The American College of Financial Services (also known as The American College) is a nonprofit private educational institution located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. It offers several professional certifications, two types of master's degrees and a PhD degree. Annually, The American College educates approximately 40,000 students, mainly through distance education.
The institution was founded as The American College of Life Underwriters in 1927 by Solomon S. Huebner of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Huebner was a professional involved in the development of economic theory. His theory of human life value is used in the field of insurance. It was his vision for a college-level professional education program for insurance agents that led to the creation of The American College.
Today The College offers professional training to all types of financial practitioners. When the institution began, programs focused exclusively on providing education to life insurance professionals. The Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation was the first credential offered by The College. Today The College provides training for the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) exam, The Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) designation, and the Master of Science in Financial Services (MSFS) master's degree.
