U.S. Career Institute

U.S. Career Institute is an online career school in Fort Collins, Colorado, that teaches self-paced certificate programs, associate degrees and high school diploma programs entirely online. Its certificate page describes it as "a DEAC accredited school offering over 25 online career certificate programs in a variety of in-demand career fields, that can be completed in 4-12 months," and the home page says it has been "Serving 100,000+ students in the past decade alone." It is built for adults who want to train for a specific job, such as medical assistant, bookkeeper, HVAC technician or personal trainer, without attending classes, and it also runs high school programs for teens and adults. The site's copyright line names Weston Distance Learning, Inc.

Certificate programs

The certificates fall into six fields: healthcare, business, services, skilled trades, legal and wellness. Each is listed with a typical completion range and a monthly price.

Healthcare is the largest group. Medical Assistant takes 4-7 months at $79 a month, Medical Coding & Billing Specialist 5-12 months at $79, and Medical Coding (4-11 months) and Medical Billing (4-7 months) are also $79 a month. Pharmacy Technician (4-9 months), Phlebotomy Technician (3-4 months), Sterile Processing Technician (4-9 months), Patient Care Technician (4-9 months), EKG Technician (3-6 months), Medical Office Manager (4-10 months) and Physical Therapy Aide (4-5 months) are each $69 a month. Dental Assistant (5-12 months), Medical Transcription (6-9 months), Electronic Medical Records (4-6 months) and Medical Administrative Assistant (4-10 months) are $79 a month.

Business covers Accounting (4-9 months, $69), Bookkeeping (4-8 months, $59) and Office Administrator (4-10 months, $69). Services covers Caregiver and Veterinary Assistant (4-7 months, $59 each) and Substance Abuse Assistant (3-5 months, $69). Skilled trades covers HVAC (4-6 months), Plumbing and Electrician (2-4 months each), all at $79 a month. Legal has Paralegal (4-8 months, $69). Wellness has Personal Fitness Trainer (4-8 months, $69) and Massage Therapist, which is measured in clock hours instead: 625 of them, at $270 a month.

The site says programs "are designed to take part-time," that students "can keep a full or part-time job while earning their certificate," and that "We allow students up to 12 months to complete their certificate studies." The certificates are developed by the school's curriculum team together with subject matter experts.

Inside a program

The Personal Fitness Trainer page shows what a certificate looks like from the inside. The course has 29 lessons and 29 quizzes, covering fitness and strength training, nutrition, diet and lifestyle, muscle anatomy, plyometrics, training for weight loss or weight gain, and developing an exercise prescription. Students also learn to run health and fitness assessments and design fitness and nutrition programs for a broad range of clients, "including those with special needs," along with business, marketing and communication skills. The lead instructor and course expert named on the page is Jeanie Sutter, M.S., who holds a master's degree in exercise science.

The format is "Reading lessons, supplemental videos, interactive games, flashcards, note taking, read-aloud and disability features, and open note multiple choice quizzes with no time limit," delivered in the school's CloudOle LMS on a phone or computer, with "No due dates or deadlines." Graduates receive "your U.S. Career Institute Certificate of Completion attesting to your accomplishment," and the program prepares them to sit the Personal Trainer Certification Exam administered by the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF). The NCSF exam, study guide and practice test are covered up to a $388 value, paid as a reimbursement once the student has completed the course, paid tuition in full and submitted the NCSF receipt. To enroll, a student must be at least 16, hold a high school diploma or GED, and read, write and speak English fluently. The page also cites U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for fitness trainers, including a median salary of $46,180, with a disclaimer that such figures are not a guarantee of any post-graduation salary.

Degrees and high school

Associate degree programs are "100% online, self-paced degree programs in healthcare and business," completed "in as little as 16 months, part-time," starting at $139 a month. The degree list covers Accounting, Business Management, Health Information Technology, Human Resources, Medical Assistant, Medical Specialties and Social Work. The high school programs are self-paced diploma programs "for teens and adults," completed in as little as 9 months and starting at $59 a month, with options for adults, teens and homeschoolers and optional career pathways in healthcare, veterinary, business, fitness or paralegal work. The fitness page points students without a diploma to the high school program as a first step.

Tuition, payments and the money-back commitment

The home page puts tuition "as low as $585" and says "Our programs typically cost less than community colleges and traditional universities." Monthly payment options are available to all students, with certificate plans from $59 a month. The Personal Fitness Trainer page spells out the two routes in full. Paying in full costs $789, which the page says saves $200 and waives the application charge. Monthly auto payments are $69 a month for a total of $989, plus a one-time $29 application charge; the first payment includes a $40 down payment and the $29 charge, which is non-refundable. Tuition there includes e-books, study guides, supplemental videos and interactive exercises, with hard copy books available for under $50.

Every program carries a "5-day full money-back commitment to all students. No questions asked." On the fitness page the clock starts when the first lesson arrives: after it, a student has "5 full days to decide" whether to continue. The site also has a page on MyCAA and military education benefits.

Support and reputation

Tuition includes, in the home page's words, "access to instructors, learning portal, books, study guides, student services, and one-on-one career coaching." The certificate page adds resume and interview prep, and the fitness page lists instructor access by phone and email, tutoring, and career coaching it values at $400. Graduates meet one on one with career coaches to finalize a resume and practice for job interviews. Prospective students can call a toll-free number or request information online.

The school's "Proven Reputation" panel lists an "A+ BBB Rating, 45 Years in Business, 4.8 out of 5 TrustScore, DEAC Accredited, 97% of students would recommend us to a friend." On accreditation, the site says the school is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, which it notes "is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency." A separate section offers training for employers, non-profits and academic partners.

Who it suits

U.S. Career Institute suits an adult who wants to train for a defined entry-level job and needs to keep working while studying: a career changer heading into medical billing or coding, someone moving into HVAC or plumbing, or a fitness enthusiast aiming at the NCSF exam. The monthly prices, the stated completion ranges and the 5-day money-back window make the commitment easy to judge before signing up. Learners who never finished high school can start with the diploma program and add a career pathway.

The caveats are about format. Study is self-paced and online, with instructor support by phone and email rather than live classes. And a certificate of completion is not the same thing as the industry certification many employers require: for the fitness program, the NCSF exam is a separate step that the course prepares students for.