University of the People レビュー 2,376

Poor quality educators.

I can't in good consiousness recommend it. It is by far the least professional university (I feel its odd that they are allowed to call themselves that) that I have ever dealt with.

I enrolled on 04/02/26 and have been waiting ever since to receive login credentials to the online campus and course materials. I was informed that it takes 24-48 hours. Then later informed of technical issues as to why I have not received anything allowing me entrance. I want to know what is really going on. I signed up for the Analytics course and every time I login it says complete my application but clearly shows I’m a student. Is this to be expected? It took my advisor two days to get back to me. When am I going to start this course? This needs to be looked into.

I have been trying to get help for the past month

Every reply needs 2 to 3 business days. The replies are all copy past from a script

My reenrollment fee was processed. They gladly took the money but failed to register me for any courses or fix my account

The "Chat Now" feature is down and you can't get urgent support.

Advisors are being switched all the time because nobody wants to work here. Professors feel like AI sitting there and doing nothing.

They glitched my scholarship to raise prices on me, and try to squeeze some extra, and then refunded 0.

It's bad reputation to get a degree from here - and is bad reputation to get tortured by dealing with this low people, doing low quality work.

Run away.

Imagine this. You have completed all your MBA coursework. You are in the final capstone course, you check the graduate catalog where it is clearly delineated that a minimum passing grade is 73. You’re in your last week and your grade is 76. So you’re happy, you have basically passed, so you make the final payment of 270 USD, just to lock in your final result.
But then, suddenly, you failed.
UoPeople updated its terms again.
The passing grade is now a minimum of 80/B for the capstone. And your money? You lost it.

This happened to me today.

Before joining UoPeople, ask or check for the graduation rate/success rate.

A lot of people here are concerned about the accreditation first. And while that is helpful to know, it matters very little if you’re not going to be able to graduate or if the university will go out of their way to keep you as a paying student, even if that means giving you a failing grade.

Look, I already ran the whole race. You are not reading a review from someone who dropped out on their first term. I was at the final stage of final stages. I advocated for UoPeople all whilst being there. I recommended it time and time again to everyone I knew. But nobody tells you, nor guides you, nor reminds you of the technicalities behind their grading scale. The professors have a fiduciary duty to be reminding you, but they don’t. They leave you unto your luck. If you knew and checked it, good for you. But if you don’t, you will lose your money and nobody at the university cares.

Do not enroll in this university, unless you want to spend your hard earned money indefinitely without ever graduating.

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.

The only genuine selling point is the cost.
The student support is underwhelming, the platform is neglected sometimes you can access learning materials and assignments other times not. the discussion boards have become a wasteland of AI-generated responses that no one is meaningfully engaging with. It’s hard to have a real learning community when half the posts read like they were written by a chatbot.

I came in hopeful. Tuition-free higher education is a compelling idea. But the execution left a lot to be desired, and it raises a serious question: how long can an institution maintain accreditation when it’s effectively handing out degrees to students who outsourced their coursework to ChatGPT?

THIEVES!! Do not apply for a course through this site. They are fraudsters. They advertised that a scholarship was available to study a Masters program and took a $60 application fee, only to then be directed through to a different page asking me to signup for a foundation course and that the Masters was $400 per course. Upon learning this, I immediately contacted their online help assistant (Ranjitha Solanki) who told me that they are keeping the $60, despite me patiently explaining what had happened. This is disgraceful. I shall be contacting relevant authorities for an investigation and contacting my credit card provider immediately to action a chargeback.

I dont have any experience.

They advertise as a free university. It sounded too good to be true, but I went along with it. First, they asked for a $60 enrollment fee and I paid it thinking that was a bargain for a free education. Then they wanted $160 per course. And they denied my request for financial aid. Don't get sacked in!

It was easy to apply and very reasonable fees. The school is very on top of ensuring there certification is in great standings.

My experience with University of the People has been positive. The program is flexible and allows me to study while managing my work and family. I appreciate the opportunity to continue my education.

One thing I’ve really noticed during my time at UoPeople is how much the learning environment pushes you to grow outside the actual course content. For me, the biggest part of my experience has been learning how to stay disciplined and organized in a fully online setting. It wasn’t something anyone taught — it was something I had to figure out through trial and error, balancing deadlines, work, and life.

It also surprised me how supportive the community can be, even though everything is virtual. A quick message from a classmate or a helpful explanation in the forums can make a huge difference when you’re stuck or overwhelmed. Those small interactions ended up shaping my experience just as much as the coursework.

With an international cast of instructors, experts in their respective fields, one and all, and the consistently highest standard for a comprehensive course material, I feel that my health science bachelors degree program will help me transition smoothly into graduate school in physical therapy.

Not to mention, this revolutionary university is saving me thousands of dollars for quality and recognized regionally accredited education!

I can take classes online, and it's tuition- free. The coursework I am learning aligns perfectly with the skills I need for my chosen career path.

good learning

I chose University of the People because it offers flexible and affordable online education. As a full-time special education (SPED) teacher, a parent, and someone with family responsibilities, the program allowed me to continue my studies while managing both my professional and personal commitments.

My experience has been very positive. I appreciate the diverse community of students from around the world and the opportunity to learn from different perspectives. The courses have helped me strengthen my teaching knowledge and grow professionally.

I would recommend University of the People to working professionals and parents who are looking for an accessible and flexible way to continue their education.

I am an international student with 63 US college credits (Sophia Learning + Google Certificate) and a perfect 4.0 GPA. According to UoPeople's own policy (Admissions Section, point 'e'), 24 credits are enough to waive the High School Diploma requirement.
Instead of enrolling me, they have:
Blocked my admission despite receiving all official transcripts.
Revoked my access to Moodle courses (causing me to miss classes).
Spammed me with automated emails blaming me for inactivity, after they locked me out.

Ignored direct appeals to the Program Advisor and the President's Office.
I have filed a formal complaint with the DEAC (accrediting agency) for failure to follow published policies. If you are a serious student with transfer credits, STAY AWAY. Their administration is a nightmare of broken bots and incompetent advisors who will sabotage your progress regardless of your grades.