American Public University System Reviews

"AMU is an absolute joke. I completed a BA, graduated summa cum laude and could not be more dissatisfied. In the entire course of my studies I never once had a core professor. The course work is horrifically outdated and includes the about me sections of government websites and army field manuals from the 1970's as required course readings. What little substance there is is repeated over and over throughout the entire program which is little more than busy work. I learned absolutely nothing and am totally unprepared for a future career. Making matters worse is the fact that the online platform is a complete mess, and their student support is absolutely worthless when it comes to getting any issues fixed. There's also no platform for student voices to be heard, complaints to be filed, or problems resolved. I'm now a graduate and still have ongoing issues with the university in getting transcripts and needed documentation for registering for professional certification examinations. It's quite literally a never ending crap shoot. Save yourself the frustration and go to a different school."

"I started my bachelor's program in electrical engineering back in 2018. I stopped taking classes due to work/life balance in conjunction with somewhat complicated classes. It's not that I didn't understand the material, it's that they stuff so much into such a small amount of time. Not only that, but some of the professors are not easy to get in contact with when you are having problems with lessons. I ended up switching my program to a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2020. From there, I started hitting classes pretty hard until I finished this year. There were good and bad aspects of the entire program. Bad - Some professors are hard to get in contact with during the small amount of time between weekly lessons. - Many professors provide canned responses to active forum posts and assignment feedback. They do not actively "teach". (I found this to be one of the worst aspects of classes) - The student is hardly ever right when something doesn't make sense. For example, I found the content in my statistics class to be inconsistent and hard to follow (and I am pretty good with math). I even found work instructions that were blatantly incorrect and did not match the published book that accompanied the course. When I contact the professor and subsequently the school about the issue, I was told there is nothing they can do about it. - I felt I had to teach myself in many circumstances. Good - Flexibility to complete assignments during the week. - In many classes, the content flowed well and was relevant to the objective of the class. This made it easy to teach myself content. - Ease of using my GI Bill. Overall takeaway - This university makes it easy to teach yourself content. - Do not expect faculty or staff to go above and beyond for you. (Although some will) - Be prepared to write a lot - Be self-motivated."

"I have read several of the responses and dont understand what people are complaining about. Overall I think this school is well ran and it's pretty easy to get help, I guess if you know where to look. The instructors could be a little better, you can tell this is a second job for a lot of them, but overall, most of them have doctorates and will work with you in all sorts of ways to help you be successful. Overall, this is a good school, and I was a little surprised by some of the comments. Alot of the negative comments seemed like personal problems."

"Did my bachelors at APU and had an avg experience, mostly just taught myself with little direct instruction from the instructors. Stayed at APU for my masters since I was familiar with the format. Horrible experience! Had some personal emergencies pop up with a 2-month premature baby arrival, wife needing surgery that took her off her feet for a month, and my live in 70-yr mom had two heart surgeries. This all happened within a 30 day span. I appealed to the instructors, but they just kept marking my stuff late without any regard to my new time limitations. I had to do an official extension and even a special extension, with one special extension being denied. When I got some of the assignments in before the extension deadlines, the instructors refused to even grade them saying that they needed them on certain dates within the extension window. Screwed up my GPA & had to pay back my job for 1 course. I’m transferring to another college and I’m done with merciless robots as teachers."

"This school for being founded by a former military is a shame. I couldn’t even get registered for classes because no one at the school even communicates with you. Once you fill the info online an a recruiter contacts you answers 2 or 3 questions that’s it. You get a couple o emails congratulating you but contact to see if you have questions or concerns about the registration process or no follow up regarding paperwork you sent. You consistently have to chase some one down. All to no avail because you end up with more questions and no cares to get the answers. This just shows this profit for school treats like a number at the DMV line than a future student or returning student with care. They simply want your money and nothing else. For a school that claims there are military oriented I can tell you as a veteran never felt so isolated by a school like AMU."

"apu's financial disbursement policies in regards Federal loans and grants for student are some of the worst policies I have ever seen . nobody outside of the school I've talked to has ever heard of the way they handle their disbursements. I say this as a PU has shown a complete double standard for a student who receives fund and one who doesn't receive federal funds And I can prove this in the following scenario which I am currently and have been for the last year experiencing. I am a student who receives full 100% tuition payment through the veterans education process And also and also receives 100% federal student loans and grant money based on my EIC number which is then used for your award letter. a PU requires a student to currently be taking two classes Have two classes registered for the following term and additionally two more classes registered and approved for the following first part of a semester to be considered a full time student So taking two glasses and four classes registered and approved in addition in addition keep that in mind So either scenario if you're using federal funds to pay for those classes when your disbursement arrives and the school gets it they are going to take everything that you owe for your classes being taken and all four classes you have to have registered to be full time out of your disbursement check on behalf of the federal government so you're paying for six classes out of that disbursement check when it comes in the receiving any sort of refund right away are very minimal And when you do you're gonna have$980 for each class that you owe taken out of that So do the math. the problem is I'm not paying for any of my educational classes out of the federal funds So I should be receiving every that is given to them for a disbursement through from FASA today they received the money for me however because of the classes that I have registered for but will not take for in my case another month and a half. so the Veterans Administration will not make a payment on any classes until you're physically sitting in that semester's class So anything that you've pre registered for eight weeks or 16 weeks away you're not gonna see a payment from them So what that means is that APU receives your federal funds and will take the money out of your funds to pay for all your classes that you're registered for not just the ones you're taking but your registered classes So what they're doing is making us as students register for so many classes at dollars roughly and they're taking in advance payment out of my FASA and when Chapter 31 payment comes in and is credited to my account on my behalf it generates a credit balance which is then and only then refunded to me. Even though I had a check come in for me for financial aid for almost I don't know close to $5000 that 100% of that will come to me But the school is going to keep it and until they receive a payment from the government so I do get the full amount however instead of getting a lump sum when the check comes in like they did they're going to keep and and give a little bit here and then eight weeks later when they get paid again they give you a little more back However For 100% of it from the loans that I've taken out. I will receive the funds that are awarded to me in time and in smaller disbursements than the initial. i'm sure APU is doing this to guarantee funding on your behalf However that exact scenario is covered when they set up their contract to be and accept veterans educational payments my vocational rehabilitation counselor is extremely frustrated with the school policy and knows first hand that the contract many many pages of course is clearly written and states that no financial burden or funds are to be withheld from student who is certified and guaranteed through their system to these educational benefits however APU once again doesn't doesn't see this or acknowledge it and continues to withhold thousands of dollars of mine for anywhere 8 weeks or more 16 weeks before I receive it. than what So I highly recommend that you do your research I and ask so many questions with department If you're thinking about attending APU they have what's called a multi disbursement policy. if you're planning on using education benefits and obtaining FASA this is not a system for you I'm upset that it's taken me a year to finally dig into this and understand what they're doing I I truly am hopeful and will expect some sort some sort of class action lawsuit will arise at some point for their policies in dispersing funds to educational benefit recipients who have also taken federal fund federal funds it's a very different category and probably specific. however they're taking money You are awarded and financially responsible for once the disbursement takes place even if their place a majority if not all towards balance that you have that's guaranteed already .. if a PU would require a student who was not receiving federal funding but was receiving government assistance through the veterans education area To submit a payment for the registered class and then refund you the money once they receive payment from the Department of Education Then that would be one thing But they're not So because I have money coming in they're taking it but they're not requesting the students who don't have money coming in to make a payment That's not right."

