Utica University Reviews

"Id like to start by saying this program is the toughest degree i have earned so far. They tell you on day 1 16 months will go by fast…and it really does…I had a rough 1st semester adjusting to the fast pace of the program. However, rather than give up I reached out and took advantage of the resources provided. I realized very fast that as a student you have to reach out the moment you feel that your falling behind or slipping through the cracks… i realized very fast i was responsible for my own success in this program.The professors at the Syracuse site genuinely care about the success of their students so please i advise take advantage of office hours as well as asking questions during labs especially skills… since this is an ABSN also be prepared to making school your first priority (i.e attendance to all labs and clinicals, time management, completing all required coursework. Prepare to make sacrifices in ur personal life. Also check your emails as much as you check your text messages. As far as exams i think the school does a great job preparing students for the NCLEX.Kaplan is part of tuition so please if your not going to use any resources outside of your textbook or whatever your professor provides go to Kaplan and utilize their resources…theres 1000s of practice questions on all topics you will cover throughout… as Far as the most important thing the NCLEX i felt like the level of difficulty of our exams benefited me when I got to the NCLEX i passed my first time. I could go on and on but i will definitely say this program is not easy and can be quite stressful at times no nursing program is perfect especially this time but remember what your goals are, set aside time for self care each week, manage your time wisely, utilize your resources, and know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I wish the best for all future students.Read Less"

"Uticas ABSN program was hard but worth all the struggle. You have to go into this program knowing it’s not going to be easy and handed to you, for those 16 months you must be willing to put aside time to study and really learn the material. Something to remember, just because one person struggled does not mean you will as well. The support you receive throughout this program from the faculty is great, more specially from the ones you see on site they’re there to support you the entire way through the program. If I had read those reviews before I started I’m not sure I would’ve went into the program with such a positive attitude so, let me be one example of many positive outcome from this program I’m a registered nurse and I couldn’t be happier with my choice of attending Uticas ABSN program.Read Less"

"I am a recent graduate (12/2023) from the Utica University ABSN Program in Syracuse, NY. This is a 16 month hybrid accelerated program. Yes it is hard (probably one of the hardest things I’ve done so far), but it is doable. You are receiving a degree in 16 months vs 4 years. The first few weeks of semester 1 is a little challenging because you’re throwing out your old studying habits to find better/new ways to study and using a different platform (canva instead of blackboard). The professors provide numerous amounts of resources (office hours, weekly reviews, NCLEX style questions with rationales, weekly tutoring, & additional resources if needed). Aside from the professors there is also the academic success coach who is there to support you during this journey so that you are successful. As well as FREE counseling/therapy if needed offered by the school. Use your resources they are there to help you!!! My biggest take away would be to use your resources, be prepared to tell your non-nursing friends no when they invite you to things, study hard, don’t be afraid to ask questions, find study buddies, and always take time for yourself. This program will challenge you, but it will also help you develop critical thinking skills. Those 16 months will go by fast and you will see that this degree is worth it.Read Less"

"I attended the Utica University ABSN program in Syracuse from 2022-2023. I am now a NYS RN working in Pediatrics. Although the beginning of my experience at Utica’s ABSN site was a bit rocky, adjustments were made throughout the program with the intent to foster a positive and enriching environment for future nurses. Like all other areas of nursing, nurse educators are constantly seeking ways to improve teaching/learning outcomes, student success, and student satisfaction. I believe that the ABSN program at Utica’s Syracuse site not only prepared me to successfully complete the NCLEX-RN, but also allowed me to immerse myself in situations that contributed to my growth as a new grad RN. The improvement of this program from 2022 to 2023 is profound. Although the beginning was rough due to certain components of the program, students’ voices were heard and changes were made to accommodate our needs and allow us to be successful. With that being said, nothing is perfect and nursing programs will always be a work in progress as new information becomes available daily. However, I do not think I would have received a better education anywhere else. Although I have a LOT to learn in the years ahead as a nurse, Utica’s ABSN program taught me valuable concepts and skills to develop my clinical judgment and gave me the confidence to enter the field without doubting myself or my abilities while also knowing my limitations and when to ask for help or address concerns. No nursing program is going to be easy and there are always going to be obstacles along the way but now that I’m on the other side I can confidently say that this program was amazing and I wouldn’t be where I am today without those experiences.Read Less"

