I love Roosevelt University. ( I graduated in 2005, so my review is of the University during that four year period). I attended both because my dad was an alum as well as for the fact that they offered me a full academic scholarship, and I have no regrets. Even if I had actually paid to go there I would have very few complaints. The course offerings were plentiful in my departments (double major in Psychology and Liberal Studies) and they offered an Honors Program which allowed me to take some very interesting courses as well as experience social and volunteer activities. I had some excellent professors here (particularly in the English and History departments). I attended both the Schaumburg and Chicago campuses, but was mainly based at Schaumburg. I also worked for the student activities office and was a member of several organizations- student government in particular, so I was able to experience all aspects of student life at RU, even though I was a communter student. I also made many friends here who I keep in contact with to this day. I made the most of my experience by taking full advantage of what the professors had to teach me as well as by getting involved, and from 2002-2005, RU was my second home. My four years at Roosevelt were a wonderful time in my life, one that I will never forget and very often wish I could return to (the real world kinda sucks). read more

Roosevelt University has a number of significant issues, and I will keep this brief. The university places strong emphasis on social justice in its messaging, but my experience did not reflect those values in practice. Administrative and bureaucratic processes are slow to respond when students need support, yet communication becomes very frequent when something is required from you. There was also a cybersecurity incident during my time at the university, and I felt the institutional response did not adequately address the impact on students whose information was affected. In addition, policy enforcement appears inconsistent across departments, which adds to the lack of clarity in day-to-day processes. Based on my experience, I would not recommend this institution. read more

I'm older now, and I recall my days at RU fondly . As a non traditional aged student I felt at home and supported on campus. RU was my career launching pad. read more

The financial aid office at this school has the worst staff communication to students. Whoever is running this department clearly does not care about the students. Communicating with these people is like a dog chasing its tail. Absolutely terrible customer service experience. I was charged tuition after the July 31 deadline and then when I asked the financial aid office what this charge is for they couldn't even answer my question. Then I was told that all my classes will be dropped if this balance wasn't paid immediately. I asked them to tell me what this balance is for and they said to join the zoom meeting. News flash: I had already joined the zoom meeting, and that person told me to call the financial office. My experience with the financial aid office of Roosevelt University makes me feel like I am on an episode of Saturday Night Live. What an absolute JOKE these people are. read more

My son enrolled in Roosevelt University in April after being told he had a scholarship. I knew that his federal financial aid and money out of my pocket would have to come into play just because of how expensive the university is. The registration was $205. Housing was $250 PLUS a $50 processing fee for housing. At the beginning of June, Elijah and I made the decision that he was going to unenroll due to cost and how disorganized the university is (I mean seriously very unprofessional) Fast forward.....I proceeded to try to get a refund for registration and was shut down due to "time constraints" and now today housing refund was shut down due to the same. I passed the "due date" because of how many emails I have had to send to this school! They drug out contacting me until after I did not qualify for a refund anymore. I can't even express fully how pissed off I am, but that's okay because I am going to complain about this school on every platform. AVOID THIS SCHOOL. $505 just down the drain. EDIT: There was nothing on their website regarding strict refund guidelines or timing.............I can almost bet there is now due to me telling them they owed me a refund just based off of that! read more

I had a lot of fun and met some great ppl thst shared my desire for a 70s style education. But i couldn't get more than a minimum wage job with my degree. Seriously, go to UIC and learn something that has jobs read more

The book store: The hours on Friday to pick up textbooks and other items is just nonsense. I mean what successful business is open only 5 hours on a Friday? Of course there are no hours on the weekend, the University is keeping this (book store) schedule on a traditional academic route, where other Universities are making changes to reach a wider audience of students. Although I can get emails about them pushing pens, textbooks, jerseys with the school name to cock fights and liver transplants but nothing about the hours of the store in these emails. I only see this level of distinction at academic institutions of higher learning and freakin clown shows. I am not sure if they are trying to make sure that the University is keeping that "cool" kid -like vibe for the students and their families from small po dunk towns from God know where, or these kids need to have enough time to get high (they smoke right outside the store! IKR?). However for the working professionals and those who are serious about an education, this is just another impediment to getting that degree and actually recommending the University to other people. The bookstore is just a reflection of the mismanagement of the institution, who should just go "full party school" than trying to "sell" that they are a serious academic institution. read more

