Is Capella University Respected by Employers?

There are many reasons why some people choose to go to online schools. One of those is for them to get their degrees at their own pace. Another is for them to have better jobs.

However, there is a stigma attached to degrees from online schools. This is why some employers may not respect or honor them. Many online schools are running these days, and one of them is Capella University.

Its name is one of those that are usually brought up when people are talking about their online school options. Although it is quite well-known, some cannot help but wonder whether or not it’s a real school that is offering programs that employers will take seriously.

So, is Capella University respected by employers?

Capella University is very well respected by employers, especially those who know that not all online schools are diploma mills. The online school is regionally accredited. It means that its programs and degrees are recognized as they meet standards, just like most traditional schools.

Many online schools have campuses and learning centers. However, it is only by means of the internet that Capella University teaches its students.

While it has a physical office, which is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, people who go to it use their desktop and laptop computers to complete their programs.

In 2019, however, it was said that the online school was putting up learning sites in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as in Orlando, Florida. Either way, it is a school that runs primarily on the internet, just like many online schools that you can think of.

Continue reading if you are thinking about going to Capella University. Below you will come across some of the most vital things that you need to know about the online school.

Capella University is Regionally Accredited

It’s no secret that a lot of employers do not take online schools seriously. Because Capella University is one of those online schools, no one can blame you for hesitating to go to it.

Well, there is one thing about the school that may get rid of your doubts and fears. It’s none other than the fact that it is a regionally accredited school. Yes, just like many traditional schools that employers respect, Capella University has regional accreditation.

There’s a couple of accreditation that a school, be it traditional or online, may get. They are regional accreditation and national accreditation. Different accrediting groups give different types of accreditation.

In the US, there are a lot of national accrediting groups. On the other hand, there are only six regional accrediting groups in the country:

  1. Higher Learning Commission
  2. Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  3. New England Association of Schools and Colleges
  4. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  5. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  6. Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Between regional accreditation and national accreditation, the former is regarded as the most widely recognized and prestigious accreditation type.

One of the main reasons for such is that credits earned from regionally accredited schools are transferrable to schools that are regionally and nationally accredited.

Credits earned from nationally accredited schools, on the other hand, are transferrable only to schools that are nationally accredited.

Since Capella University is a regionally accredited school, it means that the credits you will earn from it will probably be honored by another school in case you decide to transfer to it.

This is good news because you will no longer need to start your college from scratch should you have a change of mind along the way.

Many other things make a regionally accredited school better than a nationally accredited school.

For instance, the standards used by regional accrediting groups are stricter than those used by national accrediting groups.

This means that a school with regional accreditation was able to meet high standards. Such speaks so much about the quality of its education and degrees.

However, there are also a few downsides to schools that are regionally accredited.

For instance, it tends to be more expensive than a school that is nationally accredited. This brings us to an important topic when it comes to online schools, and that’s the cost.

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Cost-Effective Education

A lot of people assume that going to Capella University doesn’t come with a cheap price tag, and it’s for a couple of reasons. First, it is a for-profit school. It’s no secret that for-profit schools are running like businesses.

They make money by giving education, and what they make go straight to the pockets of their owners and shareholders. Second, the school is running online.

Everyone has this idea that an online school is expensive, although in reality, what they are probably thinking about are diploma mills, which we will talk about later on in this article.

Going to Capella University is indeed more expensive than going to a community college. However, going to it is slightly cheaper than going to most other for-profit schools.

For instance, for the academic year 2018 to 2019, the tuition fee for Capella University amounted to $14,148. This is definitely higher than the tuition fee for a community college in the US.

Experts say that the average tuition fee for community colleges is $3,347. That is just a fraction of the cost of the average tuition fee for most four-year schools in the US, which amounts to $9,139.

However, according to a statistic, compared to the average tuition fee for for-profit colleges, which amounts to $17,000, the tuition fee for Capella College is slightly cheaper.

