College Success
12.09.2023 • 5 min read
Subject Matter Expert
Is Outlier worth it and how does it work? Learn what students are saying by reading the 6 top reasons to invest in Outlier’s education program.
In This Article
Going to college is a big decision—one you invest years of your life and thousands of dollars in. Of course, you want to make a wise choice.
As you research your college options, you might be wondering, is Outlier.org worth it? After all, Outlier is not a traditional college. It’s an online learning platform designed to expand access to affordable, quality college education.
If you’re considering Outlier.org, here are 6 reasons why students say Outlier is worth it.
Accreditation is an important factor when choosing a college. Beyond an indication of quality, accreditation has a real impact on your college experience and post-grad job opportunities.
The U.S. government only disburses financial aid to accredited degree programs. Many colleges and universities will only accept transfer credits from accredited programs. And many employers look for applicants with degrees from accredited schools because they are more reputable.
All programs available through Outlier are accredited:
For courses taken as part of a Degrees+ program, you receive college credit from Golden Gate University, a nonprofit university accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.
For individual courses taken through Outlier, you receive college credit from the University of Pittsburgh, a top 50 global university accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
So not only will you get a rigorous education with Outlier, but your credits will also transfer to practically any school (more on that later). Plus, financial aid could fully fund your degree.
“The graduate program I was applying for required a prerequisite course from an accredited university. Because of the score that I achieved at Outlier, I was actually able to skip taking the GRE.” –Zoe B.
College costs the average student $36,436 per year. And it takes most graduates 20 years to pay off their student loans. But with Outlier.org, you earn college credit for a fraction of the average college tuition.
You can take any of Outlier’s 17 for-credit courses for just $597. By comparison, a 3-credit course costs an average of $2,355 at a public university or $4,052 at a private university. Payment plans are also available for Outlier courses, allowing you to spread the cost over 18 months with 0% interest.
“Thank god I found Outlier. It ended up being a third of the price that my university would have been. This allowed me to finish my college degree on time, cheaper than I would’ve at my university.” –Kristina B.
With the Degrees+ program, you can earn an associate degree from Golden Gate University (GGU) plus a job-ready certificate for $6,370 per year. Tuition is all-inclusive, meaning you won’t pay for textbooks, tech fees, or any other costs on top of tuition. The average college student spends between $628 and $1,471 on books and supplies every year, so those savings really add up!
What’s more, your degree could be fully funded if you qualify for any of these forms of financial aid:
Pell Grants
Employer education benefits
One in 2 Americans qualify for Pell Grants large enough to cover Degrees+ tuition, so it’s worth completing the FAFSA to see if you qualify.
For many students, their experience with online learning involves sitting through boring Zoom meetings. For others, it’s navigating a clunky online system to watch recordings of in-person classes. Thankfully, there are much better ways to learn online!
Outlier offers a digital-native experience. Everything is specifically designed to optimize learning online.
Instead of garbled audio and blurry video, you get Hollywood production value. Instead of learning only from the professors at a particular school, you learn from subject matter experts at MIT, Yale, even NASA. So you enjoy immersive lectures with some of the best instructors around the world—all in a modern user interface.
Digital learning tools, like guided notes and interactive readings, are built by game designers and based on decades of educational research. They maximize your engagement, understanding, and retention. And they empower you to learn in ways that work best for you.
“My experience with Outlier.org was a million times better than any I had with a class in person. The lectures were beautiful, the examples were all completely applicable, and the instructors laid everything out in a way that just made so. much. sense.” –Connor H.
Traditional college isn’t built for the flexibility modern life demands. So if you’re looking to go to school while working, caregiving, or traveling, Outlier is a great option.
“I was living abroad, and Outlier.org allowed me to continue my studies without worrying about having to interrupt my life or spend longer because I wasn’t able to complete a class back home.” –Connor H.
Rather than set class times, Outlier courses feature on-demand lectures. All materials are available online 24/7 over the course of the term, and all exams take place over week-long windows. So you can learn anytime, anywhere.
With this flexibility, you still get the benefits of guided learning, accessible instructors, and a cohort of your peers to keep you on track.
“Outlier really helped me feel in control of my education. I loved being able to work at my own pace while still having all the information I needed.” –Christina B.
If you need even more flexibility, consider self-paced online college programs. Keep in mind they don’t have built-in deadlines, so you’ll need strong time management skills.
When you learn online through Outlier, you’re not alone.
You can connect with your classmates and even form study groups on Discord. You also get dedicated student support services, plus unlimited 1-on-1 tutoring in all math, accounting, and writing courses.
In the Degrees+ program, your instructors are available during regular office hours to discuss anything with you. And your advisor helps you stay on track throughout the degree program.
“I tried a lot of other online courses, but I felt like I was doing it alone. Degrees+ is all about community.” –Sola K.
Whether you’re getting a head start taking college courses in high school, or you’re earning an associate degree on the way to a bachelor’s, you want to make sure your credits will transfer. Otherwise, you end up paying to take those courses again, adding months, if not years, to your degree path.
With each Outlier course, you earn 3 college credits from the University of Pittsburgh, a top-ranked and regionally accredited school. Outlier students have reported successfully transferring credits to over 100 schools—ranging from local community colleges to Ivy League universities.
“I could not believe how easy it was to transfer credits from Outlier. Once I realized how painless it was, I decided to take 7 courses! All of them transferred with no problems. It was awesome!” –Mia F.
Transferability works both ways in Degrees+. You can transfer in up to 45 credits from previous school, work, or military experience, and speed up your path to a degree. To date, 40% of Degrees+ students have started with transfer credits.
Once you’ve completed Degrees+, you can transfer your 60 credits to the 4-year school of your choice. Or you can take advantage of automatic admission into any bachelor’s program at GGU if you earn at least a 2.5 GPA.
Outlier offers 17 introductory-level college courses in math, humanities, the social sciences, and more. Among the most popular courses are:
Calculus
College Writing I
Intro to Psychology
Computer Science I
Intro to Financial Accounting
Individual courses are a great option when you want to:
Knock out prerequisites
Strengthen your college applications
Save money on your way to a degree
The Degrees+ program in partnership with GGU offers 3 associate degrees:
Applied Computing, Associate of Science
Business Administration, Associate of Arts
Liberal Studies, Associate of Arts
With each degree, you also earn a career certificate from top companies like Google, Hubspot, Salesforce, and Meta. So you graduate with 2 resume-building credentials in half the time of a bachelor’s degree.
If you’re looking for accredited online degrees or college courses that fit your schedule and your budget without sacrificing quality, Outlier is worth it. Explore your options, and reach out to the Outlier team at hello@outlier.org with any questions. They’re happy to help!
Outlier (winner of TIME Best Inventions 2020) and Golden Gate University (#1 school for working professionals) have redesigned the experience of earning a college degree to minimize cost and maximize outcomes. Explore a revolutionary way to earn your college degree:
College Success
Learn about Outlier’s online courses and Degrees+, why they are one of the best options for college credit, and more about the company behind everything.
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