"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."

PhdEducation

Reviewed: 11/24/2024
Degree: Higher Education
Graduation Year: 2025

"The Education PhD Program through Walden U was a poor choice. After getting through all of the courses and into the dissertation process, I completed a form requesting a specific professor to be my chair; the professor also informed me they wanted me as their student. However, I was given to an instructor who would not return calls, emails, and other outreach. I received an Unsatisfactory grade after a few terms, and my entire financial aid package was revoked without warning. My GPA (3.6) and attendance were fine; however, an unresponsive/unattentive instructor subjectively offered me a grade that has lost me any chance of continuing for at least the piece of paper. There is no appeal process as most universities have. An absolutely awful way to end a poor experience. Tons of extra debt with nothing to show for it in the end."

Mega

Reviewed: 11/24/2024
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2025

"Attending this school was a negative experience. PhD advisors department are a joke. Three days later after withdrawal, I wanted come back (I was in almost dissertation). Literally I was rejected not for finantial department, but regular advisors, my advisor never contacted me. Like a punishment, I would have to wait two months. The same after some months. Conclusion, you will be only a number, not empathy, not interst. Make other choices if possible."

Christopher Tuggle

Reviewed: 9/6/2024
Degree: Social Work
Graduation Year: 2027

"This school is a joke. Im not fond of the instuction given. The online social media community is almost unanimously negative. Many students report problems with the internships. Its as though the goal is to enroll as many students as possible despite the institution not having the ability to fulfill its obligation. Getting anything done through support is like pulling teeth. I would never enroll in this school again even if i changed my degree plan to something different. By the way I did change my degree plan upon leaving the school because my experience was that bad overall. You decide you want to help people and enroll in social work and they completely ruined it. But hey im better off now."

Max

Reviewed: 9/4/2024
Degree: Accounting
Graduation Year: 2017

"The extreme costs result in no Return on Investment. Want debt? This is the place to get it. Make an honest mistake on bill payment and immediately turned over to collection with no courtesy of a call or opportunity to understand what is happening. Seemingly motivated by money rather than education."

Tammie Washington

Reviewed: 9/3/2024
Degree:
Graduation Year: 2025

"I love Walden University because the instructors provide a wealth of knowledge that is targeted towards today. I love the feedback that the instructors provide because it helps me to better understand what I need to improve and helps me to be a better early childhood professional. I will be graduating next year, and I am planning on continuing my education so that I can obtain a Doctorate degree in Early Childhood Education. I love this university because the classes are only 8 weeks long and you only tackle one class at a time. I have learned so much attending Walden University."

Tanya McCullough

Reviewed: 8/23/2024
Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Adult-Gerontology Acute Care)
Graduation Year: 2024

"I chose Walden University for convenience. I currently work as a practicing nurse practitioner and wanted to obtain a post masters certificate to advance my career. From the beginning, I had difficulties with the university. After I started classes, I was told I needed substantially more clinical hours every quarter than had been previously discussed during the admission process. This is something my advisor should have know ahead of time. I am currently attempting to take my national boards through ANCC which requires Walden University to fill out a form verifying my education and clinical hours. The form was filled out incorrectly and I am waiting for them to correct their mistakes and return the form.Throughout my year at Walden, there seemed to be one technical mishap after another which caused more work on my part as I spent a lot of time on the phone with IT, sending emails, and resubmitting assignments. My graduation was actually held up because the system said I did not complete my clinical hours despite my instructors certifying that I had enough clinical hours to graduate. The online clinical simulator program is tedious, not user friendly, and does a poor job corelating with what you would experience in real world practice. I did well in the program only because I am a practicing nurse practitioner. The instruction was poor and the guidelines were sometimes outdated. Much of what I did was through self learning. There is no way I would have come out of this program as a competent and safe new nurse practitioner with adequate skills to practice medicine."

