The idea of an affordable, exam-based online college is excellent and could be very promising, especially for working adults. I came in with 3 years of prior college and over 20 years of hands-on computer experience, hoping to finish a degree efficiently.
Unfortunately, the reality fell far short:
Poor onboarding and credit transfer: No one called me after I signed up. The process was confusing, and I had trouble even finding the school in FAFSA at first. When I tried to transfer credits from my previous college, they wanted to charge ~$17 per credit — and after a full month, the credits were never transferred.
Overly rigid intro classes: The first classes (Intro to Computers and a mandatory resource class) were far too formal. They required full APA citations for simple forum posts, with assignments losing 20% or more for missing citations. It felt like academic calisthenics instead of building real foundational knowledge and connections. Intro classes should help students get comfortable with practical skills, not turn basic discussions into mini research papers.
Outdated and impractical content: The Intro to Computers textbook was from 2020 and barely covered real-world office technology, cloud computing, coding, or practical applications. There were zero labs. Many students just regurgitated textbook information or shared opinions that wouldn’t work in actual jobs.
Heavy-handed AI policy: The program only used forum-based lessons instead of formal papers. If you used AI for grammar, spelling, or cleanup (even on your own writing), you had to explicitly cite it or risk being accused of plagiarism and potential expulsion. This felt insulting and overly punitive. Grammar tools and asking for writing suggestions have been normal for years. Rather than scaring students, the school should teach responsible AI use.
Customer service responses are usually fast, but they often just explain away the issues instead of fixing them. Instructor replies could take 5 days, and basic problems (like credit transfers) lingered.
I wanted an affordable degree I could be proud of, but the combination of busywork, outdated material, poor support, and adversarial policies burned me. I’m going a different route now. This school might work for some, but if you have prior experience or expect practical, efficient learning, read the negative reviews carefully and consider your options. I won’t be returning.
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University of the People is an American non-profit distance education institution of higher education that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees.