"I attended Utica's ABSN program at their satellite location in Syracuse, NY. I graduated December of 2023. My experience in this program was overall great. Even though didactic was fully online, the professors work hard to provide resources that you need in order to succeed. No matter the mode of instruction, there is always bumps in the road or a professor that isn't always the easiest to learn from or work with. In my experience the majority of professors were great and even though we didn't see them in person they offered zoom, real time reviews or office hours to talk through material. This program also offers tutoring that is easily accessible and helpful. No matter the program, there are pros and cons always and you have to be flexible and patient with yourself, professors and clinical instructors. My clinical instructors were amazing and even with up to 8 people in a clinical they made sure everyone was learning and having a good experience. Healthcare is nothing short of chaos, and clinical can feel that way sometimes but that is only how you learn and grow and it prepares you for the real world of nursing where the environment, patient status and research is constantly changing/evolving. The other portion of this program includes in person labs, that connect what you learn in didactic into a simulation or hands on skills. The lab professors are amazing and are a valuable resource to learn from and gain advice from. Lab prepares you with hands on skills that are done in clinical and eventually skills you will use as a new grad. One of the things that I wish was different in my experience was the location of some clinicals. I wish that they were a little more mindful of where people lived in regards to the clinical location. For example, I lived in Syracuse but almost every clinical but 2 were in Utica/Rome which was somewhat irritating to commute there when there is a handful of hospitals in Syracuse, hence the reason why I chose this program. And I knew people in the opposite situation where people living in Utica were coming to Syracuse and vice versa. If you are determined and disciplined to buckle down for the 16 months, be ok to saying no to some plans with family/friends it is worth it. There are sacrifices you will have to make but that is life! It goes by super fast and next thing you know you'll be studying for the NCLEX. I also recommend starting a small study group to get through this program with and lean on eachother. Best of luck to you, future RN!P.S. this program WELL prepares you to sit for the NCLEX if you put in the time and effort!Read Less"

"I graduated from Utica college in 2015. The nursing program is just like any other program HARD. I missed out on a lot of things in college because I was studying. A lot of reviews are saying there was no support. I was always able to meet with my professors after class or office hours to help for clarification of anything. Cynthia test were extremely hard but looking back she helped me learn to critical think before I even became a nurse . I didn’t love Utica college but I will forever be thankful for this nursing program preparing me and giving me the basics to figure out the nursing world . 8 years strong as a pre/postop nurse in the cath lab . Don’t apply into the nursing program if you are not prepared to do the work.Read Less"

"Hi everyone, Please read my review (I wish I had read the reviews before taking admission. I am a current student of the ABSN program at Utica college in St. Pete campus in second semester. I will be very honest in my expression. I took admission into ABSN program with big promises of support from Utica admission representatives and it looked very good that I will be able to complete my bachelors degree in short time. But the reality is there is NO support offered at all by the teachers, administration. The Professors are a joke and there is no teaching or guidance of any kind. The exams are made so hard on purpose that most of my classmates failed (Including me) and the teacher who got most failing in her class is the head of the department so no complaints can be done against her. All the complains and requests fall on deaf ears. The success coach guides that follow blueprint, but no exam has ever come out of blueprint. I and all my classmates have bachelors degrees in some department of education, so definitely we are capable of studying anything, but when the motive of the college is to fail and make money, then students lose confidence, time, money and HOPE. The people who come from HR department asking for reviews but nothing gets implemented. Its like different departments working for same goal. The worst part is my family doesnt understands how this college is and works and why suddenly am I failing? As a nurse we are meant to be compassionate and helping, but this college is making all the compassion and caring go out of our souls as the teachers and administration are so ruthless to us, so the future nurses are gonna reflect what they are taught. The teacher who failed most students, as an incentive has been promoted as head of another department. Please Please save yourself. Do Not go to this college. You will end up losing money, time and peace. I have sacrificed everything in my life to become a Nurse and this college has taken my desire away and left me so frustrated, feeling like a loser and worthless. The only teachers who cared for students were Prof. Franze, Prof. Hall who had to leave this college because of their policies. Please save yourself the pain and go to any college ( But do check reviews first).Read Less"

