There are new schools established every day. Some schools have only been certified for a few years. The youngest major university in the country is Ave Maria University in Florida, which was founded in 2002.

Here are the youngest five schools in the country and their founding dates:
1.    Ave Maria University – 2007
2.    University of California-Merced – 2005
3.    Soka University of America – 2001
4.    Patrick Henry College – 2000
5.    New St. Andrews College – 1994

And of course, on the opposite side of the spectrum, some schools are older than our country.

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photo by Andrew Flavin

As a junior in my high school days, I knew I wanted a less traditional path into the intimidating world of college. Unlike many of my friends, I opted out of the cold Northeast and applied only to schools located in the warm California sunshine. But upon receipt of my first semester out-of-state tuition bill from University of California Santa Barbara, I chose to begin my college journey at Santa Barbara City College instead, making life a bit easier on my family’s pocketbook, and then to transfer to a four-year school. Choosing whether to attend community college or a university right out of high school is an option worth considering.

Here are some pros and cons: Read the rest of this entry »

Is Your Degree From a Properly Accredited School?

When researching colleges, which criteria are most important to you? Unless you want to spend the next few years working toward a degree only to find that it isn’t recognized by the company that is interviewing you for your dream job, researching the accreditation of your school of choice is imperative. Accreditation lends legitimacy to your degree by ensuring that your school of choice meets a set of standards set forth by the institution that issues such accreditation. Most schools you consider attending will be able to claim that they are accredited, but by who? It is equally important to understand who is issuing the accreditation and what value that accreditation has for you before selecting a school. Read the rest of this entry »