I want to walk you through this university as I would any other: showing you what the official data do say, clearly marking what they do not say, and leaving in your hands the questions that only you and your family can answer. I am not here to sell you this school or scare you away from it. I am here to help you understand it.
What kind of university it is, according to how the government classifies it
Carnegie—the system that sorts U.S. universities according to what they do—classifies Post University as a master’s university with large programs. In its undergraduate profile, it places it in the category where at least 40 out of every 100 students study part time; that does not mean they are the majority, only that they cross that threshold.
And here is a fact that changes how you should picture the campus: Carnegie classifies it as primarily nonresidential. That happens when fewer than 25 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduate students live in institution-owned housing, or when fewer than half study full time. The data do not say which of those two conditions was met, nor does it mean there are no dormitories—there are, as you will see later. It means that if your child will live at home and commute, what you need to account for is the vehicle, gas, and travel time, rather than assuming campus is the center of daily life.
Carnegie does not accredit, recommend, or rate. It tells you which institutions this school resembles. You decide everything else.
Another piece of context worth keeping clear: Post University does not appear with any of three specific designations—it is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), not a tribal college or university, and not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this directory, 138 have one of those three designations. Post not being on that list does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: which cultural centers and student organizations exist today.
A large, older, and predominantly female community
Here is a figure that often surprises people: in the official fall count, Post University reported 21,699 enrolled students. That places it in the highest band the government uses to measure size, the band of 20,000 or more. Among 131 comparable private, open-admission four-year schools, it is one of the largest: at most one in every ten has more students than it does.
But total size hides something important. IPEDS estimates that figure equals 13,651 students in full-time terms—because it adds those studying full time to an estimated fraction of those studying part time. And of those 21,699, only 820 are first-time, full-time, credential-seeking undergraduate students. That smaller figure is the closest thing to “the class that starts in August.”
Who this community is, in numbers:
| Profile | Share |
|---|---|
| Between 25 and 64 years old | 81 out of every 100 |
| Women | 73 out of every 100 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7 out of every 100 |
| Reported permanent residence in Connecticut | 5 out of every 100 (first-time students) |
This is not the traditional campus of eighteen-year-olds fresh out of high school. It is, above all, an adult population. And if your child is among the few Latino students in that 7 out of every 100—compared with similar schools, it falls below the group median—that does not make the school bad or good. It simply means it is worth asking, before deciding, which student groups and supports exist, and speaking with a student already there. The figure is for the entire school; your child’s experience in their program may look different.
Of that total enrollment, 19,575 are undergraduates and only 2,124 are graduate students. It is primarily a career-focused school. And with so many part-time students, do not assume a traditional schedule: ask what times the specific courses in the program your child is interested in are offered.
How the calendar works and how broad the degree offerings are
The year at Post University is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. That means consistent dates for everyone, not a quarter system or short blocks.
Something that could save your child time and money, if it applies: the university stated that it accepts credit for AP exams and also what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”—learning gained through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, prior licenses or certifications, and military experience. It also reports accepting credit for military training. And it enrolls high school students in credit-bearing college courses outside a formal dual-enrollment program, treating them as regular students.
Here is the hard truth I cannot soften: the school stating that it offers these paths does not mean your child will automatically receive credit for them. It does not say how many AP points are required, how many credits it grants, or whether those credits count toward the specific program of interest. Request the transfer-credit evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for degrees: in one year, Post University awarded 1,398 bachelor’s degrees, spread across 14 career families (what the government calls CIP families). The family awarding the most degrees was health professions, with 29 out of every 100 degrees that year—no other family exceeded it, but it does not account for the bulk of them either. Compared with 130 similar schools, Post ranks in the quarter with the most career families represented in its offerings. It is a broad offering, not one concentrated in a single area. Still, this figure counts credentials, not unique people, so it does not tell you anything about what your child specifically will encounter in their program.
