Exclesior is a game-changer for working professionals to earn meaningful degrees. Thank you Exclesior!

Excelsior is a money-making scam that sets the students up for failure. Staff does not have your back or want to help with any concerns to ensure your success. Instead they respond with, "oh well, too bad. Don't worry about it, it's not that much of your grade" response I am almost done with the nursing program and am inquiring with other schools about transferring. Terrible, terrible school! read more

Excelsior University only cares about money, not the students. I already had a master's degree and enrolled here to earn my second one, which I completed this past spring. Yet because I have a remaining balance, they refuse to release my degree until it's fully paid. Instead of offering real support or resources, they make it clear that finances come first, not student success. Over the last two years, I've had nothing but misdirection and headaches -- from financial aid, to the bursar's office, to professors. Each department passes you around without real solutions. When life circumstances come up (things out of your control), they're quick to put you on probation and even pull your financial aid -- money meant to help you pay for school -- as a form of punishment. I also noticed an unsettling culture among some staff and faculty, where there seemed to be envy or dismissiveness toward students with strong academic or professional backgrounds. That is the opposite of support and encouragement. I chose Excelsior thinking online learning would be flexible and student-friendly, but the reality was the complete opposite. If you value your time, money, and future -- take your talent and dedication to a school that actually cares about its students. read more

Began my journey with this school March 2024 and was able to graduate August 2025. This school has been great. Aside from a few difficult professors, I did not let them break me and continued to do the work. And I ended up receiving mostly A's with two B's. My advisor was switched during the end, but they were both very helpful. The only way I could see someone complain is money, but that's a personal problem. I will be starting a new program next month & thanks to Excelsior, I'm well prepared. read more

Beware of LPN to RN program if out of state!! I was a FT LPN in NY. Moved to PA after graduating LPN to RN Oct. 24' as I'm getting married so stopped working to study. Could not take NCLEX in PA as there is a pending review between Excelsior & PA State Board of Nursing for last 4 months. Took NCLEX in NY & passed Dec. 2024. PA will not honor my RN license transfer perm or temp while review is ongoing. Both Excelsior & PA BON will not provide timelines for resolve. Many of my graduated classmates can't even take NCLEX since October. Excelsior is not providing the correct information to the board for us to be approved. There are more graduates after us being affected. I'm unemployed!! read more

Happy to remove this if my issue is resolved. Current student in the Nuclear Engineering Technology program. The biggest issue I am experiencing right now is the AI witch hunt come finals time. I was given a 0 for my final paper because some faulty software, known for having unreliable detection flagged my paper as AI generated. This resulted in a full two-letter drop in my grade which is completely unacceptable. I made a complaint and was told to rewrite my paper. Students are given very little recourse and AI detection is notoriously unreliable. For my grade to suffer two letters as a result of a computer mistake administration is unwilling to address is beyond absurd. I don't have much choice but the finish my degree but I would recommend you get your education elsewhere. Again if this gets resolved, I will update or delete this review. read more

PA STUDENTS!!! please check with the PA State Board of Nursing BEFORE taking nursing classes through Excelsior! I graduated 10/18/24. ALL of the students from PA and not approved to sit for our NCLEX! Excelsior is not providing the correct information to the board for us to be approved. There are more graduates after us being affected also. read more

do not go to this school. they are after money and do not work with you to pay it. its better and more accelerated schools. rude staff as well. go elsewhere if you're bridging from lpn to RN read more

I TOLD THE WOMAN teacher? TO TAKE THE "F" AND PUT UP HER ASS' 89% to an F after doing all my assignments. I love attending Hofstra University until an old person who teaches one of my classes states, " he wants no old students in his class, I was the eldest and not in my teens. All the students were whispering about it. I went to the Dean who did nothing but states they would look into it, send the old teacher an email, and said that I should take one year off. Long story short. this is how I end up at Excelsior online, and it is a nightmare and the worst decision that I have ever made. I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN AN F FROM ANY SCHOOL IN HAVE ATTENDED THROUGHOUT MY LIFE. So I know this bitch cannot teach shit. But fing up my life. read more

I applied for an adjunct instructor position with Excelsior. Had a Zoom Interview that went well. Weeks later HR contacts me about providing transcripts which I did. Then they stop communicating only to weeks later say I can expect hiring packet information through email which has yet to come months later. Unprofessional place. Do not apply to work here. read more