Keep in mind that the school is running on the web only. This is the reason why getting your degree from it may be easier on the pocket compared to getting your degree from a traditional school.

Some of the costs that you no longer have to shell out money for include room and board, transportation, textbooks, and school supplies.

Some employers may not respect Capella University and other online schools because they believe that all programs and degrees from the internet are fake.

What’s more, they think that obtaining a degree online is free of trouble. They believe that it’s nothing like getting a degree in the traditional way in which a student will have to work hard for two or four years.

Well, no one can blame some employers for not taking online degrees seriously.

However, it’s because it is very much likely that what they have in their minds are diploma mills and not online schools with accreditation, just like traditional schools.

Not a Diploma Mill

On the internet, there are websites that people can visit if they want to get their hands on degrees. They are referred to as diploma mills. Also, sometimes known as degree mills, these are businesses whose products are degrees in exchange for money.

There are a couple of things that you have to know about diploma mills:

  • The degrees that they offer are meaningless. Diploma mills offer degrees that sound legit. They also offer degrees that can make eyebrows rise. No matter the case, one thing is for sure: most employers do not respect degrees coming from diploma mills. The minute that an employer learns that an applicant got his or her degree from a diploma mill, it is likely for the person to be rejected without delay. Thanks to the internet, it is easy to figure out whether or not the source of a degree is a diploma mill.
  • Getting a degree from them isn’t cheap. There is no need to study if you want a degree from a diploma mill. All you have to do is provide your credit card number, and you can expect for a degree to be on your way. Because employers do not respect degrees coming from diploma mills, paying for a degree is not worth your money. This is especially true since you will have to shell out a huge sum of cash, which can range from $500 to $2,000. Sometimes you will have to pay more, like if you want to “graduate with honors”.

Many people are unaware of the fact that online school they are going to is a diploma mill. That’s because many of them make themselves sound just as legit as accredited online schools.

For instance, diploma mills have bogus accrediting bodies that they work with. Most of the time, they themselves came up with these phony accrediting bodies.

It can be easy for diploma mills to sound like they are real online schools simply by placing the word “accredited” on their websites. Including “university” in their names make them sound even more legit.

Sadly, in the US, there is no law that can stop diploma mills from using the word “university”. Although it’s true that back in the 80s a lot of diploma mills in the US were closed, many of them are still running these days.

It’s because of them why accredited online schools, such as Capella University, are not being taken seriously.

Acceptance Rate

One thing is true: Capella University is not a diploma mill. Such is due to the fact that it is accredited. However, its accreditation is not just any accreditation.

It is regionally accredited, which is more widely recognized and prestigious than national accreditation. Other than not being a diploma mill, Capella University is also a legit online school.

The following is the general admission requirements for going to Capella University:

  • A thoroughly filled out application form
  • A non-refundable application fee amounting to $50
  • Ability to fluently speak, read, write, and understand English
  • Agreeing to abide by the school’s policies and program requirements
  • Transcript of records
  • Minimum GPA (varies from one program to the other)
  • High school diploma or equivalent, such as GED, for bachelor’s students
  • Must be at least 24 years old for bachelor’s students (may be waived in some situations)
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited school for master’s students
  • A master’s degree from an accredited school for doctoral students

Like many other online schools, the acceptance rate for Capella University is 100%. This is one of the many reasons why some employers do not respect degrees coming from online schools.

They believe that, because of online schools, just about anyone these days can get their hands on degrees, including people who do not deserve them.

Quite frankly, this is a mindset that employers who have them should get rid of. First and foremost, it’s not just online schools that have 100% acceptance rates.

In the US, there are many traditional schools whose acceptance rates are 100%. Here are 10 examples of them:

School NameLocation
Bismarck State CollegeBismarck, North Dakota
Boston Architectural CollegeBoston, Massachusetts
College of Staten IslandStaten Island, New York
Dixie State UniversitySt. George, Utah
Indian River State CollegeFort Pierce, Florida
Metropolitan State UniversitySt. Paul, Minnesota
New Mexico Highlands UniversityLas Vegas, New Mexico
University of PikevillePikeville, Kentucky
Wayne State CollegeWayne, Nebraska
Western International UniversityPhoenix, Arizona

It’s true that Capella University, just like many other online and traditional schools, has a 100% acceptance rate. Although this is the case, there are requirements that applicants have to meet.