On relative class size: Post University reported a ratio of 16 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. Compared with similar schools, it falls in the middle, neither among the lowest nor the highest. This figure alone does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class—the file does not report it.
A particular academic pathway the school does report
Post University states that it offers a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends. If your child works, or you work and need their schedule not to conflict with yours, this is a specific question worth asking admissions: which program it is, its exact format, and whether it applies to the program they are interested in.
Open admission: what it really means
Post University reported an open-admission policy for all or most first-time undergraduate students. The application fee is $0.
This is where I most want you to pay attention, because “open admission” sounds like entry is guaranteed, and that is not exactly the case. That classification describes the general policy; it does not guarantee admission for every applicant or entry into every specific program. A person still must meet the applicable eligibility conditions, and a particular program may have its own requirements that IPEDS does not detail here.
Because it has open admission, several figures you usually see at other universities simply do not apply in Post’s federal record: there is no applicant-admission rate to interpret, no post-admission enrollment rate, and no reported policy on the use of the SAT or ACT. These blank spaces are not a lack of transparency by the school or rates of zero—they are fields IPEDS does not even request when an institution reports open admission. If any of this—an exam or requirements for a particular program—matters to you, ask the university directly.
One real scale figure: in the fall count of 2023, 2,967 undergraduate students arrived at Post University for the first time after studying at another institution. Compared with similar schools, it is among those receiving the most transfer students in absolute numbers—although that may simply be because of its size, not a special proportion. What this figure does not say is how many credits those transfer students received, or how many Post students left for another school; that outgoing line is not reported, and that does not prove no one transfers out. Both questions—credits recognized upon arrival and destination upon leaving—should be asked directly of the school.
The sticker price: $33,560 per year, all in
At Post University, among 616 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $20,299. Among 48 students in the same population with family EFC income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $13,231; among 22 students with family EFC income above $110,000, it was $9,816. For dependent students, the band adds their parents’ income and their own.
The higher-income band, calculated using 22 students, ended with an average of $9,816, below the $20,299 calculated using 616 students in the lower-income band. Among first-year students who received any grant, the average was $18,619.
Even after grants were deducted, the average net price for lower-income families was $20,299 in academic year 2022-23. If that figure does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
The higher-income band coming in below the lower-income band is unusual, and it does not mean your family will receive the same result. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with grants, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. Run the school website’s net-price calculator with your actual figures.
Financial aid: most receive something, but you need to separate the piles
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Post University, 78 received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid, averaging $5,853 per year among those who received it. The Pell Grant—federal aid for students with demonstrated financial need—went to 75 out of every 100. Applying for this aid here is not unusual: half the group or more receives it.
Now, the other side of the coin, and here I will not soften anything: 76 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in school year 2022-23. That is the majority, and compared with 131 similar schools, Post is on the high side: seven out of every ten of those schools, or more, had a lower share of students with loans.
The annual average among those who did take out a loan was $8,003. If your child borrowed something similar each year throughout the four years of their degree, the total would be about $32,012, not including interest. That figure is decided before the first signature, not at the end.
And that average is only for federal loans in the student’s name in one year. It does not include PLUS loans signed by parents, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt someone leaves with at graduation—for that, all years would need to be added, and that figure is not in this report.
The fact that borrowing is common here does not determine whether your child will need it. That comes from their actual aid letter and the gap between net price and what your family can pay. If debt appears in that letter, ask for the estimated monthly payment before accepting it. And when that letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: what does not need to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters mix them into one column, and that is where families get confused.
The institution also reports a tuition installment-payment plan, if you prefer to spread out the cost instead of paying it all at once.
Housing, format, and campus life
Although we classify it as “nonresidential,” Post University does have institution-owned housing, with capacity for 474 students on or off campus. It is not required for all full-time, first-time students to live there—which does not rule out that a specific program may require it. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of weekly meals in the largest plan. The option existing does not guarantee a bed will be available or that the plan is included in the price. Request in writing the current rate, application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or you are placed on a waiting list.
