There is no doubt that the establishment and widespread of the internet has changed many traditional ways of undertaking procedures and activities in different sectors. This change has mainly been felt in the education sector, where many activities are continuously shifted online.
Today, students in different levels of their education can comfortably enroll in classes and sit for their exams without registering in a physical school or attending a physical classroom. All this has been made possible due to the establishment of numerous online learning platforms such as Sophia.
In this article, we discuss these online learning platforms and, more so on Sophia’s learning alternatives. Therefore, sit tight and read this article comprehensively to learn more.
Sophia Learning Alternatives
Sophia is an online education provider established in 2010 by Don Smithmier, with its main headquarters located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the USA. This platform has previously served more than 250,000 learners worldwide, having been accepted in all the states in USA and more than 200 other countries.
Sophia offers 44 post-secondary courses that have been approved by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service and the Distance Education Accreditation Commission.
In addition, Sophia has partnered with more than forty institutions of higher learning that accept the transfer of credits from this platform.
Also see: What are the easiest Sophia courses
This platform offers these courses at a subscription cost of 79 US Dollars per month, with the ability to learn a maximum of two courses simultaneously. However, it allows you a free trial period where you can experience its products and meet the instructors.
It is also worth mentioning that Sophia’s learning is self-paced because it gives you the liberty to learn the courses at a location and time of your choice.
StraighterLine
This platform is one of the most widely accepted online education providers and one of the best Sophia alternatives, founded in 2008 by Burck Smith. Statistics from this platform indicate that more than 200,000 learners have successfully enrolled and completed different courses in this platform since it was established.
StraighterLine offers over 60 college courses that have been evaluated and accepted by the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service.
Also see: StraighterLine Vs. Sophia
This platform partners with more than 130 institutions of higher learning that automatically accept transfer credits from it. In addition, more than 2,000 other institutions have previously admitted to reviewing transfer credits from this platform.
After enrolling for a StraighterLine course, you will have to pay a monthly subscription fee of 99 US Dollars. You will pay an additional 59 US Dollars for every program you undertake on the platform.
These costs cater to free e-textbooks and extra online tutoring that you may need. However, like Sophia, StraighterLine allows you a free trial period to familiarize yourself with the platform.
Also see: Easiest Straighterline Courses
Learning in this platform is self-paced. This means that you attend classes per your schedule, where you follow them on your own time.
Coursera
Coursera is one of the best Sophia alternatives because of its authenticity and wide popularity among students and professors. It is an online course provider established by Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng, two Stanford University professors, in 2012.
Different statistics indicate that more than 50 million learners have benefited from this platform’s products and services.
This platform offers more than 4000 online courses, degree programs, specializations, and projects. It has partnered with more than 200 institutions of higher learning in more than about 30 countries to offer its courses.
In addition, Coursera partners with multi-national corporations and governments to train their employees, providing them with the necessary skills to make them competitive.
When you enroll in Coursera to undertake an online course, you will have to pay a monthly subscription fee of 39 US Dollars to 80 US Dollars, which is determined by the specialization program you enroll in.
This platform charges its clients 15,000 US Dollars and 25,000 US Dollars for online degree programs, which also depends on the degree program you enroll in.
However, Coursera offers you a seven-day period to learn for free and experience its products. It also provides financial aid to those students in need of a financial boost.
Udacity
Two Stanford University professors launched this platform in 2011, and since then, it has been widely accepted by learners and educators, making it an excellent alternative to Sophia.
Its widespread popularity is a result of the Nano Degrees that it offers its learners. It has served more than 12 million learners since it was launched.
Udacity partners with top institutions of higher learning in more than 200 countries. It provides Nano Degrees that cover courses such as Programming, Business, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems, and Product Management.
The content that learners obtain from the Udacity Nanodegree Program is of high quality. It is taught using practical techniques, with the courses costing a monthly subscription fee of 399 US Dollars.
Udemy
Udemy is a widely accepted online education program among students and professional adults, having experienced more than 500 million enrollments since it was established. This platform has been an excellent Sophia alternative since it was established by Gagan Biyani, Eren Bali, and Octay Caglar in 2010.
This platform offers more than 150,000 comprehensive online courses in topics such as Graphic Design, IT and Software, Personal Development, Marketing, Music, Lifestyle, Business, and Photography, courses offered in 75 different languages.
These courses are taught by more than 65,000 instructors worldwide. However, because of the influx of programs on this platform, not all courses are guaranteed high quality.
When you enroll for a Udemy course, you pay 199 US Dollars for a program. The good thing about this fee is that you only pay once and get a lifetime membership and access to the study and its materials. In addition, you will receive free updates on any changes to the course.
edX
edX is a popular online learning platform with approximately 25 million students from over 150 countries who have enrolled, studied, and benefited from the courses that it offers.
This platform was established by professor scientists from MIT and Harvard Universities. The number and quality of the courses edX offers its clients make it a perfect alternative to Sophia.
This platform has partnered with more than 150 institutions of higher learning worldwide that are top class to offer their learners more than 3000 courses. It also partners with multi-national corporations and nonprofit organizations to provide their employees’ training and render them a competitive workforce.
This platform’s courses that its learners provide include Law, Social Sciences, Business, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, History, and Public Health.
The subscription fees for enrolling for different courses range from 150 US Dollars to 1500 US Dollars depending on the type of the course. edX allows you to audit a course for free; however, if you want to enjoy the benefits that come with completing the course such as getting a certificate, you will have to pay.
Conclusion
By learning about Sophia’s learning alternatives, you are better positioned to make a wise decision on the best option to go for whenever you want to enroll in an online course. They include StraighterLine, Coursera, udemy, edX, and udacity. Therefore, please read the article and utilize it accordingly.