How To Complete Your Gen Eds Online Using Study.com Credits

Working through general education requirements online is one of the most common reasons students turn to Study.com. Instead of sitting through a full semester for courses like English composition or college algebra, you can complete them at your own pace and transfer the credit into a degree program at a partner school. Getting the process right takes a bit of planning, though, since not every course maps directly onto every school's requirements.

Below, we'll walk through what gen eds Study.com actually offers, how much of your requirements you can realistically knock out this way, and the steps to make sure the credit lands where it's supposed to.

How Does Study.com Work?

Students can use Study.com to take individual courses for college credit. The platform delivers its courses through short video lessons, readings, and quizzes that you work through on your own timeline rather than a set class schedule. Each course wraps up with an open-book, non-proctored exam, so once you feel ready to demonstrate what you've learned, you can complete it and move on.

The credit value comes from course recommendations issued by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS). Study.com isn't a regionally accredited school itself, so it doesn't grant credit directly — instead, these third-party recommendations give receiving colleges a standardized way to evaluate the coursework and decide whether to accept it. After finishing a course, you request an official transcript and submit it to your school, which then reviews the credit against its own transfer and gen-ed requirements.

Does Study.com Offer Gen Eds?

Yes, general education courses make up the core of Study.com's College Saver plan. The catalog includes courses across the subjects most degree programs require early on, covering areas like English composition, college algebra, general chemistry, biology, history, psychology, sociology, and political science, along with public speaking and introductory language courses.

Because these are the most commonly needed courses across degree programs, College Saver's 80-plus course library is built almost entirely around gen-ed and lower-division coursework, making it a natural fit if that's your primary goal.

Can You Complete All Your Gen Eds Through Study.com?

Not necessarily every single one, but Study.com can realistically cover a significant chunk of them. General education and lower-division coursework typically accounts for around 60 of the 120 credits required for a bachelor's degree at many schools, and Study.com's course library is built to address a large share of that portion.

That said, exactly how much you can complete depends on your specific school's gen-ed requirements, since some programs include niche or school-specific courses that don't have a Study.com equivalent. Before assuming a course will count, check your target school's gen-ed list against Study.com's current catalog, and confirm with the school's transfer office how each course will apply. Treating Study.com as a way to cover most of your gen eds, rather than all of them, is the safer approach to planning.

How to Complete Your Gen Eds Through Study.com

Working through gen eds on Study.com comes down to a handful of steps, each worth a bit of extra attention if you want the credit to count toward your degree without any surprises.

Choose a Plan

Start by deciding between College Saver and College Saver Pro. If your goal is strictly gen eds, College Saver's library of 80-plus courses will likely cover what you need at a lower monthly cost. If you also plan to knock out some upper-division coursework alongside your gen eds, College Saver Pro's broader catalog and higher enrollment cap may be worth the higher price.

Identify Your School's Gen-Ed Requirements

Pull up your target school's degree plan or academic catalog and make a list of the specific gen-ed categories you need to fulfill, not just general subject areas. Schools often break gen eds into specific categories, such as "Humanities Elective" or "Lab Science," and knowing those exact categories up front makes it easier to find a matching course rather than guessing.

Match Courses to Those Requirements

Compare your school's gen-ed list against Study.com's current course catalog to confirm which courses actually satisfy which requirements. A course title that sounds like a match isn't always guaranteed to transfer into the exact category you need, so this is worth doing carefully rather than assuming based on the name alone. If your school publishes a course equivalency guide for Study.com or ACE-recommended credit, use that as your primary reference.

Complete the Coursework and Exam

Once you've confirmed a course is worth taking, work through the video lessons, readings, and quizzes at whatever pace fits your schedule. Each course ends with an open-book, non-proctored exam, and you can take it once you feel ready to demonstrate what you've learned, rather than on a fixed timeline.

Request an Official Transcript

After passing the exam, request an official transcript through your Study.com member dashboard. You'll specify which school to send it to, and Study.com typically processes and sends the transcript within a few business days.

Confirm the Credit Was Applied

Once your school receives the transcript, follow up with the registrar or transfer credit office to confirm the credit posted correctly and applied to the gen-ed requirement you intended. This step matters because a credit can sometimes land as a general elective rather than the specific category you were aiming for, and catching that early makes it easier to adjust your plan if needed.

Other Courses Study.com Offers

While gen eds make up the bulk of what most students use Study.com for, the platform's course catalog extends well beyond general education, particularly on the College Saver Pro plan.