On ROTC: Post University did not mark any ROTC opportunity in its report, neither the general field nor any specific branch. Of the four-year institutions in this guide, 926 out of 1,786 did mark it; Post was not among them. This does not prove there is no nearby pathway—it only means none was reported in this field. If that scholarship matters to your family, ask admissions directly before assuming it is unavailable.
In athletics, Post University is affiliated with the NCAA for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The active-participation question does not apply in the federal record, so membership alone does not confirm that teams are competing today. If the sport matters to your child, request the current schedule and contact the coach directly; ask whether there is space on the team and whether that sport offers athletic aid.
And here is a fact that changes the entire picture of campus: 94 out of every 100 undergraduate students studied exclusively at a distance in the latest fall count. Only 6 out of every 100 took any in-person course. Post University offers distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and for the overwhelming majority of its students, that is the normal experience, not the exception. This does not say whether those classes are live or whether students must go to campus for exams or labs—turn that from an assumption into a direct question.
The library has employed staff, annual spending of $100,000 or more, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan. The institution also reports combined academic and career advising, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military personnel, and a web address for disability services. These services being reported confirms they exist as declared resources; it does not measure their quality or how well they work for a particular student. Ask directly, especially with the first year in mind, which is when a new student is most likely to get stuck.
Persistence and graduation: the part you need to read slowly
We have reached the figures that most define whether a university, for a typical student, ends up being a complete path or a partial stretch.
Of the cohort of first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-seeking students—711 people in total—230 met the official retention criterion: 32 out of every 100 were still enrolled there or had already graduated. Compared with 106 similar schools, Post falls in the lower portion: seven out of every ten of those schools, or more, retained a larger proportion. Among those who entered part time, the figure was 23 out of every 100—a different group, not directly comparable with the prior one.
On graduation: of 222 students who began bachelor’s study in 2017, full time and with no prior college attendance, 77 had graduated from there six years later: 35 out of every 100. At four years, the figure was 29 out of every 100—only 6 points lower, a small difference. This percentage is for the whole school; IPEDS does not report graduation program by program. If your child is pursuing a specific program, request that figure directly from the department, and it is wise for their college list to include more than one option.
And a longer-term look, using a different and larger cohort: of 7,300 students who entered Post University between July 2015 and June 2016—combining first-time students and those who already had prior postsecondary experience—by the August 2023 cutoff, 20 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure fell to 16 out of every 100, eight points below those who did not receive one. Compared with 126 similar schools, Post is at the very bottom of that table: nine out of every ten, or more, reported a higher proportion at eight years.
I will tell you plainly, without cushioning it: most of that cohort had not received a degree from this school eight years after entering. That does not mean all of those students failed or disappeared—IPEDS also reports that 30 out of every 100 still appeared enrolled at some institution, although the exact definition of that figure has an internal contradiction that prevents stating precisely how many remained enrolled at the cutoff. The data do not explain the reason for each case or each person’s later outcome.
If your family qualifies for Pell today, this does not determine what will happen to your child specifically. But it is a question worth asking the school directly: which assigned counselor is available, what emergency aid exists, and whether internal scholarships renew each year. Ask for the answers in writing.
What this means for your plan
You now know, in considerable depth, one of the three pieces you need to decide: what Post University is and what its own official data show. It is a large, mostly adult, mostly female university with open admission, a distance-education component that dominates the experience of nearly all its students, a sticker price of $33,560 per year, financial aid and loans reaching most students, and retention and graduation figures that call for a direct look, without embellishment or condemnation.
This piece cannot tell you what program your child wants, how much your family can or is willing to pay, or whether this school is right for you. That depends on what they have built, what they want, and what your family can and is willing to pay. Put it together with what you already know. From that combination—not from an isolated figure—a real plan emerges.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) data from the U.S. Department of Education, primarily from the 2023 report and academic year 2022-23, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Post University or the U.S. government; this article does not constitute personalized admissions advice.