Debra

Reviewed: 8/20/2024
Degree: Curriculum & Instruction
Graduation Year: 2026

"During my second course, there was an issue with financial aid. I received absolutely no help in resolving the issue. They knew there was a simple issue to fix before the class started, but failed to communicate with me. I have since finished the 12 week course and it's been two additional weeks of calling in with absolutely no help. After doing everything that was asked up me once I found out about the issue in week 2, they still haven't disbursed my financial aid. I can't register for another class, nor ask for transcripts for the classes I completed. Being patient for 12 weeks is insane especially considering I refrained from working this past summer in order to focus on my course. Anticipating a refund to cover living expense is pretty typical but I was left to make due and suffer while they failed to simply click a button and acknowledge I did what needed done on my end. At this point, I will probably not return to Walden. Their financial aid department is seriously lacking. In fact, I wonder if it is intentional with the blatant failure on their part."

Jillian M.

Reviewed: 8/10/2024
Degree: Human Services
Graduation Year: 2024

"I just finished my summer quarter and heading into my final quarter at Walden before graduating. I have to say, I had a wonderful experience at Walden. First off, the counselor that supported me since day 1 is AMAZING. She calls to check in once a quarter to see my progress and discuss my courses. I had no issues with financial aid and all my money disbursed and I got refunded as well. The professors I worked with are extremely helpful and took time to help. They also left great critiques on my assignments and discussion posts that help me for future assignments. They graded all assignments and discussion posts on time. No issues at all. I'm even recommending the Bachelor's program to my husband as well since he works full time. I was able to almost complete my Masters while working a full time job, taking care of my daughter and my elderly mother, and being a devoting wife. It's possible with great time management, hard work, and patience. Thank you, Walden for an amazing experience. One more quarter to go and I will be a Masters Degree holder! :)"

Sherri Rollins

Reviewed: 8/4/2024
Degree: Counseling
Graduation Year: 2025

"Walden University have been a pleasant surprise. I read a few reviews and worried that I wouldn't enjoy the experience. I really enjoy the the classes the rigor the professors are tough but they are flexible if you communicate.i love the Acdemic Skills lessons and I really enjoy the Skill Setter practice software. The simulations are amazing!! I highly recommend Walden University."

Shannon Lea

Reviewed: 7/29/2024
Degree: Business Administration
Graduation Year: 2024

"As a current Master's Tempo student at Walden University, I encourage potential students to thoroughly research not only Walden but also consider other universities as academic resources before applying. My experience as an MBA student at Walden has been disappointing, underwhelming, and a complete waste of significant financial investment.First, the "educators" at Walden are referred to as SMEs (Subject Matter Experts), which seems to be a way to avoid actually educating and instead act as glorified paper-graders. These SMEs are often unwilling to provide guidance or insight into their feedback. When they feel challenged, their response is to stop responding to inquiries for clarification.When asked for further edification on subjects that are not comprehensible, SMEs typically direct students to the Writing Review Center or send a link to a video on paper structure, rather than explaining what could improve the submission for future real-world application.For example, I was told by an SME that the company I was researching was not a reliable source for its own mission and vision. Instead, I was advised to use a ratings and review platform as a more accurate and credible resource. When I asked the individual overseeing the Tempo program to explain this directive, he stated, "Companies lie all the time. If you go to the webpage for the flat-earther society, you will see that." When I questioned if this comparison was reasonable, given that the company I was researching is publicly traded, and why the company would lie about its mission and vision but an unrelated website wouldn't, he became defensive and refused to answer.Another SME told me to make changes to a paper simply because she wanted me to, even though these changes were not aligned with the rubric. Additionally, the individual overseeing the program has encouraged me not to ask questions and to just make the changes to my papers without understanding the "why." His instruction was to follow the SME's way in school but do it my way in real life.My reason for choosing Walden was not due to it being a reputable institution or one that would reflect well on a resume; instead, I went with the cheaper option. I am learning the very hard way that cheaper is not better. Had I known this would be my experience in the beginning, I would have avoided this institution at all costs.Please heed a current student's warning that there are far better college institutions out there that may be slightly more expensive, but the education you will receive elsewhere is going to be far superior."

