| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Online only, self-paced; no campuses |
| Office | 5051 Peachtree Corners Circle, Suite 200, Norcross (Peachtree Corners), GA 30092 (administrative only) |
| Owner | Penn Foster Group since February 2019; sister school of Penn Foster |
| Still enrolling | Associate and bachelor’s degrees and undergraduate certificates in business, criminal justice, paralegal studies, early childhood education, psychology and related fields; a few office career diplomas |
| No longer enrolling | Nearly all trade and health career programs; most now enroll through Penn Foster |
| Typical length | Associate 60 credits (4 semesters); bachelor’s 120 credits (8 semesters); career diplomas about 4 months |
| Accreditation | Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) |
| State authorization | Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission; NC-SARA participant |
| Federal aid | No; no new GI Bill or VR&E students since 31 October 2022 |
| Founded | 1987, as Professional Career Development Institute; Ashworth name since 2000 |
| Facts checked | 9 October 2026 |
Most of Ashworth’s trade programs have moved to Penn Foster
Ashworth College began in 1987 as Professional Career Development Institute, took the Ashworth name in 2000 and has been owned by Penn Foster Group since 2019. It has stopped accepting enrollments in nearly all of its trade and health career programs, including HVAC, residential electrician, pharmacy technician, medical billing and coding, sterile processing, home health aide, physical therapy aide, medical transcription, carpentry, home inspection, private investigation, catering, hotel and restaurant management, automotive engine performance and veterinary technician, as well as its computer information systems and healthcare administration associate degrees. Most of those program pages now send students to Penn Foster (floral design goes to NYIAD); see our Penn Foster College page. What Ashworth still enrolls is covered below.
Programs Ashworth still enrolls
Ashworth’s remaining programs are mostly academic degrees. Associate degrees have 60 credits over four semesters, with up to four years to finish; bachelor’s degrees have 120 credits over eight semesters, with up to eight years. Undergraduate certificates have 15 credits. Career diplomas typically take about four months, with a 12-month limit. The rates below come from Ashworth’s DEAC student achievement disclosures: graduation rates for degrees and certificates, and completion within 150% of normal time for career programs. A dash means no rate was given.
| Program | Credentials | Published rate (DEAC disclosure, May 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | AS | 31.8% graduated (2019 cohort) |
| Business Administration | BS | 15.2% graduated (2019 cohort) |
| Management | BS | 17.65% graduated (2019 cohort) |
| General Business | AS | — |
| Marketing | Certificate, AS, BS | Certificate 20.0% (2022); AS 62.5%, BS 33.3% (2019) |
| Human Resource Administration | AS | 34.6% graduated (2019 cohort) |
| Healthcare Management | BS | 18.8% graduated (2019 cohort) |
| Criminal Justice | AS, BS | AS 52.4%, BS 21.9% (2019) |
| Paralegal Studies | Certificate, AS | Certificate 46.3% (2022); AS 54.55% (2019) |
| Early Childhood Education | Certificate, AS, BS | Certificate 42.1% (2022); AS 47.4%, BS 20.2% (2019) |
| Construction Management | Certificate, AS | Certificate 27.3% (2022); AS 63.2% (2019) |
| Psychology | AS, BS | AS 68.4%, BS 17.5% (2019) |
| General Studies | Certificate, AS, BA | Certificate 48.3% (2022); BA 50.0% (2019) |
| Administrative Assistant | Career diploma | 21.9% completed (2022 cohort) |
| Bookkeeping (NACPB exam included) | Career diploma | 5.2% completed (2022 cohort) |
| Tax Preparation (NACPB exam included) | Career diploma | 6.5% completed (2022 cohort) |
| Forensic Science | Career diploma | 7.8% completed (2022 cohort) |
| CDA Credential Preparation | Career certificate | 25.3% completed (2022 cohort) |
The Early Childhood Education AS covers the 120 education hours needed for the CDA credential, but Ashworth says it is not intended to lead to teacher certification. The Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation diplomas each include a NACPB certification exam.
