Our Mission

Modern States Education Alliance™ is dedicated to making a high quality college education accessible and affordable for any person who seeks one, regardless of wealth, nationality, or background. We believe that education is a basic human right and fundamental to making the American dream accessible to all.

Why We Exist

The cost of U.S. higher education has increased by 180% since 1980, far outpacing income growth. There is more than $1.7 trillion dollars in student loan debt, and even students attending public universities – long understood as affordable – borrow an average of $32,362 to attain a bachelor’s degree. Existing opportunities to get a head start on college like Advanced Placement and dual enrollment are inconsistently available.

As a result, a college degree is simply inaccessible to far too many, particularly those from underserved communities or low-income families. Even those who see themselves at college frequently struggle to finish: for 40 million Americans who have some college credit but no credential, returning to college is often unimaginable.

Modern States works to change that present reality.

What We Do

We build online courses that are available to anyone and that teach the content tested on the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams. CLEP exams confer credit at 2,900 colleges nationwide. Our courses are free, and learners who complete them can take CLEP exams for free.

Modern States offers a digital public library of 32 online courses, taught by college professors and designed to prepare learners for CLEP exams. Learners can take the classes they want when they want and at their own pace, and use CLEP exams to validate their learning. Modern States covers the cost of CLEP testing for learners who complete Modern States courses, ensuring that the full benefit of our program is available to anyone.

Our model doesn’t aim to replace traditional higher education but complements it. High schools can use it as part of robust catalogs of advanced coursework, ensuring every student has an affordable way to prepare for college. Colleges can integrate the courses to help students fast-track their degrees and to support re-engagement by learners who previously fell off a degree path but desire one to build a better future.

Modern States is creating a new paradigm for college access: a straightforward, scalable solution that lowers the college tuition burden, accelerates progress towards a degree, and helps real people succeed. More than 600,000 learners have taken Modern States courses, with 140,000 CLEP exams attempted for an estimated tuition and fee savings of $175 million.