Best decision I ever made! ADN program c/o 2025! They have teachers who are knowledgeable with compassion to see you through the program

You may read some bad reviews; however, remember that EVERY school will have students who are unhappy with SOMETHING and complain about it. Please make sure to read all of them and then look at the more recent ones compared to the older ones. This school is a GREAT school! As a graduate of the Excelsior University ASN program, please allow me to share some things I learned. 1) What you put in it is what you will get from it. You will need to work hard and put in the effort. They don't just let you shiftlessly float through classes; they need to know you understand. You are, after all, dealing with people's lives! 2) Do not be afraid to ask questions!!! They want that! Even if you think it's elementary, they love knowing they are helping you understand, and it shows you are actively participating. 2) Yes, they implemented ATI (I was 3-4 mos. in when it happened), and yes, it cost a lot, but it also increases your chances of passing the NCLEX from 73.8% to 93% (Xin Liu, PhD. & Clark, PhD., 2020). There are also payment plans you can get on to help spread the payments out through the finance department. Also, nearly all nursing schools are implementing ATI due to success rates and deeper understanding. I would question the schools that weren't. 3) This school provides an extremely rare opportunity for LPNs to bridge to their ASN without attending mandatory in-house classes. This hit a whole new level of appreciation for me when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have a double mastectomy 5 months before I was due to graduate. I'm sure you are aware, but no local school would not be able to accommodate this. However, with Excelsior, I could continue my studies and my dream of being an RN! 4) The staff are so amazing, and they DO want you to succeed! From admission to graduation, I had NO issues with rudeness or time lagging. My advisor, Jacqueline, was so awesome. I cannot sing her praises enough. She very promptly answered questions and guided me right to where I needed to be whenever I needed her. One particular experience I faced was Hurricane Milton. I was unable to evacuate, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to submit my homework on time, but she immediately put my mind at ease, letting me know the school and professors would work with me. Her biggest concern was that I was safe. She is absolutely wonderful; congratulations if you get her as your advisor! 5) They are NOT ACEN accredited for their ASN, but we're hoping that with all the progressive changes they have made in the 1.5 years I have been there, they are working on it. Reference: Xin Liu, PhD., L., & Clark, PhD., C. (2020). Evaluation of Nurse's Touch to Increase Student Success on NCLEX-RN. Professionalism, Communication, Leadership, Informatics, and Self-Care in Nursing. read more

Be very cautious with their book store. I had a class that required a digital text. I purchased it and tried plugging in the code, no digital material would show up. When I contacted the school they said it was " out of stock " funny how they let me pay for it though? I dropped the course and when I tried to get a refund they said they couldn't because the " code was accessed" even though there was no book to access. Unreal. read more

My employer requires I move to a new location every 2-4 years. I could not have completed my degree in the traditional method. The clinical component of this school was hard! But, I passed the clinicals (CPNE) the first time. I had one problem during enrollment where I was signed up for three courses, the limit at the time was 2 courses. The school withdrew me from one course without contacting me. It would not have been a big deal except that particular course I was withdrawn from was only offered once or twice a year. That set me back 6 months. Ignoring that one error, the school was otherwise good and challenging. THE CPNE (CLINICALS) WILL NOT BE EASY. I recommend attending a CPNE workshop such as the one in Atlanta, GA. read more

