Walden University has settled a lawsuit that accused the institution of predatory practices during its Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program. Plaintiffs in the case, primarily comprised of Black and female students, alleged that the university intentionally prolonged the capstone phase of the DBA program, leading to inflated costs for students.
According to the complaint, Walden University lured students into the DBA program by promising a swift path to earning a doctorate degree. However, the plaintiffs argued that the institution’s capstone phase — a research and writing project completed after coursework — was deliberately delayed. Faculty serving as committee members were accused of rejecting work for minor issues or providing vague feedback, which caused students to retake credits at nearly $1,000 each. These delays extended students’ time to degree completion and increased the financial burden beyond what was initially advertised.
The plaintiffs claimed that Walden’s enrollment advisers misled students by informing them they would need 60 credits to complete the DBA program when, in reality, the average student earned 94 credits. This discrepancy translated into as much as $34,300 in added costs per student, contributing to the $28.5 million that Walden allegedly overcharged more than 830 students.
“My experience at Walden highlights the urgent need for reforms within for-profit educational institutions to better protect students from financial exploitation and to uphold academic integrity,” plaintiff Tareion Fluker said in a statement.
The lawsuit also accused Walden of discriminatory marketing practices that targeted Black and female students. Plaintiffs stated that Walden concentrated its advertising in predominantly Black areas, including Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. Additionally, the university allegedly marketed to nontraditional student groups, such as working students, those with children, and students over 30 — groups that are disproportionately Black and female. The complaint argued that Walden’s large enrollment of Black and female students would be admirable if the institution had not been running a “predatory program designed to hoodwink students and saddle them with onerous student debt.”
As part of the settlement, Walden agreed to make changes to its DBA program, including improving transparency around tuition, fees, and time to degree completion. Additionally, the university will eliminate a layer of review in its capstone process to reduce delays.
Walden, which was acquired by Adtalem Global Education in 2021, has seen four consecutive quarters of enrollment growth, with an 11.3% increase in total headcounts as of June 30.
