| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private, for-profit university (Bryan University, LLC); all current programs taught 100% online |
| Headquarters | Tempe, AZ, in the Phoenix area; the base for online delivery |
| Credentials | Certificates, associate degrees, bachelor’s completion degrees, an MBA and an MPH |
| Typical length | Certificates 8 to 10 months; associate degrees about 20 months (60 credits) |
| Accreditation | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), announced 6 March 2025; formerly ACCSC |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell Grants and Direct Loans) |
| Tuition | Certificate totals $14,900 to $18,650; one rate for every state; books and usually one certification exam included |
| Students | About 2,519, all studying online (IPEDS figure; year not stated) |
| Founded | 1940, as Bryan Stenotype School |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Bryan University: an online career university based in Tempe
Bryan University is a private, for-profit university that started in 1940 as Bryan Stenotype School, a court-reporting school. Today it teaches career certificates and degrees in healthcare support, legal studies, business and fitness, and every current program is taught 100% online, run from its headquarters in Tempe, Arizona. An IPEDS figure, year not stated, counts about 2,519 students, all of them in distance education. The biggest recent change is its accreditor: Bryan moved from ACCSC to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in 2025, a voluntary switch rather than a sanction. Most programs are certificates of 8 to 10 months or associate degrees of about 20 months; its bachelor’s degrees are mainly completion degrees that build on an associate degree.
Programs and tuition
All programs run as 8-week online courses, taken two at a time, with optional live Zoom classes that are recorded. The table lists the main programs in the 2026 catalog, with total tuition for the normal length of the program from Bryan’s tuition page (updated 17 March 2026).
| Program | Credential | Length | Exam or placement | Total tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Medical Assistant | Certificate, 30 credits | 8 to 10 months | NHA CCMA; 120-hour practicum | $18,650 |
| Administrative Medical Assisting | AA, 60 credits | About 20 months | NHA CMAA | $33,025 |
| Medical Billing and Coding | Certificate, 30 credits | 10 months | AHIMA CCA | $18,650 |
| Pharmacy Technician | Certificate, 24 credits | Less than a year | PTCB CPhT; 130-hour externship | $14,925 |
| Health Information Management and Support Services | AS | About 20 months | CAHIIM-accredited | $33,925 (listed as Health Information Management Associate) |
| Allied Health Administration | AS | About 20 months | – | $33,025 |
| Healthcare Administration | BS completion, 120 credits | After a Bryan associate degree | One credentialing exam attempt | $13,550 |
| Paralegal Studies | Certificate, 30 credits | 8 to 10 months | NALA Certified Paralegal (if eligible) | $18,650 |
| Paralegal Studies | AA | About 20 months | – | $33,025 |
| Accounting | AA, 60 credits | About 20 months | NACPB certifications; IRS Enrolled Agent prep | $33,925 |
| Bookkeeping and Accounting | Certificate | 8 to 10 months | – | $14,925 |
| Human Resources Management | AA | About 20 months | HRCI aPHR | $33,925 |
| Business Administration | Certificate | 8 to 10 months | – | $18,650 |
| Business Administration | BS completion | After an associate degree | – | $13,550 alumni; $16,550 others |
| Master of Business Administration | MBA | About 10 months | – | $20,000 |
| Personal Trainer | Certificate | 8 to 10 months | – | $18,650 |
Bryan also offers an AOS in Health Information Management, a Master of Public Health, an AA in Digital Marketing, a Tax Preparer certificate, an AA in Applied Exercise and Fitness and a BS completion degree in Exercise Science, Fitness and Nutrition Management. The only program with programmatic accreditation is the AS in Health Information Management and Support Services, accredited by CAHIIM. Bryan’s consumer information says it does not offer, or enroll students in, programs that lead to professional licensure.