"APUS university, the students "learn to write essays or research papers", that is, you do not learn other skills other than that. I did my high bachelor's degree at this university and for me, it was a waste of time and money because they do not prepare you with the skills that are needed for the workplace. In addition, they do not offer you an internship. Also, in this university, the professor is always right and the student is always wrong. Let me explain. Some professors do not answer emails to students and others are ghosts in the classroom. If the student has doubts or questions in relation to an assignment, do not expect an answer. From my point of view, the professor must have academic performance, must be a good mentor, and have leadership qualities are vital. This university lacks mentoring professors and leaders, and several of them are condescending toward the students. If you are a student eager to learn, this university is not good for you. This was the main reason that I left. I did not learn in the past any skills other than writing research papers and essays and I was going on the same path for my master's. That mean, research papers, and essays are not going to take you anywhere unless you want to work in a clinical research facility. If you are doing your master's in another field other than healthcare, you are screwed. Good luck with this university."

"AMU is a great school that offers 100% online degree programs. I transferred to AMU from the University of South Carolina because it was simple and was easier to use my chapter 33 GI Bill benefit without jumping through hoops like at a state school. I was able to learn more on the go with AMU because they provide you with electronic books at no charge. This degree was simple for a working law enforcement professional like myself. I will be getting my MPA from AMU as well."

"This school is not for everyone. You will have to research and write a lot of papers on various subjects while attending. The papers are going to be lengthy. You as a student have to be self motivated to accomplish your tasks in order to reach your goal. No one is going to hold your hand while you are in attendance of this learning institution. The classes are condensed down to 8 week classes, and not the standard 12 or 16 weeks that many brick and mortar schools offer. You have to absorb a lot of information in a short amount of time. I just graduated with a BA in Transportation and Logistics Management. I feel that my time at APU has prepared me for the real world. What it didn't prepare me for I can learn on the job. I can walk away knowing that I now know more than I did before I attended and earned my degree. I have spoken to multiple colleges since graduating looking to transfer. All but one would accept my credentials. So the credits are transferable to other universities, like Arizona State University and Liberty University. They did have their own prerequisites for admission, and you must meet them. Now for the flip side of the coin. Outside of the classroom the customer service that I received and still receive is quality. Many of the instructors take almost a week to answer a question, if they respond at all. This is not APUS specific. My wife attends a well known brick and mortar and gets the same treatment from some of her professors as well. I didn't use financial aid so I cannot comment on how they operate. Some of the material that I read from was outdated. They could use some of their profits to update the material. There are some professors that are bias, and they don't hide it. Their library is vast, but some of the material used for references they ask you to pay for. With everything said, I am staying with this school for my Master's degree in Supply Chain Management. Yes their business degrees are accredited as well."

"I started attending AMU in 2010 when I was active duty. I completed a portion of my English degree but decided to transfer to a traditional college for Microbiology. That didn't pan out for me and decided to return to AMU in 2018. I completed my BA English and immediately enrolled in the MA Military History program. I have not had any issues with instructors, most of my issues were with technical issues. I am preparing to begin a second Master's Degree at AMU."

"I absolutely love this University and highly recommend them to any and everyone. I recently finished up my BA in Management from them and I can honestly say it has had a profound impact on my earning ability. Especially now that I'm transitioning out of the military in to a 80k position because of it. I've been to a number of colleges (4) and I can say beyond a doubt this is the best one. There is no gimmicks or money grabs, just the meat and potatoes of going to school. No drama, all you do is go to class on YOUR TIME, do your assignments on deadline and live your best life. As an active duty sailor it completely meet my needs and enabled to complete my degree quickly with no BS."

"APUS is a great institution for individuals who either prefer online learning or are unable to attend in-person classes. The undergrad programs are regionally accredited and the college course credits should be accepted at any likewise accredited university, whether transferring schools or applying for grad school. This is particularly a good option for individuals interested in pursuing post-graduate education. As with many online learning environments, the level and quality of education you receive at APUS is positively correlated to the effort you put forth. I can personally attest to the fact that my undergraduate degree from APUS contributed my later acceptance at an American Bar Association (ABA) approved law school."

