Santiago Mallea
Content Writer At Gradehacker
Everything about the University of the People
Being an adult student looking for an online degree that can help you get ahead in life is hard and expensive.
According to U.S. News Data, college tuition is a lot higher nowadays, 134% more since 2002.
On average, 2022-2023 tuition costs over $39,700 in private schools and $10,400 in public institutions. Some people can only afford it by getting student loans or by studying while finding a balance between their jobs, families, and other responsibilities.
However, there is one educational institution that challenges how the American educational system works by offering tuition-free online education: The University Of The People.
It’s real, and while it only has a few programs in its curriculum, they can be more than enough for anyone needing accessible education taught by an accredited institution.
Here at Gradehacker, we are the non-traditional adult student’s most trusted resource. If you’ve never heard of this online university or want to learn more about it, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ll explain what the University of the People is and answer all the important questions you need to know about them.
So, let’s start with the basics.
What Is The University Of The People?
The University of the People (UoPeople) is a free online university that offers accredited degrees at no cost. UoPeople was founded in 2009 by Shai Reshef, who wanted to create a world where everyone had access to quality education regardless of financial, geographic, political, and personal circumstances.
UoPeople is staffed by thousands of volunteers, including more than 35,000 professionals who work as provosts, deans, administrators, or faculty members.
But of course, what makes this college so great is its free tuition.
They have over 117,000 students from 200 countries and fulfills its purpose of bringing higher education to those who need it most, as many of its students are minorities or refugees.
Admission Criteria
The University of the People has an acceptance rate of 100%. You can enroll in an undergraduate degree just by meeting the minimum level of education. You have to:
- Be older than 16
- Have graduated from high school
- Be able to study in English
And that’s it! No minimum GPA or additional requirements.
While all of their educational programs are 100% free, there are some instances throughout your career where you’ll have to pay the required fees.
First, they have a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $60 that you must send when filling out the application form.
Then, there are different course assessment fees that are paid at the end of each course and vary depending on your level of education:
- Certificates: $200
- Undergraduate Program: $120
- Graduate Program: $300
However, they also have many financial aid programs to help those who can’t afford these fees.
Approximate Cost Of Studying At The University Of The People
So, based on the fees, this is approximately how much it would cost you to earn a degree at UoPeople:
- Associate Degree: $2,460
- Bachelor's Degree: $4,860
- MBA: $3,660
- MSIT: $3,660
- M.Ed: $3,960
Is The University Of The People Legit?
The University of the People is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and listed by the U.S. Department of Education as an accrediting agency.
So, UoPeople is 100% legit.
Plus, they are partnered with top universities and industry leaders such as:
- Meta
- Harvard Business School
- New York University
- HP
- Microsoft
- University of Edinburgh
- Pfizer
What Academic Programs Does The University Of The People Have?
Their certificates can be completed in less than a year and are specific to an area that will help you advance your career.
UoPeople has non-degree programs for:
- Business Administration (3-course programs)
- Finance, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Strategy
- Computer Science (7-8 course programs)
- Data Science and Network and Application Security
- Health Science (4-course programs)
- Public Health and Health Management, Human Biology, Epidemiology and Behavioral Health
Undergraduate Degree Programs
Here you can find both Associate and Bachelor’s Degrees in the same three fields:
- Business Administration
- Health Science
- Computer Science
Their career-oriented graduate programs are:
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Science in Information Technology
- Master of Education
All of UoPeople’s programs are 100% online and work just like any other traditional college.
Its classes are asynchronous, meaning you can fit its weekly schedule into your life however you prefer. You don’t have to log in at a specific time to attend classes; instead, you have the entire week to read the required material and complete the assignments.
An excellent choice for non-traditional adult students.
You access each course module by logging into their virtual campus, where you’ll find all the assignments, forums, learning material, and textbooks, which are Open Education Resources (OER) that are available for free online.
Classes usually last nine weeks, with modules requiring 15 to 20 hours of dedication each.
Weekly assignments can be:
- Learning Journals
- Discussion Forums
- Writing/Programming Assignments
- Self-administered Quizzes
- Graded Quizzes
The learning journals are to document activities, record questions/problems, and reflect on the learning process. Instructors will directly assess these entries as a part of the final grade. Then, the self-administered quiz results don’t count toward your grade but work as a guide to ensure that you understand the course’s content.
It’s important to highlight that the UoPeople learning method is based on peer-to-peer learning. In other words, you’ll have to grade a few of your classmates’ assignments each week while they do the same with yours.
However, the class instructors always supervise grading to ensure that each student’s work has been properly reviewed and can make adjustments if needed.
At the end of each course, undergraduate students will have a final exam, while graduate students will submit a final paper.
Study And Pay Less At The University Of The People
In an educational system where most colleges charge thousands of dollars for high-quality education, the University of the People offers free-tuition education that anybody can access from all parts of the world.
If you are looking for an accredited online university with business, health, or computer sciences programs and want to save as much as possible, we highly recommend considering UoPeople.
Thanks to its online asynchronous classes, you’ll have no problems fitting their courses into your busy life.
And if you want to earn that diploma even faster, don’t forget that you can count on Gradehacker!
From individual essays to full classes or even your entire college program, we can help you finish your degree sooner with our expert guidance and support. We’ll be more than happy to help you too.
And if you want more useful tips for your college life, be sure to check out our related blog posts:
Santiago Mallea
Santiago Mallea is a curious and creative journalist who first helped many college students as a Gradehacker consultant in subjects like literature, communications, ethics, and business. Now, as a Content Creator in our blog, YouTube channel, and TikTok, he assists non-traditional students improve their college experience by sharing the best tips. You can find him on LinkedIn.