"I read the reviews, believed they weren't real, and continued with the process of enrolling. I urge you to please read my review before making final decisions. First, when I had to pay out of pocket, my expenses were black and white and I paid what I needed to. Whenever I got financial aid, an addition 1-2K were added to my bill. When I disputed my bill, I was told a class was not calculated correctly. Again, this miscalculation and addition to my tuition was added after I received financial aid and not paying out of pocket. It has happened every semester I was fortunate enough to get financial aid, and that seems sketchy at minimum. Second, the reviews on teaching yourself is accurate. What is not said is Utica creates their own test, will not tell you what to focus the majority of your time learning, and has a significantly high fail rate for medsurg. We have repeaters and threepeaters and its become a norm that nobody is questioning why we are all failing. Third, Utica almost lost their accreditation because students went to the board and showed proof that everyone is failing. Those who failed last semester were allowed to take the class for free. Majority of those students are still failing this semester. No lectures, the powerpoints and mini-lecture videos is done by a professor who just could not be more bothered by having to go over the material. Fourth, depending on who your tutor is, you won't get much help. Makayla is amazing, if you decide to move forward with Utica please make sure to attend her tutoring. Other tutors tell you, "This box is probably important, learn it" instead of going over the material and actually helping us understand what the thought process is and how to use it in the real world. Fifth, while I enjoy labs they do not have enough supplies to teach you. You will reuse opened lab kits that are not even the correct kit for the exercise you will be performing. The teachers in labs are very helpful, but that is it. I cannot stress to you enough that this school is not good. This school has made a lot of people fail, fall into debt, give up, etc. Their passing rate is 53%, that is not a good rate. I emailed the dean and was never responded to, I have emailed for help and it's fallen on deaf ears, the prepu questions are outdated to the new text book and does not help prepare you for your exams. Please. Do not go here. Or go here for your prerequisites and then leave.to start somewhere else. I have waisted 8 months here, I have listened to those who have wasted 16 months and are still in semester 2 because of constant failures even after 10 hour study sessions 7 days a week. Do not make our mistake. Avoid Utica at all costs.Read Less"

"Worst nightmare in my life ….!!! Regret big time . Please future talented nurses . Do not go to that Scam money makers rats . They screw you , take your money . Back in 2018 I got accepted to accelerated nursing program Utica college in Florida , I moved from NY . They were so nice and polite . After program started ,all of the sudden they definetly trying to fail you !!! No help, no advisors . I decided to withdraw before deadline cuz I realized online is not for me . I went to advisor and they told me she is sick . I said but we have 1 week before withdrawals with W , but here they Rats everything they do planned . She advisor came back after supposedly sick time and withdraw me after deadline and kept me responsible for a whole semester tuition 15000! I already lost 5000$ . Never paid them back that money . For what ? For W . People try some other schools don’t go to those Rats 🐀Read Less"

"Review from a current student and RN manager: I am so beyond disappointed in Utica University . NOT a university for working parents or people with a busy lives ... seems like you need to know how to run a the bureaucratic side of a university in order to attend ... They have student success couches(ssc) who, as afar as I can tell, are only helpful if you want someone to pick out and register you for all your courses although they are at least nice people in that department. None of the departments communicate with each other, The finical aide office (FAO)is awful. I have spoke to a few very rude and at time condescending women in that department. The registers office(RO) is lacking. If you need something from either department expect it to take days to weeks for any issues to be sorted out. When dealing with FAO or the RO you are unlikely to have questions answered in full or in a timely manner or any real help given. I have found that no one seems to know enough about anything too help students out if they have any unexpected life issues come up they requires a change in the standard schedule. Basically I have found they will not give you any extra information that will help you manage your collage experience or make decisions when things do not go exsactly as planned or even when you think everything is "normal" then surprise, come to find out 3 departments cannot do simple things . The SSC do seem to try but they seem disorganized with a high turn over I have had three success couches in 2 years and in the past week have spoken with 3 different ones. There seems to be a communication failure within that department. Also the bookstore is helpless and the included book fee seems like a scam. The nursing electives and required classes are all over the place in quality and style. Literally have gone from classes requiring 5 posts and a paper per week for an A with 2 books to 2 post and no books and they are equal in credit value.. go figure. Also there are some really great instructors there who do genuinely care about the student and teaching , but far more who seem indifferent .So fellow RN's I do not recommend this university anymore as the befits of a the BSN on MSN programs are far outweighed by the lack of quality and consistency in the university its self.Read Less"

