Other Schools

'' NOTE : This list may be outdated as it only receives sporadic updates. Please check individual policies before applying or making any decisions. Feel free to remove schools from the list if your research indicates they no longer have fit the goal of the DegreeForum, or add new schools as you find them.''

If you are looking for a competency-based program, this page will let you directly compare several factors to help you choose which one might be best for you.

Overview
While this Wiki and DegreeForum.net are mainly geared towards earning a degree through one of the Big 3, some students have inquired about other schools for different reasons. One common reason stated is that they have accumulated a number of credits from nationally accredited schools (Grantham University, ITT, etc.) and would like to transfer as much of them as possible to a regionally accredited school. Below is a list of other schools that have transfer policies similar too, although not as generous, as the Big 3, with some of them possibly accepting transfer credits from nationally accredited schools

While regionally accredited schools are considered the best and most flexible, a few nationally accredited schools are also listed for those for whom the accreditation distinction doesn't matter and who are simply looking for the lowest cost option.

Regionally Accredited

 * Adams State University - Regionally accredited school in Colorado.  Their website states that there is a limit of 90 transfer hours accepted; students mustcomplete a minimum of 30 institutional hours to obtain a BA or BS degree.  Vocational and non-credit courses "can be considered for credit if grades of A, B or C have been earned".
 * American Public University System - Regionally accredited schools in West Virginia.  Their website states that students may transfer up to "91 semester hours" towards their BA or BS degree.
 * Ashford University - Regionally accredited school in Iowa (**see note below**).  Their website states that students may transfer "up to 90 approved credits toward your Bachelor's degree at Ashford University", of which 75 credits may be from non-traditional sources like CLEP, DSST , etc. **NOTE:  Ashford University was having major problems with its accreditation.  This has been remedied as of mid July 2013, as they have cut their marketing/recruitment department in favor of bolstering their educational staff. This has resulted in the school earning back their regional accreditation for the next five years, from two accrediting agencies including the WASC.
 * Northern Arizona University - Regionally accredited school in Arizona.  Tuition is a flat fee every 6 months until you complete the program.  This program is "competency-based" meaning that students have to pass exams at each level to advance to the next.  Only 35 credit hours from CAEL or ACE are accepted in as transfer credits, with 64 being accepted total from these and other sources, Business program is AACSB approved.  Financial aid may be used for this program.  See this discussion for more.
 * Peirce College - a very alt-credit friendly school. Although their degrees can cost more than the Big3, they do have some attractive degrees that are difficult to find at a cheaper price. They also state on their site that they will help you to create a plan of what alternate credits to take, making them the only known school to do this.
 * Pierpont C&TC - a community college in West Virginia that offers a low/no fee Board of Governors (BOG) Associate degree allowing 100% transfer credit, and up to 48 of 60 credits as alt credit.
 * SUNY-Empire State College - Regionally accredited school in New York State.  Their website states that "up to 96 credits can be transferred (128 credits required for bachelor's degree; 32 credits must be taken at Empire State College)".  It has a unique approach to PLA credit for what you know. Download the pdf of their Student Guide for more information. Unlike many other schools, as of July 2020, SUNY ESC's student guide says that they still award college credit for the GRE Subject Tests. Check with the school for more information about this.
 * University of Maine at Presque Isle - a state university that offers competency-based degrees. They will now accept 90 ACE credits towards a given degree, but 30 credits must be earned from UMPI itself.
 * Western Governors University - Utah-based school allowing credit hours from nationally accredited schools and and non-traditional sources may be applied towards a degree program at WGU.  It has a unique entry-level online teacher education and licensure program. See this page from their website for more information.  You should note, however, that WGU doesn't use credit hours like most colleges and universities do but instead has "competencies" that must be completed in order to finish a degree program.  Tuition is a flat fee every 6 months until you complete the program (varies based on major, between about $3000 and $4000 every 6 months; nursing programs cost more).  This means that if you complete the program in 6 months, that's all you pay for your tuition!  If it takes you longer than you pay the same fee every 6 months.  FAFSA eligible. The WGU partner page shows accepted credits for each degree, from StraighterLine, Study.com, Saylor, and others.

Nationally Accredited

 * University of the People - Nationally accredited school that offers bachelor's degrees in business administration, computer science, and health science. Each course costs $120, bringing the total cost for a bachelor's degree to around $2500. They claim to allow transferred credits but the process has been reported as difficult and time-consuming. May be acceptable for students who have no prior credits and who just want any sort of degree as cheaply as possible. Program cannot be accelerated.
 * Nations University - Nationally accredited school that offers exactly one bachelor's degree: Bachelor of Religious Studies. Operates on a competency-based fee structure of $450 every quarter. Students are free to take classes as quickly as they desire/are able to. This opens up the potential for the degree to cost less than $1000 in total.
 * Grantham University - Nationally accredited university, however their Bachelor of Science Electronics Engineering Technology Degree has ABET accreditation. Per the student handbook, up to 75% of credits may be transferred in. Additional requirements apply for the Electronics Engineering degree. Undergraduate tuition is $295/credit hour for undergraduates, $250/credit hour for military personnel and others who qualify for the hero program rates. Alternate credits such as ACE, CLEP, DSST, etc. are accepted.