diploma mill

American  

noun

1. an organization claiming to be an institution of higher learning but existing for profit only and granting degrees without demanding proper qualifications of the recipients.

2. a college or university having such a large number of students that none receives individual attention from the teachers.

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Etymology

Origin of diploma mill

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Cuffari’s resume says he has a Ph.D. in management from California Coast University, a college that the government in 2004 flagged as a “diploma mill.”

From Washington Post

Even by those standards, John Brinkley — who was awarded his medical degree by a disreputable diploma mill — was one of a kind.

From Salon

“If we don’t do anything about it, we will turn every accredited university into a diploma mill.”

From New York Times

A doctorate from a mail-order diploma mill.

From New York Times

In completely unrelated news, I’d like to use this space to announce that I will soon be issuing a brand new collateralized debt obligation backed by loans from my brand new payday loan company, which is itself funded by profits from my brand new for-profit online diploma mill.

From Slate