I highly recommend Excelsior College to any student who is seeking to complete a college degree through a fully accredited online program! I began taking courses at Excelsior during the fall 2018 semester, term 2. I recently graduated with honors from Excelsior in July 2021. I obtained my Bachelor's of Science Degree in Health Sciences with an Emphasis in Public Health. I chose to attend Excelsior College for the following reasons: it's a non-profit college, is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission On Higher Education (note that regionally accredited colleges are more prestigious, respected, established, & are more accepted than schools that are nationally accredited). It also offers most courses in 8-week terms & focuses on student success by integrating instructor-led & self-paced courses, in which professors & students communicate in the discussion section of the Canvas' course shell. Each week represents a new module with a topic, learning objectives for that topic, & a list of learning materials that students are responsible for reviewing on their own. Student performance is mainly graded through each student's response to the questions listed in that week's discussion thread section(s). Students are expected to apply the questions to the content in that week's learning materials, which forces students to think analytically about their answers & make connections between real world experiences & the course materials. Comprehension of course materials is also assessed through bi-weekly essays & sometimes exams that require students to apply knowledge, not simply memorizing information. Excelsior's degree requirements are relevant & allow for students to choose elective courses in their major that are of interest to them, as well as teach them something about a particular discipline within their major. One of the many things that sets Excelsior College apart from other colleges, is Excelsior's focus on teaching students about the various career options that are available to them upon entering the workforce, as well as what to do/not do before, during, & after a job interview. Excelsior teaches students how to be successful in whatever job/career we choose, how to get the job, the skills desired by employers in the current workforce, how to work well with others, & how to use our knowledge to effectively promote change/improvements within the industry that we choose to work in. I have had the opportunity to experience the education provided at various colleges & I can honestly say that the best college education I experienced was with Excelsior College. Excelsior is unique in their dedication to adult learners, the high quality of online education that Excelsior provides, career readiness preparation, & how they teach students to take personal responsibility for obtaining their own degree when given the right tools/opportunity to do so. My only issue with Excelsior is the Processing Parameters for Graduation Monthly Conferrals. Excelsior College students who complete their degree requirements, are automatically assigned a conferral date (the date that your degree is officially awarded) based on the date that the last course needed for one's degree actually ends. The problem is that the process takes about 3 months. I completed my final course (my health sciences capstone) on Sunday April 25th, 2021. However, the final transaction date (date in which the last degree requirement must be added to the student's academic record) was on Friday April 23rd, 2021 for a June 18th, 2021 conferral date (which was the last conferral date to qualified to be participate in the July 9th, 2021 commencement. Since it takes about one month, after completing the last course, for the last degree requirement to reflect on an Excelsior student's academic record, my final transaction date wasn't until May 21st, 2021. This meant that I had to wait until Friday July 16th, 2021 for my conferral date/for my degree to be awarded (since Excelsior confers degrees on the 3rd Friday of every month). My conferral date was exactly one week after the Friday July 9th, 2021 Commencement Ceremony date, yet I wasn't invited by Excelsior to participate in the July 2021 Commencement as part of the Class of 2021. It isn't fair to make us wait 15 months, following completion of our degree requirements, to walk in the following year's commencement ceremony. With this info about conferral dates in mind, I recommend calculating how many classes you would have to take at a time to qualify for a more timely traditional commencement. You really can't take more than 3 courses at once within an 8-week term if you want to successfully complete those courses on your 1st attempt. Also note, that if you take your 15-week long final Capstone course in Jan, you likely won't qualify to participate in the commencement in that same year. I still highly recommend Excelsior College, but I just want to raise awareness of this commencement issue. read more

Excelsior University - Excelsior College Campus in Albany, N.Y. - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Albany, New York

See all

I came to Excelsior as a transfer student, and for the most part, it has been a wonderful experience! My professors have been amazing, with the exception of one professor who got my advisor to try to talk me into withdrawing from school after my son was in the ICU. I asked for a couple of one--to two-day extensions because I was dealing with trauma, and assignments were due the day my son came home. The other professors have all been so encouraging, patient, and helpful. I love the curriculum, which has been a very different experience from my previous school. It really encourages critical thinking and creativity. The financial aid department is severely lacking in communication and people skills. They are rude, condescending, and dehumanizing. Additionally, I received an email from the financial aid department where they used the word "to" in place of the number "two," which is incredibly unprofessional coming from any college department, but especially the financial aid department. read more

Found this college back in 1976 and my life was changed..Paid as I went, no student loan debt. Everyone was so accessible.. The clinical performance exam was so relevant that it boosted my confidence to move from LPN to RN grace and gratitude . I was the first time I felt in sync with any institution of learning . I was home schooled by my aunt and grandmother and didn't feel comfortable in any school that I ever attended until Excelsior College. I recommend the program today to a young woman at the play ground . Her children was playing with my granddaughter. I will forward information to her today. read more