What the main programs cover
Clinical Medical Assistant certificate
The 30-credit certificate is taught online, and Bryan ships a medical kit to the student’s home. The CMA-200 course includes a 120-hour practicum at a healthcare site, and the program page says students may need to find that site themselves from an approved list, with help from the school. Students also complete an NHA virtual externship and CPR and First Aid training, and tuition covers one attempt at the NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam. Healthcare programs require a criminal background check.
Medical Billing and Coding certificate
The version that took effect on 20 October 2025 is 30 credits over 40 weeks, in ten courses: Anatomy and Physiology with Medical Terminology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology, Introduction to Health Information Management, ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, ICD Coding Applications, Introduction to Revenue Cycle Management, CPT and HCPCS Coding, Healthcare Ethics and Legal Principles, and Student Success. There is no practicum course. The certificate prepares students for AHIMA’s Certified Coding Associate (CCA) exam, with one attempt included.
Pharmacy Technician certificate
The 24-credit certificate combines online coursework with a 6-credit, 130-hour on-site externship at CVS, Walgreens or a pharmacy the student chooses, where vaccine or drug-screen requirements may apply. Bryan says the curriculum is designed to meet the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s educational requirements, and tuition covers one attempt at the PTCB CPhT exam. The program claims no ASHP/ACPE accreditation and is not offered to students in Alabama, Louisiana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia or the District of Columbia.
Paralegal Studies certificate
The current certificate took effect on 16 February 2026: 30 credits over 8 to 10 months online. Courses include AI for Legal Practice, Introduction to Paralegal Sciences, Legal Research and Writing I, Torts and Civil Procedure. Eligible graduates get one attempt at NALA’s Certified Paralegal exam; students can instead choose up to $300 toward registering as a notary public or certified process server. The program does not claim American Bar Association approval. Bryan also offers a Paralegal Studies AA and Legal Studies and Paralegal Studies BS completion degrees.
Associate of Arts in Accounting
The 60-credit associate degree takes about 20 months online. It prepares students for the NACPB bookkeeping, accounting, tax and QuickBooks certifications and includes IRS Enrolled Agent exam prep with mock exams. The program page says in one place that two certification exam attempts are included and in another that one is, so ask Bryan which applies before enrolling. Students who want a shorter route can take the Bookkeeping and Accounting or Tax Preparer certificate.
Tuition and paying for it
Bryan prices programs by credential level on its tuition page, updated 17 March 2026, and its financial-aid page says tuition is the same for residents and non-residents, so there are no in-state or out-of-state tiers. Tuition is locked at enrollment and covers books, courseware and usually one certification exam attempt.
- Certificates: $3,725 per module, or $7,450 per semester; totals are $14,925 for pharmacy technician and $18,650 for clinical medical assistant, medical billing and coding, paralegal and business administration.
- Associate degrees: $32,325 to $33,925 in total.
- Bachelor’s completion degrees: $13,550 for Bryan alumni; $16,550 for other students in Business Administration and Legal Studies.
- Graduate: MBA $20,000; Master of Public Health $20,025 for alumni and $25,025 for others.
- Other charges: most programs have a $25 registration fee ($50 for graduate programs), and repeating classes beyond the normal program length costs $3,200 per semester.
Bryan takes federal aid, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, according to College Navigator. Niche puts the average net price at $20,323 a year. Bryan’s programs are approved for GI Bill benefits by the Arizona State Approving Agency, and the catalog includes a Veteran Tuition Addendum, revised 23 January 2025. The financial-aid page lists no military discount.
Admissions and schedule
Applicants need a high-school diploma or equivalent and must be at least 17. They submit an application with the registration fee, take a technology assessment, send transcripts if they want transfer credit and complete an online introductory course, LaunchPad, and an online orientation. Healthcare programs require a criminal background check. Courses last 8 weeks and students take two at a time, on A and B term tracks, with billing by 32-week semester. Live Zoom classes are optional and recorded, but the catalog says Bryan’s online classes are not self-study.
Accreditation and outcomes
Bryan University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Bryan announced the seven-year accreditation grant on 6 March 2025, and on 3 July 2025 announced that the U.S. Department of Education had approved the transition. It covers all of Bryan’s programs, from certificates to graduate degrees.
Bryan was previously accredited by ACCSC. ACCSC’s list of voluntary withdrawals shows Bryan leaving effective 1 July 2025 while still accredited, so the move was a change of accreditor, not a sanction.
Bryan is licensed by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education and is an NC-SARA participant. It is also registered with California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. CAHIIM accredits the AS in Health Information Management and Support Services; no other program holds programmatic accreditation, so the paralegal program is not ABA-approved and the pharmacy technician program claims no ASHP accreditation.
Federal data reported by Niche put Bryan’s graduation rate at 41%, against a national average of 53%, and graduates’ median earnings at $36,589 five years after graduation. We found no published certification exam pass rates for Bryan’s CCMA, CCA, PTCB, aPHR or NALA exam preparation.
Before you enroll
- Tempe is the headquarters of an online school. Every current program is taught 100% online. Clinical medical assistant students may have to find their own practicum site from Bryan’s approved list, and pharmacy technician students complete a 130-hour externship at CVS, Walgreens or another pharmacy.
- No program leads to a professional licence. Bryan says so in its consumer information. Its programs prepare students for certification exams such as the CCMA, CCA and PTCB CPhT instead.
- Little programmatic accreditation. Only the Health Information Management and Support Services AS has it (CAHIIM). The paralegal program is not ABA-approved and the pharmacy technician program claims no ASHP accreditation.
- Pharmacy technician is not open everywhere. Students in Alabama, Louisiana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and DC cannot enroll.
- The bachelor’s degrees are mostly completion degrees. Most build on an associate degree, so students start them after earning one.
Career services and refresher courses
Bryan offers career services to students and graduates at no cost: job-search help, resume review, one-on-one employment counselling, mock interviews, webinars and workshops. Bryan names no employer partners and makes no placement guarantee. Under its refresher course policy, graduates can audit a course they have already completed without paying tuition, if the course is still scheduled, space is available and they are in good financial standing. They must use their earlier course materials or pay for books and supplies.
What students say
Niche rates Bryan University 4.52 out of 5 from 119 student reviews, with an overall Niche grade of B− (checked 16 October 2026).
- Praised: supportive, responsive instructors and staff; an online format that fits around jobs and family; career preparation and job-search help.
- Criticized: a student-to-instructor ratio that can feel high; some courses using older textbook editions; some quizzes with wrong answer keys.
Few of the Niche reviews showed dates, so we could not tell whether they were posted in bursts or invited by the school; read the score with that in mind. We found no Trustpilot or GradReports page for Bryan University.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Healthcare
- Clinical Medical Assistant (Certificate)
- Administrative Medical Assisting (AA)
- Medical Billing and Coding (Certificate)
- Pharmacy Technician (Certificate)
- Health Information Management and Support Services (AS, CAHIIM-accredited)
- Health Information Management (AOS)
- Allied Health Administration (AS)
- Healthcare Administration (BS completion degree)
- Master of Public Health
Legal Studies
- Paralegal Studies (Certificate)
- Paralegal Studies (AA)
- Legal Studies and Paralegal Studies (BS completion degrees)
Business
- Business Administration (Certificate)
- Business Administration (BS completion degree)
- Master of Business Administration
- Accounting (AA)
- Bookkeeping and Accounting (Certificate)
- Tax Preparer (Certificate)
- Human Resources Management (AA)
- Digital Marketing (AA)
Exercise and Fitness
- Personal Trainer (Certificate)
- Applied Exercise and Fitness (AA)
- Exercise Science, Fitness and Nutrition Management (BS completion degree)
Campus Locations
Phoenix (Tempe), AZ 350 W Washington St Ste 100, Tempe, AZ 85281