"The majority of negative reviews I've been reading through seem to gravitate towards the Ph.D programs offered, and not necessarily the Bachelor Master's level course work and professors. It is a fallacy of generalization to smear an entire college simply because "one" of their programs and procedures is below average or even "poor" compared to others. For those of the more virtuous, circumspect, and academic minded seeking a review that takes into account one's experience in its entirety, this is the review for you. As millions have stated before, regardless of what subject you end up choosing, IT IS WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT that eventuates into the experience and caliber of student and future employee you are. As a Social Work major, I found that the resources, books, online content, and access to the virtual library are some of the most relevant, categorized, and scholarly one can find anywhere and the course work and expectations are inescapably clear from day one. The giant swing and a miss that most students seem to be griping about it the "lack of interaction". Honestly, if you entered into an online school thinking that your teacher has enough spare time to spend hours on Zoom or Teams with you per day to teach you the course work, you are gravely misunderstanding the point of online college. I've never had a professor blow me off completely or fail to respond. I've never had a deficit or absence of resources to complete any assignment. I've never seen the timelines and deadlines for projects as unfair, daunting, unfairly graded, or demanding to a point of cruelty. The point being, the students (myself included) who take the time access, engage with, internalize, and drive themself to victory are not the ones you'll find in the review section raging and fuming and spewing their diatribes left and right. At even a moderate pace, Walden University is entirely doable for him or her who will try, just like any other accredited institution. Employers DO NOT CARE that your degree came from an online school of disputatious repute as long as it was accredited and followed state guidelines for awarding your degree. We live in a world where, save for the doctors/lawyers/elite business folks, your college of choosing means nothing as long as your actual finished products in the work place effectively demonstrate your competency....and competency only comes through personal application and practice on your part....online college is not meant to hold your hand through life and convince your interviewer you are fit for the task. That is your job. If there is one complaint that I can certifiably claim makes Walden weak, but is now near ubiquitous with online schools, it is that the usage of AI to do coursework is absurdly rampant to the point I've pointed it out to professors in the past and even showed them how to scan for plagiarism. At the end of the day, if you used Perplexity, Meta, ChatGPT, Claude, AI Writer to get through college, you'll have to keep doing that the remainder of your life to keep up the guise. You will be a lie, and live a lie. It is what you put into it, not the school's reputation, not the uncaught cheating, but what you personally invest into your futre. For those reasons, seen from the view of someone who archived the knowledge given deeply and made use of nearly every resource the school had to offer, Walden University will fit the bill for most degrees. I will also agree though their Ph.D program needs extreme face lifts, modifications, and changes of staff if it wants to exist into the future. The scathing commentary is far too numerous, uniform, and idiosyncratically written to be AI created or coincidental."

FuturePMHNP101

Reviewed: 5/23/2025
Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Psychiatric-Mental Health)
Graduation Year: 2026

"Please Do not go here and avoid at all costs. I transferred here as they were the school that took the most of my credits after I competed 75% of my degree elsewhere and had to transfer after having my baby as I no longer able to commute several hours away and stay in a hotel overnight on days I had to be in class I Have had issues since day 1 with Walden. One professor gave me a 0/100 for turning in an assignment a day EARLY and said I have to wait until at least monday to turn work in. She then changed the due dates on the last assignment of the class at the last minute, and gave me yet another 0/100 when I turned it in the day it was supposed to be due (if anything it should have only been an 8% deduction with the classes late policy). I chose not to fight it because I was so sick of dealing with the instructor The following semester, I had a professor not grade THREE of my assignments and I never heard back from her despite my multiple attempts of emailing her and calling her office. It turned out, she had the wrong email address and office number on the syllabus. When I finally got ahold of her, she told me it was too late for her to change my grade, resulting in a failing grade in the class and a tedious and nerve wrecking appeal plea with the school committee for a grade change. The instructor then became spiteful I won the appeal and I had to reach out to another instructor to grade my work as I did not trust the instructor to grade me fairly. I went from a “D” to an “A” once my three assignments were graded. I went from a 4.0 student at a highly prestigious university, and that was after completing 3/4 years of my doctorate, to a 2.5 gpa (higher now since the appeal) due to turning in an assignment early, not getting the memo due dates were different from the calendar, and a professor not grading my work.Besides these issues, I have not been taught anything. It’s all been tedious work but I have not learned anything. There are no lectures, instructions, or guidance at all . There are loads of hidden costs and “gotchas” involving money. I am (hopefully at this rate) finishing my degree and never looking back. I had really high hopes when transferring to Walden and ignored the bad I had heard about Walden. I think told myself these people just have been bad students or slacking off and were just whining. Unfortunately, I have had one negative experience after the other during my time at Walden and could not recommend Walden at all"

