StraighterLine Reviews

You may also be interested in

StraighterLine Customer Reviews

  • Sort Reviews By:

The course you pay for is a waste of money unless you keep your membership. Heads up.
August 3, 2023

I wish I had searched the reviews better..I was under the impression we could do the course work after purchasing the course and if we wanted to continue pay the monthly membership we could get college credit after completing it. The course you pay for is a waste of money unless you keep your membership.

Shady Subscription Charge Practice
February 8, 2023
Straighterline was nice in allowing for completing classes on your own schedule, and provided a good option for my wife to take one lab which California required to get a nursing license. Fair warning to anyone considering though, like many things that have a "subscription" it's a way to milk any cent they can from you. My wife finished her one course at the end of the month, and we were automatically charged for the next month. We contacted them to refund the money since she had cancelled her subscription but were told they do not issue refunds under any circumstance. So we are being forced to pay one hundred dollars for a month that we did not use one ounce of their services, and cancelled from the start. Beware any potential consumers for shady practices like this.

Falling short
August 6, 2022

Signed up on a referral from college and followed all rules for proctored exam. I kept getting kicked out of the Exam and IT support was unable to assist after and hour and asked us to reach out to straighterline. We were spun in circles by IT and customer service for an online group. There is no advocate for students when situations arise. A big let down that anyone would not reassure a positive outcome.

Beware
June 29, 2022

They do not offer refunds of any kind (in my experience a company generally knows the product is poor if that is the case).

My daughter signed up for a math course and said the materials were not clear and there is basically little if any technical assistance.

Buyer beware... you have no recourse if things aren't right once you sign up for a membership.

Scammy.

You have no way to verify the score they give you on the final.
September 17, 2021

The course was good and convenient. The cost was great. The content was excellent. The proctoring service makes a whole semester class seem like it wasn't even educational.

Make note that the final counts for 30% of the grade. But here is why I rated this service low. First off, I followed the directions and still had to wait nearly 20 minutes for the proctor before I could start the test. It is distracting with the hoops to jump through before a final that will drop you a full grade. It throws off your game face for a final! Generally, this isn't a problem except that you pay an additional $45 for the proctoring service and you reserve time for the test.

2nd I honestly thought I did better than the grade I got. I have an interest in the subject, I really studied, and I read everything. When I answered questions on the final I felt they didn't quite align with the course or the quizzes. Some of the questions seemed like they weren't even from the book or even recognizable.

After completing the final and having time to spare I went to review when the proctor dropped the session and I had no way to go back and check any I got wrong. I even asked the proctor if I could review and they agreed, but then dropped the session when I said I was done with the test.

Afterward, I reached out to Straighterline, they absolutely refuse to let anyone go back and confirm that the test questions and answers align with the book. They could be asking you questions that are not valid or they could be providing multiple choice answers that are wrong. You have no way to go back and validate they administered a fair and equitable test.

My last college semester I was a 4.0 student and I got a B in this class. I had absolutely no way to verify that is what I even earned.

Be forewarned. you are at the mercy of their process and you don't get any way to even check that it is correct.

Frustrating!!!!
December 13, 2017

I am taking a Macroeconomics course. As others have stated, questions on the test are briefly touched on in the course material. I know all the definitions and book examples and am still stumped on questions that are only briefly touched on in the book and online tutorial. I have a 3.98 from a state university in two degrees.

I am dumbfounded by the methods Straighterline and Saylor U use to test their students. I would rather take an essay test or write a paper than sort through the bizarre and unexplained multiple choice questions that are posed in the tests, so that I have the ability to explain the reasoning for my answers. Wow. I am truly baffled by how courses are designed and tested.

Straighterline should be avoided
May 25, 2017

It seems like a scam, they continue to charge your corporate credit card while providing no service.

Find a better more reputable alternative.

Total Scam!!!
December 11, 2016

Stay far away from this company!!! They lie to your face and then after they have your money, they screw you over. They told me that the majority of the content was in video format (Lie #1). They told me that I would get 100% tutoring and accommodations with my learning disability (Lie #2). They told me that the course and membership were fully refundable within 30 days (Lie #3).

