University of the People

wow i love university of the people.

“Accredited” how?

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 & Fraudsters

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

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!

Great College

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…

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.

A Flexible and Supportive Online University

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.

A school that makes the impossible possible for all people

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!

Flexible and Affordable University for Working Professionals

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.

good learning

I can take classes online

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.

BLOCKED despite 4.0 GPA and 63 Credits - VIOLATION OF POLICY

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.

Not a university, not trustworthy

This place MAY offer cheaper "education" and you MIGHT be able to convince a business or organization to consider the piece of paper you receive from UoPeople as "legit", but there are a few things you should know before you take the risk. Firstly, most of the staff / "educators" working for UoPeople have no idea what they're doing. Many use LLMs to come up with homework assignments (and to grade them), whereas others will reuse assignments from other courses. Secondly, their support team is trash. If ANYTHING goes wrong while you are attending, good luck! They'll respond quick enough for sure, but to get someone who can actually resolve your issue(s) is a whole other ordeal. Thirdly, they recently got hit with a massive data breach. On their website they state that any student is welcome to request removal of their data -- but getting your data ACTUALLY removed is near impossible. I've been badgering them for MONTHS to remove my data and have gotten no where. Lastly, it isn't "free". It's definitely cheaper than college but you can't compare this place to an actual college. You should compare the UoPeople to those free workshops that Home Depot or Natural Grocers puts on (because they're of the same quality). Exams (which many have to be taken) cost money, some courses cost money, etc. ***Replying to their reply*** Like I said in the review, you've had months to address my concern. MONTHS. The only reply I've gotten back is "I understand this is frustrating. I've forwarded your request and the team is working on it". Again, MONTHS.

AVOID - I REGRET MY TIME AT U O PEOPLE

IF I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS, I WOULD. I graduated from University of the People and my experience has been absolutely nightmarish. I paid over 145USD for my graduation documents, and it has now been over four months with nothing delivered. There’s no shipping information, no tracking, I have been told it doesn't exist. What exactly am I even paying for? My entire experience at this institution has been one nightmare after another. Here's a couple of examples, but I have countless. Student Services sent me another student’s confidential information (full name, student ID) along with my graduation electronic document, which is a massive breach of privacy. Another recent example, when I followed up with the University departments about my missing Associates Degree, and missing Bachelors Degree (paper document), I was threatened with disciplinary action for contacting multiple departments, despite not being an actual student anymore. I'm an alumni and asking about my documents, raising to departments so I can get it resolved. The bureaucracy and unprofessionalism is outstanding, unlike anything I've ever seen. Good luck getting help or answers with anything at this school, especially when they take your money. My experience re: curriculum and courses, awful. You get 7 days to learn an incredible amount of information and complete all assignments. Also, the professors are often rude and non-helpful. Many will actually lash out at students if you ask them for help. If you try to escalate the inappropriate behavior, you get in trouble. Each teacher will tell you something different in terms of how they want assignments done, even though the school does a course stating how assignments should be completed in terms of APA citation. If a teacher doesn't like the way you do it according to school policy, they will fail you. University sides with professor. As an example of the outrageous and completely unrealistic workload, this is what I had in one of my classes: over 300 pages of reading plus a discussion forum requiring 3 responses, a quiz (graded or not), a written essay, a journal entry (another essay), and reviewing 3 students’ exams—all in 7 days, realistically less since assignments had earlier due dates. When I brought this up with the university, I was shut down and treated like shit. Throughout my time there, I’ve been given countless incorrect or missing pieces of information and spent months chasing answers, usually with constant pushback. I probably have over 100 instances of unacceptable behavior or academic mismanagement from my time at this school. In my opinion, this institution is disorganized, unprofessional, and completely unreliable. Do not trust them with your money or your education. Go somewhere else, where you can actually learn and be treated with respect. This school advertises academic partnerships with other universities, but there is actually no process to qualify or apply to them. I enrolled based on that premise, I maintained a high GPA, and when I asked about access to this partnership to transfer to a different school, they told me no. There is no information available, no formal brochures and no application process. To me, this qualifies as false advertising and I don't understand how this is legally permitted. I will be escalating for further investigation into this practice and advertisement. BEWARE - I believe most of the 4 and 5 star reviews here and on other platforms are fake, bots etc. I don't think they are not real, they are used to make them look credible. Based on my experience, there's no way they can be real. This institution may be involved with fake reviews, I am going to be including that in my escalation to media and accrediting institutions/regulators for further investigation and determination.