I felt compelled to post a review since I saw so many one star reviews and felt like my experience was much different. I finished a bachelors of science in nuclear engineering technology from Excelsior University (EU), formerly Excelsior College. Like a lot of people in this program, my background was Navy nuclear and commercial nuclear. Application and Enrollment: The whole process was pretty easy, everything is pretty streamlined. I am familiar with SNHU since my wife is attending their online program. I think the process at SNHU is easier and the enrollment staff and advisors are a lot more hands on at SNHU. Transfer credits: The transfer credits are very favorable, probably some of the most favorable in the country. Costs: EU is pretty expensive, every aspect is expensive, having transcripts mailed out costs $20 for example, some other schools are either free or maybe $5. Courses are pretty expensive, since I used VA benefits, this didn't bother me. If I had to pay out of pocket, I may have went with a different school Classes and Canvas LMS: I thought the classes were well laid out and easy to follow, to show student engagement, you must participate in discussion posts every week. This is not a hard thing to do. I thought all the grading was pretty fair and consistent across the board. If you are transferring in with a bunch of credits, they have you take a cornerstone class to get you back into the academic mindset (they go over academic writing with APA format, selecting scholarly sources, etc). I took 2 labs, and several classes from EU and I didn't really have a problem with any of them. Some classes you have to put in a lot more effort than others (TECH201/TECH202 for example, which is 8SH of calculus intro to diffeq). Canvas is really user friendly, easy to follow and navigate. I am familiar with a few LMS (Canvas, blackboard, and brightspace) and Canvas is by far the best interface. Degree and beyond: Unfortunately the BSNET does not hold as much weight as an engineering degree and it does not qualify for a lot of jobs, this degree really is for someone already working in the field that wants advancement at their place of work or other nuclear power type jobs. This was not an issue for me because main goal from EU was to finish in a short amount of time in order to get into graduate school. I was accepted in to several state schools that have an AACSB accredited MBA program with my EU degree. The BSNET may qualify you for some graduate programs like energy engineering, systems and industrial engineering, or engineering technology read more

After doing a lot of research, last year I decided to transfer my college credits from various institutions, military experience and industry certifications here to finish my degree. I am now nearly halfway through my capstone course, and excited to finally be on my way to finish my bachelor's degree at age 30. I highly recommend this school for veterans, current military, or anyone else who is in the workforce but considering going back and finish a degree. Here are some basic reasons to look into Excelsior: They are among the very most affordable accredited online schools. With capped military rates, I found them shockingly affordable even before my GI Bill kicked in. They are fully regionally accredited, not the less stringent national accreditation of many online schools. You can scan your unofficial transcripts for evaluation to see how close you actually are to a degree before making any commitment or spending a single dollar. They offer credit by exam options for many courses, even high level ones. You can learn the subject using online resources like study.com and then take a test at a local testing center when you feel confident you have mastered the subject. They have committed professors and staff to assist you in your journey. Check them out! read more

I started this school last October and was on track to early 2024 with my ASN. I purchased books for the first 4 nursing courses (104,105,108 and 109) totaling 1,100 dollars. Last week before starting classes for the upcoming fall semester, We were told that those books previously purchased were no longer needed and we MUST purchase an ATI packet totaling 3,980 dollars. No refund will be provided for the previously purchased book, which I used for 2 classes and there would be NO payment plan for the $3,980. They gave $1000 to each student claiming it is to "help" with the expenses but if you are unable to come up with the remainder the solution they are giving is to drop. I was excited about this school and finishing but it seems to me that they are just money hungry and really don't care. so I would advise anyone reading this to please RECONSIDER before taking any courses at this school read more

I recommend the University. As I completed the ASN in nursing through Excelsior. I am extremely proud of myself. I no longer wanted to be an LPN, I wanted to be recognized as an RN. I am so thankful to this University for the opportunity to fulfill a life long dream. Ever upward. I could not be happier with my choice.Excelsior would be a great choice for any LPN who needs alot of flexibility to complete their degree. I finished in under four years and took 4 breaks. read more

Do not attend school here. Go anywhere else, Nukes use your credits at Thomas Nelson. For a college that markets itself as a supporter of veterans, this college makes the process of dropping courses deceptive and predatory. My advisor flat lied via phonecall about being able to drop a course and I was charged for it anyway. After disputing this, I am having to jump through all sorts of hoops including procuring medical documents for their mistake. Further, I was coerced into taking the course in the first place under threat of removal from the degree program by my advisor after I explained that my current schedule would not allow me to have time for the class. Dealing with this school has been a nightmare. Stay away. read more

