I have taken six classes at NCU and have found the experience O.K. I have about $19,000 left to pay to recieve a doctorate and I am debating about stopping. I have just started another class and need to make a decision in 6 days. I am thinking about going for an Ed.S. or finding another place to play. What does the board think? Is NCU going to be alright? I normally don't bet more than $2.00 on blackjack and I feel like I am betting $20,000 with NCU.
Sit tight with your 16, the dealer is showing 12. In all likelihood NCU will be around for many years to come. Do what I am doing wait until the accreditation report comes out, then decide.
For those in the NCU doctoral pipeline already, I'd recommend finishing out. Dropping the program means waving goodbye to the costs and (mostly) credits earned to date. Also, they should be able to retain their accreditation long enough for you to graduate. Finally, it is typical for a school going out of business to move its students to another accredited school to be "taught out." While not always optimal, it is a saving grace for some. I have no recommendation for those considering NCU.
I faced the same dicision a year ago and decided to leave NCU for Valdosta State. I am very pleased with my decision. I am finishing one course at NCU right now to finish out my specialization courses for Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS), so I do not consider those credits to be wasted. VSU was right for me at the time given my interests, so the decision was not motivated by anything lacking with NCU - I just found a better fit for me before I got to the point of no return.
I don't think NCU would go out of business. Look at Jones International (another online school), they have been there even before than NCU and still surviving. However, as more schools offer online PhDs, there will be less reasons to do it from a school like NCU or Jones International. My bet is that these schools would need to drop their prices in the future to become more attractive may be by outsourcing their teaching to another countries ( a PhD from India for example) but I don't think they will be out of business as there will be always a need for cheaper online accredited education. The primary customers of online PhDs are teachers already teaching at the community college or university level since an accredited degree would give them a better salary regardless where the degree comes from. NCU, JUI, Walden target this market and there will be always the need to have this type of schools. However, be careful if you are thinking that a PhD from NCU will help you to land a full time teaching job as this might difficult nowadays with so much competition with PhDs from better schools.
