OVERVIEW

Ashford University is known as a private, for-profit university, which is also considered as a proprietary institution. Its parent company, which is also its main sponsor, is the Bridgepoint Education. The university has enrolled 57,254 undergraduate students in total, offering them classes both on campus and over the Internet. Ashford also recruits graduate students for its master programs.

The university was founded in the year of 1918. The school campus is located in Clinton, Lowa. It is a small campus, only covering an area of 25 acres. Ashford is also a typical suburban university, located about a half-mile from the Mississippi River.

Ashford University offers degrees in Associate’s, Bechelor’s, and Master’s programs. The vast majority of its students are enrolled as undergraduates pursuing a four-year bachelor’s degree.The university has four large colleges in total, providing students with different classes with various teaching approaches. Students are also able to receive lessons via the Internet.

The mission of the Ashford University is:

We offer programs at our beautiful and historic campus in Clinton, Iowa, and offer a wide array of athletics teams, campus events and activities that both our campus and online students enjoy. In addition to college graduates, we are also committed to the needs of the working adult learner, and offer a broad selection of bachelors and masters’ programs that are flexible and accelerated.

ACCREDITATION

Ashford University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission; at the same time, the university is a member of the North Central Association. It is also accredited by a couple of other institutions, including the Adult Learning Focused Institution of Higher Education.

ACADEMICS

Ashford University comprises four colleges:

• College of Business and Professional Studies
• College of Education
• College of Health, Human Services,and Science
• College of Liberal Arts

The most popular majors and course of study for students are as follows:

Based on the statistics provided by U.S News Rankings, the Ashford University is ranked 2nd in 2012, compared with all the regional universities in the midwest of the country.

Ashford University was originally established as a college only for woman and it started to grow rapidly ever since. The university pays much attention to its athletics program, offering scholarships every year to students who have achieved accomplishments in this program.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants for the university are required to possess high school diplomas. General Educational Development (GED) is equally effective. It also requires applicants to take standardized tests like SAT or ACT. Among all non-academic factors, a good interview and all-round ability usually give the applicant an advantage.

COSTS AND FINANCIAL AID

The tuitions and fees for year 2011-2012 is USD 15,720. It usually takes students USD 6,000 for accommodation.

The university offers those who have excellent academic performances a full scholarship. It can cover up to 100 percent of a student’s tuition. Students who have participated in the AU Athletics Programs will also have a chance to get scholarship. The number of scholarships vary from year to year.