According to a BestCollege.com article citing findings from the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 4 million adult learners were enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in the U.S. in fall 2023; these students accounted for 24% of the overall 16.4 million undergrads. Returning to school as an adult can feel overwhelming – especially when […]
In many cases, the answer is yes! Thousands of colleges and universities award credit for passing CLEP exams, and many will allow students to earn CLEP credit while enrolled. Modern States offers free courses to help you prepare to pass them. Not all colleges and universities do, though, so planning is key. Here’s how to […]
A recent article in The Hechinger Report (“Students can’t get into basic college courses, dragging out their time in school,” Sept. 2, 2025) underscores a systemic issue in higher education: students are often unable to access the courses they need to graduate on time. When institutions don’t offer enough sections of foundational classes, students are […]
Here’s to National Higher Education Month and to the American Dream it still makes possible. Modern States believes that access to higher education is an essential opportunity that all Americans deserve. A college degree is a catalyst of good jobs, economic mobility, and a life with more choices. Data have long shown this: higher education […]
We’re excited to share that we’re redesigning our Modern States CLEP Acceptance Tool. Our goal is to make it easier than ever for learners to find out which colleges and universities grant credit for passed CLEP exams. The updated tool will let users search and see results in new ways, including for institutions within a […]
National Online Learning Day is Sept. 15, a day that recognizes the potential of technology and the internet to transform educational opportunity. It’s a day that highlights what online learning can do – though also a reminder that digital access and affordability gains often don’t reach the learner. In higher education, technology has done a […]
Our courses are increasingly being used in traditional educational environments: high schools, colleges, adult education programs, and more. A huge benefit to learners in these programs is the presence of an educator or mentor to help guide them through the course. Modern States has integrated features into our learning platform, Brightspace, to allow educators who […]
Since the beginning of Modern States, learners who pass our courses have been eligible to receive a voucher that lets them attempt the related CLEP exam at no cost. This connection between learning opportunity and assessment of learning is at the heart of our approach, so we recently made substantial improvements to how the voucher […]
Welcome to the Modern States blog! As the 2025-26 school year ramps up, we’re excited to launch this space, where we’ll share updates, stories, and musings about our work, our learners, and the broader effort to keep college affordable and accessible for all. We’ve been hard at work improving the Modern States experience for all […]