Roosevelt University - The hardest book to ever get, after you paid for it - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I graduated from RU in 2014 with a masters degree. I sadly have to say that I loved the program I was in, but some of the professors made it a negative experience. They lack the ability to communicate properly with their students, which is interesting, given they are mental health counselors! Not to mention, the lack of communication and help these professors and overall departments provide, is a shame. They do not respond or give any guidance when needed. Sad. read more

The mail room is never open, the lady closes whenever she want for lunch and take at minimum and hour to come back, one day I went done at 1 and it was closed and it said she would be back at 3:05... 3:15 rolls around no one is there. The mail room closes at 4 and most students at Roosevelt work, i have never had a smooth experience getting mail and it has only gotten worse. read more

stealing my tuition refund......parents beware not enough training on computer to obtain homework or how to put in this causes student to drop read more

I graduated from Roosevelt University a couple of years ago with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management and Meeting Planning and I couldn't have been happier with the program and the professors. The entire department was personable, knowledgeable, and had a TON of real world experience which made a huge difference when it was time for me to get a job and start my career. I highly recommend Roosevelt and this program. I have a job that I love now and I am so happy I went back to school for a different degree. read more

Here for graduation: The usher staff is incredibly rude! Yelling at family members for saving 1-2 seats for their handicapped family members. The ushers are saying they shouldn't have been so lazy and should have waited in line or made other arrangements (the handicapped individuals). The ushers seem to be in some power hunger overload and enjoy yelling and telling people what to do. We had saved minimal seats for graduation and the usher escorted someone to these seats when there were hundreds of seats left. Our family members were 5 ft away when he did this and we pointed them out and said they are right there, yet he sat another family in their seats. We are here to celebrate a loved one's achievements and couldn't even sit with our family to do this because of the incredibly rude staff. They disrespected multiple individuals and took away from the celebration. I would recommend training your staff on politeness and talking out of courtesy instead of out of hatred. ** also no one checked our bags which I'm assuming other bags were not checked and makes me feel uncomfortable for safety reasons read more

I attended Roosevelt for a little over 2 years before life circumstances forced me to drop out of school entirely. I will say that the majority of my professors (minus a very small handful) were wonderful and great resources. If I was basing my review entirely on the quality of my professors, it would definitely be a 5. That being said, my biggest reason for the 1 star review is the financial aid and administration offices. I won't type out my whole story here, as it's long and I don't think Yelp allows that many characters. But let's just say you would have a much better time banging your head against a brick wall and shaking a magic 8-ball for answers to any questions that you have. Heaven forbid you have an actual issue that you need addressed; they'll make you wait to speak to a person who gives you an attitude and can barely be arsed to write the information you need on a post-it note. All of THAT being said, this school charges way too much money for what they have to offer. When I left, I believe they were charging more than $26,000 a year, plus room/board and other fees. I took summer classes at Harold Washington (ya know, the community college), and was treated better and had all my questions answered for a fraction of the cost. If a community college, that handles significantly more students, can provide their students with the support they need, why can't a private school with fewer students and more money do the same? Honestly, if you're on the fence about whether you should attend Roosevelt or another institution (whether it be community college, another private college, or a public/state college) just go with the other one. Save yourself the headache, rudeness, and disappointment. read more

This university is located in the great Auditorium Building by Adler and Sullivan, home of the acoustically superior Auditorium Theatre. read more

Roosevelt University - Roosevelt University - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The quality of help you get from staff is ridiculous. The amount of money you pay to get that quality of help is outrageous. All they want is your money and provide you with shoddy assistance. Trying to contact financial aid or student accounts is terrible. You wait on hold longer than the length of time you actually need to speak to someone. Going to the actual department to physically see someone is even worse, you wait an hour to see a financial aid counselor and there's not even anyone else in the waiting area to be seen.. Overall, way too expensive for the experience and not even a great one at that. I'm definitely transferring to another university that actual cares about its students and the quality of help. They just want every penny you have and still drop your classes. Not to mention the entire school knows that they're going broke, can't afford their buildings, and letting a lot of staff go. read more

Struggling university that doesn't know how to move into the future. Frustrating decisions made by administration leading to angry and disappointed faculty and staff. read more

The staff in most departments especially the registars office are rude and unprofessional (except Admissions of course they are nice because they want you to enroll so they can get your money). The professors are good but when you have to deal with subpar staff who clearly don't like their job, that takes away from the potentially positive experience. Roosevelt University is entirely too expensive for students and alumni to be treated poorly. Based on my recent experience with this college, I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS UNIVERSITY. Chicago has better universities than this. read more