Due to the fact that I was required to upload a photo of my lab kit serial number and my order form, they called that "doing work" in the course. The reality is that they do not "unlock" the course until you do this step. Only after that, do you actually see the material. So they found a way to say that they offer a refund and then installed a catch that keeps you from seeing the material until you "do some work" (that work being not the course itself, but only verifying the kit you had purchased).

They told me, a visual learner, that "most of our courses are 50-60% in video format". This is a flat out lie!! 100% of the course was in text that was poorly written and poorly formatted. It looked like they scraped the internet for various texts that do not flow together. The only videos I saw were advertisements for the lab company. Yes, Ads inside the course!

They are required to make a reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities by federal law, but this is another scam. They did not provide the accommodation that I required and that was provided at every other school I had attended. Their excuse is "This is a self-study course". Well, that is the same as telling a person in a wheelchair that "sorry our building has stairs, deal with it". That is illegal and unethical.

They are only out for one thing, ripping you off! Stay far away from this loser of a company!!!

Good choice for potential WGU students
October 27, 2015

Straighterline has a partnership with WGU and in fact, is recommended by WGU.

I have an application in at WGU, but it's waiting on FAFSA verification, which should take a good 4 to 5 weeks in my case because of issues with the IRS.

So meanwhile, I decided to enroll at Straighterline because I can knock out a few General Education credits while I'm waiting.

Now that I am reviewing straighterline, I am about 50% done with Business Statistics.

I bought the eTextbook which was a little over $100, I bought the course for $49, and I'll take at least one month at $99, and maybe it'll be two.

Straighterline is for self-learners, there is no way around it. They supply links to textbook reading. They have their own lesson plan as well.

You have to work through all the assignments in the books and the practice. You cannot simply read them. There are a lot of formulas and you need to have practice using them.

Frankly it's a lot of work, but the Straighterline service is great, I can have additional credits already completed before I begin my work at WGU. The more credits I can transfer in, the shorter my time at WGU , since WGU charges per semester, if you can go there one semester less, you've saved a lot of money.

shut me out but never read their emails first.......
May 19, 2015

I was hit in the head with a fan yes a fan but my eyes are so swollen I can not see a thing I had just signed up for two classes with straighterline before this happened... I paid and when I explained my eye sight was messed up they offered a refund for the classes but not the monthly fee...

I figured I will just hang in and do the best I can...I emailed them this but I have been locked out of all my classes so I lost big time and am disabled.....so it really hurts...So unfair...

Overcharged with no refund
March 3, 2015
Straighterline.com is another degree mill in disguise. Their classes do not transfer. Straighterline kept charging my credit card even after I cancelled the classes. The one class that I did take did not transfer. The government should close straighterline down.

Robert October 27, 2015

Straighterline doesn't offer degrees.

lismith September 04, 2017

You are confused. Degree mills offer (1) fake degrees in exchange for money (2) without requiring the student learn anything.

(1) Straighterline doesn't offer degrees at all, but has articulation agreements to transfer ACE credit to their partner colleges. It's a cheap way to knock out core courses fast if you can handle the work. If you didn't check the very clear terms of which schools partner with Straighterline, that's on you.

(2) It takes real work to pass these courses. If you don't learn the material you won't pass. Final exams are proctored using a webcam. When you pass a Straighterline course you can be sure you know the subject and have earned the credit. Think of Straighterline as a guided method of CLEP, with study resources like videos and etextbooks.

Again, you are very confused about the definition of a "degree mill".

TristinaCole May 19, 2020

I love Straighterline as it is being used to opt out of my elective courses so that I can graduate faster at Purdue. It is not a class so to speak, it is self paced learning and without motivation and the desire to read a lot and work, you will not achieve what it is meant for. There is a reason it is low cost. It is not meant to replace general education but to get out of required courses. Thank you Straighterline, because of this option I will be shaving off the time it would take to do 7 classes (at least 30 weeks!)

Straighterline is a scam
February 28, 2015
I took classes here and they never transferred. Wasted my time and money.

Excellent way to get credit fast
January 27, 2015

Straighterline is an excellent resource if you have some prior knowledge in the course you are taking. I took Prep Algebra as a refresher and than Algebra because my previous Algebra had expired. Because I used it as a refresher, I got through each in 1 months time. During my time with them I was constantly receiving coupons for free or reduced courses.