The material is good, but the university is extremely outdated

The real problem of this institution isn't how well you learn (though language requirements are set too low, they should ask for a C1/C2 instead), but how tiringly you do. Believe me, I have never in my entire life seen anyone as obsolete as these people. They make you use Word for LaTeX rather than Compositor or even newer alternatives like Corca. The platform's accessibility is low: can't resize boxes to write on, messes with formats during copies and paste (very clunky RTF support, and no support via upload), etc. Indeed, it's so scarce that not even Moodle's accessibility widget does show up. I'm also guessing the institution has not set up any automatic checks on URLs, given in one occasion I've found myself making the data up as the provided URL to access a simulation didn't work anymore (seems to have been taken down). The "university" part is exceptional, but this is just my grandpa cooking up websites as he goes. If you genuinely think these platforms justify assessments fee to the tune of $400 per any graduate course, well no they don't. Will change to five stars once coding grandpa gets replaced

I am truly delighted to be part of the…

I am truly delighted to be part of the University of the People. It has played a significant role in shaping who I have become in my educational journey. I especially appreciate the flexible study model, which allows me to learn anytime and anywhere. The practical approach to learning has been particularly valuable and enriching.

University of the Rip-Off

I’ve been studying at the University of the People - University of the Rip-Off, for about one year now, and I wanted to share my experience—largely out of frustration and concern—for anyone who may be thinking about enrolling. When checking the answer the gave observe how everything they say is corporate slop, probably AI generated, and they don't try to solve nothing. They are the cheapest of the cheapest, but not in a good way. They had scammed, bombarded me with hidden fees which didn't stablished at start. A "technical glitch" made my scholarship turn off, so my payments to them could double for a while. To start, the academic quality has been disappointing. It's a lot to take that lot of people will laugh if you even graduate from here. Is the direct opposite, but deep into mud, of a target-university, and I'm surprised they are still US accredited, so they can survive dumping their fee requests on people who are in the US. Throughout my time here, I’ve observed that coursework barely changes from year to year. Assignments are reused, and exams seem to follow the same pattern repeatedly. Because of this, answers are extremely easy to find online, which seriously undermines the credibility of the learning process and raises concerns about academic rigor. Another major issue is the way degree recognition is presented. The list of universities that supposedly acknowledge UoPeople degrees appears misleading. Based on what I’ve personally encountered, that list does not reflect reality, which has made me question how much value this degree will actually hold once completed. I’m not posting this to dissuade people outright, but rather to make sure prospective students go in with their eyes open. Choosing a university is a major investment of time, effort, and money, and it’s important that the institution genuinely supports student development and maintains academic standards. If you’re considering UoPeople, I strongly recommend doing extensive research and carefully evaluating alternatives before committing. Education should be challenging, rewarding, and meaningful—and unfortunately, my experience here has not lived up to those expectations. I’d also encourage others to share their own experiences, whether positive or negative. An honest and transparent conversation about educational institutions benefits everyone. Professors could be easily replaced with AI bots soon. We are heading there, on this low quality, profit-focused, low salary for their employees, business models. Professors don't give a d$#$! about you. Be sure of that. Just do the coursework and get rid of them as soon as possible. Jacques, I'm still waiting for your fee reimbursement, and that you come out honest, after delaying my degree over 4 months, and wasting days of my life applying to scholarships that were fake but "Approved".

Good luck👍🔥🔥❤️

University of people has leaked my…

University of people has leaked my information on the dark web again my date of birth number and email . I dont even go here anymore.