Cost and paying without federal aid
Ashworth shows current prices on its tuition page. Career programs have one price for the whole program, and degrees are billed per semester. Every program can be paid through an interest-free monthly plan, and textbooks are included. Ashworth’s savings page lists $100 to $300 off for returning graduates and a $100 credit each when two or more people in a household enroll.
There is no federal financial aid. Military and veterans: Ashworth has not accepted new GI Bill or Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) students since 31 October 2022, including students re-entering or changing programs. Its 2026 career catalog lists a 30% discount for active-duty members, veterans and their dependents.
Admissions and pace
Enrollment is open at any time, and all study is online and self-paced. Degree students take one semester at a time. Ashworth accepts transfer credit for up to 75% of a program (45 of 60 associate credits, 90 of 120 bachelor’s credits) at a grade of C or better, and it accepts ACE- and JST-evaluated training and CLEP and AP exams.
Accreditation, results and the 2015 FTC order
Ashworth is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is listed by the US Department of Education and recognized by CHEA. It is authorized by the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission and takes part in NC-SARA through Georgia.
Ashworth’s DEAC disclosures, posted on 6 May 2026, give a career-program completion rate of 30.71% for students who enrolled in 2022. Degree graduation rates for the 2019 cohort range from 15% (BS Business Administration) to 68% (Psychology AS). Ashworth publishes no job placement data.
In 2015 the Federal Trade Commission sued Ashworth’s legal entity, Professional Career Development Institute, in federal court in Georgia. The FTC said Ashworth had misrepresented that its programs prepared students for career changes, when some did not meet state licensing requirements, and that its credits would transfer. Under a stipulated order entered on 8 June 2015, Ashworth is permanently barred from making those claims; an $11 million judgment was suspended because of its inability to pay.
Before you enroll
- Check which school you are enrolling with. Most of Ashworth’s former trade and health program pages now send students to Penn Foster, a separate school owned by the same group.
- Completion rates are low for career diplomas. Fewer than 8% of the 2022 Bookkeeping, Tax Preparation and Forensic Science students finished within 150% of normal time.
- No federal aid, and no new GI Bill students. You pay Ashworth directly. Accounts more than 60 days past due get a hold that blocks access to the student portal and may be sent to a collection agency that reports to credit bureaus.
- Credits may not transfer. Each college decides which credits it accepts, so ask any college you might move to whether it takes Ashworth credits before you enroll.
What students say
On Trustpilot, Ashworth College scores 3.2 out of 5 from 1,526 reviews (checked 9 October 2026), with 60% five-star and 13% one-star reviews. Reviewers praise flexible, self-paced study that fits around work and family, and clear, organized course materials. Complaints center on slow, hard-to-reach support, delays getting transcripts and diplomas, and billing disputes, holds and collections. Most reviews are old: only 20 were posted in the past year, and Ashworth has not been inviting reviews recently, so they mostly reflect earlier years.
Sources
Checked 9 October 2026: Degree catalog 2026 · Career catalog 2026 · Degree student achievement disclosure · Career student achievement disclosure · Savings and discounts · Accreditation · FTC case page
Programs & Courses
Business and accounting
- Accounting Associate of Science
- General Business Associate of Science
- Business Administration Bachelor of Science
- Management Bachelor of Science
- Marketing undergraduate certificate, Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science
- Human Resource Administration Associate of Science
- Administrative Assistant, Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation career diplomas
Healthcare management
- Healthcare Management Bachelor of Science
Legal and criminal justice
- Paralegal Studies undergraduate certificate and Associate of Science
- Criminal Justice Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science
- Forensic Science career diploma
Education and child care
- Early Childhood Education undergraduate certificate, Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science
- CDA Credential Preparation career certificate
Construction management
- Construction Management undergraduate certificate and Associate of Science
Psychology and general studies
- Psychology Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science
- General Studies undergraduate certificate, Associate of Science and Bachelor of Arts
Campus Locations
100% Online , Online,