Academy College

About Academy College

Academy College is an independent career-focused college operating from Bloomington in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education identifies it as a private for-profit institution offering certificate, associate, and bachelor’s awards. State records give an opening date of 1936, while the college’s active website and 2025–2027 catalog demonstrate continued operation through the 2026 academic year. The institution is deliberately specialized rather than comprehensive. Its current public materials center on aviation, aircraft dispatch, business administration, and accounting. This is materially narrower than the broad subject list stored in the existing content metadata; applicants interested in fields such as engineering, nursing, psychology, or the natural sciences should not assume those are available majors. Program availability should be checked directly against the current catalog and admissions office. Academy College follows a quarter calendar. Its catalog lists winter, spring, summer, and fall quarters in 2026, with more than one start date in several quarters. The college advertises online, campus-based, and hybrid study and describes day, evening, weekend, and online scheduling, although not every course or program is necessarily available in every format. The educational approach is oriented toward career preparation, technical skills, and workplace readiness rather than broad research activity. Accreditation is through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, and Minnesota authorizes its approved degree offerings.

Academy College accepts high-school graduates, GED recipients, college graduates, and transfer applicants. Under the 2025–2027 catalog, applicants normally complete an admissions interview in person, virtually, or by phone, then submit the application, enrollment agreement, required records, and application fee. The college advises completing these steps well before the preferred start date. Its 2026 calendar provides multiple starts in several quarters, but applicants should obtain the current program-specific deadline directly from admissions rather than relying on an undated website notice. Academic assessment generally requires an official high-school or GED transcript and an overall GPA of at least 2.0. An earned college credential can satisfy the high-school-document requirement. Applicants below the stated GPA threshold may take the Academy College admissions examination; the catalog reports a 60th-percentile admission threshold. Transfer applicants should arrange official records early because accepted credit must be evaluated before enrollment and normally requires grades of C or better. Aviation programs impose additional conditions. Depending on the pathway, these can include minimum ages, an FAA medical certificate, citizenship or lawful-status documentation, Transportation Security Administration approval for non-U.S. citizens receiving flight training, and English-language ability. Aircraft Dispatcher students must be at least 21 by the relevant testing stage. International applicants seeking an I-20 must submit the international enrollment request, translated and evaluated educational records, evidence of English proficiency when English is not their native language, and proof of financial support. The catalog does not publish a universal TOEFL or IELTS minimum, so applicants should request the accepted tests and current score standards from admissions.

Academy College awards Bachelor of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees alongside certificates and other non-degree training. Because the schema recognizes only bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, the verified degree-level update records bachelor’s only; the institution also has state-approved associate degrees. No master’s or doctoral authority was found. The current academic portfolio is concentrated in accounting, business administration, and aviation. Bachelor’s offerings documented in the catalog include Accounting and Business Administration, while aviation pathways include degree and certificate options connected with commercial piloting, aviation operations, and aircraft dispatch. Exact credentials, course sequences, and flight components differ, so students should compare the relevant program outline rather than treating all aviation pathways as interchangeable. Instruction is measured in quarter credits. The catalog describes flexible day, evening, weekend, and online scheduling. Its distance-education policy states that admitted students meeting entrance requirements may use Moodle for online courses; the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration can be completed through that platform, while individual online courses may be available in other degree programs. Most students taking online work must pass a distance-education assessment and complete an online orientation. Transfer credit is evaluated by the Education Department. Generally, eligible college-level work must carry a grade of C or better and be submitted before the student starts. The catalog permits transfer of up to 75% of an AAS or BS program, while at least 25% must be completed through Academy College. Aviation transfers can face additional FAA-related review. Internships are available by arrangement, but students are responsible for seeking a placement and completing the required approval process.

Key Highlights

• Private for-profit career college operating in Bloomington, Minnesota
• State record reports an opening date of January 1, 1936
• Current offerings focus on aviation, aircraft dispatch, business, and accounting
• The 2026 calendar includes winter, spring, summer, and fall quarters
• On-campus, online, and hybrid learning formats are advertised

Student Life & Environment

Student experience at Academy College is structured around a small, career-oriented learning environment rather than the residential life of a large university. The college promotes personal support, small classes, flexible scheduling, and access through campus, online, and hybrid formats. These arrangements may be particularly relevant to working adults, career changers, military-connected students, and commuters, but students should confirm the actual delivery schedule for their chosen program. The 2025–2027 catalog documents academic and career advising, registration assistance, instructional tutoring, course study sessions, online training, library services, and support for students seeking reasonable accommodations. Confidential personal advising is available within staff capabilities, with referrals to professional counseling services when needed. The college also operates authorized Pearson VUE and PSI testing services for professional examinations. Career Services provides materials and guidance on occupational options, résumés, networking, interviews, and follow-up. It assists current students in looking for part-time, full-time, and career-related employment and can help students plan an internship with the Education Department. The catalog explicitly says that completing a program does not guarantee employment or success on an industry examination. Current official sources do not clearly describe college-operated housing, meal plans, varsity athletics, or a broad student-organization system. Students seeking a residential or traditional campus-centered experience should ask admissions about available activities and make housing plans only after confirming what the college itself provides.

Location & Surroundings

Academy College is located at 1600 West 82nd Street, Suite 100, in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Minnesota Office of Higher Education classifies the setting as suburban, while the college describes the campus as conveniently situated in the Twin Cities area. This location places students in a large metropolitan labor market while keeping the institution outside a traditional downtown or self-contained residential campus setting. The college’s official site lists weekday operating hours and provides directions and campus-visit information. Its website also advertises scheduled tours and aviation-focused “Meet the Fleet” events. Some aviation instruction has operational requirements beyond the Bloomington classroom location: the catalog refers to flight training and flight-lab accounts associated with Thunderbird Aviation at Flying Cloud and Crystal locations. Aviation applicants should therefore ask where each ground, simulator, and flight component takes place and account for travel between sites. Official sources reviewed do not clearly document student housing or a campus transportation service. Prospective students should independently compare commuting, parking, public-transport, and off-campus housing options before enrolling, especially if their program involves more than one instructional location.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The database lists annual domestic and international tuition of $18,252, but the reviewed official catalog does not present that figure as a universal 2026 price. Its 2025–2026 addendum bills academic tuition by quarter and credit load, with separate program fees. Aviation students can face substantial additional costs for flight laboratories, aircraft and instructor time, pilot kits, textbooks, medical examinations, testing, check rides, and app or extension fees. Aircraft Dispatcher tuition and payment timing follow a separate schedule. Students should therefore request a written, program-specific cost estimate for their intended 2026 or 2027 start and use the college’s net-price calculator before signing an enrollment agreement. The Financial Aid Office offers individual appointments and uses the FAFSA to determine eligibility for federal aid. Official materials identify federal Pell Grants, FSEOG, federal loans, work-study, Minnesota State Grants, Minnesota child-care assistance, the Minnesota GI Bill, and other programs subject to eligibility. The catalog also describes selected institutional scholarships and tuition discounts, but applicants should verify current funding, deadlines, and renewal conditions because awards can change. Career Services supports résumé preparation, interview technique, networking, employment research, and searches for part-time, full-time, and career-related work. Students may coordinate an internship plan, although responsibility for finding the placement rests with the student. The college also offers professional workshops to current students and graduates. These services can help with career preparation, but the catalog makes no promise of employment, licensing, certification, or examination success. Aviation applicants should separately confirm how a program aligns with the exact FAA certificate or occupational pathway they intend to pursue.