Thoughts on California Coast University?
 

Hey all,
Looking to finish up my degree and saw California Coast University (Online) credits our ATPL. Wondering if anyone that went there had any thoughts/opinions on CCU and how credible it was? Thanks in advance!

It’s a for-profit school that is not regionally accredited, so I couldn’t say it’s a good choice. These schools are not as respected, and the credits won’t transfer to most schools.

What about Thomas Edison? They offer about 80 credits for ATP, CFII and 121 CA.

You can then CLEP exam most of the GenEd subjects and only really have to do two or so subjects with the college itself online.

I can’t speak from personal experience, but I did a quick Google search and it shows that Thomas Edison is a regionally accredited public school, so it easily seems like a better choice to me.

I’ve been hearing about Thomas Edison a lot, but not entirely enthusiastic about it. Anyone have experience with Liberty University online? How about UVU? I have 54 credits towards an AA so basically all Gen Ed and 65 in an AS aviation degree. Hoping to transfer all that stuff over with my licenses and ratings and see what sticks where.

Hierarchy of Accreditation
 

Here is a link to the US Department of Education (USDOE) Database of Accredited Institutions:

https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/search

Levels of acceptance and accreditation are huge factors when selecting a school.

Although the search engine lists schools recognized by the USDOE, employers, military, industry, licensing boards, religious organizations, etc., may or may not recognize the degree, diploma or education. This leads to a hierarchy of accreditation and acceptability.

Typically, Regionally accredited (RA) schools are at the top of the list for "acceptability and recognition". However, there are circles of thought that prefer an RA non-profit school over an RA for-profit school. Personally, I'm not too worried about it. In the recent news headlines, it has become apparent to me that Education is big business, so lets not fool ourselves!

Nationally accredited (NA) is also recognized by the USDOE. Oddly, one would think this form of accreditation would be at the top of the pyramid because it implies an accreditation with the highest blessing of the national government. It is indeed a solid accreditation but the utility is limited compared to a regionally accredited degree. Often regionally accredited schools will not accept course transfer or application to graduate school from students of NA schools. However, this is changing, especially since education is "big business"! Bottom line, an NA degree is accredited but may have limited utility.

Program accreditation: This is very important for the industry sector, especially for the host of professional trades and professions.

Foreign accreditation: Foreign schools often need to be evaluated by recognized agencies for US equivalency. Employers and Universities want to know if your education meets the same standard. With that said, some employers or universities request specific evaluators. Link:
https://www.state.gov/m/dghr/flo/219100.htm

Schools undergoing accreditation: Every accredited school had to go through the process. Enrolling in a school that is currently a "candidate for accreditation" may present risks. With that said, every accredited school is always under review by their accreditor.

State recognized: Every State and territory of the USA has a Board of Education or Board of Consumer Protection that regulates the education sector. Post secondary schools go through a process of obtaining a business license and authorization from the State to provide education and possibly grant certificates and even college degrees. These schools may certainly have utility. However, the standards for registration can vary greatly from State to State. Hence, recognition and utility can be very limited.

Unaccredited schools: This can vary from diploma mill to a solid education. For example, religious schools are usually exempt from a lot of regulations and may provide education and degrees. This doesn't mean they have no utility, just means we live in a country with freedom of religion.

Diploma Mills:
https://www2.ed.gov/students/prep/co...lls/index.html

Hope this helps!