"PLEASE read an honest review here. UTICA's ABSN program at first may seem great on paper because it is "fast, hybrid, and an ABSN". It appears as if you have the mentoring, guidance, resources, and anything else you may need to succeed...this is FALSE. I initially thought how wonderful - I enjoy teaching myself and learning on my own and did very well in my previous undergraduate degrees.....even with the negative reviews I thought well " I'm a 3.8 GPA student and was a pre-med, I can grind for a year". Man do I regret it. Although I did not have to re-take courses and didn't fail by one point like many other classmates...I only passed because I spent 12-18 hrs a day SEVEN DAYS A WEEK reading textbook chapters, watching videos from outside nursing student resources from SimpleNursing, purchasing Uworld NCLEX-prep, practicing as many questions I could find as possible, pulling multiple all-nighters...this was pure torture. NOT because nursing school is hard and I didn't put in the effort, but because this program is unrealistic. This program is not structured based upon student success, passing rates, evaluations, or frankly off any curricular structure that reflects a valid nursing program let alone any educational program. Even with the greatest learning skills, health-science-based knowledge, and time management skills, you will STRUGGLE in this program because it is not sustainable or feasible to maintain. Let me explain why. Course material is expected to be read and understood for testing purposes within 8-10 weeks. This means 2-3 exams a week in addition to assignments, projects, and discussions. That meant I would read between 15-20 chapters a week averaging 20-30 pages a chapter on top of hours for projects, discussions, and papers. Imagine finals week EVERY week for 4 semesters...this is UTICA. I figured like other hybrid programs, there would be recorded lectures or concise Powerpoints to offset this amount of material; I quickly learned that the voice recorded powerpoints were not lectures from true educators but staff members called "professors" reading from the textbook then literally copy and pasting headers from the textbooks with notes that stated "read pages x,y,z" or "refer to chart x". This was one of the hardest parts of this program in terms of organizing study material. Firstly, the professors honestly don't know how to teach or explain what we need to know because it appears they are just recycling and editing used exams they haven't written and randomly reading from a textbook. Secondly, they don't utilize the school canvas platform to upload powerpoints, videos, blueprints, etc for modules; they insert google drive links that are from years prior or e-mail separately. You will have the responsibility to check e-mail, canvas, PrepU, google drive links, tutor links, etc. This was madness and caused unnecessary miscommunication and anxiety. Exams. The exam material will not reflect the given material no matter how hard you prepare. The questions will be either a detail so tiny you'll have to memorize every chart's small lists, a ridiculous subjective-based question because the professor "writes for NCLEX and uses us to practice", or from an old exam that used an older textbook not presented to you in any way. You also cannot review your exams or ask questions about missed questions even though there are comprehensive finals. You may even find in detail how a question that 90% of the class answered incorrectly was understood as such and you'll get nowhere. Lab. Simply put, if you have Hall and Franze for a lab day, you will learn ALOT. The virtual lab was actually great because these two are educators. But if the director is around, she will take over and you will run around like disorganized sheep hoping a classmate is an EMT and can show you how to start an IV or assess an airway. Communication. Professor Hall and Franze and Schad were incredible. Otherwise, lower your expectations. Our director ignored ALL OF US for weeks about questions pertaining to our senior project due dates conflicting with preceptorships dates, overlapping clinical dates, canceled office hours, etc. I was "netiquetted" by another professor TWICE for expressing concern with an assignment's grade not reflecting her rubric....when in the end she had made an error in grading both times. Weeks would go by without a response clarifying issues about incorrectly listed dates, exam times/details, clinical details. The worst was if there was a change to clinical dates, exam dates, exam details, curriculum structure, vaccine status... you would find out with days notice. Yet we ultimately took the fault as students. I lost work-based school funding because of this poor communication. In conclusion, I graduated because of my previous healthcare experience and ability to make educated guesses on exams after ridiculous hours spent daily...and paid an insane amount of money to do so. Go elsewhere.Read Less"

"PLEASE READ ALL THESE REVIEWS!!!!!!!! I did not believe this school could be that horrible and unfortunately I ignored all the bad reviews. I wish I would have trusted the reviews and saved money. Everything posted is what I experienced in the program. They will do everything possible to make you repeat and take your money. This was a low budget experience. The quality of the school and in person lab is ridiculously below standard. The equipment is cheap and outdated materials will be provided. It was very obvious this school is hurting for money and new admissions. They will eagerly lure you in and quickly take your money. No support provided at all. This place is a joke! My only advice is RUN!!!!!!!!! They won't turn any money away all will be accepted!Read Less"

"This is the biggest joke of a nursing school. They treat the students like absolute shit, do not offer ANY resources aside from the online ebook. Your exams will NEVER match the blueprints they offer to study. And they do not value the mental health of their students at all rather brush it off and say “that’s how nursing school it” Professors tell students “maybe you are not cut out for the program” rather than giving support when you reach out for additional help. The only lectures you got is the ones on YouTube. I can not like Victoria Schad/ Nelson are the only good professors this college has. They will NEVER show you your exam grades or the exam questions to review so you’ll never know how well/poor you actually did. They are a big scam of a program. Save yourself and your mental health. They will make you fail classes over 1 point and retake for 3500$. I would never have went to this program had I known what it entailed. This is not an angry student with a bad experience- EVERYONE feels this way. The positive reviews are NOT from their ABSN program.Read Less"

"Ok, I waited to write this post because this school exhausted me both mentally, emotionally, and financially. Disclaimer: Nursing is hard. You better be willing to put in the work but this school is something different. This is a joke of a nursing school. It is what you call a scam. Many people are hopeful about getting into nursing school after putting in the work with prerequisites and getting a bachelor's. It is also very saturated in my area specifically (also many people from long island are targeted FYI). I was looking into a school that was fast as I wanted to progress in my career as quickly as possible. Let's talk about this bootleg school: -There is an admission counselor(Mark was mine) that will literally call you every day to walk you through the process of getting your money, essentially. At first, I was like what a great school, that really cares about its students and wants you to grow. It's kinda like being around a narcissist, it is all smokes and mirrors after you realize what you are getting yourself into. -Also many of the students in my cohort moved to Liverpool for this program. So not only does this school rob you of your tuition, now you have to move to this far away land and pay for rent where they do not teach anything relevant. -There are no textbooks, they only have ebooks which are very straining for your eyes with the amount of bs work that the school gives. -This program claims to be hybrid. It is basically an online program, to be honest. Professors DO NOT CARE. Some of these people literally have so much family stuff going on in their personal lives and bring that into a classroom setting or into the live zoom class. Some of these professors are VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. There are professors that have emailed back after 2-3 weeks which literally blows my mind even now. There was like maybe one professor that cared named Prof. Nelson. The department head is a joke. She does not care if you pass or fail or both. -Tests are monitored and recorded. The test questions do not have anything to do with modules, recordings, textbooks, old NCLEX questions or labs. There are no reviews. Tutoring is no help. I have attended many tutor sessions. They hire this random person from another state that literally goes over old NCLEX questions from her own notes which like never shows up on a test. -There are these random zoom labs, a waste of your 3 hours because you break out into a group and pretty much answer questions by yourself or a group. There are these vsims that are graded for less than 10% of your grade. The whole class just looks pissed to be there because it is waste of time. One of the classes is health assessment the exams are worth 75% of the letter grade based on 3 exams; so pretty you can not do badly on exams at all. There are is no form of direction and they make the tests so hard. I can go on and on with all the jacked-up things this school has put me through. This horrible, horrendous and disgusting institution of a school should be SHUT DOWN and should not be accredited by any means. I guess if you are naturally a good test taker, you should go here but if you are trying to really learn, please do not come here. RUN. Go to a real nursing school that actually teaches you something and you can help a patient. This school is scam. They will make you drop a class and then have you stay a whole semester to retake one or two classes. You will waste not only your MONEY but your TIME. Whoever runs this money-making institution they call ABSN and I hope you are reading this, I wish you all the worst in life and I wish you all the energy and pain that you have given for these last few months. May you reap what you sow, genuinely from robbing people of their money...Read Less"

"I didn't believe other reviews before getting into this program. Everything is online. No one teach you in this program. Professor are horrible they don't even know some stuff from book. They get confuse with some type of questions. It is true Professor just read email and don't reply that often. Assignments are useless and books are online too."

