Roosevelt University

My experience at Roosevelt University went far beyond disappointing. Like many others have noted, the university puts significant effort into recruitment; however, after enrollment, the level of support becomes inconsistent, and at times, performative.
The university has a strong emphasis on social justice in its messaging. However, my lived experience did not reflect those values in practice. My experience with the administration and its bureaucratic processes, particularly around billing and fees,... Read More did not reflect a student-centered approach to higher education. Issues such as unclear withdrawal procedures, difficulty accessing necessary paperwork, and delayed communication created unnecessary stress. At times, responses from the university staff took weeks, while billing-related emails were frequent and persistent.
Additionally, during my time at the university, there was a cybersecurity incident that raised serious concerns among students. The response from the institution felt inadequate given the potential impact, and there was no meaningful effort to support or compensate those affected. This situation created added stress and uncertainty, reinforcing a broader pattern of limited accountability and lack of concern around student-centered decision-making.
Structural and administrative concerns were also evident. Support systems, particularly within the graduate programs, appeared strained and key roles seemed overextended. Career guidance and program-specific direction, especially in psychology, felt limited. Internship expectations did not reflect the financial realities students face, particularly when attempting to maintain a reasonable work-life balance.
Campus operations had their own inconsistencies, from communication gaps to uneven enforcement of policies. This included instances where basic questions were met with directives such as “look it up in the handbook.” Housing and facilities were functional but underwhelming. Additional costs such as bundled course materials often felt unavoidable due to the lack of transparency and restrictive timelines.
The cost of attendance is difficult to justify. While some professors were knowledgeable, the overall academic experience did not align with the high tuition costs. In several cases, instruction leaned almost entirely on self-teaching without sufficient guidance or engagement. Additionally, some professors were unwilling to award full credit for assignments because “nothing is ever perfect.”
Overall, there was a recurring disconnect between the university’s promotional information and what students experience day-to-day, along with a recurring lack of support when enrolled. While there were a few standout faculty, they were the exceptions, rather than the rule. While not exhaustive, these points reflect the most significant issues I encountered during my time at the university. Prospective students, especially at the undergraduate level, should strongly consider other options. Graduate applicants should also carefully weigh alternatives.
I cannot recommend this university based on my experience.

Roosevelt University, ABA-Approved Paralegal Studies Program

I attended Roosevelt University’s Paralegal Studies program, which is ABA-approved, with high hopes of gaining practical legal knowledge and support to launch my career as a paralegal. Unfortunately, my experience left me extremely disappointed. Despite the program’s accreditation, I found that it provided little real-world preparation for entering the legal workforce.

One of the biggest issues was the lack of guidance or assistance in securing... Read More internships. Internships are critical in the legal field, both for gaining hands-on experience and for building a professional network. However, the program did not provide adequate resources, contacts, or support to help students obtain meaningful placements. I left the program without any practical experience, which made it much harder to compete for entry-level positions.

Additionally, the program offered almost no career services support. While I expected at least some guidance in resume building, job applications, or interview preparation, I found that students were largely on their own. The faculty and administration did not provide meaningful advice or connect students to potential employers, which was extremely frustrating considering the time and money invested.

Academically, while the coursework covered basic legal concepts, it did not translate into skills that were useful in the job market. I feel that the program’s focus was more on completing assignments and exams rather than preparing students for the realities of working in a law office.

Overall, I consider my experience with Roosevelt University’s Paralegal Studies program a waste of both time and money. Students should be aware that while the ABA approval may sound impressive, the program offers minimal career support and does not adequately prepare graduates for employment in the legal field. I would strongly caution prospective students to carefully evaluate whether this program aligns with their career goals.

The majority of staff is rude and unprofessional and cannot respond to emails and no one is really there to help you. They are completely disorganized and almost refuse to make accommodations for individuals who need them. I sent an email almost a month ago about needing an exemption on the meal plan for medical reasons and have not heard a single thing back. This university loves to get you in the door but once you are in they cut scholarships in half, and do not care about the well-being of their... Read More students. I am surprised that anyone has made it through all four years of the school with how horrible the school is. The only good thing that I have to say about the school is that they do fairly OK with Covid protocols but even that it’s mainly performative just like their social justice mission. They will do and say absolutely anything to get you in the door but once you’re there they stop caring about you.

