Horrible service. Everyone else was so polite and helpful, unfortunately I was helped by a staff member named Rita. She was so rude to me and others, I have no idea how she's still there.. I look forward to speaking with someone who can actually do something about this. read more

The policies and procedures at this institution are archaic. Departments that should be working together--like Psychology, Sociology, and Philosophy--often have no idea what the others are doing, even when they're addressing the same student requirements. Professors within these departments teach drastically different content and expectations for what are supposed to be standardized courses. The curriculum hasn't been updated in years--circa 2005--and it shows. Policies, procedures, and codes of conduct are inconsistently enforced. Transferring is an entirely separate headache: departments pass off responsibilities to each other, and overwhelmed, underpaid staff members without adequate knowledge leave students to pay the price. There are other schools better equipped to help students meet today's challenges and develop practical life skills. And while this institution promotes a Christian identity, it often feels like it only scratches the surface--leaning more toward spiritual bypass than genuine transformation. Bottom line? You deserve better. Keep looking. read more

Amazing collection of Googie/Space-age architecture found pretty much hidden near CSUF. Review is for the building and architecture only and not for HIU, the private Christian college which currently occupies the building and dorms. Designed by Eldon Davis the father of the Socal Googie Futurist movement, I really liked wandering around this space and checking out the unique style. HIU was originally a theater, student center, admin building, etc... for CSUF. Just walk around Hope, I wish there were more buildings like this though its not my personal preference. You'll get a feeling of energy, optimism, and something uniquely California. There are massive angular planes floating above you, jutting out like huge rays of energy. You'll get that 50s space age car-culture fusion vibe that also brought us the huge fins and fighter plane noses on 50s American cars. A lot of these buildings are being demolished now, so cool to check them out before they become "modernized". I'll leave this as a tip but don't forget to check out the Dorms which were also done by Davis but is not as well known as the main campus!+ read more

See all

I met some very influential people at Hope. Some were teachers who took the time to listen to you and cared to make things better. Others were fellow students, whose hearts were open to caring about you and your situation, and tried to help things become better as needed. The food in the cafeteria was just okay. Nothing great. The dorms were okay. Four to a room was too crowded Two to a room is ideal. There were no real athletic facilities then. Now there is a basketball gym. The campus is split into two sections: residence halls/cafeteria and classrooms/administration. I found it easy to get a job on campus each year to help pay for things. read more

This school only get's one star because the teachers there for the most part are amazing, however the school is hell on earth. I attend HIU and lived there from 2008-2009. The program that I had signed up for that was teamed up with CSUF was threatened to be cancelled twice in the year that I was there, I got sick of it and their administration so I left the school and applied to the CSU system on my own. I continued to live there however till the end of 2009. School: Anyone going to this school not looking for a degree in ministry or music will be screwed. Everyone I know who decided to graduate from there they found were lacking in credits or classes and had to go back to school to finish them to get a job. There is ZERO job placement help there too so good luck finding a job after graduation, and get excited for massive amounts of college debt. with tuition costing over $30,000. Yet they are so bad at managing their money that they are in a constant state of closure. Oh and don't even get me started on the shoddiness of their accounting department, the IRS would have a field day with them and the crap they pull to cover up their billing and receiving mistakes. Athletics: HIU cared more about their drugged up, loosing basketball team than any other winning sport at the school. I lived with two exchange students who came to play tennis there. At the end of my first year budget cuts hit the school and they revoked the scholarships from the tennis team and the volleyball team, all highly successful teams, they cut the scholarships so much that all the exchange students who came to play on those teams had to move back home. But guess what the loosing drug and alcoholic basketball team did not see any cuts, hmmmmmm. Oh yeah and even though it's well known that many of the athletes are doped up they refuse to administer drug test because they would have to expel everyone Housing: absolutely disgusting, our RA actually got mold poisoning while living there. She was supposed to join the peace core after school but because of the health issues that followed her encounter with the mold, she was not able to go and had to move home. I lived there over the summer and our room topped out at temperatures over 100 degrees! We had the maintenance crew come in multiple times to fix the cooling because it was blasting 90 degree air into our room. Did it get fixed, nope. Our rich room mate's family ended up buying us a rather large air conditioner for the room, which was illegal to put in but we were roasting up there. They say its a dry campus but that is a complete joke everyone there drinks on campus. We had major ant infestations, rat infestations, plumbing problems, mold, you name it. The dormatory should be condemned. Social Life: This is a Christian school, but I have never met more fake, unwelcoming, clicky, back stabbing, emotionally unstable, rude, or gossipy people in my life. Plus many ppl there are only there because of the sports scholarships so they could care less about living a Christian life. I was the DD for my roommates to a basketball after party and a girl there got roofied and almost date rapped. Classes: There are a few really great teachers there and I am sad that they have to be apart of such a horrible institution. However some of the teachers and advisors are a total joke. I swear my advisor was a pot head, and he did absolutely nothing to help me out. Other advisors and teachers were the kind of people that just hate the world and hate life and loved to take it out on everyone around them. If HIU could turn their executives and administration around and get ride of their useless teachers things would get better, oh yea and tear down the horryfyiong dormatory. Anytime I hear someone talk about Hope International University I always say the same thing. The teachers are great but the school is awful go to Biola or a state school, anything is better than getting sucked into the vortex that is HIU. read more

