Newlane University - My experience so far

[tsgreer]

After doing a ton of research on affordable, accredited online universities, I decided to try out Newlane University.

Newlane University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The DEAC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency. The DEAC is also recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Newlane is competency-based and they offer:
- B.A. in Liberal Arts
- B.A. in Liberal Arts - Business Administration
- B.A. in Liberal Arts - Psychology

There’s a Reddit sub for Newlane, but it’s practically dead—only two posts and not much discussion. After checking out the official website, I decided to apply. Right after, I got a link to schedule a video call with a counselor. Honestly, that annoyed me because I prefer a straightforward online application with no unnecessary steps, and I definitely didn’t want any kind of sales pitch. But out of curiosity, I scheduled it for the next day. Happily surprised.

When the meeting started, the person introduced himself, and it turned out to be one of the actual founders of the school. Was not expecting that. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad sign, but it was definitely interesting. We ended up talking for about 30 minutes, and I asked about pricing, accreditation, and what motivated him to start the school.

I totally forgot to ask how many students are enrolled, but based on my research, it seems to be a couple hundred. I’ll confirm when I get an answer.

What impressed me was that there was no upselling at all. He told me the exact pricing structure upfront. The way it works is simple: you pay a flat monthly fee ($39) while you’re enrolled, and once you hit a set total cost ($1,500), you don’t pay anything else. No hidden fees, no books to buy (everything is online), and they accept up to 90 transfer credits.

It’s competency-based, so you work at your own pace—as fast or as slow as you want. If you stop taking classes, you stop paying.

The website itself is easy to use, though it looks a little dated. That doesn’t bother me, though, because it loads super fast. I also got an email about credit transfer, so I’m in the process of updating my credits.

So far, so good. Another thing I like is how fast the communication has been. Every email I’ve sent has been answered the same day or the next day, and I was assigned a student support person in case I need help. Haven’t had to use them yet, but they did give some advice on course pacing: “If you have 5-10 hours a week to spend, we recommend taking one course. If you have 10-20 hours a week, taking two courses is totally doable. You can also change how many courses you take at once as you get a feel for what works for you at Newlane.”

So far, my experience with Newlane has been fast, smooth, and no-nonsense. I like what I've experienced so far, but again, I am a very new student. I've sent in my transcripts and I'll keep everyone updated on how it works out.

[Vle045]

I am definitely intrigued by this. This is cheaper than anything else I have seen. It might not fit everyone's goals, but it could make a huge difference for others.

[tsgreer]

I am definitely intrigued by this.  This is cheaper than anything else I have seen. It might not fit everyone's goals, but it could make a huge difference for others.

I’m cautiously optimistic about this. It’s a new player in the game, but every school has to start somewhere. The founders seem passionate, and the setup has been solid so far.

I just have a good feeling about it—but I know that doesn’t necessarily mean much in the big picture.

I’m eager to jump in as soon as my credit transfers go through, and honestly, it’s kinda cool to be part of something this early on. If the school grows and becomes something great, I’ll be proud to say I was there from early days. And if it crashes and burns, at least I’ll have firsthand experience to share—and maybe even a cautionary tale to tell! LOL.

[GoBroncos95]

I enrolled into the Bachelors of Liberal Arts Business Specialization. I really like that price point they offer and It will just be another degree to add to my list. . I take the courses one at a time, since its not a priority. However, its quite interesting how thier system works, they review questions with you and are super patient with you. 2 courses complete so far.

[Vle045]

The thing I want to know it…. Does transferring in credits reduce the cost in anyway… or is it the same whether you take 30 credits or 120 credits?

[bjcheung77]

I enrolled into the Bachelors of Liberal Arts Business Specialization. I really like that price point they offer and It will just be another degree to add to my list. . I take the courses one at a time, since its not a priority. However, its quite interesting how thier system works, they review questions with you and are super patient with you. 2 courses complete so far.

It's great for extra learning and filling knowledge gaps, but if you're already doing a Bachelors or two in very similar subjects, it may be a bit redundant. Having said that, I'm all in for the extra classes now that they're RA, the transfer options are now more open and available...

[Ares]

I would like to hear some feedback on their final interview process; 

Most of their work is paper/project based, however, once you complete your final, you have to do an interview with your class instructor (I believe it was through teams he said) and they'll ask you questions about the course content and you have to answer their questions. If you don't answer their questions correctly, you have to study again and setup another interview with your instructor until you answer their questions right.

Otherwise the $1500 flat rate tuition is a steal.

[tsgreer]

The thing I want to know it…. Does transferring in credits reduce the cost in anyway… or is it the same whether you take 30 credits or 120 credits?

No, it doesn't reduce cost because the ultimate degree will be $1,500. But it DOES reduce time.

The $39 a month cost goes towards that $1,500 degree cost. So if you finish really fast, you just pay the difference. So it's actually in the schools favor that you go fast, because that's less time and expense the spend getting you your degree.

If it takes you way longer, well after you have paid up to the $1,500, then you'd no longer pay the $39 a month. You'd just go for free till you get your degree.

[tsgreer]

I enrolled into the Bachelors of Liberal Arts Business Specialization. I really like that price point they offer and It will just be another degree to add to my list. . I take the courses one at a time, since its not a priority. However, its quite interesting how thier system works, they review questions with you and are super patient with you. 2 courses complete so far.

Oh great to know! You're the first person I've come across that has actually taken classes there! I'd love to know more details if you wanna share!

[hsufeng]

I sent my transcripts to Newlane, and they said I can get the maximum credits 90 to transfer. I just registered the first month, I am considering if I should continue based on the first course. I will decide it adter 1st couse, then send the offcial transcripts to them (maybe).

Credits: 30 credits from NAU master. 36 credits from nationsuniversity(NA). ACE 274 (sophia+coursera+study.com+saylor) and 8 from worldquant university(NA).