Beware: this school harps on social justice, but will take as much money as they can from you without a second thought. I attended RU from 2017-2020 and relied heavily on financial aid. They gave me a lot of aid which was excellent. However, due to the pandemic and the lack of cheaper tuition due to an all online format, I chose to defer my enrollment to an undetermined date. I notified the financial aid office over one month before the semester was to start. I received a reply stating that they... Read More accepted and understood my choice to defer and didn’t hear anything further. They didn’t not ask for anything regarding paperwork or anything of the like. Then, about a month into the semester I dropped, I received an email that I am on essentially academic probation and that I am failing all of my classes due to lack of attendance (despite them all being dropped). Come to find out, I was never told I had to fill out paperwork in order to finalize the drops. I was not sent the paperwork until the FINAL add/drop date for 100% tuition refund. I supplied the paperwork and did not hear back from anyone. These classes were not dropped until after the 50% tuition refund date. Then in January, I receive a call from a 3rd party billing service Roosevelt apparently uses that I wasn’t aware of. They did not once tell me I had a past due balance, but simply introduced themselves to me. Then, I see on my online portal I’ve been hit with over 3600$ in charges related to the classes. I received no emails or phone calls from Roosevelt or their third party biller that I was past due (not rightfully). THEN, in may I receive a phone call from a debt collector that states I have a debt sent from Roosevelt with an additional 900$ in fees attached to it. So, I relentlessly try to contact the Registrar to figure out why this was sent to collections. After about a month of emailing back and forth, I get word that the classes I dropped were not dropped until September/October. However, one of the classes was given a 100% refund, and the other three weren’t despite being dropped at the same time. Then I am told to file a tuition adjustment petition. I do immediately in late may. Over the course of the next two month, I email weekly to get a status on the petition and am told the Supervisor of the Registar, Luis, has it on his desk in JULY. Now here I am, over a year later and over four months after filing my petition, and have not heard from him or the registrar once regarding its status. I’ve called and emailed over three times a week and am reached with a voicemail box that I never hear from. This school will steal money from you and claim it is YOUR fault all the while acting as though they are all about social justice. Beware

The faculty and advisors were very professional and knowledgeable in their respective fields. Overall the experience was challenging as I was simultaneously working full time while taking 12 credit hours in the evening. Nevertheless, I managed to graduate with honors in May of 2017 with a Bachelors in Paralegal Studies. My only complaint is the exorbitant amount of money I was charged when I failed to make 2 payments to the registrars office. The school sent my account to collections where I was... Read More charged $900 in fees on top of the $4000 plus I owed. $900 for what? This really set me back because it negated all the payments I made in the past year. So much for the social justice that Roosevelt University so proudly claims to exemplify. How is justice served when the fees compounded an already dire situation? So disappointed.

Roosevelt University is truly one of a kind. Located in the heart of downtown Chicago I quickly became a student of the college and the city. While it lacks the traditional feel of a college campus, Roosevelt more than makes up for it with its unique flare to incorporate learning with the real-life challenges of life after college. Surrounded by a number of other colleges and universities, in walking distance, makes meeting other students easy and the quest of finding your tribe special as you have... Read More so many different groups to choose from. As a psychology major, I really enjoyed the diversity of courses offered like the Psychology of Aging and Gender Studies courses. The professors were knowledgeable and like any campus I would highly recommend that you get involved with campus activities and organizations. Most recently I had the opportunity to visit the campus as I was in town for a conference and the updates to the facilities and new buildings surrounding the schools hub looked amazing. If you are thinking about making Roosevelt University your school of choice, I would highly recommend it!!!

