Unaccredited distance education institution operating as a diploma mill, based in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Columbus University is an unaccredited distance education institution that operated at different times in Louisiana and Mississippi. Initially operating under a Louisiana state law exemption for tax-exempt nonprofits, the institution was issued a state license in September 2000 conditioned on seeking accreditation. When Columbus failed to apply for accreditation, Louisiana revoked its license and closed the school as an illegal diploma mill. The institution subsequently relocated to Mississippi, where it is listed as a "non-approved" entity.
Columbus University claims accreditation by the World Association of Universities and Colleges (WAUC), though this body is not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The institution is listed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as having degrees that are illegal to use in Texas due to being "fraudulent or substandard." Alabama revoked a previously granted license in 2008, and the FBI investigated Columbus operations in 2010 following a raid on a duplex in New Orleans.
In 2003–2004, media reported that Charles Abell, an Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Defense, listed a master's degree from Columbus University in his official biography and Senate confirmation statement. The Defense Department defended Abell's credentials. Additionally, personal trainer Brian McNamee, who testified in the Mitchell Report investigation regarding Roger Clemens, confirmed his Ph.D. in behavioral sciences was from Columbus University, later acknowledging it appeared to be a diploma mill.