I bought 36 months worth of course work book. I was told two weeks prior to my fall semester all of those books would no longer be used (used them for one 8 week semester) and would need to purchase anti course work. They provide a $1800 scholarship. The course work is 3980 before tax! I had two weeks and two days to come up with the money and advisors and financial aide have no advice other than to drop. read more

I completed my BS in Business last year and I am currently enrolled in the MBA program. Excelsior is definitely a different format for those who are coming from full time on-campus colleges/universities. I have found that some course are much more challenging than others which i find kind of odd, but it does seem that the focus is on what information you really need. Learning is 100% on you. The amount you learn depends entirely on how much work you put in. The instructors don't really have much interaction unless you ask for it. Me personally, I could certainly pass without putting much effort into the courses but when I have done that, I feel like I didn't learn anything. The programs at Excelsior are completely flexible and not instructor driven which for some might be challenging and difficult, but for those who really need that flexibility it is perfect. read more

fellow medics DO NOT waste your time here. I am a NREMT-P with my FPC and CCP certifications and wanted to go back to school and get my RN. this is not the place. They advertise giving you credit for experience and acceptance of transfer credit and they don't!!! Purdue global gave credit for over 120 credit hours while excelsior gave me 19. The first time was allowed the opportunity to speak with and advisor was afternoon of the 3 day of class the last day to withdraw and get your money back. read more

Just got off the phone with two different people from this college to simply obtain more information. Unfortunately the first gentleman that I spoke to quickly stopped giving me any information after asking the state I reside in. Being a California resident, he said they don't even accept applications due to California not accepting a RN degree from Excelsior. I understood that from readings on the BRN website in California, however I wasn't even able to explain my situation of why I would still like more information and why this program is perfect for me. He reluctantly transferred me to an admissions lady who was clearly briefed by the gentleman before answering my call. She too, was quick to say that they would not accept an application because of where I live. How this hasn't landed them in court yet is a surprise, but I'm not here to write about that. I actually had to tell her "before you're so quick to dismiss me, I would like more information please." I could tell she was frustrated/angered by the tone of her voice and breathing into the phone. After explaining to me where to read up on more information and answering some basic question we ended the phone call. Now here's the issues: -She is incorrect in regards to employment in California. If you were to obtain a degree from Excelsior, yes you cannot work in CA. However, this does not apply to working on Federal/Gov property. I know this because I am a federal employee and I work alongside numerous nurses at a FEDERAL hospital. Two of which ARE excelsior graduates. Working on Federal property is its own little world, that being said there benefits in having to avoid certain state rules and requirements (especially California). -They never even let me explain my situation. I plan on moving to Texas within a few weeks which is a state they do accept applications from. The repetitive robotic responses from them started to really sour my interest in them. -Lastly: Hypothetically, if you were to obtain your RN from Excelsior then start an RN-BSN college program later on from a college that California DOES accept, guess what, you can work in California! Moral of the story: Too many barriers thrown up. They're quick to shoot you down reading from their script vs listening to somebody that wants to give them money?!?!?!?! Go elsewhere. I had a lot of money I wanted to give them in exchange for a Nursing Degree, but they'd rather end the phone call. If I hadn't even given them a cent and their attitudes were already unsatisfactory, It concerns me to think how they would treat you once you are financially committed to them. USE CAUTION AND LOOK ELSEWHERE!!! read more

Excelsior College was great for me. I am not the best traditional student, and I never enjoyed the challenges of getting to a campus for in person instruction. I also learned a few years ago that some of my processing speed is much slower than the average human due to some head injuries I suffered in my youth. Being able to take my time and walk away from the class when it was frustrating me and work in the comfort of my own home made a huge difference for me. When I started, I got a lot of criticism for doing distance learning but now everywhere does distance learning, especially with the pandemic. I did an associate, bachelors, and master's in nursing from this school and my opportunities in my career have grown with each step. I will say that CPNE was the hardest test I have ever taken in my life, and I went through some difficult evaluations in the Army, but I still have all those assessment steps permanently embedded in my brain and I am thankful for that. I have also met a couple long term friends through Excelsior. I see a lot of lower reviews, so I wanted to contribute as much positivity as possible. I know online education isn't for everyone, but this school was a great match for someone like myself. Once I got to the end of the BSN and into the MS all the instructors were Doctorate level and very competent and patient. I also found this school to be the friendliest with my military transcripts. Five Stars! I am completely satisfied with my education, and I feel my communication skills and abilities improved at every step along the way. Ever Upward, William MS, RN read more

