List of Fake Online Universities | US, UK

online schools and universities

This article contains a list of fake online universities in the United States (US), and the United Kingdom (UK). In the recent decade, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of fake online universities parading as rea and accredited ones.

In this article, we shall be exposing these fake online universities with our focus on the United Kingdom and the United States of America (USA).

Most importantly we shall also tell you how you can know if an online university is fake or real, because there are so many blacklisted and unaccredited online universities currently operating, and many more are coming up.

The various governments of the world are doing their best to stop these fake online universities from operating, however, some operators of these universities are very smart and elude the watch of these governments.

Most of these online universities may provide photos and videos as proof of their existence whereas these videos and photos are fake.

You might have heard of popular online universities like Central University of America, Bridgitone University UK, American Central University, etc, all these universities were unaccredited universities that once operated on a large scale and deceived many students into studying with them.

While you go through our list of fake online universities, you might also want to know the advantages and disadvantages of online education, if that is the case, then we got you covered.

Studying in a fake university will cost you your time, money, and resources, you also won’t be able to get a job or promotion with a certificate from such a university, hence it is very important you carefully read this list of fake online universities.

list-of-fake-online-universities
List of fake online universities

How To Know A Fake Online University

Here are ways in which you can know a fake online university from an accredited online university:

Fake Accreditation Status

All of these fake online universities either have no accreditation or have fake accreditation; these fake colleges may go to the extent of making fake accreditation agencies and websites, using these websites, they declare themselves accredited and display these fake proofs on their various websites.

They may create websites to masquerade as licensed accreditation institutions, they do this by making exact replicas of the official websites, with the exception of their URLs.

If you want to check the accreditation status of any university visit Accreditaton.org, however, not all accredited universities are on their list since many are coming up.

Scroll down to our list of fake online universities in the UK to know which website is relevant for that in the UK.

Use of Bogus and Catchy Names

Most of the colleges on the list of fake online universities fail this test, they go for bogus and eye-catching names to give the impression of authenticity to the public.

Universities like the Central Online University of America, American Central University, and The Royal Queen’s University in the UK fall under this category. Always check for this trick, and you will easily know fake online universities.

Use of Names Similar to That of Popular Online and Traditional Universities

Many new universities on the list of fake online universities have used this trick to convince students to take courses and complete degrees with them.

You may have heard of these names: UoPeople in India, Central Open University UK, Open University of the People Us, Cambridge Open Online University, Open University of Harvard, etc. All these names are intentionally made similar to that of popular universities just to deceive unaware students.

Having Missing or Fake Addresses

After a thorough examination, we found out that most of these universities on the list of fake online universities either have missing or fake addresses, if you find such universities, then you should know that they are fake.

In most cases, these unaccredited universities do not provide any address as proof of physical existence, sometimes they provide non-verifiable addresses while prayerfully hoping that the students do not try verifying them. In some rare cases, they provide verifiable addresses of other locations or of a legitimate school.

Promising a Hassle-Free Admission Process

This is another way to know a fake online university, surely everyone would like to apply for universities with little or no admission requirements, but beware! Most of these fake online universities leverage this to deceive students to study with them.

You can bet none of these universities will be willing to lose a student due to a difficult or long admission process, hence they make their requirements as simple as they can.

The Pay-Before-Classes Policy

Many of these schools on the list of fake online universities are strictly after money, therefore they make the policy of ‘payment before classes’; they demand students to pay up the fees for the semester or session before the start of the session.

Although some accredited online universities do this, they are relatively rare to find, however, always check for this and be on alert if you find such universities.

Charging Cheap Tuition Fees

This is another way to find a fake online university, about 70 percent of schools in the list of fake online universities have been found to charge very low tuition fees. The fees these Universities charge are usually unrealistic, and they may give appealing reasons as to why they charge such low tuition fees, but they are all lies.

Also read this: All 3 Tuition-Free Online Universities for International Students.

Check for the Use of Non-educational URLs

Fake online universities do not make use of educational URLs or domain names as it is quite difficult for them to obtain such URLs, with the exception of extremely rare cases of advanced fraud where they have been able to obtain them or resemble ones.

All accredited online universities have domain suffixes of .edu, in many cases, some other additional suffixes indicating their country of existence are used, examples are .edu.uk, .edu.ca, etc.

This is with the exception of universities in Ireland which tend to have domains with .ie suffixes.

List of Fake Online Universities in the USA

There are so many fake online universities in the USA, primarily because they want to leverage the reputation of the region as one of the best in online university education.

The University of Beverly Hills

The University of Beverly Hills is the first on the list of fake online universities in the USA, it uses a familiar name to cover up its real status, this university once ran an unaccredited school of arts and sciences.

Although this university has a physical structure in Beverly Hills, it doesn’t have science laboratories, an arts center, or a campus.

