Deciding to pursue higher education is an important step towards building a future. For some potential students, a college degree will provide greater career opportunities in specific fields. For others, the hope is to qualify for higher overall income. Regardless of the motivation to attend college, consider these five things you probably didn’t know about Excelsior College.
Fast facts
There are many reasons to consider enrollment at Excelsior College. This institution has revolutionized adult higher education by understanding that learning happens anytime, anywhere. They focus on innovation educational solutions for non-traditional students with a focus on career advancement and improved income potential.
The average age of an Excelsior student is 36 years, and the student body is a close split between female (48 percent) and male (52 percent) attendees. The majority of students are either full-time (74 percent) or part-time (eight percent) employed, and half the population has an active or vetern military service standing.
It takes students an average of 2.7 years to complete a degree, and Excelsior boasts a high course completion rate of 94 percent for undergraduate studies and 96 percent for graduate. Impressively, within a year of graduation, 52 percent of alumni report career advancement, with another 61 percent reporting pay increase in their jobs.
About Excelsior
This regionally-accredited, non-profit institution was founded in 1971 with an emphasis on offering adult educational opportunities to students regardless of physical location. Their mission is to meet students academically and geographically to provide quality instruction and assessment of learning. The college offers students more than 30 degree programs within six study disciplines, including business, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, public service, and technology. These degree programs fall within three schools: School of Undergraduate Studies, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Nursing.
With so many options available for students at varying educational and experience levels, admissions counselors are able to help advise which programs will best support career goals and make the most of transfer credits, training and previous learning. Even before speaking with a counselor, the college has a free career education planning tool to identify options that best match a future student’s skills and interests.
With generous transfer credit policies, students can save on tuition and complete a degree in less time by transferring credits from previous coursework and college-level exams. Admissions counselors will assess what credits can be accepted, and based on background and goals, recommend the most appropriate degree program.
School of Nursing
The Excelsior College School of Nursing is spearheaded by nursing professionals with years of practical experience and advanced degrees within the field. Earning a nursing degree will not only broaden knowledge, but also develop professionalism, expand career opportunities, and increase salary potential.
Excelsior Nursing has Associate’s, Bachelor’s, RN to Master’s, and Master’s degree programs. Each of these programs is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). These nursing degree programs are specifically designed for individuals with considerable prior knowledge and experience in clinically-oriented health care disciplines. There is no clinical instruction (laboratory learning and observation) provided in any program at the School of Nursing; therefore, students interested in bachelor’s or master’s degrees must possess a current license to practice as a registered nurse.
The nursing faculty believes that an education in nursing requires a strong foundation in the arts, sciences, humanities, and technology. The curriculum is built across each degree level to increase in complexity in order to meet the demands of the current health care field. Each nursing degree program has a curriculum that is comparable to traditional campus-based instructional learning and meets the standards for registration by the New York State Education Department.