American Public University System (APUS)

Overview of American Public University System (APUS)

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APUS' online approach is a boon to its older students, who average age 32. They can pursue their undergraduate degree free of the typical scheduling difficulties that plague many students. The school has also been ranked in the 11th percentile for return on investment.

APUS offers students a wide range of academic options. Their top ten most popular programs include sports and health sciences, psychology, environmental science, cyber security, and business administration. Thus, a hard-working and determined online student can achieve everything that their friends can on a traditional campus.

Top Rankings For American Public University System

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APUS Acceptance Rate and Admissions

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APUS Tuition Cost & Financial Aid

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Though APUS is a for-profit, private institution, it offers students terrific value. Its online courses don't require expensive buildings, and the physical location in Charles Town, WV is less costly than many other locations. The low overhead brings the cost of tuition, books, and other academic costs to a mere $7,500.

Given that APUS is an online institution, it's hard to determine students' cost of living and a total gross price for a year of study. After all, students could live in a high-cost city such as New York City or San Francisco or they could enjoy a more affordable cost of living in rural Idaho, for example.

In any case, the best estimated net price tag for a year of study came to $11,000, including room and board. Naturally, this accounts for the grants and scholarships the financial aid office arranges for students. Also, since APUS targets military students, some of those costs may be handled by the government. In any case, students from the highest earning demographic saw an average net price of a mere $17,000 per year.

Sticker Price

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Popular Academic Programs at APUS

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American Public University System (APUS) is known for breaking the mold. Not only are they an online institution, but they also report terrific academic statistics. Our researchers were somewhat skeptical, but they discovered that APUS is able to retain over 90% of their first-time, full-time students for a second term. Such a high retention rate is unusual for any institution of higher learning, much less one that conducts its courses online.

The school also reports a graduation rate of 50%. When compared with many traditional institutions, this is a strong graduation rate. Unfortunately, APUS didn't post their transfer rate, which could perhaps boost projections for college success.

Perhaps the key to APUS' success is its student to faculty ratio. The average class size at APUS is 22 students, which would be a bit high for a traditional campus but may work perfectly well in an online learning environment. Faculty members aren't overloaded with grading duties and students have easy access to their instructors, who are an email (or chat) away. It may also help APUS that the average age of its student body is 32 years old. More mature students may be better equipped for an intense focus on earning a degree.

Student Population Total

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Outcome & Salary

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APUS students are a bit older than most traditional college students, so they are very interested in learning how well their degrees will pay off in the employment market. While there are never any guarantees when it comes to academic achievement and career success, researchers surveyed graduates to find out how they fared. The top-earning graduates from APUS were from the computer and information technology management degree program. They reported a median salary of $80,000. Meanwhile, the fifth highest earning graduates were from the mechanical engineering degree program, who reported a median salary in excess of $72,000.

Photos & Videos

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