For Profit Colleges?

Published

I was seriously considering getting an LPN diploma from a for-profit college and was wondering if this will make it harder to find a job and what HR thinks of such schools. According to the NY Dept. of Nursing, the school in question, Monroe Colelge, has a NCLEX passage rate of 90%, which seems to be a bit higher than most community colleges.

Also, as a business, are for profit colleges easier to get into?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There is an article in a recent edition of Businessweek magazine about for-profit colleges and their opinion is that those organizations are mainly in it for money and many times, there is very little actual instruction. Basically, the main idea was stay away.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I read that article, but it seemed to focus on ONLINE for profit schools. The school I am considering has online programs, but the nursing program is on campus. Also, assuming I can't get into any other LPN program, isn't the for profit school better than nothing? Does anyone care where you went to school as long as you have your nursing license?

I also need a school that is not hard to get into. I am loooking through the admission requirements for several schools and they are quite tough, as they require a long list of exams.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

This topic was discussed extensively in the first half of this thread: I go to ITT-Tech... - Nursing for Nurses

Up Vote Up Vote ×

For profit schools are expensive!!! If you are going to school on the campus you will be fine. As far as getting into the schools-just study many have materials for you to study or a link to a website. I attend ITT Tech and the entrance exam was not easy but not hard. You have to do what is best for you.:):nurse:;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

For profit schools can be easier to get into -- after all their business plan is all about maximizing tuition dollars (more students means more profit).

But of you think you might want to go further (another degree), then do not expect any credit to transfer. I know nurses who did a for-profit ADN, and then discovered that absolutely nothing would transfer to a BSN program.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am going to school with a girl right now. She went to a for-profit school for nursing. Now, she wants to get her masters so she is having to redo EVERYTHING. Pre-reqs, nursing classes, EVERYTHING.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The Frontline series on PBS recently did an episode on for-profit schools entitled "College, Inc." I believe it's available for viewing on the PBS website. I would really encourage people to view this if they are considering a proprietary tech/voc school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I actually have an interview on Monday morning with a for profit nursing program. I did my bachelors degree from a for profit university, and many of my credits transferred to a non-profit state university back when I thought I would try accounting. To reduce the costs of going to a for profit school, I am going to compelte as many prerequs as I can online from a traditional school, this way NOBODY will turn them down. The for profit schools seem to be easier to get into, and that is important to me. My ultimate goal is to become an LPN and later an RN, but I have no plans to do a BSN. My mother is an RN and she always tells me a BSN is a compelte waste of money and time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I actually have an interview on Monday morning with a for profit nursing program. I did my bachelors degree from a for profit university, and many of my credits transferred to a non-profit state university back when I thought I would try accounting. To reduce the costs of going to a for profit school, I am going to compelte as many prerequs as I can online from a traditional school, this way NOBODY will turn them down. The for profit schools seem to be easier to get into, and that is important to me. My ultimate goal is to become an LPN and later an RN, but I have no plans to do a BSN. My mother is an RN and she always tells me a BSN is a compelte waste of money and time.

I might be incorrect about this but it seems like I read somewhere that for profit colleges won't take courses or credits from other schools. Cuts into their profit margin. So, you might want to check into that before hand.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
My ultimate goal is to become an LPN and later an RN, but I have no plans to do a BSN. My mother is an RN and she always tells me a BSN is a compelte waste of money and time.

Just a caution -- many, many nurses start out thinking they will never want to do anything but basic bedside nursing and they will never want to go back to school. However, many, many nurses have also had the experience of looking around after a few years (or less!) in nursing and realizing that they would have a much wider range of professional opportunities if they had further education and credentials in nursing. Just look around at how many threads here are about nurses returning to school, or planning to do so! Even if you think now that you are not going to want any further nursing education in the future, IMHO it would be a big mistake to close off any future educational or professional paths to yourself this early in the process. With all due respect to your mother (and she's certainly entitled to her opinion), it's hard to see how a BSN degree is a "complete" waste of time and money, considering how many roles and positions in nursing require it. While I would certainly never argue that it necessarily makes a better nurse (I was a diploma grad who completed a BSN in order to be able to attend graduate school -- the BSN completion program I attended taught me almost nothing about nursing I didn't already know and did nothing to make me a "better" nurse than I already was), the simple reality is that one has a greater range of career opportunities and earning power with a BSN than with RN licensure (ADN/diploma) only. That factor alone makes it worthwhile to many, entirely apart from the value of the education involved.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I understand and respect your point of view. However, I will be frank: My mother makes just shy of $90k and has essentially reached the top of the pay scale, all with just an ASN. Unless a BSN would put her over $100k, I doubt it would ever pay for itself. The only job she has ever been denied for not having a BSN is a school nurse, and she did not care about that since they make a fraction of what she makes as a hospice nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion