When it comes to going back to school, especially as an adult working professional, student satisfaction data is a great way to evaluate higher education institutions. It can help you discern whether a school’s student experience will meet what you want and need.
The reality is that working adults need different things from higher ed compared to what undergraduate students need. When you’re already juggling a full-time job and other personal obligations, you need an academic experience that fits within your schedule, budget and immediately translates into skills that can make an impact on your work.
American College of Education (ACE) is a fully online college that innately understands this. We’ve intentionally structured our college and programs to meet these needs, so much so that it shows in the data. ACE is outperforming similar institutions in many key areas, sometimes by almost a 10% margin.
Let’s take a closer look at how ACE compares according to internal research conducted in December 2025, in collaboration with Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
Delivering Value for Students
Higher education is a significant financial investment. It’s gotten so expensive that many prospective students are questioning the true value of a degree.
ACE believes that higher education institutions bear a responsibility to provide return on investment information to students so that they can make the most financially responsible decision for them when it comes to continuing their education. While we’re known for our affordable degree programs, low tuition is just part of the equation. What’s more important is providing students with an education that is worth the investment.
Data shows that:
- 80% of ACE students feel that the tuition they pay is a worthwhile investment, versus 71% for the comparison group
- For every $1 ACE students invest in their education, they receive $19.20 in higher future earnings1
- ACE students see a 120.7% annual rate of return on their investment at ACE1
Providing Flexibility for Working Adults
Adults have a lot going on, what with working, caring for parents or children, and a whole host of other responsibilities. If they want to add going back to school into the mix, they often need a program that will not just accommodate but fit seamlessly within their busy schedules.
The course structure at ACE is designed to give working adults that flexibility. But we don’t stop there. We also think about other places where we can streamline the student experience, making processes as easy and intuitive as possible. After all, we know learning can be hard enough. Being a student shouldn’t be.
Data shows that:
- 92% of ACE students feel that registration for online courses is convenient, versus 84% for the comparison group
- 90% of ACE students feel that billing and payment procedures are convenient, versus 81% for the comparison group
A Stronger Online Learning Experience
At this point, online higher education programs should offer more than a traditional classroom lecture delivered by video. Institutions who are committed to providing their students with the best possible online learning experience should be making the most of what educational technology can provide.
ACE was intentionally built as an online institution, so we know how to leverage digital and virtual instructional tools to create engaging learning opportunities that only online education can deliver. Combined with our robust suite of student support resources, our students enjoy accessibility, clarity and connectivity even while learning on their own.
Data shows that:
- 82% of ACE students feel that adequate library resources are provided
- 80% of ACE students feel that ACE has sufficient offerings within their programs of study, versus 75% for the comparison group
- 73% of ACE students feel that tutoring services are readily available for their courses
Supportive and Responsive Faculty and Staff
One reason that often keeps people from choosing online programs and schools is the fear of isolation – will I be doing this all alone? For the best online institutions, the answer is no.
Just because you don’t see your instructor in-person twice a week at a set time doesn’t mean you’re going on this journey by yourself. Supportiveness and responsiveness of faculty and staff make a huge difference for online programs, and ACE makes it a priority.
Data shows that:
- 81% of ACE students feel that ACE responds quickly, versus 76% for the comparison group
- 78% of ACE students feel that faculty are responsive to student needs
- 75% of ACE students feel that the frequency of student and instructor interactions is adequate
- ACE’s average class size is 24.5 students2
Turning Student Feedback Into Action Items
Many schools say they value student feedback. But feedback only matters if it doesn’t disappear into the ether. Continuous improvement for a school is essential to a strong student experience and is, not to mention, also a requirement for colleges and universities to maintain their accreditation.
How can you tell if a school is making changes in response to student feedback? Pay attention to whether procedures and programs actually change.
At ACE, we take things a step further. After examining the results of our annual student satisfaction survey, we identify our biggest opportunities for improvement and create an action plan to address these areas over the course of the next year. To keep students informed, we send periodic updates on our progress.
For example, data shows that students felt we improved year-over-year in the following areas:
- Academic advisors were accessible by phone and email (+10% satisfaction rate)
- Assignments were clearly defined in the syllabus (+6% satisfaction rate)
- Instructional materials were appropriate for program content (+5% satisfaction rate)
- ACE courses were well designed (+4% satisfaction rate)
- Program requirements were clear and reasonable (+3% satisfaction rate)
- Assessment and evaluation procedures were clear and reasonable (+3% satisfaction rate)
ACE vs. Comparison Group: Biggest Differences
After looking at the data, ACE outperformed the comparison group by the largest margin in these key student experience areas:
| Student Experience Area | ACE | Comparison Group | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition paid is a worthwhile investment. | 80% | 71% | 9% |
| Billing and payment procedures are convenient for me. | 90% | 81% | 9% |
| Registration for online courses is convenient. | 92% | 84% | 8% |
| ACE responds quickly when I request information. | 81% | 76% | 5% |
| There are sufficient offerings within my program of study. | 80% | 75% | 5% |
ACE students outscored the comparison group by five percentage points in overall satisfaction and four percentage points in likelihood to enroll again.
ACE Student Experience: Stronger Where It Matters Most
Finding the right college for going back to school – especially as a working adult – can be overwhelming. There are so many factors to consider: cost, program relevance, program length, academic quality, student support and the additional workload that gets added to your already full plate.
With so much to consider, it’s immensely helpful to go to a school that understands your specific needs, with high student satisfaction in the areas that matter most, like affordability, convenience, responsiveness, support and a quality online learning experience.
When being a student is easy, you can focus your full attention on what you actually went back to school for – learning the knowledge and skills that can give you an edge and propel your career forward.
American College of Education’s student-first approach has helped us achieve a 97% overall student satisfaction rate.2 Learn more about our student experience, and find the program that aligns with your career goals.
2Student Right to Know. Accessed July 30, 2026.