You hear so many advertisements over the radio and see them on TV all the time- you know the ones that say something like, "So you want to finish you degree..." or "Get your Master's degree from the comfort of your home on your own schedule..." Well, that's exactly what I'm doing at Hope International University. I'm attending through their online Master's of Ministry program. Right now you are probably thinking: "What's he doing?!? A paid endorsement??? It sounds like a commercial!!" Nope. Sorry. I wish I were being paid to write reviews! This is just the honest truth based on my personal experience...and now, back to my endorsement. HIU is a fully accredited university. With small children at home, I thought it would be years before I could ever realistically pursue a Master's degree. The staff that helped me through the application process were patient, kind, and knowledgeable. The way that the classes are set up truly make it convenient. Each week you have new lectures to listen to, as well as threaded discussions (in-class discussions), and written assignments. The professors have always been reasonably accessible. The bookstore is great (see my review of that business for specifics). This has been the smoothest and most problem free college experience I could have ever Hoped for ;-) I drove down once to look at the campus and to get my student ID picture taken (ID's aren't required for online students, but it made me feel like a legit student with the card in hand). The campus was lovely. I almost wished that I could take some on-campus courses to enjoy the serenity of the actual location. (Plus, it's only a few miles away from Disneyland!) read more

I'm about to finish my online degree and enter the online teaching credential program. I love this school and the professors. They are caring, compassionate, and supportive. I have never found these qualities at other schools. Thank you to Carol Davidson, my academic counselor, for always having my back and answering all my questions. I love this school! read more

I loved my time at Hope (2010 grad). The community is great - love the small campus and the the ability to get to know everyone. The campus activities are great - loved that you could easily get involved in something almost every night of the week! The professors are phenomenal - they have a sincere desire to get to know you and help you grow as a person. The dorms are OLD as dirt, but they're a pretty good size (my brother is at ASU right now and his dorm is TINY compared to HIU). I wish they would allow students to live off campus prior to 21 years of age. Getting an apartment off campus is way cheaper, but I can see that staying on campus helps keep you focused. I also wish they allowed students who lived on campus an opportunity to ditch the meal plan ($9/meal when I was there was not worth it - I could have gone to Olive Garden every day for that price!). read more

The only thing good about this school is the professors, who actually know what they're doing and do it well. The administration constantly lacks communication and you find yourself running around frantically trying to figure out what the hell is going on with your status as a student. They constantly throw random fees left and right to you and even when they express that they will help you, it ends up with you just being as confused as before. I've had very very mixed feelings about this University, I used to think they were very helpful and communicative but as the months went on, I found myself struggling to even know what was happening with my accounts and status. I would not recommend this school despite how much I love their professors only due to the lack of communication and helpfulness to the students who diligently pay for their studies. read more

I walked out of the HIU MFT program for the last time last spring. It is amazing to look back on the last 4 years in just awe. I transferred from Santiago Community College to Hope's Undergrad, 2 years later I graduated with my B.A in Psych and enrolled in the HIU MFT program, and again 2 years later received my M.A in Marriage and Family Therapy. When you first go to college you completely underestimate the impact a GREAT university will have on your own development. All you see at first is classes and projects and you keep your head down and move forward. But at HOPE, things are different, you grow into a community even if you DON'T think you will. You make friends that become family, you meet Professors that become mentors and then you wake up realizing that YESTERDAY was the last day as a student and today becomes your first day of the rest of your career! If I could say anything to the Students who are starting this program or the Students who are looking to start this program, dig in deep with this foundation, get every ounce out of this program you possibly CAN because one day you will not have a chance to BE HERE, EXPERIENCE THIS and have the opportunity to take this for GRANTED. As I walked away last night I thought of, "I wish I would have gone on the days I skipped". I don't take much time away from classes but even the few times YOU DO...you will think of on your last day. When you realize you DON'T have any more classes to attend. In closing I look at it like this, you can go to any college and get student loans. But having been to multiple colleges, I look at my student loan payment and I KNOW I got a top of the line education. I know I was prepared for the world in which I received my degree, and I know the money I invested was worth EVERY PENNY. read more

Bye Bye Birdie musical was so well done! Noe graduated here 12 years ago and we got VIP seating for alumni. It's free for us!

I like the campus and facilities. Parking isn't terrible and the rooms are good.