What Is Modern States and What Does It Offer?

Modern States is a nonprofit education platform that offers free, online, college-level courses taught by professors from world-class universities. The core offer is straightforward: any learner, anywhere, can take these courses and then sit the corresponding College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams for free, with the goal of earning college credit recognized by nearly 3,000 colleges and universities. It suits self-directed learners who want to test out of freshman-level college classes rather than pay tuition for them, though the credit ultimately depends on whether your target school accepts CLEP.

How the Model Works

The platform describes a simple three-part loop:

1. Take a free online course. Courses cover the content taught in freshman-level college classes and are taught by university professors.
2. Complete the course. Once you finish, you become eligible to take the matching CLEP exam.
3. Take the CLEP exam for free. Modern States covers the exam cost, and CLEP exams are recognized for credit by nearly 3,000 colleges and universities.

The stated purpose is to make college "accessible and affordable." The site reports that nearly 1,000,000 learners have used Modern States.

What Courses Are Available

Modern States offers over 30 courses. The six most popular, as listed on the site, are:

Each course maps to a specific CLEP exam, so the course you choose should align with the exam your target college accepts.

Who It's For

Modern States is designed for a broad audience — the site repeats that it's for "any learner, anywhere." In practice, it fits people who:

• Want to earn college credit without paying per-credit tuition
• Are comfortable studying independently online
• Have identified a college or university that accepts CLEP credits for the subject they need
• Want flexibility in when and where they study

It is less useful if your target institution does not accept CLEP, or if the subject you need has no corresponding CLEP exam.

Practical Details to Know Before Starting

• You need an account. The site offers sign-up for individual learners and for those participating in a group learning experience.
• There are two login systems. Modern States notes it is moving to a new learning management system, and asks users to click the login screen (D2L or Open edX) that matches their normal one, so course progress stays in the same system.
• CLEP is a College Board program. The site states that CLEP®, College Board®, and College-Level Examination Program® are registered trademarks of the College Board, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse Modern States.
• Check acceptance first. The platform provides a CLEP Acceptance Tool and a FAQ to help you confirm whether a given school grants credit.

How to Decide If It Fits You

Before investing time, work through these questions:

1. Does my target college accept CLEP? Use the CLEP Acceptance Tool or ask the registrar directly.
2. Is there a CLEP exam for the credit I need? Browse the full course list to confirm.
3. Can I study independently? The courses are self-paced online, so the structure depends on your own discipline.
4. Do I want to start small? Beginning with one popular course (for example, College Composition or College Algebra) lets you test the format before committing to several.

If the answers line up, the next step is to create an account and enroll in a course. If your school doesn't accept CLEP, the free courses may still be useful for review, but they won't convert into credit.