I did my Master's degree program in Training & Development online with Roosevelt University. The online classes were typically easy to follow and well-organized, though they often only included text instruction and links to websites for additional reading. I would have preferred more audio and power point lectures. Most of the professors were fantastic, very helpful and very responsive to inquiries. The "support staff" in terms of administration were generally helpful but I felt as though I usually had to be on top of things and make calls and inquiries to make sure things like financial aid disbursement and graduation applications went smoothly. I also liked that each course had a review at the end of it where you could rate the professor on things such as knowledge and accessibility, as well as make suggestions for course improvement. Whether or not they actually implement any of those suggestions I don't know, but it's still nice to be able to have a voice. The program had a heavy dose of applied psychology, which I appreciated, and upon completion of this Master's program I qualified for membership into the American Psychological Association (I have a Bachelor's degree in psychology as well). Some of the topics I learned in the program like multiple intelligences theory and generational theories were particularly interesting to me. The instructional design aspect of the program I think however is quickly becoming out of date. Current employment opportunities in instructional design really want you to know how to design web-based instruction using specific computer programs. This degree program didn't really use those computer programs that are being used in the "real world." So if you want to do instructional design, I think you'd be better off selecting a program in educational technology than this Training & Development program. Unfortunately, outside of Chicago this University is relatively unknown. So people may think it is one of those "online schools" especially if you do your degree program online. However, I think the quality of the education that I received is well above a University of Phoenix, for example, and better than most state schools as well. RU is typically ranked as a low tier 2 or high tier 3 University by US News & World Report, and that ranking seems pretty accurate to me. That puts it mid-range amongst "ranked" universities. Despite it being relatively unknown, it is a private University in the Midwest, which does give it a bit of cache out West at least. Roosevelt has a free lifetime alumni membership, which is pretty awesome considering my old undergrad University constantly tries to pressure sales me into becoming a paid alumni member. Roosevelt is also very diverse and has a liberal social consciousness that I appreciated very much. read more

I wish I could give 0 stars but I can't. Let's just say the fucking food here is complete shit. Homeless people eat better than the students here at Roosevelt University. Food is way overpriced and let's just say the quality or the food and staff aren't what I would call 1 star material. Every time I eat here I get sick for 3 days. It's $6 for like 4 pieces of really nasty burnt chicken tenders. About $5.50 for a burger that sits in this liquid for a few days then heated up. And don't get me started on the French fries.... Sorry Roosevelt but you need to get your shit together. P. S. The water is good tho. read more

Worthless degree. There is nothing at Roosevelt that you can't get much better and a lot cheaper at a public university -- assuming you qualify. Roosevelt is for students who can't meet entrance standards of even a third-tier public school. read more

I feel that I am now entitled to review Roosevelt University since I am only two weeks away from completing my Certificate in Meeting, Convention, and Exhibition Management. Overall, I have really enjoyed my experience at Roosevelt. There have been some hiccups along the way with billing and other administrative tasks. A few fellow classmates have had the same issues. Apparently, they need to tighten the admin belt a bit. All of my professors have been truely passionate and enthusiastic about their industry and the subject matter that they teach. It has been infectious. The classes were well worth my time and money. If you are considering attending school for Hospitality, definitely look into Roosevelt. Roosevelt would not be my first choice for undergrad. It definitely lacks that college campus feel, and most of the students are commuters. It was definitely the perfect setting for Graduate school. Terrific downtown setting and right on the EL. read more

I transfered to Roosevelt from a much larger university in California. It really upsets me that Roosevelt doesn't have the greatest reputation amongst other Chicago schools, because I think it deserves higher recognition. Many of the professors at Roosevelt teach at those "prestigious" schools throughout the city, and most are highly educated (one of my professors last semester graduated from Harvard). Most of the classes are fairly small (15 students on average). There is a more personal feel in class. I've also had good experiences with the staff, primarily the office of student accounts and financial aid. Everyone is very helpful. Roosevelt is located in such an amazing area too. Right in the center of downtown Chicago, right across from Millennium Park. ...I only wish they hadn't increased tuition! read more

DO NOT GO HERE! I applied here and got in. In the email they said I got a merit scholarship for 40,000 but when I got enrolled they said I don't have any scholarships. The staff is rude and unorganized. 50,000 a year for one zoom class a week? No thanks. Not worth getting scammed at this school! There's way better schools!!! read more

