
The American College of Financial Services is a specialized institution founded in 1927 to provide professional education for the life insurance field. Its founder, Solomon S. Huebner, was an insurance educator at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
Originally known as the American College of Life Underwriters, the institution expanded beyond insurance into financial planning, retirement income, wealth management, and related subjects. Its present name reflects that broader focus. This history helps explain why many of its offerings are professional designations and continuing-education programs rather than traditional undergraduate majors.
The American College of Financial Services organizes its education around financial-services subjects and credentials, not a broad set of arts-and-sciences colleges. Prospective students should choose a program by the credential it awards and the career requirements it addresses.
Its offerings include degree study and professional designations in areas such as financial planning, life insurance, retirement income, and wealth management. Examples of its designations include Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Retirement Income Certified Professional (RICP). The college also offers education intended to help candidates meet the coursework requirement for CFP certification.
A designation, a college degree, and a professional license are different credentials. Students pursuing a particular job or certification should check the applicable program curriculum, external examination rules, experience requirements, and continuing-education obligations before enrolling.
The American College of Financial Services is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia. Its location is an institutional base rather than a conventional residential campus around which most students organize their studies.
King of Prussia is accessible by regional roads and public transportation, but travel to an office, examination, or event should not be assumed to be part of every program. Many prospective students will find the delivery format and any in-person requirements more consequential than the institution's Pennsylvania address. Philadelphia International Airport serves the wider region for those traveling to scheduled events.
The college's stated purpose centers on educating financial-services professionals and improving the quality of financial advice. Its programs emphasize applied knowledge that practitioners may use in work with individuals, families, and organizations.
That mission is narrower than a typical liberal-arts college's: coursework is closely tied to financial planning and related professional practice. The stated aim describes the institution's priorities; it should not be read as evidence that completing a credential will produce a particular job, license, or client outcome.
Name of the institution
American College of Financial ServicesLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, graduate with no undergraduate degreesInstitution size category
5,000 - 9,999American College of Financial Services is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Doctor's degree - research/scholarshipData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.