T.John Shannon

Reviewed: 7/12/2024
Degree: Nurse Practitioner (Psychiatric-Mental Health)
Graduation Year: 2024

"I read negative reviews about Walden before I enrolled, however against my better judgment I used the fact that they had rolling enrollment to entice me into choosing them. What an absolute mistake and I regret being too impatient to wait for another institution's fall enrollment. The quality of instruction is very poor. I have always believed that you get out of your schooling what you put into it, and that's another one of the reasons I went ahead and enrolled. I cannot call any of the instructor "professor" because they do not teach or guide. They do not give feedback. They by-and-large do not reply to e-mails. I have always been an A student, through undergrad and through another masters degree program I completed, I have never gotten less than an A. Indeed, here at Walden I have a 4.0 but unfortunately I haven't learned anything. The biggest issue are the prime courses (pathophysiology, pharmacology, and then your MSN specialization courses) all have midterms and finals. You take the exam and then you get a score. You are not allowed to review the exam to see what you got right or wrong. Also problematic is that every single exam I have taken has had multiple errors on it - some exams have questions with no correct answer. Some have questions repeated multiple times throughout the exam. Some questions have all the multiple choice answers the same so I know that the reliability and validity of the exams is not good. As a student you don't know what you don't know until you don't know it and to not be able to review an exam takes away one of the biggest ways a student can learn. I am at the end of the program and I have had to spend $1000 on a review course and review guides in order to be able to learn content and complete practice exams where I can get feedback. If you have any other options for your education, please take them. I cannot give Walden any credit for preparing me for the boards. It is a waste of money, but I was already halfway into the program when I realized the full extent of the mistake I had made by going here and I just absolutely couldn't transfer out and have to repeat courses so I stuck with it."

Alicia

Reviewed: 6/6/2024
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2027

"Doctoral student, the Walden University, is not recommended. I very much agree with many of the published reviews. I decided to withdraw from Walden University for several reasons, among the most serious, the amount of biased details. They have everything very well studied. At the beginning of your doctorate, your Ph.D. advisor will treat you wonderfully, until you get closer to your Dissertation process, in which they will ignore you. then they will change for the worse. Instructors who will criticize your work more, the Dean on duty who will not work for your success or concerns if you have a problem, and the advisor who will ignore any issue you ask about. And all that, because you will already be close to the dissertation, which will also be eternal in time and cost for the student. In my case, they also confused me about the end date of the degree."

Ashley E.

Reviewed: 5/25/2024
Degree: Business
Graduation Year: 2026

"I recently made the best decision to move on from Walden University. I have to express my disappointment with the quality of education and the support services provided by the institution.Trying to gain support from advisors and other staff has been highly frustrating. The responses are slow whenever I reach out for advisory information or assistance, and the guidance is often vague and unhelpful. The advisors seem to be only there for the check and unable to provide the support students need. To make matters worse, whenever I call for help, I am reminded that the calls are recorded for quality assurance. This feels more like a way to protect the university rather than genuinely improving support quality.Another primary concern is the university's apparent focus on funding over student success. There is a strong emphasis on tuition and fees, and it often feels like the institution cares more about revenue than the educational outcomes of its students. The people in the financial aid office are shady and unprofessional. Scholarships and financial aid are hard to come by, and there is little transparency about how funds are allocated.My experience at Walden University has been disappointing due to the inadequately prepared professors, lack of effective support from advisors, and the overwhelming sense that the institution prioritizes funding over education. I hope the university takes these concerns seriously and makes necessary improvements to serve its students better."

Nana

Reviewed: 5/11/2024
Degree: Management
Graduation Year: 2027

"This review is just for Doctoral Students! The University’s doctoral review process is a joke. I’m currently a doctoral student and stuck at my prospectus stage for almost 3 years. My chair, the second chair and the program director all have different opinions which are not consistent and contradictory to each other. They will string you along and cherry pick everything you write without giving you any specific help or guidelines. Even if you follow their own example in the template given to you, they still reject it. After spending about $25,000 just at one stage, now I’m convinced they are doing this because of money. There is no other explanation. So before you enroll, pls check other graduate schools with higher graduation rate. Because Walden is just a joke, pure and simple. I wish someone had warned me before I started. Now I have no choice but to suffer through this inhumane treatment. DON’T SAY NO ONE TOLD YOU."

Dani

Reviewed: 4/19/2024
Degree: Social Work
Graduation Year: 2024

"I only attended Walden for one term because their mishandling of an emergency situation and lack of communication was heinous. When I had an emergency health situation arise right before the last week of class, I spoke with the instructor who assured me I would still pass due to my high grade. I also completed everything for a leave of absence. Not only did my instructor lie, and I was stuck with the balance of the course, but my advisor never put me on the leave of absence even though he had received all paperwork. He didn’t even try to contact me about the leave. Then, my instructor told me he would change the type of grade and whatever else had to happen so that the balance would be cleared. And then once again, nothing was actually taken care of, and now I apparently still have that balance and all anyone can do at that university is tell me to talk to someone else."

