# City University Los Angeles

> Unaccredited school in the United States

**Wikidata**: [Q63123394](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q63123394)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/city-university-los-angeles

## Summary
City University Los Angeles (CULA) is an unaccredited educational entity identified in structured knowledge bases as a diploma mill operating within the United States. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Inglewood, California, it presents itself as a university but lacks valid accreditation according to multiple consumer protection and educational watchdog sources.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** Identified as an "unaccredited school" and a "diploma mill."
*   **Founded:** 2009 (Source: BBB).
*   **Headquarters:** Inglewood, California, United States.
*   **Website:** http://cula.edu/
*   **Aliases:** CULA.
*   **Social Media:** Twitter handle `@CULAedu` (ID: 366438975); Facebook page `CityUniversityLosAngeles`.
*   **Structured ID:** Wolfram Language entity code `Entity["University", "CityUniversityLosAngeles::78vh8"]`.

## FAQs
### Is City University Los Angeles a legitimate accredited university?
No. The entity is explicitly described as an "unaccredited school" in the United States. Multiple sources, including educational fraud lists, classify it as a "diploma mill" rather than a legitimate higher education institution.

### Where is City University Los Angeles located?
The organization is headquartered in Inglewood, California. It is also listed on Yelp as "City University Los Angeles - Inglewood."

### When was City University Los Angeles established?
According to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the entity was founded in 2009.

### Does City University Los Angeles have a social media presence?
Yes. The institution maintains a Twitter account created in September 2011 and a Facebook page identified as "CityUniversityLosAngeles."

## Why It Matters
City University Los Angeles serves as a case study in the landscape of unaccredited higher education and credential fraud. Its existence highlights the challenges students face in verifying the legitimacy of online institutions. While it utilizes the branding and digital infrastructure typical of legitimate universities—such as a `.edu` website and active social media channels—its classification as a diploma mill by third-party validators underscores the discrepancy between institutional marketing and recognized academic validity. This distinction is critical for academic advisors, employers, and prospective students to prevent the acceptance of fraudulent credentials.

## Notable For
*   **Diploma Mill Classification:** Explicitly categorized as a "diploma mill" in structured data, with references citing lists of "fake universities."
*   **Unaccredited Status:** Operates as a university in the United States without recognized accreditation.
*   **Digital Footprint:** Despite its unaccredited status, it maintains a persistent online presence including a dedicated Wolfram Language entity code and a verified Twitter account ID.
*   **Geographic Discrepancies:** While headquartered in Inglewood, California, some structured data qualifiers in academic databases associate the "diploma mill" classification with Seoul, suggesting international operations or targeting.

## Body

### Identity and Classification
City University Los Angeles (CULA) creates a complex identity by utilizing the "University" class definition—an academic institution for higher education—while lacking the regulatory approval associated with that title. In structured knowledge graphs, it is an "instance of" a university, yet it carries a concurrent classification as a "diploma mill." This duality places it in a category of entities that mimic the structure of higher education (granting degrees, offering advanced learning claims) without meeting the standards of accrediting bodies.

### Operational History
The institution was established in **2009**, according to its profile with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Inglewood, CA. It operates primarily through its web portal `cula.edu`. Discussions regarding its legitimacy have been documented on platforms such as DegreeInfo and Answers.com, where users scrutinize its accreditation status.

### Digital and Structured Presence
CULA maintains a specific set of digital identifiers that track its existence across the web:
*   **Social Media:** Its Twitter account (`@CULAedu`), associated with the numeric ID `366438975`, was created on September 2, 2011. Its Facebook page is listed under the handle `CityUniversityLosAngeles`.
*   **Review Platforms:** The entity is indexed on Yelp as "city-university-los-angeles-inglewood," reinforcing its physical location claims in Inglewood.
*   **Computational Data:** It is indexed within the Wolfram Language knowledgebase under the code `Entity["University", "CityUniversityLosAngeles::78vh8"]`, a classification usually reserved for established academic institutions.

### External Assessments and References
The validity of degrees issued by CULA is widely disputed in consumer protection contexts.
*   **References:** Citations from `classesandcareers.net` and `diplomacon.blogspot.com` (2009) explicitly list the entity among "fake universities" or illegitimate online schools.
*   **BBB Listing:** The organization is profiled by the BBB, which often serves as a reference for business reliability, though its accreditation status as a school remains "unaccredited."

## References

1. [Source](https://www.answers.com/Q/Is_city_university_los_angeles-_California_accredited)
2. [Source](https://classesandcareers.net/2011/08/22/top-10-ways-to-be-sure-an-online-school-is-legitimate/)
3. [Source](https://diplomacon.blogspot.com/2009/04/list-of-some-worlds-fake-universities.html)
4. [Known diploma mills](https://peoplecheck.co.kr/resources/down/list01.pdf)
5. [Source](https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/inglewood/profile/college-and-university/city-university-of-los-angeles-1216-13158416)
6. [Source](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Entity%5B%22University%22%2C+%22CityUniversityLosAngeles%3A%3A78vh8%22%5D)