Ashford University is a private, for-profit, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Clinton, Iowa. Initially established in 1918 as Mount St. Clare College by the Sisters of St. Francis, the college enjoyed recognition as the best source of rural teachers in Clinton County in 1942. In 1979, the college received approval for its first four-year degree.
In 2002, the college began to offer graduate courses online which allowed many students to pursue their higher education via the Internet no matter where they were. In 2005, the school was bought by Bridgepoint Education, Inc. and renamed Ashford University.
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Ashford University offers Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degree programs through its campus in Clinton, Iowa and online via its Center for External Studies.
Cost of tuition and fees for campus-based degree programs is US$7,860 per semester for fulltime students or US$458 per credit hour for part-time students. This cost does not include room and board fee of around US$1,700 as well as other fees that may be charged in line with registration.
For online Associate and Bachelor’s degree courses, cost of tuition is US$372 per credit hour plus technology services fee of US$990. Students pursuing online graduate degree programs pay tuition per credit hour of US$486 for Master of Arts in Education and Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology; and US$541 for Master of Arts in Health Care Administration, Master of Arts in Organizational Management, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Public Administration. A technology services fee of US$990 is also charged.
To help students pay for their tuition, financial aid is extended in the form of loans, grants, and military tuition assistance.