"I attended Utica College ABSN program in Syracuse. The only classes that were in person were the labs 1-2 days/week. Clinical rotations were also in person at local hospitals. As for the rest of the classes, they were quite literally “read pages 700-900 in the book by Friday.” There are no lectures and there is no one actually teaching the courses. There are resources like some videos and tutoring sessions, but a majority of the time these are not helpful. Some of the “videos” were teachers driving in their cars with children screaming in the back. With some of tutoring sessions that were online, an instructor did not show up 3/10 times. The tutoring sessions in person are only able to accommodate 5-10 people at a time. The program is incredibly unorganized and you are lucky if anyone answers an email. It can be hard having professors from Florida while you are sitting in NYS. With this said, all of the clinical instructors and lab teachers are amazing. They are so intelligent, animated, and are truly dedicated to help you learn. In addition to this, although there are issues with the program, I felt highly prepared to work in a hospital nursing setting. Compared to other nurse counterparts who have also just graduated from other programs, I feel as if I learned so much more material than them. Questions that these other graduates have are some of the questions I can immediately answer. I did feel prepared to take on a job. Along with this, the program offered many job fairs that were very helpful. The program made me so stressed and angry due to the layout and disorganization, but the lab instructors and the clinical instructors made it worth it.Read Less"

"This program is absolutely HORRIBLE! I spent almost $30,000 per semester to teach myself everything. The program follows a hybrid curriculum, yet there is NO actual content provided on the assigned chapters of study. Everything is self guided. No online lectures are provided, only a learning guide to correspond with the textbook. Course live session have been discontinued because students did not show up. Live sessions are recorded so that students can view them later. Otherwise, no aide or learning materials are provided unless students inquire. Clinical director WILL NOT work with you and WILL NOT care on how far you have to drive even though they can. IF YOU ARE REALLY WANT TO LEARN AND BECOME A GOOD NURSE, THEN THIS PROGRAM IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU.Read Less"

"This is the worst program I have ever attended in my life! There are NO lectures what so ever, it is COMPLETELY self taught! Yes they offer you "resources." The resources are youtube videos that are about that weeks topic. They are not even videos that they made, just random videos that they found. They give multiple chapters of reading per week, which is what the exams are based on, while requiring TONS of busy work to complete during the week, that usually has nothing to do with what you are going over that week. They are not clear what they expect for the busy work and either don't respond to emails or are also vague when they do respond, then you lose multiple points for not doing it right. I barely passed everything even with me putting 12 hours A DAY into my work. I had a breakdown every single week crying and regretting my decision to go to Utica. They fool you into enrolling and then once your $15,000 in for ONE SEMESTER, you HAVE to finish or you wasted A LOT of money! Every student I talked to says they hate the program but at least it will be over quick.. DO NOT DO IT!Read Less"

"I go to UC for RN BSN (nursing) program and am currently in my third year and the program is challenging yet very high quality. My favorite part of it is the faculty and the proximity of medical centers. The faculty is willing to bend over backwards to help their students which is a huge benefit for me! The college is also surrounded my medical centers and hospitals where we can do our clinicals so there's no lengthy commute to get to clinical."

"This ABSN program at Utica College is a very rigorous program however, it does an amazing job at preparing intelligent and empathetic nurses. Accelerated programs are not for everyone hence the mixed reviews. At this time the first graduating cohort from the Miramar campus has a 100% NCLEX pass rate. The school provides MANY resources and the professors are all extremely helpful. Every time I have reached out to my professors for assistance or clarification they answered within hours, sometimes within the same hour. They do an excellent job of providing tutoring and peer guidance for students who want or need it. If you are self-motivated and passionate about the nursing profession I would highly recommend this program.Read Less"