Usually starting costs are the price if the course- 49.00, a monthly fee of 99.00, and the cost if a book which can usually be found used online for less then 100.00. No other college course will cost you less then 250.00.

If you think you can finish the course quickly it is well worth it and very inexpensive. If you think it is going to take you more then 3 months to finish a course you may as well take it at a regular college because you will get killed with the 99.00 a month fee. This program is only inexpensive if you can get through it quickly. If used this way it's a huge benefit.

Rocky February 28, 2015

Straighterline complaints are all over the internet. I wasted my time and money.

Very Disapointed/Frustrated
October 2, 2014

I'm currently taking there intro to algebra course. I watch the lessons several times each and read and study all reading assignments several times. When I go to take there test there's about 5 questions out of 12 on material that wasn't covered anywhere in the lesson.

So I'm very frustrated I do very well on the material that's covered but it's a guessing game on the other questions, and half the time I can't find any reference about the question in the index of the book to look up the information on how to figure out the problem.

Thanks,

Craig

Shawn March 03, 2015

Straighterline did the same thing to me. Straighterline is a fraud company.

Charter March 04, 2015

Straighterline classes do not transfer. They are a fraud company.

Courses that involve lots of math should state that math is a prerequesite.
October 2, 2014

I started the chemistry course. I got through the first few chapters @ attempted the first graded test. None of the test questions seemed to be based on ANYTHING I read in those first few chapters and more than half of the questions seemed to involved complicated math equations.

As a returning adult student who has not done ANY math in years, I was not prepared to take this course. The course advertised that there are no prerequisites. It should state that a minimum knowledge of college algebra is a necessary requirement to pass this course.

Needles to say, I called my advisor this morning and asked to withdraw from the course. It was too late to get my money back, but I am allowed to switch to a different course. Any advise out there? Perhaps business or something, nothing that comes with math. Something based on terminology.

I read the reviews on microbiology, and was smart enough to withdraw from that one too. Perhaps I'll take my sciences at the local community college, I have friends in nursing programs that passed their chemistry that did very little math and could still pass the course if they got all the math questions wrong.

This might be a great course for a pre-med student, or somebody studying to become an engineer, a high school or college teacher or for some other career that involves the need to actually be good at math. But, for someone who wants to be a nurse, a therapist, or an elementary teacher does not need courses that are this involved. Most community colleges gear their students towards courses that more accurately fit there career needs.

Rocky February 28, 2015

Straighterline is a scam. They've scammed many people out of lots of money.

Shawn March 03, 2015

They did the same thing to me. Look at all the BBB complaints. Do an internet search for Better Business Bureau Straighterline.

A Good Option
May 21, 2014

I am on my 3rd course with Straighterline and I feel this is definitely a good option for those persons that want to decrease the time and money associated with a conventional college degree. On average it has taken me six weeks for each course. I will fully admit they are challenging but what are people expecting?

You need to read and understand the course material to do well in the class. Open book does not automatically mean a passing grade. I particularly like the presentations as I do feel they add to my overall understanding of the material. The only thing I would change is the time period allotted to take the exams.

I am an adult learner and sometimes putting a short timeframe to take an exam just adds to my stress. I wish every exam was two hours long regardless if it is a quiz, mid-term, or final. Being able to take the exams in the comfort of my own home is a plus. Overall it has been a positive experience and I will be taking at least five more classes before transferring them.

To Expensive! Is not as cheap as they say
May 17, 2014

Don't waste your money unless you can afford it. Yes the program is good, wont denied. But unless you are planning to finish it in a month is as expensive as any other online program that are already recognized. 165 I pay for a class, plus 99 monthly membership that I cancel, wisely. That plus the 65$ eBook that I did not own (yes only with the monthly membership).

So if you take at minimum three months to finish. I will be paying around 550 anyway. So better to go with AMU or APU, or any community online program, is not better than them and is as expensive. They sell themselves as cheap, no they are not, is a trick, cause they know that without structure not everybody will finish an online program on time.

Rocky February 28, 2015

Straighterline is a scam. The classes don't transfer.