"I attended a well-respected college in Texas prior to joining the military. After about two years in the military, I decided to enroll in AMU and finish my Bachelor's degree. The online instruction was literally the same as the hybrid courses I did at a state-funded school, if not better. This school is accredited (regionally) and quite honestly, that's the most important aspect. I would say they are probably the leaders in catering to distance education for the military, first responders, government employees, etc. Honestly can't complain."

"Low cost college with accreditation! If you are an adult, returning student this school is a no brainer choice. I looked for years and had trouble finding a program I could afford. They helped me sign up for federal Pell grants and student loans as needed. I am so grateful I will be graduating next year with my Bachelors in Business. You can't even get your job application looked at these days without a degree. Doors are opening thanks to this school! A few tips. For online students make sure you do rate my professor before you take a class. My first semester I had a bad teacher, and almost gave up on this school. Sadly not all the teachers here are good. If you pick a class and go through the sign up steps they list who is teaching. Rate my professor has been a life saver. I have been able to get all the good teachers since then. Also testing here is much better than some colleges. Many classes allow you to use your course materials when testing. I have a friend at a local university who is doing online testing. They do eye tracking. If you look away for too long they review or reject your test! None of that crap happens here. It's a very relaxed environment. My oldest child is about to go to college. After looking at costs for local major universities I am shocked at the cost! If your worried about status then be my guest and dig your financial hole at another university. This school as great ratings on Niche. It's not that bad here. Good luck, checking out reviews is you first step in the decision making process. Your on your way to a better future!"

"+Overall very satisfied with instructors and flexibility - Very DISSATISFIED with Diploma which indicates a single degree, and DOES NOT indicate TWO degrees or even a DUAL degree. - Tried to remedy the situation through phone calls and emails to APUS...after 6 months, still no response. - I continue to receive high volume of sales spam from APUS and affiliated businesses. RECOMMENDATION: Find an honest program. I cannot recommend a school that markets DUAL degrees, charges for two degrees, and only awards ONE."

"I do NOT recommend this University. There is no Dean really, so teachers do what they want. If you need to change the class for a mediocre teacher as Prof Curtin, you have to pay the full $$ again or withdraw, no help. If you are not in the military or spouse, they will not take you seriously. Look for more quality, this place is a jocke."

"Hello everyone I just started APU (online) august 2, 2021 so I’m very new to this college. I’m getting my bachelors degree in astronomy so far everything been good so I can’t really give a full opinion. The only thing I did notice is that professors does take weeks to respond to students but when we submit our work they give us a failing grade I will say I understand professors are busy but us students do need help understanding the instructions because most assignments it’s almost paragraphs full of instructions and it’s easy to get lost. If you have any questions comment below and I will gladly respond."

"Reading other reviews and I never realized how hard I really did work at my degree. I always thought that maybe it was too easy but everyone talks how rigorous it was at APUS. Maybe I am just giving myself the short end of the stick and I deserve the degree I did work hard to get. I enjoyed the online platform. I never had trouble in my classes and when I discovered a student was copying my work along with others’ the professor addressed it immediately to try and get it to stop. I was able to attend APUS through a marriage, divorce, and two pregnancies and newborns, and also working. I even moved twice during attendance. Life gets busy and may upset plans, but it doesn’t have to get in the way of getting a degree. When I graduated I told myself I wouldn’t do any more. Well, here I am enrolling in APUS again for a graduate degree six years later."

"I have read quite a few of negative reviews regarding AMU. Unless things have changed since 2013, AMU was a pretty great school for military and was very accepting to active duty military life. My BS degree got me into a MS program at UF which was very rigorous to say the least. I am currently in a PhD program at UF, landed a GS-12 position as my first job outside of the military, and tutor undergraduates. It all started with AMU."

"Attended while on AD years ago and it was great. Now in retirement using my MGI Bill Benefits, have found it to be a Cesspool of Contracted Instructors who teach by canned responses collecting a paycheck. I will be dropping and going elsewhere... Now"