Instructors were consistent with helping me to the finish line until the degree was successfully accomplished

I graduated from Excelsior College in 2013 with my B.A. in Liberal Studies (Mathematics concentration). I was previously enrolled in a B.S. Mathematics program at a local state school. Due to pregnancy and the fact that we had moved across the country after our son was born, I was unable to complete my Math degree. I had accumulated over 130 hours of credits from 2002 to 2007 and had significant student debt. I had previously earned an Associate degree from a community college and was only 15 hours away from my B.S. in Mathematics when we moved. Excelsior really helped me move on with my life. I was able to graduate from Excelsior by taking two upper-level Sociology ECE's and a capstone course. If I had enrolled in a local school in my new state, I would have had to take an additional 30 hours due to the residency requirements, which would have been difficult on us financially and otherwise. My previous school gave me the option to complete my degree with them from a distance (Interdisciplinary Science), but I calculated that this would cost an additional $10,000 (I already had $30,000 in loans from my state school, and did not want any more loans). Excelsior initially accepted me in 2010, and I was qualified for a B.A. in Mathematics except that I needed one additional Math course (Analysis). I delayed my graduation because I was searching for a school who would offer that course via distance education (Complex Analysis). This proved to be difficult because it is not a course typically offered online (especially not at an affordable rate). I finally made the (difficult) decision in 2012 to just go for a B.A. in Liberal Studies because I didn't want to waste any more time not having my Bachelor's degree. Since I had over 30 hours of upper-level math credits, I was qualified for a concentration in Mathematics. My B.A. from Excelsior qualified me for acceptance into a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program for Mathematics in 2016, and I was also admitted into a Master's program for Special Education. I have completed all of my requirements for a Master's in Special Education and am due to graduate in December 2018. I have worked as a Special Education teacher overseas and I look forward to becoming certified to teach in the United States. I am forever grateful to Excelsior College for helping me reach my goals. I am also grateful to the person I met in my Intermediate Analysis class who told me about Excelsior. He too, completed his Math degree through Excelsior and was able to use it to become a high school Math teacher. **I would also like to address the negative reviews about Excelsior. Excelsior is a great option for those of us who need to complete our degrees. Regarding the comments about Excelsior placing time-limits on prior coursework, this is something which is being implemented across the country in many schools. This is not unique to Excelsior. Excelsior still offers a cheaper option for degree completion because much of the coursework can be completed by taking exams, which I believe are now $150 each (including the testing fee). **Regarding complaints from nursing students: I think it is your responsibility as a distance-ed (non-traditional) student to do your research. There are plenty of people online who have discussed the $2500 CPNE testing fee. This seems risky to me, so you have to decide whether you are willing to take that risk. Community college might be a more affordable option for you. read more

Excelsior College's roots trace back to studies in the '60s that showed barriers for many military and other migrant workers to complete degrees even though they had equivalent educational experience to those who earned resident degrees. Excelsior/Regents, Thomas Edison State College and Charter Oak State College were bold innovators when they opened in the 1970s to serve diverse communities as adult degree-completion schools. Over time, each of these schools has strayed from their core-constituencies and, without coercion from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, have removed options and placed barriers to degree completion in front of their students. Excelsior has implemented time limits to earned credits and on occasion, has refused to accept transfer credits (letter grade A/Bs) from regionally accredited universities by requiring unobtainable syllabus for decades-old courses on official transcripts. UCLA wrote to Excelsior three times to validate and ask that the credits be accepted in transfer. Given their original purpose and reason for being, there appears to be a lack of self-acceptance of what role they play in American education and whether they are happy with that niche. Could there be a sense of embarrassment that they serve as a degree-completion school and they desire to "evolve" into a "real" college. Newsflash - Excelsior is a real college and serves a very important role in their original mission if they choose to embrace it. Thirty to seventy year-old students at one of the original Adult Degree Completion Colleges should not be forced to restart their educations to complete a bachelor's degree. I transferred to Charter Oak State College which was happy to accept my UCLA extension credits in Teacher Preparation for CTE/Vocational Education (which Excelsior excluded due to their occupational nature and lack of syllabus) and COSC allowed me to complete my degree with two courses. Excelsior is ethical about accepting American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations for credit as published except for the CLEP College Composition exam; you need 6 s/h of English Comp credit or pass their UExcel Examination. It is worth paying the application fee to have your credits evaluated - your experience may be better than mine. read more

