$99 a month
Sophia
80+ self-paced courses with ACE recommendations, up to two at a time. A free trial up to each course's first Challenge.
From sophia.org
Home › Courses › Sophia vs Study.com vs UPI Study
Four providersTheir own pricesSelf-paced, all four
Sophia vs Study.com vs UPI Study: what you pay
Sophia and UPI Study cost $99 a month, Study.com $95 (two courses at a time) or $235 (three), and StraighterLine $99 a month plus a fee for each course. Sophia allows two courses at a time, Study.com two or three, StraighterLine's monthly plan one, and UPI Study has no limit. Of the four pricing pages, only UPI Study's has a plan you pay once.
$95 or $235 a month
Study.com
230+ courses with ACE and NCCRS recommendations; two at a time on College Saver, three on Pro. Open-book final exams.
From study.com
No limit on courses at once
UPI Study
90+ self-paced courses, NCCRS on every one and ACE on 22. Monthly, four-month and yearly plans, or Lifetime, paid once.
- Lowest monthly price
- Study.com, $95
- Most courses at once
- UPI Study, no limit
- Pay once
- UPI Study Lifetime
The same gen eds at UPI Study
Side by side
| Sophia | Study.com | StraighterLine | UPI Study | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $99 | $95 (two at a time) or $235 (three) | $99 plus a fee per course ($79 for Intro to Psychology) | $99 (US students) |
| Four months | $299 | Monthly plans only | $699 (27 popular courses) | $279 |
| A year | $799 | Monthly plans only | $1,499 (27 popular courses) | $495 |
| Pay once | No: every plan renews | No | No: every plan renews | Lifetime, or a single course |
| Courses at once | Two | Two or three | One (monthly plan) | No limit |
| Credit recommendation | ACE | ACE and NCCRS | ACE | NCCRS on all; ACE also on 22 |
| Transcript | Sent to the college you choose | Sent within 2 business days | No transcript fee | $20, sent by UPI Study |
Each provider's prices are from its own pricing page; taxes are extra where they say so. UPI Study's plans are for US students and students of partner colleges; anyone can buy a single course.
Which one fits you?
Sophia if
- Your college is a Sophia partner
- Your college takes ACE recommendations only
- Two courses at a time is enough
Study.com if
- You want upper-division courses (College Saver Pro)
- You want open-book final exams
- Your college is a Study.com partner
UPI Study if
- You want more than two courses at once
- You'd rather pay once, or buy one course
- Your college works with NCCRS recommendations
Questions, answered
Which is cheapest: Sophia, Study.com or UPI Study?
For one month and up to two courses, Study.com's College Saver ($95) costs least; Sophia and UPI Study are $99. For a year, UPI Study's yearly plan ($495) costs less than Sophia's ($799) or twelve months of Study.com. Only UPI Study sells a plan you pay once.
Sophia vs Study.com: which is better for transfer credit?
It depends on your college. Sophia's courses carry ACE recommendations and it lists 115+ partner colleges; Study.com's carry ACE and NCCRS recommendations, and it has partner universities too. Ask your registrar which recommendations it takes and whether either one is a partner.
What about StraighterLine?
StraighterLine's monthly plan is $99 plus a one-time fee for each course ($79 for Introduction to Psychology), one course at a time; its four-month ($699) and yearly ($1,499) plans cover 27 popular courses. Its courses carry ACE recommendations, each comes with 10 hours of tutoring, and there is no transcript fee.
How many courses can I take at once?
Sophia: two. Study.com: two on College Saver, three on College Saver Pro. StraighterLine's monthly plan: one at a time. UPI Study: no limit, on any plan.
Are there fees on top of the plan?
Sophia and StraighterLine say course materials are included; StraighterLine's monthly plan adds a fee for each course. At UPI Study every course's materials are included and there are no proctoring or exam fees; the one extra is the $20 transcript.
Which of them carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations?
Sophia's and StraighterLine's courses carry ACE recommendations, Study.com's ACE and NCCRS. Every UPI Study course carries an NCCRS recommendation and 22 also carry ACE; ACE vs NCCRS explains the difference.
Is the final exam proctored?
At Study.com the final exam is open-book and not proctored. At UPI Study it is proctored online: lightly, with no camera, if you already have 70% before it, otherwise fully. Sophia and StraighterLine describe their exams on each course page.
Which has the most courses?
Study.com lists 230+ courses (145+ premium and upper-division ones on its Pro plan), UPI Study 90+ and Sophia 80+; StraighterLine's four-month and yearly plans cover 27 popular courses.
Can I buy just one course?
At UPI Study, yes: any single course, with lifetime access to it. StraighterLine sells courses one by one, on top of its monthly membership; Sophia and Study.com sell plans only, by their pricing pages.
Will my college accept credit from these providers?
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. The same holds for Sophia, Study.com and StraighterLine: each college decides. Search your school in Find My College and ask your registrar whether it takes ACE or NCCRS recommendations.
Where these credits can go
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Plus many more partner colleges and ACE and NCCRS cooperating colleges.
Find My College →Keep exploring
- Introduction to PsychologyA first course to try
Calculus 1 vs Calculus 2Math past Calculus I- ACE vs NCCRSThe two credit recommendations
Check your college first
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Sources (7)
- Sophia Learning: home page https://www.sophia.org/
- Sophia Learning: Plans & Pricing https://www.sophia.org/plans-and-pricing/
- Sophia Learning: Find your school https://www.sophia.org/find-your-school/
- Study.com: Plans & pricing for college credit https://study.com/college/pricing.html
- Study.com: College credit questions https://study.com/college/faq.html
- StraighterLine: Pricing https://www.straighterline.com/pricing/
- StraighterLine: Introduction to Psychology https://www.straighterline.com/online-college-courses/introduction-to-psychology/
- NCCRS: UPI Study's credit recommendations https://www.nationalccrs.org/organizations/upi-study-inc
UPI Study facts are from our course catalog, syllabi and course rules. Sophia, Study.com and StraighterLine are named here only to compare them; each is a trademark of its owner and is not connected with UPI Study; their facts are as their own pages stated them.