The "best" of the unaccredited universities??

Anyone have a list of which are "best".

In terms of quality of courses, service, etc.

 

I'm not sure what your goals are but I might be inclined to think that non accredited schools are a waste.

Given the fact that there are DETC schools out there, and RA schools out there, with 100% on-line programs, why go to an unaccredited school? The DETC schools seem to be very reasonably priced...not even unlike those with self claimed accreditation.

Maybe you cannot find the program you want in these accredited schools? I don't know the answer for you based on your question. However, please share your goals and I bet someone on the board can point you in the right diection.

 

I'm just curious.

 

Which degree do you want to earn?
In which area do you wish to study?
How much are you going to spend?
How much residency can you do?
What do you want to do with the degree?

Depending on the answers, some schools might be better options than others. But that can vary depending on your circumstances and goals.

But, as bing points out, you're operating on a faulty premise. Other than costs--and not always those even--there are no reasons to pursue a degree from an unaccredited school. You might have to pay more (gee, I wonder why?), or you might have to do some residency (ditto?), but there are reasons for these things.

Asking which unaccredited school is the best is like asking which tire has the fewest leaks. A better question is "Given my circumstances, which degree program is best for me?" I would find it hard to believe, with few exceptions, that the answer lies with an unaccredited school.

 

The best unaccredited school this week will be accredited next week.

 

One of the only non-accredited schools that has been put forward as an example of a good (though controversial) school is Bob Jones University. After many years of vigorously refusing to pursue accreditation, Bob Jones U. is currently engaed in the accreditation process with TRACS, a recognized national accreditor of Christian schools. The other model for a good unaccredited school--California Coast University--is now an accredited school (with DETC).

There are a few state-approved schools in California that some people like, but I have not found them to be too interesting (especially when programs at the regionally accredited state institutions are often less expensive).

Institutions, such as Kennedy-Western, Century and the deceptively named Breyer State are not good considerations, as their ability to provide legitimate education is highly questionable, as information on this forum makes abundantly clear.

Since the evaluation process required for accreditation is not applied to unaccredited schools, it is extremely difficult to judge whether they offer an adequate (or even any) quality of education.

Tony Piña
Administrator, Northeastern Illinois University

 

Excellent summation, #1:

quote:
posted by Bing:
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I'm not sure what your goals are but I might be inclined to think that non accredited schools are a waste.

Given the fact that there are DETC schools out there, and RA schools out there, with 100% on-line programs, why go to an unaccredited school? The DETC schools seem to be very reasonably priced...not even unlike those with self claimed accreditation.
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Thanks.

 

Excellent summation, #2:

quote
posted by Rich Douglas
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Asking which unaccredited school is the best is like asking which tire has the fewest leaks.
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Thanks, Dr. Douglas!

 

Excellent summation, #3:

posted by Bill Huffman
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The best unaccredited school this week will be accredited next week.
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Thanks, Bill!

 

The best non-accredited university in the United States is this baby:

http://www.ucmerced.edu

It just is. No debate is even possible.

 

My apologies, all, for the repetitions above, but there is much wisdom in many of the posts above.

If I may add one iota to the discussion, it is this: the fact that a consumer/supporter of unaccredited and dubious quality schools may be happier than a student/graduate of properly-accredited schools is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one."

Thanks, all.

 

How about California Pacific University... http://www.cpu.edu
I remember reading a few good comments about them on degreeinfo. Has anything changed overtime?

 

The ACICS schools are a wildcard not usually considered in these discussions. I don't believe that many ACICS schools award degrees but some do. If I have it right, some RA schools will grant some credit to ACICS derived degrees/diplomas/whatever.

 

BOB JONES University Greenville,SC

 

No, and that's good. CPU was one of the earlier, high-quality, state-approved schools under California's 3-tier system (which was considerably better than the one now in place--approval used to mean something).

Without knowing enrollment levels--and I'd guess they're small--I suspect a loss of doctoral-level enrollments (by pursuing DETC accreditation) would not be offset by increased enrollments brought on by accreditation. CCU, obviously, saw it differently.

 

Given the purpose of this board, I assumed the poster meant DL schools.

BJU is applying for TRACS accreditation, IIRC.

 

Tony dissed me!!! That's OK. I don't much like BJU or Cal Coast either.

I think that Bill Huffman is right. The best non-accredited schools are generally those that are pursuing regional accreditation.

So if anyone wants to identify a set of potentially credible non-accredited schools, a good way to short-list them is by consulting the accreditors' lists of upcoming site visits.

But more fundamentally, look for schools that have some f'ing substance!

Most non-accredited schools are just pretty websites and lots of people claiming to have earned grandiose degrees.

Particularly when graduate degrees are involved (and every non-accredited school seems to offer Ph.D.s), look for signs of intellectual life.

Does anyone with this institutional affiliation ever publish anything? What kind of work are they doing, exactly? Does anyone ever present work done under the university's auspices at conferences? Does the school participate in projects with people at other schools, ranging from joint speakers' series to cross-listed course listings to research collaborations? Does the school win awards or receive grants? Does it earn favorable notice by the trade press and by scholarly and professional societies?

Google your school!

I like University of the West. They snagged an international academic luminary to be their founding president. They have an attractive physical campus and are now a formal WASC candidate.

It's probably heresy to say this on Degreeinfo, but possession of real physical premises is always a good sign. It's hard to think of a single degree-mill that's poured millions of dollars into physical plant.

Check out this: Here's Soka University of America's administration building, their library and their dorms. Not too shabby! I bet you wish that your university looked like this place. I believe that Soka was recently accredited by AALE and it appears on WASC's site visit schedule, though it isn't a formal candidate yet.

The Institute of Buddhist Studies is a recipient of a prestigious Numata endowed chair, alongside places like Harvard, Toronto and Oxford. IBS offers its masters degree in cooperation with the RA Graduate Theological Union, sponsors events jointly with Stanford and Berkeley, and publishes an impressive journal.

 

Quite a few ACICS schools have BS and MS programs. And keep in mind, they are all accredited, so they don't fit the original posters criteria.

 

Perish the thought, Bill. I would never diss you!. My point is that I have really not found a California-approved school that I would consider as a viable alternative to the inexpensive California public institutions and the myriad of NA and RA alternatives currently available.

I know that there are legit state-approved schools that meet many peoples needs.

Tony

 

I think the SCUPS Ph.D. in Psychology program looks pretty sound. It does have ODA approval. On the other hand, it's pretty expensive for a CA approved, non-accredited program.