Washington International University

Washington International University is also a fake online university that was founded in 1994, the university also identifies with these names: Cyberspace University, Global University, and University Without Borders, they operate fully online.

It’s located in Los Angels California but only incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, it is number 2 on the list of fake online universities in the USA.

University of NorthWest

The University of NorthWest is also a fake online university in the USA, this university is registered in the USA. but not accreditated by any accreditation body. The university was founded in 2001 and is located in the city of New York, Oregon reports had it that this university is already active in Afghanistan as of 2010.

American Century University

American Century University was founded in 1977 in New Mexico, the university once offered degrees and courses to students until they were forced to shut down on the 1st of May, 2018, but it’s important you are aware of them for possible chances of reappearance.

Georgia Christian University Norcross, Georgia

Georgia Christian University was a university located in Norcross, Georgia, this university once offered online degrees to students in and outside the USA. The school has made it to our list of fake online universities in the USA and has been permanently shut down.

Fredrick Taylor University

Fredrick Taylor University is nes]xt on the list of fake online universities in the USA, it identifies as a private university offering degree programs to students online, but it currently operates only in the USA.

This university offers degree and certificate programs in Business Administration and Management, it is approved in California for postsecondary education but has no approval from any national accreditation agency in the USA.

Louisiana Baptist University

Louisiana Baptist University is also a fake online university in the USA offering online degrees to students, it only offers degrees that are theological and related to the bible, basically, this school doesn’t need accreditation because of this.

American Bible College University

American Bible College University is another Christain university that is on the list of fake online universities in the USA, this university only offers biblical online courses and degrees to its students, it is located in Arizona.

Bienville University

Bienville University was a fake online university based in Louisiana, although this university was forced to shut down in the early 2000s has made it to our list of fake online universities in the USA, this university first came into the limelight in 2002 after a Las Vegas Police chief was told that he can’t get a pay rise with the degree he obtained from the university.

Madison University

Madison University is another fake online university operating in the United States, they have been offering fake online degrees and certificates to students.

The only accreditation Madison University has come from the World Association of Universities and Colleges (WAUC) which is an unrecognized accreditation body in the USA, hence any degree obtained from this university is worthless.

University of the Nations

The University of the Nations is a Christian university with over half a thousand campuses in the world, however, it is on the list of fake online universities in the USA, it was founded in 1978. This university is under the Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Network

It was known as Pacific and Asia Christain University (PACU) until 1989, it was founded by Howard Malmstadt and Loren Cunningham and started its existence in Hawaii.

Cal Southern University

Cal Southern University is a fake online university in the US, it only has regional accreditation from WASC Senior College and University Commission. The university offers Master’s, bachelor’s, Associate, and doctorate online degree programs.

The university offers degrees in these disciplines: Nursing, Education, Risk Management, Regulatory Compliance, Bussines and Management, and Psychology.

Christian Leadership University

Christian Leadership University is another fake online university in the US, this college is located in New York City. It is a Christian university offering online courses and degree programs to students in the Country.

This university on offers theological courses, it is only accreditation is from The International Association of Bible Colleges and Seminaries (IABCS) which is an accreditation institution unrecognized in the United States of America.

Clarksville Theological School

Clarksville Theological School is on the list of fake online universities in the USA, it is located in Clayton, North Carolina, and operated as a seminary. This university offered distance learning degrees to students until when it was forcefully shut down in 1982 following a legal order.

There are high chances of revival for this online university so students are advised to keep watch, though the university only offered theological degrees.

Concordia College and University

Concordia College and University are also one of the fake online universities operating in the USA, this university is located in Delaware and offers Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate, and Associate degrees to students in the United States.

This university coined its name to make it look like the university is part of the prestigious Concordia University in the US just to deceive students and defer them from investigating the authenticity of the university.

This university also presents multiple addresses to the public, it is neither regional nor nationally accredited by any accreditation agency (fake or real).

American Central University

American Central University (ACU) is one of the universities on the list of fake online universities in the USA, the university is affiliated with the Mina Management Institute, Malaysia.

This online university is registered as a non-profit university with the State of Wyoming, although established in 2004, the university has no accreditation from any of the recognized accreditation agencies in the US, therefore, certificates issued by this university are void and valueless.

American Management University

American Management University is a fake online university operating in the USA, this university traps students with promises of flexible and self-paced university education that will allow students to live their normal lives and achieve their life goals while in active study.

This university claims to provide university education to students while ensuring they don’t get into student debts. This fake online university also claims accreditation from Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC).

American Coastline University

American Coastline University is another university on the list of fake online universities in the USA, this school is easily confused with Coastline College. It was founded in 1974 and was shut down in 2002.

During its existence, the university offered fake Associate degrees, Bachelor of Science degrees, Bachelor of Arts degrees, Master of Science degrees, Master of Arts degrees, Masters in Business Administration degrees, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees to unsuspecting students.