Roosevelt University can be a university in which you leave with an experience or an easily commutable school, with a campus down town and in the suburbs. It has a large range of online classes as well and now has tied with Harper college making it even more accessable ad possibly affordable. The class sizes are small, teachers get to know you by name. This is again an opportunity to create relations or just have the conveniency of a more personalize education. You can get involved with the social... Read More justice atmosphere of the institution and its wide range of organizations and activities, or enjoy the offerings these organizations have and give. Be prepared to enter a liberal world, that is widely accepting and very diverse. You can learn a lot about your self. You may think you are liberal but wait until you enter Roosevelt, you get the ability to meet such a wide range of individuals. The schools comes with some down falls, if you don't get involved you really don't experience much. The school is small, and the student body isn't large. You tend to see many of the same faces, which could be great for some and not for others. The security is pretty tight around the school which makes you feel pretty safe. Even if its for a semester try dorming, the view is great, the community is comforting and the elevator ride to classes is beyond convenient. I would say if you are trying to get in contact with advisors, financial aid offices and such be prepared for waits, confusion, mess ups and a hard time. Review your charges constantly, and keep in touch with advisors as much as you can. If you find a teacher you like try having THEM be your mentor. Everyone at Roosevelt is very approachable, there are a lot of opportunities for student employment. Take advantage of the location. Roosevelt is in the heart of the South Loop, accessible by CTA and right on the mag mile. The views don't get better then this.

I am finishing my MAOD from Colorado and I can tell you that being online does not take away from what you learn in this program. The courses are structured in such a way that makes it applicable to your career. I landed my dream job as a consultant and find that what I was taught by all the professors and Dr. Iverson fully prepared me for this role. Especially in an MBA saturated market, my method of processing, analyzing and application differs greatly from those without a MAOD. Very thankful for... Read More Roosevelt providing me the opportunity to achieve a higher education while working full time and being a full time mother of 2.

I selected Roosevelt for undergrad, because when I was looking at the faculty rosters for the other schools in Chicago, all the accounting professors had one thing in common, each one was a Roosevelt graduate. As someone who does aspire to teach at the University level, that was inspiring to me. Once I started my studies I quickly learned that Roosevelt is also a school for those that believe in Social Justice. The school was founded on the principals of Social Justice, as the school founders were... Read More students who due to race and religion, were not allowed to attend the other schools in Chicago. If you see yourself as a Change Agent, then Roosevelt if for you.

In May of 2016, I graduated from the College of Professional Studies at Roosevelt University in Chicago. I cannot fully describe to you how it felt walking across the historical Auditorium Theater stage to receive my diploma. I would be the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA and I was also the student commencement speaker. I stood on that stage as a person from Belize. A person who was once illegal. A person who thought at times that a college... Read More degree was out of reach. But I made it with the assistance of Roosevelts faculty and staff. My time as a student at Roosevelt was not easy. I had to seriously organize myself in order to handle work, school, volunteering and networking; trying to lay the foundation for a bright future. From the time I walked through Roosevelts doors I felt like I was in the perfect educational institution. I knew that Roosevelt had strong roots in the social justice movement and I wanted a degree that could help me further my work with disenfranchised community members. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to sit in classes where I was taught by top notch Professors that really cared about their work and students. They offered opportunities that would give students exposure in areas that they were interested in. Advisors were also assessable and ready to offer advice and solutions. They wanted you to succeed and they would push and challenge you in many ways so that you are constantly learning. Roosevelt also had an honors program that I joined while in the College of Professional Studies. I wanted to take honors courses but did not know how that would fit into my outlined curriculum. The director of the Honors Program at Roosevelt, collaborated with the Dean of my college in order for me to participate in a magnificent curriculum of honors courses, while completing the requirements of my college; exposing me to so many different avenues of academia and social justice minded opportunities. This collaboration afforded me the wonderful opportunity to work with homeless youths and families. I was also paired with a mentor in one of the leading organizations in Chicago that combats youth and family homelessness. I am still in that partnership and all I can say is, not everyone gets the chance to study under a community leader of that caliber. Roosevelt assisted me in building an extensive CV. I participated in several research projects, granted many scholarships and the networking opportunities were priceless. I thank Roosevelt for putting me in the position to be accepted into the University of Chicago School of Social Service masters program with a scholarship. My concentration in the masters program is focused on social administration. The reason why I chose social administration is because I wanted to continue in the vein of Roosevelts social justice mission. I want to be of service to my community. The social administration concentration will prepare me for advanced practice in community organizing, planning and development; human services management; and policy planning, and advocacy. These skills will allow me to advocate for client groups and communities, and to plan, implement, and evaluate programs and policies at various levels of intervention. Roosevelt was the place where it all began for me. I was able to graduate in 3 years with a strong enough academic background to where I was accepted into one of the most rigorous and competitive programs at one of the best universities in the world. Roosevelt can help you realize all of your possibilities. All you have to do it show up!