Master's Social Work Student

Reviewed: 5/8/2025
Degree: MSW
Graduation Year: 2025

"My professors and instruction through curriculum was great. I am a returning student after many years of a break so it took some time to get used to technology but I learned quickly.The most horrible part of this program is the Field Experience. Coordinators are NOT HELPFUL. Their responses take weeks and they tend to blame students though there is documentation through email. They provide no help securing placement and are hard to reach for guidance while trying to figure it out on your own. The supervisors in this department are worse than the coordinators. Honestly, the Field Experience alone made me want to transfer after my first one.HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE"

basicinstinct

Reviewed: 4/5/2025
Degree: Nursing
Graduation Year: 2026

"If you are planning to do a post master degree here. Don't enroll if you plan to go to commencement. Post grads to not get to walk across the stage. You are not told that you can not participate until you ask about graduation. So all the money you spend, your family will not see you walk across the stage."

Omega-3

Reviewed: 3/25/2025
Degree:
Graduation Year: 2025

"I am leaving Walden because I have no voice. Some professors are great, and others seem bored, inefficient, pompous, and aloof. There is an "I got mine, get yours" energy—a Wizard of Oz mentality, even. For example, one professor never gets back in the timeframe set up by the school and will fail you, but does not know how to clarify what is needed. To add insult to the frustration, my academic advisor acts like they are annoyed when I bring up these points, thus, I have no voice or support. It is the professor's way and that is it. It is shameful that students are minimalized in this manner. I genuinely seek to finish my degree, but this is not the school for me. They couldn't care less about my education or well-being. In this economy, who needs the extra stress?! Don't waste your time! All that glitters is not gold."

Mary didn't have this lamb

Reviewed: 3/21/2025
Degree: Education
Graduation Year: 2025

"WORST SCHOOL EVER! I wish I could give them half a 0-star. Everyone, please do your research, which is something I didn't do until after. I just went with social media. Don't make the same mistake I did. Online schooling is horrible, and their Tempo is a big rip-off. Apart from tech support, no one has proper communication skills at this school. Every week has been a rollercoaster since I started here in November. It's ridiculous how they waste people's time and bill them for it. This was four months that I will never regain, and now I'm going to have to be fishing for another school. I hate this! Thanks for nothing."

J'aime Giaccone

Reviewed: 2/28/2025
Degree: RN to MSN
Graduation Year: 2024

"If I could give Walden University zero stars, I would. I cannot explain enough how awful this school it. There is absolutely no teaching, guidance or help. The professors don't even know how to answer your questions because they probably don't even know what their class actually entails. I had to reach out to the director on numerous occasions because I could not get ahold of my professor for weeks. The exams are solely based off the book which is crap, very unorganized and useless. None of their NP practicum rules are straightforward but again, you can't get ahold of anyone about it. They do not care if you're held back a semester, even if it's a result of their mistake/wrong regulations - yes wrong, they told me some kind of crap about why one of my rotations wasn't approved but when I went to the SBON, they said they had no clue what my school is talking about. One professor flunked one of my assignments and when I asked her to explain what I did wrong, (after going to the director because it had been weeks and she hadn't responded yet), she said it was a "grading error" and fixed the grade to be 100%. Then the last assignment of the semester, she nearly flunked me on even though it was about my own study plan and how my skills improved throughout the semester. Truly a HORRIBLE experience and I DO NOT recommend."

Current Student

Reviewed: 10/14/2023
Degree: Clinical Psychology
Graduation Year: 2026

"I have completed my coursework. I am now in the dissertation phrase and practicum/internship. My chair hasn't provided me feedback on my dissertation in the last two quarters. I am currently having to add a second practicum site due to not meeting Walden's requirements for practicum. Walden's criteria for practicum sites does NOT align with APA or my state guidelines nor did Walden flag the issues I had with my current site. Now they are rejecting documents that have been approved for the last 2 quarters. They provide little help when finding a site. I am currently attempting to add another site but I keep going in circles with the "field help office" and they are providing little to no direction and the staff do not communicate with each other. At this point I feel as though the field office is being petty because I did something to upset them. I am assuming by asking too many questions, because even though I am on my last straw, I still maintain professional standards in my communication with them. I would also add that now I am at a practicum site my educational experience is not adequate when compared to other practicum students at my site. DO NOT GO HERE!"

