American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, is a distinct and fully developed language that has, among others, its own unique grammar. ASL is distinct from English or any other foreign language and distinct from other sign systems as well, both foreign-based and English based-based.
During the past few decades, several states passed legislation to identify and recognize ASL as a distinct foreign language which enabled colleges, universities, and high schools to accept and implement the language as it, therefore, fulfills all foreign language requirements for deaf and hard hearing students.
American Sign Language is a visual/gestural language that is distinct from English or any other foreign spoken language. ASL is also distinct from any other sign languages used in different countries, and the language is distinct from any other English language-based sign system used in America, e.g. English manually coded systems.
We don’t know the exact number of people that use ASL but the language is the most widely used language in the U.S. for one-on-one communication. ASL is used as a 1st or 2nd language by many Americans and estimates range from 200,000 to nearly a million individuals, including deaf native signers, children of deaf parents, or adult deaf signers that were taught ASL by other deaf individuals.
Take a look at this list of Universities that are accepting ASL as Foreign Language. You’ll be pleasantly surprised! And if you still have to complete your GED, check out this BestGEDClasses review.
- Abilene Christian University
- American University
- Antioch College (Ohio)
- Arizona State University
- Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN)
- Baylor University
- Bethel College (Indiana)
- Brigham Young University
- Brown University
- Butler University (Indiana)
- Cabrillo College (California)
- California State University (Fresno)
- California State University (Hayward)
- California State University (Monterey Bay)
- California State University (Northridge)
- California State University (Sacramento)
- California State University (San Marcos)
- Catholic University
- Central Washington University
- Centralia College
- Clark University (Worcester, MA)
- Clemson University
- College of St. Catherine (MN)
- College of Southern Idaho
- College of Staten Island
- College of St. Rose (Albany, NY)
- Dallas Baptist University
- East Central Oklahoma State University
- Eastern Illinois University
- Eastern Washington University
- Elms College (Chicopee MA)
- The Evergreen College (Washington)
- Florida A & M University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Atlantic University Honors College (Wilkes Honors College)
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida International University
- Florida State University
- Fresno Pacific University
- Gardner-Webb University
- George Mason University
- Georgetown University
- Holy Cross College (Worcester, MA)
- Howard University
- Howard Payne University
- Illinois State University
- Indiana University
- Kent State University
- Lamar University
- Loyola University
- Lubbock Christian University
- MacMurray College (Jacksonville IL)
- Madonna University
- Mary Hardin Baylor University
- Maryville College
- Mass. Institute of Technology
- Michigan State University
- Neumann College (Aston, PA)
- New College of Florida
- New York University (School of Education)
- National Technical Institute for the Deaf (Rochester, NY)
- Northeastern University
- Ohio State University
- Oklahoma Baptist University
- Oklahoma State University
- Pacific Lutheran University
- Purdue University
- Radford University (Radford, VA)
- Russell Sage College (Troy, NY)
- Sacramento Community College
- San Antonio College
- San Diego State University
- Scripps College (Claremont, CA)
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
- Southwest Texas State University
- Stanford University
- SUNY Brockport
- SUNY Buffalo
- SUNY Geneseo
- SUNY Oswego
- Stephen F. Austin University
- Tennessee Temple University
- Texas A & M University-Commerce
- Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
- Texas Tech University
- Texas Wesleyan University
- Texas Woman’s University
- University of Akron
- University of Alaska (Fairbanks)
- University of Arizona
- University of Arkansas (Little Rock)
- University of Calif. at Berkeley (accepted for entrance, not exit, requirements)
- University of Calif. at San Diego
- University of Calif. at Davis
- University of Central Florida
- University of Chicago
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Colorado-Boulder
- University of Florida
- University of Georgia (Athens)
- University of Hawaii (Manoa)
- University of Iceland
- University of Iowa
- University of Kansas
- University of Louisville (KY)
- University of Maryland
- University of Massachusetts
- University of Maine at Machias
- University of Michigan
- University of Minnesota
- University of New Hampshire (Durham)
- University of New Hampshire (Manchester)
- University of New Mexico
- University of North Carolina (Charlotte)
- University of North Carolina (Greensboro)
- University of North Carolina (Wilmington)
- University of North Florida
- University of North Texas (Denton)
- University of Northern Iowa
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Rochester
- University of South Florida
- University of Southern Florida
- University of Texas – Austin
- University of Texas-Pan American
- University of Texas-San Antonio
- University of Tulsa
- University of Utah
- University of Virginia
- University of Washington
- University of West Florida
- University of Wyoming
- Utah State University
- Utah Valley State College
- Vassar College
- Washington State University
- West Virginia University (School of Journalism majors)
- Western Oregon University
- Western Washington University
- William Woods University
- Wright State University (Ohio)
- Xavier University (Cincinnati)
- Xavier University (Louisiana)
- Yale University
About the list: The list began almost 15 years ago and was published by Sherman Wilcox, University of New Mexico. We think it’s the most actual list so far. Students with a study debt burden should really check out this article about The Student Loan Consolidation Rule.