In the case of Capella University, the requirements are those that we talked about earlier. Most diploma mills, on the other hand, ask their applicants to meet only one requirement. It’s none other than giving their credit card numbers.

It’s true that you will need to give your credit card number when you are applying to a legit online school.

However, there are minimum requirements, too, that can keep you from being accepted if you fail to meet them.

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Some Notable Alumni

One of the things people do before going to a particular school, be it online or traditional, is to check if there are notable persons who went to or graduated from it.

When some familiar names show up, they can have peace of mind that the school that they are planning to go to is legit. As a general rule of thumb, the more well-known people who enrolled themselves at the school, the more trustworthy the school is.

In the case of Capella University, there are many prominent alumni. Some of them got their degrees from the online school, while others attended it and failed to complete their programs.

Tammy Duckworth

Let’s take a quick look at some of the people who went to Capella University whose names may ring a bell:

  • Tammy Duckworth. A former US Army lieutenant colonel, she is currently a US senator from the state of Illinois. Once known as the first disabled female veteran to be a part of the US House of Representatives, she was elected as a senator back in 2016.
  • Curtis J. Crawford. Not only is he the chief executive officer and president of XCEO, Inc., but he’s also its founder. The company he set up and runs is a consulting firm that is specializing in corporate governance and executive leadership.
  • Christopher Erhardt. If you are a big video gaming fan, you might have heard or read about him before. Aside from being a videogame designer, he was also the head of the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE). That is, until he died back in 2012.
  • Rhadi Ferguson. He is well-known in the world of American mixed martial arts. Other than being a trainer in the said sport, he is also a black belt in jiu-jitsu and judo, strength and conditioning coach, and motivational speaker.
  • Joshua Haeder. A politician from South Dakota, he is the state’s 33rd treasurer. Before being involved in politics, he used to be a businessman. For instance, he was the managing partner of Haeder Organization, LLC, which is located in Huron, South Dakota.
  • Betty Schueler. She is someone who used to be busy with a lot of things. That is until she retired on disability. For instance, she was once a computer consultant and system analyst. She also used to work as a freelance writer, editor, and artist.
  • Brandt Smith. These days, he’s busy being a member of the Arkansas House of Representative for District 58. A former Southern Baptist missionary and social scientist for the US Army, he got his Ph.D. in Management Leadership from Capella University.
  • Vicenzo Troia. He started out as a musician. These days, this Italian-American is a cybersecurity researcher, author, and speaker. This is thanks to his Ph.D. in Information Security and Assurance that he got from Capella University.
  • Jennifer Welter. She is a female American football coach. Currently, she’s a defensive specialist for the team Atlanta Legends of the Alliance of American Football or AAF. Back in 2010 and 2013, she was a member of the gold medal-winning Team USA at the IFAF Women’s World Championship.

Before You Go to the School

Just because Capella University is an online school doesn’t mean that it’s a diploma mill. A proof to that is the fact that it has regional accreditation.

Also, it has many notable alumni, some of which we just talked about above. It’s true that some employers may not respect the school. But do take note that they do not respect other online schools, too.

What you can do is to make sure that you make a good impression during your job interview once you already have your degree from Capella University.

Warning

In October 2021, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent notices to 70 for-profit schools seeking civil penalties. While the notice claims that this is “NOT an indication that it has done anything wrong”, the FTC’s goal is to prevent using illegal or deceptive tactics that leave students with high debt and poor career outcomes.

Capella University was on the list.

There are also the University of Phoenix, Strayer, Grand Canyon, and Devry.


Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the College Reality Check.

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