree with a minimum graduate–level cumulative GPA of 3.0 from a regionally or approved nationally accredited institution
    • Submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores (if required)

Additional requirements may need to be met for specific programs, as well as for transferring students and international students.

Contact Information

Online Degrees Offered

Ashford offers two online associate degrees, 60 online bachelor’s degrees, 22 online master’s degrees, and four doctoral degrees. The Forbes School of Business and Technology offers 24 bachelor’s and eight master’s programs. The College of Health, Human Services, and Science offers 11 bachelor’s and five master’s programs. The College of Education offers nine bachelor’s and six master’s programs. The College of Liberal Arts offers 16 bachelor’s and three master’s programs.

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