Excelsior enabled to earn my degree while working full-time and while raising 2 young boys. The degree was fully accepted by all my employers. It took me a few years, but Excelsior allowed me to complete the degree at my own pace. The degree got me a wonderful job with a multi-national company with a great salary and great benefits. read more

Graduating from Excelsior College was one of the best career and financial decisions I've ever made. I didn't go back to college until I was in my late twenties and, if it weren't for a program like this, I probably wouldn't have ever went back. Prior to Excelsior, I felt like I was destined for commission-only sales jobs. After Excelsior, I landed an opportunity to work for Google, earned my master's degree in organizational psychology, and have had absolutely amazing career opportunities. I highly recommend Excelsior to any non-traditional student who wants to earn their degree and pivot their career quickly. read more

Very expensive, and minimal teaching. they offer no real teaching just read and teach yourself. No assistance to prepare you for steps when you graduate for nursing. Teachers offer no constr criticism just criticizing which is crazy when there was never any actual teaching. I was very unhappy with this program. read more

I DON"T RECOMMEND EXCELSIOR COLLEGE TO ANY PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS!!! SEE WHY BELOW: Excelsior College's Nursing Program touts itself to be for the working professional, and yet they have turned their backs on my brother, who has invested approximately $12,000 and 7 years of his life in their program, never having been on academic probation throughout. He initially enrolled in their program 10 years ago, and had to seek a medical excuse for graduation extension, since his 16 year old son became chronically mentally ill at the onset of the coursework in the program. Excelsior College states in their handbook they may dismiss a student if after 7 years there is no significant progress; and yet my brother has made great progress in the last three years. The Nursing Program issued my brother two 1 year extensions, and one 8 month extension, and he passed all nursing theory exams during those extensions. He kept a B average while working 32 hours per week as a LVN, and dealing with his son's illness. He has passed all nursing theory examinations with the exception of 1 clinical examination remaining. And as my brother was preparing for the last exam this month, they dismissed him, and refused to grant him an extension for the last examination. The Nursing Director at Excelsior states they will not grant my brother an appeal. My brother has never given up on his dream, despite being a hard-working professional, and dealing with the personal tragedy of his disabled son. ********************************************************************************************************** The above review was written, but not published, a few years ago. My poor brother re-enrolled in a local college and finished off his requirements, which took a few years. Some courses he took at Excelsior were not accepted as transferable. Also, I agree with fellow reviewer Tamara B., my brother too found out you can't get licensed in CA with Excelsior's degree, which they never disclosed to him. Nonetheless, my brother kept his dream alive, and has now completed his first year in a legitimate RN Program in the CSU system BRAVO to my brother for not giving up in the face of a terribly unfair and cruel decision at Excelsior College!!! DON'T GO TO EXCELSIOR!!! THEY ARE UNFAIR AND DO NOT CARE!!!! THEY WILL TAKE YOUR MONEY, THEN PULL THE RUG OUT FROM UNDER YOU AS YOU ARE IN THE HOME STRETCH. read more

I have attended Excelsior College since 2016. I obtained a BS and am close to finishing my MPA with one course left to complete. I am also a veteran and have never, not once, felt slighted by this school. I call when I have an issue and if they tell me that my academic adviser isn't available, I ask for another one. It's that simple. I understand that there are issues with the Nursing side of the school but I started in the Nuclear Science program and then changed course in the middle of it and no one gave me a hard time, they helped change my course requirements and sent me on my way. I would 100% recommend this school. If something is wrong with your course material, inform your instructor. If they can't help you, call your adviser. Additionally, anyone who enrolls in an online institute should do their homework prior. Discussion boards are a major requirement in ALL online school structures. There should be no reason that someone is "surprised" by having to discuss topics with other students in the course. It's called participation.. Again, I really liked the format of this school. I appreciate what it has done for me and my career and am sorry for those of you who didn't get to experience it similarly. read more

