Westwood College

Westwood College Review: Online College Reviews

 
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Rating:
Bottom Line:
Good alumni support and career focus
Full Review:
Westwood College Online is the online arm of Alta Colleges, which operates 34 campuses nationwide and is affiliated with the Princeton Review test-preparation service.

Best for: Alumni support programs


Degrees: Associate; bachelor's; master's, MBA

Programs: Business, design, justice, technology, healthcare, industrial services Undergrad Cost: $242-310 per credit

Graduate Cost: $426 per credit

Post-Graduation Employment:
The post-graduation employment rate at Westwood is 80%, which is very high. This might be due to the extremely career-focused classes taught by working professionals rather than professors far removed from the industry. Plus, if you don't find a job within six months after graduation, they'll give you money to help pay your bills.

Financial Aid:
Westwood provides students with finance specialists to help you review possible sources of funding for your education, but its own scholarship offerings are somewhat paltry. One unique bonus is that Westwood has a matching program for outside scholarships, which means if you qualify, Westwood will match the scholarship money you have received from outside sources with some of its own tuition reduction funds.

Resources:
Much like other online colleges, Westwood builds you a personal "Success Team," which consists of advisors, career counselors, and faculty. It also offers a virtual library and tutoring. Depending on the class, you might be able to watch videotaped lectures, do onscreen exercises, and chat with other students. The resources specifically for alumni, however, are top-notch: from career-building articles and links and job boards to tuition-free retraining (take new courses in your program and courses that have changed since you've graduated).

Faculty:
To be a faculty member at Westwood, one doesn't have to possess any higher education. This might be good for keeping students focused on the professional world, but it's worth noting that many other online colleges require a master's from each potential faculty member at a minimum. However, smaller class sizes ensure more personal attention.

Value:
Cost per credit is about average, and its offering of student resources is also about average among the online colleges and universities we review.

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Card Details:

Degrees:Alumni support programs
Programs:Associate; bachelor's; master's, MBA
Alumni Statistics*:Business, design, justice, technology, healthcare, industrial services
Education Quality Rating*:
Job Placement Assistance Rating*:

* Data based off of Robert W. Baird & Co. Higher Education Survey Report (2006) and data published on provider websites as of October 1, 2007.

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