California Coast University Reviews

"I am a real student, not a staff member. I can almost guarantee that the super favorable posts here were written by staff members. Don't expect to get an education at Cal Coast. This is a former diploma mill that has tried to become legitimate. There is no "faculty" to speak of, there is one guy who seems to be responsible for everything, I think he is a secretary. The customer service is awful. As long as you pay your tuition you will never hear from any "faculty" or staff member. There are a lot of better places to get a degree... and/or an education.Read Less"

"Before enrolling at CCU I verified that they were an accredited institution. However, after graduating and trying to apply to accelerated BSN programs, I learned that NO ONE accepts transfer credits from nationally accredited schools. I had to retake all of the courses needed for my program, that I paid a lot of money for at CCU, again through a regionally accredited institution. If CCU is your final degree then you might be fine, but if you plan on continuing your education ensure that the school that you are applying for accepts transfer credits from regionally accredited schools.Read Less"

"I completed the doctoral program in management. At the time, the program was only accredited in California, which was fine. I took the program only for personal enrichment. The degree has helped me in my career in many ways. Not only has it given me greater respect in the business community (public health related), it gave me a broader understanding of so many areas in which I interact daily. After attending bricks-and-mortar schools for my bachelors and masters, the self-paced nature of CCU's program did require more discipline. But it met my needs well. At the time, there was little electronic communication. I'm sure that's changed now. The program took me about three and a half years to complete, much of that related to research for the dissertation.Read Less"

"I studied at a bricks and mortar university for two years prior to attending Cal Coast. First of all, correspondence school is just as hard, if not more so. You need to stay 100% motivated on your own to complete this. Pluses - work at your own pace, learn more then you would at a traditional university, enormous sense of pride in completion, great value for money. No negatives regarding the staff, the wonderful librarian or the quality of the education. If you are truly committed to being self taught through correspondence this will be a great experience. Part time - expect it to take twice as long if you have minimal time for one or two classes a quarter...Read Less"

"CCU has been a great college and the fact that it is self-paced cannot be beat for working individuals. The coursework including essays and tests are on par with RA colleges. Their payment plan is extremely convenient. Finished my BS in Criminal Justice and started my MA in Organizational Leadership. The main thing I am having anxiety about is the capstone class. Anyone else finish their masters with CCU who can give me an idea of the work involved in a capstone with them?"

"2014 graduate. I found the program to be much more demanding than anticipated. If you are searching for an informal program CCU is not the school for you. The key is time management. Plan ahead and allocate time to do your reading and writing assignments. The writing assignment were up to equivalence and at times more challenging then my Master Degree program from a traditional regionally accredited University. My online experience was enjoyable during the years it took me to finish my degree. Having a full time job and family responsibilities, CCU curriculum and cost was a perfect fit. CCU program made it possible for me to achieve my goal. Before starting I highly recommend reviewing literature on AP formatting. CCU instructors provided educational constructive criticism throughout my program, to include my final comprehensive exam. Note: CCU offers an outstanding online research engines to help with research and topic development. I suggest you do your research before making a financial commitment to any higher learning institution. No school is perfect, that being said I highly recommend CCU. Best wishes on your online education endeavors.Read Less"

"After having attended both traditional and Internet-based post-secondary institutions, my expectations about how schools relate with students were -- kindly put -- jaded. The public brick-and-mortar college I started out at was aloof from pupils' concerns and bogged down by bureaucracy; even the simplest of things could easily become a complicated matter. The private Internet university I transferred to was much more responsive, yet I was not left with the impression that an active interest was taken in how students were progressing (or quite possibly regressing). The pros and cons associated with each of these schools weighed heavily on my mind when applying to California Coast University. Enrolling at CCU turned out to be, without a doubt, one of the best decisions I ever made. Right off the bat, I was pleasantly surprised to find the administration and faculty proactive in student relations. Conversing with staff was never a hassle and an abiding spirit of fairness ruled the day. A sincere effort was made to reasonably assist me in meeting my goals for graduation, yet the coursework was real work -- expect to be challenged. CCU demands that you really know the subject matter at hand in order to pass any given class. Even though this made the road to earning my degree difficult, it was well worth while when all was said and done. I strongly recommend CCU to anyone who wants a serious education, an astoundingly flexible academic schedule, and first-rate student services. What about the tuition? Having such high-quality learning available at so low a price can, from my perspective, only be described as outstanding. CCU exceeded my expectations by far. I was most pleased to attend there and, most importantly, can say that it made a change in my life for the better.Read Less"

"I like this school very much. I have completed my Bachelors in Healthcare Administration. I also agree that with other things taking priority it was challenging for me to pay off my tuition. They have flexible payment options however with buying a new home I fell behind.The staff are very nice and encouraging. I never felt anything less than amazing when I speak to anyone here. I am now enrolled in the MBA program with a concentration in management. I plan to go the extra mile and get a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from CCU as well. It speaks volumes when you want to continue our educational journey with the same school. I am not sure what happened in the past but I enrolled in this school in 2011. This is is accredited. The place I work for will not accept degrees unless they are accredited by the US Department of Education. No one force me to go to this school and i have never had any problems. Thank you CCU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Read Less"

"Cal Coast is the former California Western. Cal Western was closed for being a diploma mill. CCU is still a diploma mill, they tried to clean up their act, but it's still a scam. CCU is not truthful with potential students in order to get them to sign up. Recruiters will tell you about how the CCU credits are widely accepted etc. This is not the case. Once enrolled, the school will fail students exams and then give the student the opportunity to re-take the exam for $90. The school has been trying to recruit former and active military personal to attend. CCU also tries to recruit mid level white collar and blue collar workers that need college credits to advance in their fields or promote. Don't believe the hype. If you want to buy a diploma, do it somewhere else. If you are serious about getting an education, definitely do it somewhere else!Read Less"