5 Years later, I've completed an MBA and am about 1/2 way thru the Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program at U Mass. I'm currently in the process of applying to a few PHD programs for when i'm done with the MSF. I can't say enough about the doors Excelsior College (EC) has opened up for me. **I've read the negative reviews on Yelp and elsewhere, mostly related to the nursing program. In defense of EC, YOU have to do the work. YOU have to take the initiative and be proactive with everything (Enrollment, classes, advising, studying, staying on top of things), just like everything else in life. These types of nontraditional programs are designed for adults. If you are not willing to take responsibility for your own education then EC might not be for you. But I will argue that if you can't make EC work, I don't know where you will find a more flexible situation. EC is not a scam, EC is a legitimate "Regionally Accredited" (the highest accrediting body in the US) College. EC has been granting degrees since the 1970s. EC is not some fly by night college with a questionable past or profit motive. Take a look at the alumni list, read the stories of the 1,000s of graduates (including nursing students who have had success), read the newsletter, call and speak with an advisor. If someone can't see the opportunity EC presents, then they will have trouble finding a better solution to their education needs. Stop complaining, take responsibility, do the work, and join the vast vast majority of EC Alumni (myself included) who have EC to thank for everything they have helped us accomplish. read more

Completely a disconnected experience. No ability to contact instructors, wait for days for replies from advisors (they do this so as to extend out your inability to withdraw from class, keeping your money), and the most convoluted web learning experience in existence. Save your time and money. Total rip off. read more

The nursing college has been undergoing several lawsuits from students who claimed that the school repeatedly failed students on the CPNE in order to generate more income. The college has list money over the years because of an 80% fail rate on this exam. read more

I was a student at Excelsior College for one semester. When I attempted to schedule classes for the following semester, I was told that no Pell Grant money had been applied to my account for the first semester, so I owed the school $1000. I spoke with financial aid who told me that they needed some tax documents. I know that this is typical, and I did my best to comply. I sent what they requested but they responded that it wasn't what they needed. They gave further instructions and I sent something else, but it was still not what they needed. This went back and forth for literally months. Every time I submitted what I thought they needed, they took a week or two and told me it wasn't right. They were very slow in the review and response process. Months later they were finally satisfied. Everything in my record was correct from the beginning and the whole thing was just a waste of time. Now that their questions were answered though, it was too late to apply the grant money leaving me with the whole balance. They said that there was nothing that they could do. They referred me to the Ombudsman (Ombudsperson?) who also couldn't do anything to help me. My debt was sent to a collection agency! I am about to retire from a 22-year career in the US Navy and need to buy a house when I move, and I was reported to a debt collector. I paid the full balance the day after I received the letter in the mail. I am supremely disappointed in Excelsior College. I would have spent so much more money at this school once I retired. They could have had my entire GI bill. But now I will go somewhere else. Seems like a silly business decision to me. I will tell everyone I can how Excelsior works. I will find as many places as I can to post about it. I am so disappointed. read more

Let me first say I have a Masters and a BS from 4 year Universities, but when I left the military I thought it would be helpful to put more arrows in the quiver so to speak. So I enrolled at Excelsior. I was surprised at the transfer credits they gave me, but that should have been my first sign that it is not a legit "college." They are definitely after that VA money. I was skeptical so I took statistics. What a huge waste. The book learning was easy, but courses force you to try and have a classroom experience by forcing students to read and critique each other's work. So my grade in stats was partially dependent on logging in and looking at Joe Blows opinions about some instructor led question rather than my ability to master the concepts and believe me sometimes Joe was out to lunch or whatever. So after 16 weeks of that hell I decided that Excelsior sucks and did not register for another class and it is not like a degree from Excelsior makes my resume look better. 52 weeks later they send me a bill for $550 for student fees. That age old lesson you must formally withdraw. So I paid it because obviously they need it and prey on students to keep that horribly crafted maze of a website up and running. I had to phone in and get help to navigate where the hidden withdrawal link is, and withdrew. Bottom line attend a school in residence if you can. Excelsior is not worth your prosecutors dollars and they will try and get as much of your money as possible. The instruction is well below what you can get from a live person and the interaction with your peers at a brick and mortar institution. Don't be lulled in thinking oh this is at my own pace and convenience. It is not convenient. read more