I'm currently working on my first semester (finishing sophomore year) here after transferring from a community college in Texas. So far, I have been fairly pleased with my experience at the school. Teachers- All five of my teachers are definitely qualified to do their job and are helpful if you ever need anything. A particular highlight has been one of my psychology professors. She is young and works full time in the field, so we get to discuss her real-life cases and experience and it makes for an engaging and interactive class. She is always asking us how she can improve, and the time she spends grading the work we turn in is evident. She marks all over our case study analyses-- not to grade us down, but to help us learn APA style and improve our writing/grammar/spelling skills overall. That is above and beyond! It's easy to tell how much she cares about her field of study and the value of our individual education. Administration- I haven't had too much trouble in this area. The people who work in the offices can be kind of rude and unhelpful, as if it's such a hassle for them to do their job and help you.. but I think probably some of them that I've encountered are work study students so they don't really care much about their job. The library people are really awesome and helpful though. They will help you with anything you need. My one experience calling the technology help desk was abysmal. The guy must have known about technology but he didn't seem to know anything about the school, so he couldn't help me at all with logging into myroosevelt. Campus (Chicago)- So beautiful and unique! The auditorium building is rich with history and it's really cool we get to be a part of that. There's a great little cafe in the lobby too (which until recently I thought only had coffee- turns out they have much more). They're also working on a cool new 32-story building set to open in 2012. The school really seems to be expanding and growing right now, with the new building and creation of athletics starting this year. It's an exciting time for the Chicago campus. Financial aid- I don't qualify for any federal aid, but the school granted me an annual $7,000 scholarship just for applying, and my sister received a similar number. So when you're considering the school, shave a few thousand dollars off the initial tuition to get a better idea of your baseline tuition costs. I'll update more as I get further into my major program (elementary education), but so far my experience has definitely been a positive one. read more

Roosevelt University is a unique institution, with a proud, progressive educational history. It is located within several buildings in Downtown Chicago. I attended and presented at a conference here in the newly-built Wabash Building. The facilities were state-of-the-art and well laid out. Also, there are gorgeous views of the city from most levels. Classrooms, dorms, and the gym are all centralized within the building, which is convenient for students. However, I am a traditionalist and find the lack of an outdoor "campus" quite lacking. read more

Scamming students during a pandemic. Make them pay $50,000 a year because their syllabus told them they still had in person classes. Then conveniently move it to Zoom only after they move in so they can't break their contract. read more

I'm currently attending Roosevelt University as a student in their Masters program. I didn't necessarily plan on attending grad school after undergrad..but I decided to look around, take a gamble, and pay the application fee. About 1 week later, I got an e-mail from the admissinos office announcing my admission to the program. It's been smooth sailing ever since. With my undergrad university I had to jump through loops to talk to an advisor, double check the program requirements because my advisor was steering me in a direction that would have added on YEARS to my program. I have experienced none of this at Roosevelt. I was promptly sent all of the info- school ID, book info, registration info, etc. They really have a handle on their communication and ability to make smooth transitions for students. Every time I've had a question about anything, (billing, tuition, program information, etc) I've always been able to get in touch with someone with answers. To my surprise, the Office of Student Accounts is very good at e-mail responses and pointing students in the right direction. Class size- Roosevelt is a small school, and I believe that the grad programs are even smaller. My class sizes are small enough where the professors know everyone's name within the first few weeks of class. Professors- all of my teachers have had years and years of industry experience. Each class has shown me examples of real-world, success stories. Campus- there are two campuses for Roosevelt, downtown and Schaumburg. Unlike other schools, I don't see a strong sense of unity or campus life. However, as a busy grad student who also works full time- I wouldn't have much time for activities anyway. I cannot comment on the undergrad experience though.. I can't wait to graduate this December, and will recommend anyone to looking into Roosevelt's programs. read more

I am a current student here. I transferred many times before I found a school that I could actually see myself graduating from. Here, they don't try to bs you with so many classes that are irrelevant to your major. They also have tutoring programs and helpful student activities on campus. The only thing I really don't like here is that they do not offer enough ONLINE CLASSES!! read more

I'm enrolled in a graduate program at Roosevelt University and I while i think it's great for that, I don't think I would have wanted to attend Undergrad here. It's missing the feel of a university in a smaller city atmosphere. But of course this is only my opinion and one would need to speak with an actual undergrad but definitely keep that in mind if you're looking for the traditional campus with a quad, Buildings in close proximity, Greek houses, etc. That being said I feel like I'm learning a lot and my professors are some of the best in the business. Of course....I'm paying for it. It can be expensive. read more