Bernadette

Responded: 10/16/2023

We’re sorry to hear that this is your perception of Walden University. Our desire is to create incredible student experiences and outcomes, but we also realize there are always areas for improvement. We would like to learn more about your specific situation and your feedback to see how we can assist. Please email us at WeCare.Walden@mail.waldenu.edu with your name, email address and phone number, and a member of the appropriate team will reach out to you within 24 hours to discuss your feedback.

Kali

Reviewed: 9/7/2023
Degree: Clinical Psychology
Graduation Year: 2024

"I transferred from Ashford. Ashford University was in trouble at the time. I was at senior level and wanted to keep my education goal alive. Walden accepted majority of my credits. Not even a year of attending Walden, I was hit with a bill. A bill a little less than $2,000. The finance department could not clarify details of how I accumulated such bill when I had not finished beginning classes. I was disabled with poverty level income. They block me from going any further with my degree. The balance was sent to my credit. My credit was decreased. Not only did I not complete my senior year...I had worked so hard along the way to not walk across stage. This was my experience. Other people have had success with Walden. I chose the wrong online college to finish degree. I paid for that mistake. I was too excited leaving Ashford...I did not do proper research Walden. I'm hoping to start over with another school with my Ashford credits. Walden is holding mine hostage."

Bernadette

Responded: 9/7/2023

We’re sorry to hear that this is your perception of Walden Unversity. We have a vision to create incredible student experiences and outcomes. However, we also understand that financial needs and situations are vast, varied and highly personal. We would like to learn more about your specific situation. Please email us at WeCare.Walden@mail.waldenu.edu with your name, email address and phone number, and a member of the appropriate team will reach out to you to discuss your feedback.

cousarmy0001

Reviewed: 8/31/2023
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2023

"Want to hear all about social justice, but not about things you need to know as a counselor? Do you enjoy being taught by people who have never left the university to work in the counseling field, and dress like circus freaks? Do you love paying money for the privilege of pretending you take any of those people seriously? Then Walden is the place for you! Every single article, video, and writing assignment is all about how everybody who isn't white is poor and downtrodden, and the people who are white aren't worthy of your attention. Don't go here if you can avoid it."

Erica Burns

Responded: 9/5/2023

We’re sorry to hear that this is your perception of our organization, (First Name). We take these complaints seriously at Adtalem Global Education, and our family of organizations, including Walden University. We desire to create incredible student experiences and outcomes. We want to learn more about your specific situation and feedback to see how we can assist. Please email us at WeCare.Walden@waldenu.edu with your name, email address, and phone number, and a member of the appropriate team will... Read More

Matthew Blakey

Reviewed: 8/15/2023
Degree: Business Administration
Graduation Year: 2023

"I just finished my MBA through Walden. Utilizing their Tempo program was efficient, and the most affordable route to an MBA. I had really good service from their support staff and faculty. I do truly feel i got a lot out of the content. ACBSP accredited just like my 2 local universities. I just wish they had more zoom/interaction opportunities."

Bernadette Lawrence

Responded: 8/16/2023

Thanks so much for your review and your comments, Matthew. We strive for incredible student experiences, as well as great student outcomes. Your story and feedback matter more than you know!

TJT

Reviewed: 8/11/2023
Degree: Criminal Justice
Graduation Year: 2026

"I don't know what happened in the criminal justice program, but all of the instructors I took classes with ten years ago are gone. I had such a good experience with my bachelor's and came back for my doctorate after a long break. I didn't recognize any of the professor's names and the classes were terrible. Luckily I dropped out very early on, but it was a costly mistake. Speaking with students who stuck with the doctoral program, all of the classes are outdated, and their assignments are nothing like the ones I am taking at my current university. I don't tell anyone here I even attended Walden because faculty and students at real universities make fun of online PhDs and of Walden. There is absolutely no way that I would have been prepared for a dissertation with the faculty they have now and the quality of the courses. The faculty they had a decade ago were much more attentive and challenging. Do NOT waste your money. Anything positive you may have heard about this program no longer exists. I suspect the good faculty refuse to teach in the doctoral program because it is such a joke, or they quit. Either way, I don't blame them."