Starrmannnn

Reviewed: 4/12/2024
Degree: Psychology
Graduation Year: 2007

"When I started with Walden in 2001, it was still a small, privately owned company. By the time I graduated, it had been bought out and turned into a cash cow for the new owners. Prior to the change, the staff was very helpful, caring, and worked hard with students on financial aid, classes, and anything else you needed help with (that related to your degree). I was originally enrolled with in a double Ph.D. program; Organizational Development Psychology and Counseling Psychology. In my particular case, I was slow in getting my program completed, and by that time, with the new administration, they refused to honor my dual degree program. Then, after graduation, I got half way through the remaining coursework and (my fault totally) I maxed out my student loans, so stopped. Then, later, when I tried to get back into the program, they said I'd have to do all the coursework again. SOooo, needless to say, I have a master's degree, which I believe has helped me professionally (although I've never worked in the Psychology field - go figure). But, I doubt I'll ever finish my Ph.D. since I've started my own company. The MS was good training in how to finish a project, though. Also, would I recommend Walden versus some other school? Not particularly, because it's all about the money for them, AND, in reviewing their advertisements and publications, I think they've moved into a sphere that doesn't include me anymore."

Kalene Faulkner

Reviewed: 3/14/2024
Degree:
Graduation Year: 2025

"All stated opinions are as follows: I am in the doctorate program for social work at Walden University. Through the prospectus stage and overall research (after all classwork was completed with a 4.0 GPA), I began experiencing gaslighting, a matter of opinion versus scholarly writing recommendations, etc., to which I have not been approved for the next stage after spending at least 12k just on the first stage alone, not including previous coursework. Chairpeople, who are the gatekeepers, must be educated to be in their positions as they continue to have conflicting recommendations from other doctorate faculty staff members. I suffered repercussions when I began speaking out and making complaints. I received more comments for recommendations than I previously had on the information that needed to be commented on or recommended for corrections. My chairperson would tell me exactly how she wanted me to write the title and later tell me it was wrong. In other areas, she would tell me exactly how she wanted me to word it and then later make more recommendations to correct what she said previously. It feels that this is a game, and I am on the losing end as the one with no power. Yet, the faculty stage that this is all a normal process. Now I have a new chairperson, and I guarantee you, in the end, it will be the same game. "Yes, these things will work, and you have great information," but will continue to string you along. I even utilized their alignment appointment system with other doctorate faculty who would look at my prospectus and tell me that I have great alignment, only for my chairperson to later state otherwise. Other doctorate faculty would say yes, this is great, and you should have no problem going on to the next stage with a proposal, only for my chairperson to recommend more changes. They do not have a solid system, and a rubric was never filled out for me during each stage as it should have been. I was just now given the MyDR and Taskmanager link to upload my prospectus with other board members when I did everything in CANVA/Module for previous quarters. Anyhow, for those who don't fully understand the language here I am using, to be blunt, it all feels like a scam. I think my doctorate is being held hostage. A few years Walden had a lawsuit brought against them for treating Black female students with bias and prejudice, specifically in the doctorate program where they dangle a carrot and tell you to try and catch it but keep pulling it further and further away. Yes, Black students successfully pass and obtain their doctorate. I am sure those are the passive ones who don't seem to have a problem, never make a complaint, and continue to take it until they pass. However, my mama didn't raise a fool, and I am not one to bend over and just take it. When I ask questions, no one seems to have any logical answers as to what is going on or why things are not linear in this process of making needed corrections, fine-tuning things continually to where you should be able to reach an end after two semesters to then move on to the next stage. If I had to do it all over, I would have gone to where I received my Master's from the University of New England. That was the most challenging but best education I have ever received. They have professionals who will hold you to high standards but also hold themselves to those same standards. I want to change programs without entirely starting the coursework at another University, such as the University of New England, but that isn't possible. All universities will have you start over if you are this far in the program with your research, so I encourage others to make sure they do not begin the doctorate program at Walden University until they do thorough research."

Bernadette

Responded: 3/28/2024

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.