• Business and finance: Courses covering accounting, management, marketing, and business law, useful for students working toward a business-related major.
• Computer science: Foundational courses that can apply toward tech-focused degree programs.
• Criminal justice: Coursework relevant to students pursuing criminal justice or related public service degrees.
• Upper-division electives: A range of more advanced courses on College Saver Pro that go beyond introductory material, letting students apply credit further into their degree rather than only at the gen-ed level.

If your degree plan includes electives or major-specific requirements alongside your gen eds, it's worth browsing the full catalog to see whether Study.com can help with more than just the basics.

What Schools Accept Study.com Credits?

A number of nonprofit, regionally accredited schools maintain guaranteed transfer agreements with Study.com, so gen-ed credit earned through the platform is pre-approved to count toward a degree there. Examples include:

• University of Maryland Global Campus: A large public university with an established transfer pathway and a tuition discount for incoming students.
• Southern New Hampshire University: A large nonprofit online provider with broad degree offerings across business, health, and the liberal arts.
• Colorado State University Global: A public, budget-conscious option with a strong pathway for business and management degrees.
• Purdue Global: A partner school that applies a tuition discount for students transferring in Study.com credit.

Even at a guaranteed partner school, double-check how a specific gen-ed course applies to your program, since categorization can vary by degree plan. If you're set on a school outside this list, reach out to that school's transfer office directly to find out how it evaluates Study.com or ACE-recommended coursework.

How Long Does It Take to Finish a Study.com Course?

Since Study.com courses are self-paced, how long a gen-ed course takes depends largely on how much time you can put in each week. A student dedicating a few hours weekly to a straightforward course like introductory psychology or public speaking might finish in a couple of weeks, while a denser course, or one balanced around a busier schedule, can reasonably stretch longer.

There's no deadline forcing you through a course faster than you're ready for, which can work in your favor when you're trying to actually retain gen-ed material rather than just clear a requirement. The main thing to keep in mind is your plan's enrollment limit, since taking your time on a course means that course occupies one of your active slots until it's finished.

How Much Does Study.com Cost?

Gen-ed coursework on Study.com falls under either plan, but pricing differs based on which one you choose. College Saver costs $95 per month and includes the bulk of the gen-ed catalog, making it the more budget-friendly option if general education is your main focus. College Saver Pro costs $235 per month and includes everything in College Saver plus upper-division and specialized courses, which is more than most students need if gen eds are the only goal.

Because both plans charge a flat monthly rate rather than a per-course fee, your effective cost per gen-ed course goes down the more courses you complete in a given month. Budgeting around a realistic weekly time commitment, rather than the plan price alone, gives you a clearer sense of what you'll actually pay per credit by the time you're done.

FAQs About Study.com

Here are a few common questions about using Study.com for general education credit.

Is Study.com Accredited?

Study.com itself isn't a regionally accredited institution, so it doesn't grant degrees or issue transfer credit directly. Its gen-ed courses instead carry credit recommendations from the American Council on Education (ACE) and the National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS), and it's those recommendations that allow a regionally accredited school to accept the credit toward your degree.

Will Every College Accept Study.com Gen-Ed Credits?

No, acceptance varies by institution. Some schools maintain guaranteed transfer partnerships with Study.com, while others evaluate ACE-recommended credit on a course-by-course basis, and a smaller number may not accept it at all. Checking your specific school's transfer credit policy before enrolling in a course is the best way to avoid a credit that doesn't end up counting.

Can You Combine Study.com Credits With Other Transfer Credit?

Yes, most schools allow you to combine Study.com credit with credit from other sources, such as community college coursework, AP or CLEP exams, or military training, as long as you stay within that school's overall cap on transfer credit. It's worth checking your target school's maximum transfer credit policy so you know how much room you have across all your credit sources combined.

Do Study.com Gen-Ed Credits Expire?

Study.com credit itself doesn't come with an expiration date, but some receiving schools set their own limits on how old transfer credit can be before it no longer counts toward a degree. If you're not planning to enroll right away, it's worth confirming your target school's credit age policy so coursework you complete now doesn't lose its value later.

Do Gen-Ed Courses on Study.com Count Toward a Specific Degree Category?

Most gen-ed courses are designed to satisfy broad categories like humanities, social science, or lab science rather than a specific major requirement. How a course is categorized ultimately depends on your school's own degree plan, so the same course could count differently at two different institutions.

Find Alternative Credit Options

Completing your gen eds through Study.com comes down to matching the right courses to your school's specific requirements and following through on the transfer process once you've earned the credit. Learn.org's breakdown above and other resources should give you a clear starting point for putting that plan into action.