Bernadette

Responded: 8/14/2023

Eddis C

Reviewed: 7/25/2023
Degree: Human Services
Graduation Year: 2023

"I will be finishing with my dissertation in the next few weeks and it has been a long process but worth it in the end. Walden represents positive social change which happen to be a great fit for me. I was privileged to have great chair members help me achieve my goals and reach the finish line. My experience has been exceptionally positive and Im am glad I stuck it out. It is a lot of work completing the dissertation process but a level of commitment is essential in completing the program. Consider it to be extremely independent, meaning , you have to do the work and research, the University is only there to guid you through it all. From my experience, faculty and staff at Walden have been just as good or better than the other Universities that Ive attended for undergrad and Masters. They even accepted some of my Master credits towards my PhD program which definitely saved me time and $$$. If you're determined, Walden is a good choice. At the end of the day it's still a PhD from an accredited University not a degree mill. DEfinely not just handing them out. I have the work to prove it."

Bernadette

Responded: 7/26/2023

Thank you so much for your detailed and glaring review. This type of feedback helps validate the vision that our staff and employees work toward - great student experiences and outcomes. We appreciate your comments and hope you will continue to share your thoughts with others.

Jordan Burdette

Reviewed: 7/24/2023
Degree: Social Work
Graduation Year: 2025

"I absolutely would not pay for this school or waste your time. There is nothing that sets this school apart from other schools with the exception of the ridiculously high cost, which again, is not worth it. Bopping between individuals to get anything figured out is an absolute nightmare. Hands down the worst schooling decision I have made."

Bernadette

Responded: 7/24/2023

Disappointed

Reviewed: 6/22/2023
Degree: Nursing
Graduation Year: 2023

"I enrolled in Walden University for a post graduate degree, but found their financial aid and bursar's office seriously lacking. Their overall customer service and connection to students is wanting due to lack of communication between departments, limited and if any guidance and support. I would not recommend this school to anyone, much less my peers."

Bernadette

Responded: 6/28/2023

We’re sorry to hear that this is your perception of Walden Unversity. We have a vision to create incredible student experiences and outcomes. However, we also understand that financial needs and situations are vast, varied and highly personal. We would like to learn more about your specific situation. Please email us at WeCare.Walden@waldenu.edu with your name, email address and phone number, and a member of the appropriate team will reach out to you to discuss your feedback.

Amy

Reviewed: 5/21/2023
Degree: Social Work
Graduation Year: 2025

"The communication was horrendous. It’s staffed with representatives who some are great, and the others have no idea what they are talking about and read off their scripts. I withdrew last winter for personal reasons and was looking to go back. First I was told I did not need a SAP appeal. I was told this by two very competent reps… then it all went down hill. I applied to have it reviewed twice only to have an email sent twice saying I wasn’t a student even when I was registered for classes. When I called to ask about this I was told by a rep “you’re going to have to appeal it”. Couldn’t answer any questions about warning period, or even acknowledge conversations with other reps. It was just a mess. It’s no wonder this place has a 27 percent graduation rate. I’ll just attend a brick and mortar!"

Erica Burns

Responded: 5/22/2023

We're sorry to hear this is your perception us, Amy. While we recognize no organization is perfect, we strive to provide great experiences for every person that engages with us. If you are willing to discuss this feedback with a member of our team, please email us at WeCare.Walden@waldenu.edu with your name, email address, and phone number, and a member of our team will contact you.

Farida Sirmans

Reviewed: 4/20/2023
Degree: Public Health
Graduation Year: 2013

"I was a student enrolled in the Public Health PhD program and logged in once when the classroom opened up. Unfortunately, due to a life-threatening medical emergency with my mother I opted to withdraw from school after 2 days in the course. I notified my enrollment counselor immediately and he the withdrawal. I was totally thrown when I received an invoice from Walden University for the full tuition of $2,858!! I was not even in the courses for a full week so I reached out to the enrollment counselor, with no response. I then reached out to financial aid, who informed me that I was required to pay the full tuition costs. To add further insult to injury, Walden University then sent the debt to a collection agency to force me to pay the tuition. Thanks to Walden University, my credit was impacted. Walden University is a horrible school. I have been impacted in spite of following the rules and directives of the school and ended up having to pay full tuition for courses I didn't even take. I would NOT recommend Walden University to anyone! Steer clear of this school. They are only out to make money!"