Efraim February 16, 2017

Rocky, I agree something's up. I sent Straighterline's info on to 8 different schools I'm applying to. I heard back from each school that they wouldn't accept SL for prerequisite credits.

very disappointed
January 8, 2014

I am currently taking the Microbiology with lab through Straighterline.

I can honestly say this is my first and last class through this school. The structure of the course is very misleading and I have wasted a lot of hours and money because of the lack of direction and structure of their courses. I have complained multiple times and have called in and multiple emails to try and get some direction on how to better take this course and have not gotten any help.

Their tests and quizzes are the biggest joke by far. After nearly failing the first quiz I started taking very detailed notes and still have an extremely hard time with the exams. They ask the most random and small print questions that I don't even remember reading anywhere in the whole reading assignments. Even when I try and go back to the assignments to find this information that I got wrong on the test, I can't find it anywhere!!! Or I do find it on some really random side note or it’s the most complicated random small printed word. The questions they choose to ask on their quizzes are written poorly, misspelled, super complicated or misleading, and have almost nothing to do with the reading assignments.

I have actually found wrong answers on their course study questions. I got the answer wrong but I knew it was right and was able to prove it. I called the school, yet again, to tell them of this mistake and the best thing they could do for me was to tell me to put in a support ticket. Yeah that was helpful. NOT!!!

Their labs are not up to date on their website either. I did a lab wrong because of how it was written. I finally called the lab company that told me I was not using an updated version of the lab and they sent it over to straighterline 8 months ago. Straighterline denied that their lab was wrong and said that I wouldn't be penalized for incorrectly written labs.

I do not trust this school at all and have proven them wrong several times. I would never recommend this school to anyone!!

Lisa Rathje January 30, 2014

Hi Nicole,

I just started Microbiolgy with Lab, and hardly know where to begin, the structure of this course is horrible. I have not taken a test yet, just curious are they out of the book, or those online readings? I too emailed and asked for a better idea of what to study seeing as the syllabus is the entire text book, very unrealisic.

Thanks!

Lisa

Rocky February 28, 2015

Straighterline is a scam. They have many Better Business Bureau complaints. They scam students out of their money.

Shawn March 03, 2015

I don't recommend them either. They scammed me out of $500.

Positives and negatives about my SL experience
December 22, 2013

I'm near the end of my second SL course. I took one history class and am now almost done with a math course.

Here are some positives and negatives from my perspective:

Positive:

- You *can* get a course done quickly if you are willing to do nothing but coursework for a week straight. I have gotten through mine both in about seven days each.

- The textbooks that I've had for both courses have been affordable and well written.

- The course fees are reasonable. Search online for coupon codes and create a SL account to get their emails, which sometimes include discounts.

- It was the most convenient option available to me. I was working and didn't have the ability to take a five credit math class at a local college.

- You can chat online with an advisor to get questions answered.

Negative:

- My history class had non-graded practice tests, my math class did not. Since the book often goes much more in-depth than the tests, it was hard to know what I needed to have mastered to do well on the tests.

- Test times aren't long enough. I run out of time every time.

- The subscription fee is killer, if you aren't taking the class at a fast pace. If you are planning on taking more than one month to finish a class, or if you are working full time and hoping to do just a little here, little there, it is probably cheaper to take a course from somewhere else.

- The lessons themselves are boring and monotonous. As a result, I don't use them. For an online course with no assigned teacher, I expect better than a computerized voice reading the words on the slide.

- The syllabi are not as much help as they could be when you're starting a class. Mine for my math course has no mention of the fact that the final is closed book... I had to wait until getting to that lesson to read it in the final instructions.

- Advisors aren't always available when you need them, like during the late evening (when I do my coursework).

Overall...

I'm continuing with them. I can't say I've enjoyed my experience, but it helps me get credits out of the way. SL isn't a good choice for everyone, but if you're willing to put in the work, it can be a convenient option.

difficult questions to answer without detailing your textbook
November 26, 2013

I took religion and ethics through straighterline. I passed the religion exam with a different version of the textbook....(Do not do this. You will most likely fail because you need the exact answer!!!) I already knew a lot about the subject area,

I failed my final in Ethics at 69%, due to not finding the answers in the textbook. They are very hard questions to find.

i am going to go to Straightline again. Mostly because I live in rural sask.

I will be trying anatomy and physiology this time though.