“A small, online-first private university focused on adult learners pursuing nursing, healthcare, business, and teacher-credential programs.”
United States University (USU) is a small, private for-profit university based in the Mission Valley district of San Diego, California, that is built almost entirely around online and hybrid programs for working adult learners — not the traditional 18-to-22-year-old undergraduate market. Founded in 1997 as the non-profit InterAmerican College and rebranded in 2010, USU was acquired by the Aspen Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASPU) in December 2017 and now operates as a for-profit institution. The university is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), whose accreditation was reaffirmed for eight years in July 2022, with additional programmatic accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) for its nursing degrees and approval from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing for its education programs. USU's academic footprint is narrow and specialized. The institution is organized into three colleges — Nursing & Health Sciences, Business & Technology, and Education — and its catalog is dominated by graduate offerings: Master of Science in Nursing tracks (Family Nurse Practitioner, Health Care Leadership, Nurse Educator), a post-master's Doctor of Nursing Practice, an MBA, a Doctor of Business Administration, and a California teaching credential. Graduate students account for the overwhelming majority of enrollment (roughly 2,295 of ~2,454 total in Fall 2024). The undergraduate side is genuinely tiny: about 159 students total, with 100% enrolled exclusively in distance-education courses, 93% aged 25 or older, and the program mix concentrated on the RN-to-BSN completion degree and a small set of business and education bachelor's options. There is effectively no traditional residential first-year cohort. For international students considering US undergraduate study, prospective applicants should be aware that USU is not a typical undergraduate destination: per the university's own international-admissions materials, F-1 visa enrollment is currently authorized only for the MBA and Doctor of Business Administration programs, and the Fall 2024 IPEDS profile shows 0% nonresident-alien undergraduate enrollment. USU's value proposition is pragmatic and career-focused — affordable per-credit pricing, online flexibility, programmatic accreditation in nursing — rather than residential campus life, selective admissions, or international undergraduate recruiting.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Free — No test scores needed — they won't be reviewed even if submitted.
Official SourceThis university does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admissions.
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$4,140 – $9,600
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$6,780
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
USU's flagship college and the source of most of its enrollment. CCNE-accredited at both the baccalaureate and master's levels and approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing for the Family Nurse Practitioner program. Programs are delivered primarily online to working registered nurses and healthcare professionals.
Online-first business and technology programs serving adult learners and the only USU division currently authorized to enroll F-1 international students (MBA and DBA only).
Houses California Teaching Credential pathways, accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, plus a Doctor of Education and Education Specialist degree. Designed for in-service and aspiring K-12 educators in California.
2 years
Online completion degree for licensed registered nurses with associate degrees or hospital diplomas. CCNE-accredited and priced at a per-credit rate aimed at working nurses; the dominant undergraduate program at USU.
2 years
Online MSN with in-person clinical immersions. CCNE-accredited and approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing; prepares licensed RNs for FNP certification and advanced practice.
2 years
USU's primary international-student-eligible program. Online MBA with day-one CPT eligibility for F-1 students per USU's international admissions materials; an International Business concentration is priced at a higher per-credit rate.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $6,780
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
