Formerly Mount Liberty College

Parents’ Page

We know you, as parents, have very little time to research everything so here are some questions we frequently hear:

1. John Adams College is not accredited. If my child wants to go to law school, med school, or grad school, do any colleges accept a JAC diploma?

Absolutely! Here is a list of colleges that have accepted not only JAC grads but graduates from other unaccredited schools as well:

  • Columbia, School of Journalism
  • Rutgers University
  • Ralston College
  • Ashland University, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Antioch University
  • BYU Law School 
  • University of Florida College of Education    
  • UNLV College of Business 
  • Acton Business School
  • University of Oklahoma College of Law
  • Michigan State University College of Law
  • Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • Pepperdine University Law School 
  • St. John’s College, Graduate Institute in Liberal Arts
  • Valparaiso University School of Law  
  • George Washington University Law School  
  • St. John’s College, Graduate Institute in Liberal Arts  
  • Oregon State University College of Business
  • Washington & Lee University School of Law
  • University of Buckingham School of Humanities   
  • Ave Maria School of Law  
  • Phoenix School of Law
  • UCLA Law School
  • University of Richmond School of Law
  • Liberty University, Marriage and Family Master’s Degree   
  • Washington University Law School
  • Michigan State Law School    
  • Emory University Law School              

 2. What is your argument for non-accreditation? What are the real pros and cons, both systemically and individually?

The short answer is that John Adams College wants to maintain its independence. JAC educates for originality. We have worked hard to create a curriculum which prepares our students for an unknown future.

Accreditation is managed by the U.S. Department of Education, and it enforces standardization on colleges just like it does on K-12 schools. JAC would not be able to maintain its distinctiveness if we pursue accreditation. The only pro for accreditation is the ability to access government funds. Without it, government grants and student loans are not available. But JAC has its own scholarship program to help with that.

If parents are worried about legitimacy, JAC is recertified through the state of Utah every year to make sure it follows all correct standards and practices. More information can found here and here for those who want to read more.

3. Will my student be able to get a job after graduating?

A solid liberal arts education helps with all the skills that employers are begging for today. We are constantly seeing articles that speak to the problem of college grads not having the skills needed for the work. Here is a recent example.

The problem is parents are being told one set of ideas—send their kids to college or they will never find a job; the most important part of education is job training; college is just a hoop to jump through; etc., etc. While employers are feeling more and more frustrated with applicants and are desperate for a different set of outcomes.

If you looked at the article linked above, you will notice that job training skills are not what employers are concerned with. It’s all the other abilities that matter so much more, and those are the classical liberal arts skills which have almost disappeared today.

In case a single article didn’t convince you, here are five more links that all basically say the same thing—JAC graduates are far ahead of their peers in the race to provide what employers want.

  • Article 1 (A KSL article from those in Utah’s own Silicon Slopes)
  • Article 2 (Actually a Ted Talk video)
  • Article 3 (Modern Age Magazine)
  • Article 4  (But those liberal arts schools they mention don’t have the A+ rating from ACTA. Stick with JAC which does!)
  • Article 5  (CBS News)
  • And one more just for good measure!  (From U.S. News)

4. What kinds of work can JAC graduates do? How is this work tied to their degree at John Adams College?

Currently, almost all JAC’s graduates are doing exactly what they want to do, including grad programs as well as teaching, writing, publishing, and even entrepreneurial pursuits. While 70% of regular college grads work outside their degree program, there is nothing outside a JAC college degree. Regardless of the field our graduates are interested in, a JAC degree will help them pursue it.

One graduate’s story: After applying for various journalism internships, Ella chose the National Journalism Center in Washington D.C., where she wrote for Spectator World magazine. Afterwards, they offered her a part-time job writing during her senior year. This was followed by a call from Young America’s Foundation (YAF) offering her a full-time job which she hadn’t applied for. By May, she was back in D.C. working for YAF; “The difference between me and the other interns was not writing skill. They were all great writers. The difference was my education: I had something to write about, and it showed!” Here is an example of her recent work.

All new graduates from any college have to start at the bottom and move up. A JAC grad has what it takes to move up quickly.

From an employer of a JAC student: “From the moment she joined our team, she demonstrated the kind of initiative, professionalism, and insight that are rare even among seasoned employees. She quickly learned her core responsibilities and, without hesitation, expanded her capabilities by mastering additional tasks as needed. Her time management and reliability made her a key contributor to our team. What set her apart most was her ability to see the big picture. She understood how different roles and functions interconnected, and used that insight to communicate effectively across the team and with management. Her strong communication skills, paired with her self-starting attitude, made her a natural fit for a collaborative environment. If her peers are anything like her, I would gladly hire more in a heartbeat.”

More information on classical liberal arts education and jobs can be found here and here.

5. What if my child decides after year 2 that they want to transfer? Let’s say even if I would be thrilled at my child’s opportunity for such a rich and meaningful curriculum and depth of experience, I will want to know this.

It used to be the norm to transfer credit between schools, but that is becoming much harder. With fewer numbers of potential students available as well as a smaller percentage of students choosing the college path, schools are less interested in sharing their four-year tuition with other schools. Many stories can be found of students attending regular colleges not getting their credits to transfer.

That being said, JAC’s credits will be even harder to transfer since our courses are so different. But we now have yearly certifications and also offer an associate’s degree so students who leave before they complete their BA degree can take those resume builders with them.

6. The website mentions scholarships. Please give me more details.   

We have never had a student whose problem is that they couldn’t afford tuition. We offer scholarships, and we also expect and help our students apply for independent scholarships. We help them with resources and ideas all along the way. We believe that students can graduate without debt and we work to make that happen.

7. Do the benefits of this unique liberal arts education outweigh the risks of sending my child to a non-accredited school?

Jobs are already changing and even disappearing because of AI. Typical college education is not what it used to be. Many parents hope all those worrisome forecasts won’t affect their kids.

John Adams College believes it’s much better to face the problems head-on and be prepared. That’s what our students are doing. If their chosen field of work disappears, they will have their broad JAC education to fall back on, giving them the chance to try something else or even create their own path. This will be much harder for graduates who have job training in one narrow area. JAC’s mission is to prepare our students for an unforeseeable future.

We can’t prove that graduating from JAC doesn’t have risk; after all, life is full of risk, whatever choice we make. But with JAC’s A+ grade on our curriculum and employers looking for the skills JAC specializes in, our students will continue to find jobs and get into grad schools just as they have in the past.