Colorado State University Global Rankings by Salary Score

I attened CSU-Global for both my undergrad (IT) and grad (PM) degrees. I completed both in 3 years (stacked courses and went year-round). A lot of the feedback on here talks about "self-taught", but it's an online course. It should be understood that online courses limit interaction. However, almost all of my instructors were responsive to emails, phone calls, and even set up video chat options. They replied to every student discussion forum and made specific comments to each student. Papers were heavily critiqued... Read More and carried a lot of weight in the grading scale. I would say that some of these reviews are skewed because people didn't get what they expected (i.e. networking opportunities). But again, it's an online course, you have to make the most out of it. Anyone thinking CSU-G degrees are useless, I make six figures as a direct result of my degrees. You truly have to put forth more effort, but if you do, it's worth it. I have the same education as anyone going to a traditional in-person school.

Before I started at CSU Global, I read many reviews on different sites. The reviews were mostly positive, but I remember one that called CSU Global a degree factory. Having completed by BS in Business Management last year, I must agree. But is that such a terrible thing? You still must work to earn the degree, and I did learn quite a bit...but at the end of it all, I just wanted that expensive piece of paper and notation on my resume/LinkedIn. These days, bachelor’s degrees are really a basic requirement and... Read More check-off for a lot of jobs. Most recruiters that I have spoken to, do not put much weight on where or how you earned a bachelor’s degree, they just look to see if you have one. Some recruiters have indicated that they like to see a remote learner for a remote job as it shows that candidate proved their ability to be self-motivated and hard working. CSU Global Pros: *100% online-you never have to set foot on a campus. Since CSU Global is primarily for us non-traditional students with jobs, families etc, this is invaluable. *Courses are 8-week terms rather than traditional 16-week semesters; this saves a lot of time. *Fully accredited and part of the Colorado State University system. It is not-for-profit and is respected. *Same tuition for in state and out-of-state learners. Most other online, non-profit schools charge out-of-state tuition. Additionally, your tuition rate is locked-in and will not increase during your degree-seeking (provided you are enrolled with no significant breaks). *Up to 90 credit hours can be transferred in. I transferred my associates degree (of which most of the 60 credits were accepted) and I completed 10 elective courses (30 credits) alternatively at Sophia.org and 1 elective course (1 credit) at Study.com. This saved me time and money. Note though that if you go this route, the alternative credits are unlikely to count at most traditional schools. So only do this if you plan on graduating from CSU Global or anther online school which accepts alternative credits. I earned these 31 credits in about 4 months’ time and for about $500.00. Compare that to traditional school: these credits would have taken an entire academic year and cost over $15,000. *Online library, tech support and free (or rather, included with tuition) tutoring. I found myself needing this for a statistics course and it really was helpful. *You are assigned a success counselor who reaches out to you, offers suggestions, and can help with planning. I found them to be helpful and available. Try getting that kind of help at a big, on-campus school. Cons: *This is subjective...but I really hate how Colorado State University gives each of its three campuses different school colors, logos, and mascots. There is the real CSU in Fort Collins with the green and cold colors and ram logo. Then there is CSU Pueblo, which used to be University of Southern Colorado, with blue and red colors and lobo mascot. This leaves CSU Global with a completely different logo, red and gold colors, and an eagle mascot. "Who cares?" you may ask. Well, other online schools keep the colors, logos, and mascots the same across all campuses. This adds cohesiveness, connectiveness and adds a bit more intrinsic value to the degree. My diploma reads: "colorado state university SYSTEM." Obviously, I wrote it this way for emphasis...but I HATE that it says "SYSTEM" so blatantly. Why not at least "Colorado State University Global"? But SYSTEM? This gives it a for-profit look and feel, and it also feels a bit like a consolation prize or a cereal box diploma. *Draconian drop period. You have one week to drop a course for full credit (or to not be held responsible for the tuition). The first week of most courses were easy and laid back, so one does not have time to get a feel for how the instructor is or how difficult the course will be. I lost about $1,000 by having to drop after the second week. Most other schools I attended offered a tiered drop period for three weeks. If you drop by week three for instance, 50% refund on tuition. This may be CSU Global's policy for the sake of the policy, but in fairness, as the courses are eight weeks instead of 16, this may be the reason for the short drop period. *Course are proctored by "instructors" rather than professors. These instructors are highly qualified and most hold a Ph.D. I found most to be knowledgeable and accessible while others seemed to just be collecting a paycheck. But you will find this at on-campus schools as well. *Papers. Lots and lots of papers. And you will forever hate three letters for the rest of your life: APA (American Phycological Association) as its format is used for all papers. Because there are few courses with tests, papers which show the student's knowledge of the topics are used. Expect 6-7 papers per course. If you are more of a test-taker, CSU Global is not for you. I believe the pros far outweigh the cons. If you are looking to advance your career or fulfill a goal of obtaining a degree later in life, CSU Global may be for you. You do learn more about your chosen field and earning your degree is an amazing feeling. If you love taking tests or want your degree to be viewed the same as an in-person learner (in terms of going to a school with a recognizable logo), CSU Global may not be your best choice.