"I received my master of science in psychology from California Coast University in 2007 a partner that degree with a practicum from ncu. That practicum along with my Master's Degree along with specials of studies and CEUs in addiction studies allowed me to test for and Achieve certification as a master's-level substance abuse counselor in Missouri with reciprocity to all 50 states the degree has given me stability in my career for the rest of my life. I studied hard learned a tremendous amount and was able to take that knowledge in my experience and turn it into state certification to practice as a substance abuse counselor. I am also qualified to pursue a doctorate in Psychology and I'm making a decision on where to pursue that now. I highly recommend California Coast University and their Graduate Studies for your consideration as a professional in this fast-paced changing economy.Read Less"

"This University is excellent for hard working, self-motivated and dedicated students: 1. It has an excellent payment plan that meets every student’s requirements and budget. 2. It offers flexible learning programs (Study when you can and Graduate as soon as you can). 3. It offers many comprehensive programs and learning options that will meet your learning objectives. 4. It has an excellent website that provides you online feedback, workflow and tracking of all your requests and submittals. 5. The faculty responds promptly to all your requests. 6. It offers great flexibility to either complete a research thesis or instead complete additional courses which will enhance your overall learning capacity and learning objectives. 7. If you are dedicated, consistent, self-motivated and hardworking, then you will be given an opportunity learn many subjects and acquire a great education.Read Less"

"I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Healthcare Administration from CCU in 2013. This degree program was ideal and perfect for me as a working Dad with 3 children. I graduated from a regionally accredited community college and all my credits were transferable. I found the course work at CCU to be very challenging and applicable to my career. The final exams are open book but don't let that fool you. They are very tough and well structured. I work in corporate America as a Sales Professional in the Healthcare industry. My degree has been accepted with my employer and has allowed me to advance in my career. I've been asked many times from friends if graduating from a non regionally accredited school for a Bachelors was a good idea. My answer is this...value! If someone is willing to pay 50 to 100 grand for a regionally accredited school you better make sure you get solid value for that enourmous cost. For the reasonable cost and for what can be achieved with a DETC Accredited School, CCU makes for a very compelling alternative to expensive regionally accredited institutions.Read Less"

"The self paced aspect of CCU was priceless. The staff were very easy to get in touch with and were very respectful. The interest free financing they offered allowed me to get started immediately. The only catch with that was you do not get your degree until after you pay off your balance but it was still worth it."

"With any education, you get out of it what you put into it. I have read many reviews both good and bad about CCU. I enjoyed my experience in their PhD program. Although I was unable to finish the program (I had to put a date in to get this review to publish, so I made it up), what I was able to learn and apply has been very helpful to my career. The course material was well thought out, the exams were a challenge. Yes, they were "open book" but don't let that fool you into thinking this is a diploma mill. Not a chance. Establish a relationship with the school, dig into the material, and perform your own self study. Personally, I found the program to be excellent - again, you are the one responsible for your own learning. Regarding accreditations, just do some research. Some organizations will not recognize your CCU degree but most will. Even so, just because they won't call you "doctor" doesn't remove the knowledge from your head.Read Less"

"I had a great experience with CCU. It took me longer to finish than I hoped but that was my own fault. It was afordable, challenging and well worth my time. I was promoted at my job after I finished my degree and left that job for a much better paying career shortly after that. I would not have been able to increase my earnings the way I did without attaining my degree. Might go back and get a masters!"

"I received 3 degrees at three different online schools. And CCU's program has been the most flexible and gave me the ability to complete my studies. CCU's financial payments, course/program offering and schedule was perfect for incorporation into my schedule. When I started at CCU I had evenings free to study, but a year into the program I changed jobs and my schedule. Without being able to complete courses when I had time, there was no way I would have been able to finish the degree. I couldn't attend traditional brick and mortar schools during their schedule. The idea of a "self-paced" program may initially make one think it's easier than traditional schools; but that thought will get you in trouble. People forget, when you are responsible for your education, that means "you are responsible". The school is there to help when you need it, but they treat you like an adult. You're responsible for completing your exams, essays and final tests, you are responsible for on-time payments, finding a proctor and completing your classes. If you are considering online education anywhere, you have probably heard, "You get what you put into it", and nothing more could be true of CCU and most other online schools. The tests and essays are challenging, as well as, being very well developed.Read Less"

"Decent Indeed. Great affordable school with solid education. Commitment makes you smarter. Helped me with my career. Needs improvements on there format, instructor-student interaction, media interaction and instruction, testing centers instead of proctors (at least for finals) and looking to further their accreditation. Not for everyone. Be aware that some schools don't accept their credit (especially GEs, Psychology and health courses) Be prepared to get doors shut since the degree is only nationally accredited and not regionally. I work for corporate so I did good. I would not go the Education, Psychology, or Health degree route. Business and Criminal Justice works. Ill ask employers first.Read Less"

"Due to my schedule, California Coast University was the only way I was able to complete my degree. I am currently working in the field of mental health and couldn't be happier with the education I received and being able to do it at my own pace was paramount to my being able to succeed. Thanks to all of the people at the institution I am now where I needed to be all along."

"Excellent program-very helpful to my career. Very rigorous program-I have attended both regional and now CCU. I find this program to be superior in that the study guides and syllabus for each course extremely helpful. I have friends in programs in traditional MBA programs they use the exact same textbooks that CCU requires. I will end up with my degree and not be in debt-they will end up with their degree and be paying off their school debt for many, many years to come. CCU was the best decision I could have made-and my degree is from an accredited school.Read Less"

"An outstanding program. Quality and challenging material. Learned a lot. Now enrolled in the Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership at CalCoast."