Many colleges allow students to exchange work experience for college credit. This is called credit for prior learning, or CPL—a method colleges use to gauge a student’s pre-existing learning they have received in a work environment.
Applying work experience to college credits carries many benefits. A student can typically apply enough work experience credits to their college that they are able to graduate a full year early. This allows students to get their degree faster and to save money. For example, while three credits at a college may add up to over a thousand dollars, receiving three work experience credits may cost under $100.
There are several ways to determine whether a student is eligible to apply their work experience credits to college. These include several exams.
- The CLEP (College Level Examination Program) tests a students’ learning from previous working experience and military training. There are thirty-six subject areas available for testing. The CLEP is managed by College Board, the same company behind AP exams and the SAT.
- The DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) tests students on more than thirty college-level concepts, specifically regarding knowledge earned outside of a traditional classroom setting.
- The UExcel is a credit-by-exam (CBE) program which tests students on eight subjects in order to give them college credit. Many of the tests also give credit for upper-division college courses. UExcel is a collaboration between Pearson and Excelsior College.
Examinations aren’t the only way to gain work experience credits. In addition, students can show a portfolio they have amassed during their work experience. There are also instances where colleges award credit for specific training and certification programs approved by that institution.
So, which colleges give you the most bang for your buck in terms of work experience credits? Where can you use your work experiences to save the most time and money?
Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University is a small private university located in New Hampshire, less than an hours’ drive north from Boston. It has a non-selective acceptance rate of 96% and an undergraduate population of around 2,600 students. SNHU is very generous towards students looking to use their work experience credits for schooling. SNHU accepts over 600 work experiences as college credits, and students are able to apply up to 90 transfer credits towards their degree. This means students can use work experience credits for 75% of their program.
University of Maryland - Global Campus
The University of Maryland Global Campus is a public university located in Adelphi, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC. It is a branch of the University of Maryland which focuses on online, adult education. It has an undergraduate population of over 45,000 students. UMGC offers a Workspace Learning program helping students gain credit for work experience. In this program, students can earn up to 6 credits per semester through their jobs by submitting academic assignments related to their employment.
Purdue University Global
Purdue University Global is an entirely online public university, with its headquarters located in West Lafayette, Indiana. It has a 100% acceptance rate for undergraduates, and it has around 43,000 enrolled students. Purdue University Global offers a competitive alternative college credits center. Purdue offers a wide array of methods to earn credits outside of the traditional college classroom. These include work and life experiences, along with other methods such as testing and military service. The work and life experiences are primarily awarded through a students’ portfolio.
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is one of the most highly regarded colleges in the US, with a mere 7% acceptance rate and an undergraduate population of around 6,000 on its main campus. Johns Hopkins offers a Customized Academic Learning (CAL) program, which is primarily centered around research experiences, internships, and independent study. Students are able to earn 6 college credits from independent study per semester. Johns Hopkins also does not place a limit on how many work credits can be used towards graduation.
Linfield University
Linfield University is a small liberal arts college located in Oregon, with two campuses in McMinnville and Portland. It is non-selective with an acceptance rate of 89%, and it has an undergraduate population of around 1,700 students. Linfield University offers college credit for life experience. They acknowledge that adults coming to college bring with them learning from a variety of sources, such as employment, volunteer responsibilities, and non-credit workshops.
There are three ways of receiving life experience credit. One is through a prior learning degree portfolio, which involves enrolling in IDST 250: Writing the Portfolio where students are taught how to document their life experiences.
Colorado State University - Global Campus
Colorado State University Global is an entirely online university with its headquarters in Aurora, Colorado. It has a non-selective 97% acceptance rate, and it has around 2,000 full-time students and 8,000 part-time students. Colorado State Global offers a PLA (Prior Learning Assessment) program. This allows students to use portfolios to demonstrate knowledge they have already acquired from work and life experiences. PLAs can enable students to save up to 75% on tuition at CSU Global.
DeSales University
DeSales University is a Catholic university offering traditional, online, and hybrid learning options. It is located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, an hour north of Philadelphia. DeSales is not very selective with an acceptance rate of 77%, and it has around 2,200 undergraduate students. DeSales offers a Prior Learning Assessment (PLS) with a diversity of options to assess a students’ work experience. These include:
- College Board AP Exams
- College Board CLEP Exams
- Defense Activity for Nontraditional Educational Support (DSST)
- Military training
- Non-traditional training
- DeSales University Challenge Examination
- Assessment of a student’s portfolio
Westfield State University
Westfield State University is a public university located in Westfield, Massachusetts, in the greater Springfield area. Westfield State is not very competitive with an 82% acceptance rate, and it has an undergraduate population of around 1,300 students. Westfield State offers a Prior Learning Portfolio Policy. This policy states that students can submit an application for PLP credits via submitting a prior learning portfolio demonstrating their acquired knowledge through their work experience. Once a student is deemed eligible for the program, they must enroll in a portfolio writing workshop. Students can receive up to 12 credits in this program, and cannot earn more than 10% of their credits in PLP credits.
Central Michigan University - Innovation and Online
Central Michigan University is located at Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and has an acceptance rate of around 80%. CMU has an online program known as Central Michigan University Innovation and Online. CMU Innovation and Online has offered online degrees for the past fifty years. Its program is structured around adult learners and focuses on business partnerships, training, workshops, and serving military members and veterans. Prior learning credit can be applied for on-the-job experiences, professional development classes, and volunteer activities. Students can count up to 60 prior learning credits to their degrees as undergraduates.
Walsh University
Walsh University is a Catholic university located in North Canton, Ohio, which is about an hour south of Cleveland. It is slightly selective with a 73% acceptance rate, and it has an undergraduate population of around 1,500 students. Walsh University offers adult accelerated degree programs, where students can earn up to 45 credits in work and life experience. In order to enter this program, students must be over 21 years of age, and they must have at least 12 hours of prior college credit.
Albertus Magnus College
Albertus Magnus College is a Catholic college located in New Haven, Connecticut. It is not very selective, with an acceptance rate of 80%, and it has an undergraduate population of just under 1,000 students. Albertus Magnus College accepts various forms of credits for prior learning. However, the college prioritizes documented learning rather than experience. Thus, the primary ways to earn credit for prior learning are:
- Advanced Placement (AP) tests
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- Dantes Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- Military experience
- Non-Collegiate coursework and programs, as approved by the American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendation
- Industry credentials
- Portfolio assessment
University of Memphis - Global
The University of Memphis Global is an online branch of University of Memphis, which is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is not selective, with a 95% acceptance rate for US students and a 65% acceptance rate for international students. There are around 16,000 undergraduates at the University of Memphis, although this may differ greatly for the online program. University of Memphis Global allows students to undergo a prior learning assessment (PLA) to attain credit by examination, portfolio assessment, licenses & certificates, and military training & expertise.
So, what’s next?
There are many universities which allow you to apply work and experience credits to your degree. This allows for a faster graduation and less money spent on tuition. If you are thinking of applying for a program emphasizing work experience, it may be in your best interest to take some of the exams these colleges are looking at to demonstrate your experience. The CLEP and DSST are standardized across many universities. In addition, think about building a portfolio demonstrating the knowledge you’ve gained during your work experience.