First off, this school has a huge political lean to the left. If you are moderate leaning right or any sort of Republican/Libertarian you will not fit in nor survive here. Second, this school is practically all music majors, not a place to attend for business or any other intelluctual degree. Living on campus you get little space for what you pay and their meal plans here suck. Most of the classes are jokes that you will not learn anything from. If you are looking for a quality education, with good staff that focus on teaching, classmates who care, and a good price, then do NOT go here. read more

I don't know what the heck is going on with the other poor opinions on here, because Roosevelt University is the best school I have been to throughout my academic student career. Literally from the politeness to the staff remembering my names, to the progression of social awareness that this school has to offer in terms of equal opportunity, this school has literally everything I could ever want. The views from the classrooms are breathtaking, overlooking the lake and the city. I love the fitness center too- it's huge and even offers a private dance room that I always use when I want a quiet place to stretch or lift weights. The cafeteria also offers a huge selection; including Starbucks, healthy drinks, and even sushi and ahi poke tuna salads! Yeah the tuition may be a teeny bit pricy, but if you're wanting a quality education that's in the heart of the city that's what to expect. read more

Went my last 2 years at Roosevelt and loved every minute of it. I felt my Professors were excellent and of high quality, and since the classes are no more than 25 at most I actually was able to participate in classroom discussions. Plus, every Professor there will take the time out of class to help you if you need it. I've been away from there for many, many years, but I still cherish my time at Roosevelt as a great learning experience that helped me gain more confidence and succeed in the businessworld. And, by the way, I did. Thanks, Roosevelt! read more

Got my masters in voice here. Great faculty with a long-standing yet modern involvement within the city of Chicago. Classes always have a solid curriculum that align with the university's mission. Right next to so many performing venues and a great place to be as young professional, regardless of occupational interest. read more

Well I came on this part of Yelp by accident. Thought one star reviews were for the cafeteria. Hmmm. I graduated from Roosevelt on the Dean's Honor List with a BSBA. Took three job interviews, got two job offers both at higher than entry salaries. Finished career with over six figure salary. Boy do I value my RU degree. Once you get out into the REAL world your degree is just a piece of paper sitting in your closet. IT IS WHAT YOU DO WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND BUILDING ON YOUR EXPERIENCES THAT DEFINES YOU. Just sayin'. read more

I only went here for graduate school, and overall it was a positive experience. Everyone, faculty and students, was so passionate about we were discussing in our courses. The material was challenging, but there was no shortage of people willing to help. I have nothing but great things to say about all of my professors. I took off a star because I don't know if I would have wanted to have gone there as a undergrad. The classes are probably fine, but RU doesn't really have that college campus atmosphere that I experienced in my undergrad. read more

I got my MBA here - finished the program in May 09. All of my classes were small and most of my professors were excellent teachers. I do feel that the accounting professor I had was not very good at all. Also the finance professor I had really did not explain things very clearly. In both cases I had to take those classes over again to really understand the subject matter. I also liked that I had the option of taking classes in Schaumburg if necessary (I did end up retaking Finance in Schaumburg). However both campuses need to make traveling to and from them easier for the student body (especially since a lot of the urban population at the downtown campus doesn't necessarily have cars). Overall I feel that the educational experience was solid and worth the money spent. read more

Move in day for my freshman student. Ms. Ro is awesome! The system she implemented for check in made for a VERY efficient process. Great Job Ro, the Football Coaches and all resident assistants ! read more

Too expensive. I'm an independent student and my financial aid grants or loans didn't help cover the full cost of tuition (and yes I am a Chicago resident). I owe a balance of $2600 which won't be paid off in time for next semester, which means I won't be able to register for next semester. I hate it here. Once this money is paid off, I'll be transferring for sure. read more

Roosevelt is a great place. I'm got a Master's in Clinical Professional Psychology and even though I'll be in in debt when I finish, I made a very good decision. The program facilitates students becoming licensed as Professional Counselors. The psychology professors are competent and they are also nice people. The administration is usually helpful. The psychology professors at Roosevelt care about their students and it shows. Some of my favorites: Dr. Craig, Dr. Ferrell, Dr. Douglas, Dr. Baker, Dr. Campbell and Dr. Beltramo. read more

The financial aid staff are a hit or miss. Kathy is the absolute best, but please avoid David. He is the worst. Stay away! My only issue with this school is their offices, any of them that you deal with they aren't very helpful. Otherwise I've enjoyed my classes and experience here. read more