Columbus University

Columbus University is one of the universities on our list of fake online universities in the USA, this university was founded in the 1990s, it previously had its headquarters in Louisiana but is now headquartered at Picayune, Mississippi.

This university was officially licensed by the State of Louisiana in September 2000, the institution failed to apply for full accreditation which prompted the state to take back the license previously issued to them. The school was also shut down, this development forced them to relocate to Mississippi.

While in Mississippi, the university was still unaccredited, in 2008, the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education (ADPE) withdrew the license already issued to the school, this situation securely planted them on the list of unaccredited online universities in the USA.

Calamities continued to befall Columbus University; in 2010 the university was investigated and raided by the FBI on the case of being of a diploma mill. Currently, this university is only accredited by the World Association of Universities and Colleges (WAUC), an unrecognized institution.

Here are the other universities on the list of fake online universities in the USA:

  • LaSalle University, Louisiana
  • Life Christian University, Tampa, Florida
  • American University of Hawaii
  • Delta International University, New Orleans
  • Ames Christian University, Florida
  • University of Northern Washington
  • Pacific Southern University
  • Vancouver University Worldwide
  • University of Northern Virginia
  • Lacrosse University
  • Monticello University
  • Columbia State University
  • Tennessee Christian University
  • International Bible University, Norwalk, California
  • American Bible College University, Arizona

List of Fake Online Universities in the UK

There are fewer online universities on this list in comparison with that of the first. To verify the accreditation status of any online university in the UK, visit Hedd. We recommend you read carefully through this list of fake online universities in the UK.

Manchester Open University

Manchester Open University is one of the fake online universities in the UK, this offers online certificate courses and degrees to students even though they are not accredited to so.

The individuals behind the idea of Machester Open University made the name in a way that students may think the school is affiliated with the University of Manchester and The Open University, they did this in a bid to create a reputation for themselves out of thin air.

The University of McAllister

The University of McAllister is also one of the universities listed as fake online universities in UK, the university offers fake online degrees to the general public.

The name of this university is formed in a way to Impersonate Macalester College in the USA, however, they are in no way affiliated with Macalester College.

Rutland University, Leicester

Rutland University, Leicester is another university on the list of fake online universities in the UK, this university also awards fake degrees to students who don’t know about the accreditation status.

This university has also chosen this name for itself to impersonate Leicester University, there is even more; this joke of a university refers to itself as the leading online university in the world with no official rankings to support that.

International University Robert Gordon

International University Robert Gordon is a fake online in the UK, this university has awarded fake degrees to students for many years.

The name of this university was intentionally chosen to either impersonate the accredited and reputable Robert Gordon University or give the impression of being the department in charge of online education.

Cambridge College of Learning

Cambridge College of Learning is another fake online in the UK, this university has issued over 2,500 fake postgraduate diploma degrees to students who never knew the university was practically non-existent.

This college has no affiliations with Cambridge, but its management claimed so and managed to scam thousands with this false claim.

The University of Newcastle

The University of Newcastle is also on the list of fake online universities in the UK, this fake university has somehow managed to enroll thousands of students. This college also claims to be located in the UK.

This university has managed to scam thousands of students because they bear a name very similar to that of Newcastle University, this had made many people think they are the same or under the same management.

The University of Devonshire

The University of Devonshire is also on the list of fake online universities in the UK, this university is also by University Degree Program; a company known to have run many university degree scams.

The University of Devonshire has identified with the following names: the University of San Moritz, University of Palmers Green, Harrington University, Bomby University, etc, while simultaneously scamming students of their money in the process.

Bransfield University

Bransfield University is one of the fake online universities bearing bogus names in the UK, this university is an outright scam despite numerous lies as to its authenticity.

Youngsfield University

Youngsfield university is another fake online university in the UK who have managed to scam victims of their money with the bogus and appalling name.

This university is not accredited by any college accreditation body in the UK, be it an authentic or fake one, they are also now accredited by any foreign body.

Wanswick University

Wanswick University is one of the most popular on the list of fake online universities in UK, this university has managed to scam thousands of people by giving them promises of getting accredited university degrees from the university.

The management of this university has purposefully chosen this name to mislead people into thinking the university is the same as Warwick University, this close similarity helped them pull off the scam project.

Wolverhamton University

Wolverhampton University is the next on the list of fake online universities in UK, this university has successfully scammed thousands of people with the hope of getting online university degrees.

This scam was made possible because of the similarity between the name and the actual Wolverhampton University, the little difference between these two names is very difficult to notice, hence many people fell for the scam.

Conclusion

We believe that after reading this article, you will never fall for any of the universities on the list of fake online universities in the US and UK. Students who make use of the instructions in this article will also be able to know the difference between fake and real universities/colleges.

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