Bernadette

Responded: 4/21/2023

Reviewed: 4/5/2023
Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Acute Care)
Graduation Year: 2023

"Walden should not be an accredited nursing university. I have gained little to no knowledge here. They have taught me nothing that I need to know for the clinical experience. The board of nursing needs to look into this school. There is typically one weekly homework assignment that has nothing to do with our future practice. Our midterm and final are not even proctored the majority of the time. There is no challenge at university. Unprepared and unknowledgeable nurse practitioners are known to come from this school, I just wish I knew this sooner. Some preceptors wouldn’t even take me because I was associated with Walden. I wish I would have went somewhere else. I will be continuing my education for my DNP with another university."

Bernadette

Responded: 4/5/2023

Reviewed: 4/1/2023
Degree: School Counseling
Graduation Year: 2023

"I would give the program 5 stars but one incident/person ruined everything. I have graduated so now feel comfortable talking about this incident. Most of the professors were great. One person/professor tried to derail me and took a personal interest in trying to destroy my progress. She is one of the higher ups and is a TOXIC NARCISSIST. Be very careful. If you advocate for yourself, stand up for yourself, she will try to destroy you personally and professionally. I waited until I graduated to post this review. Unfortunately, I cannot post her name but if you want to be a school counselor, you will have to deal with her. She seems to enjoy trying to ruin others. I have never seen anything like it and I’m an adult over 40. As for the rest of the program, I give 5 stars."

Bernadette

Responded: 4/3/2023

Lorraine

Reviewed: 3/18/2023
Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health)
Graduation Year: 2023

"This review highly targets potential nursing and NP students. Please, I beg of you, read this. Walden University is an online "university" that provides flexibility to working adults. Because of its nationwide reach, it provides continuous education for military and military-associated students at risk of delays because of having to move. I am a military spouse who worked as a nurse full-time. The flexibility that Walden offered highly appealed to me. However, entering Walden University was the worst decision I could have made. By going to Walden, you agree to pay them money to do nothing but check your papers (they are continuously delayed in giving back your scores too). You study by yourself, find your preceptors, figure out mistakes, clarify everything for yourself, and basically, you are your teacher. If you were to ask your professors questions, they would tell you to figure it out on your own. They won't give you any directions, and they will not answer any questions. Can you imagine being a nursing student without foundational knowledge because this is all new to you? Can you imagine how lost you would be when not a single person is willing to give you help? There is no network for students either. The "network" is a Facebook page with students as lost as you are. Good luck finding help there. As a master's program, it is expected that you work independently. But if you are graded based on a rubric, the least the professors can do is grade you based on it. But they won't do that. And no one is going to do anything about it. Even if you report it, they do not care. It's all about the "professor's discretion." What is the rubric's point? When you get a low grade because when you asked for clarification, they told you to figure it out by yourself, that is all on you. There is no arguing for a better grade even if the lower grade means you fail (which is great for them because that's more money in their pockets). Even if you are competent and excellent in your knowledge and skills, when looking for preceptors and jobs, people look down on you because they know that the school does not necessarily produce well-trained graduates and is, as people here have said, a "diploma mill." They will not respect your degree. When employers and preceptors who have heard of Walden University look at your "diploma," it would be the same to them as if you brought it from some random person who knows how to work photoshop. When looking for preceptors, the only students who find preceptors are those who pay for them (Walden is so notorious that many paid preceptors do not even want their students) or those who are in a position where they know A LOT of people. Those who get a job are usually already employees of their place of employment. Walden University does not care about you or your education. They only care about the money that you're paying them. If you do not finish your degree, another idiot like myself will take over your spot and give them money. I was a fool for not listening to the other reviewers on this page, I thought I was better, but I am not. Please save yourself the pain and frustration this school has caused me and many others, and DO NOT GO TO WALDEN UNIVERSITY."

Bernadette Lawrence

Responded: 3/20/2023

We're sorry you had a negative experience. We have shared your feedback with the appropriate team members. If you are willing to discuss this feedback with a member of our team, please email us at WeCare.Walden@waldenu.edu with your name, email address, and phone number, and a member of our team will contact you.