College Algebra vs Statistics: which math course should you take?

It depends on what comes easier to you. College Algebra asks you to solve equations and work with functions; Statistics asks you to read data and use probability, intervals and tests. By the syllabi, College Algebra has 58 instructional hours across 10 chapters and Principles of Statistics has 67 across 14.

Take the one your degree names. If you may go on to calculus, take College Algebra: Pre-Calculus lists it as a prerequisite. If your program asks for statistics, take Principles of Statistics. Your college decides which course meets the requirement.

Principles of Statistics (Statistics 101): ACE recommends 3 semester hours, ACE ID UPIS-0003, and NCCRS recommends 3 as well. College Algebra (Math 111) is NCCRS only: 3 semester hours in Math, Business, Liberal Arts or as a General Education Elective, among other areas.

College Algebra (Math 111) covers algebra: expressions and polynomials, equations and inequalities, systems, quadratics, functions, exponentials, logs and series. Principles of Statistics (Statistics 101) covers statistics for business: data and graphs, probability, distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis tests and regression.

College Algebra: NCCRS recommends 3 semester hours, lower division, in Math among other subjects. Principles of Statistics: NCCRS recommends 3 semester hours, lower division, in Mathematics among other subjects; ACE recommends 3 (ACE ID UPIS-0003).

College Algebra: Math, Accounting, Business, Business Administration, Business Management, Economics, Liberal Arts, or as a General Education Elective, or as part of STEM fields. Principles of Statistics: Mathematics, Economics, International Business, Finance, Finance and Investment, Accounting, Management, Human Resources, Hospitality Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Education, or Health Services. Your college decides which requirement each one fills.

Principles of Statistics is longer by its syllabus. College Algebra: 10 chapters and 58 instructional hours. Principles of Statistics: 14 chapters and 67 instructional hours. Both are self-paced, so you finish as fast or as slow as you want.

College Algebra: Successful completion of high school elementary algebra (Algebra I) or its equivalent; or a qualifying score on the UPI Study College Algebra Placement Assessment. Principles of Statistics: none listed.

College Algebra: 100 multiple-choice questions, 25% of the grade. Principles of Statistics: 100 multiple-choice questions, 50% of the grade.

College Algebra: Abramson, Jay, editor. College Algebra 2e. OpenStax, Rice University, 2021. Additional material for reference: Algebra and Trigonometry 2e. OpenStax, Rice University, 2021, with other references. Principles of Statistics: Illowsky, Barbara, and Susan Dean, editors. Introductory Statistics 2e. OpenStax, 2023, with other references.

Quantitative Analysis. In the “Business and data” order on the Math courses page, it follows Principles of Statistics. Your program may set its own order.

Yes, online: under light proctoring (no camera) if you already have 70% before it, otherwise under full proctoring. The quizzes and the assignment are open-book; the College Algebra final is not.

A pass is 70 or more. The grading scale on your UPI Study transcript shows how 70 maps to a letter grade; for most colleges it is a C.

ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Search your school in Find My College and ask your registrar which courses Math 111 and Statistics 101 would count as. For the registrar: College Algebra's NCCRS recommendation lists Math and Principles of Statistics's NCCRS recommendation lists Mathematics.