What are ACE Credits?
ACE Credits refer to college credits recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) through its ACE CREDIT™ program. This program is designed to recognize and evaluate prior learning and experiences—such as military training, professional certifications, work experience, and non-collegiate courses—that can be translated into academic credit at participating colleges and universities.
The underlying key to ACE Credits is that there are many courses that test your existing knowledge in different areas so that the program provider can certify that you possess the required basis of knowledge and understanding in a topic so you don’t have to take that course in college. It surprised me how few people know about this concept and how it can save you thousands of dollars and years off your degree program.
How ACE Credits Can Save Money for Returning Students
For students returning to college, especially non-traditional students balancing education with work or family responsibilities, ACE Credits offer several financial and logistical benefits:
- Reduced Tuition Costs: By earning credit for prior learning, students may need to take fewer courses to complete their degree, thereby lowering the overall cost of tuition.
- Shortened Time to Degree: Fewer required courses can accelerate the time it takes to earn a degree, allowing students to enter or re-enter the workforce sooner.
- Maximized Prior Investments: Students can leverage previous educational, professional, or military experiences to gain credit, ensuring that past investments contribute toward their current educational goals.
- Increased Flexibility: ACE Credits provide flexibility in course selection, enabling students to focus on areas that enhance their career prospects rather than repeating content they already know.
Process of Earning ACE Credits
- Assessment of Prior Learning: Students submit documentation of their prior learning experiences to ACE for evaluation. However, students may also take a course from an ACE Recommended provider to meet the requirements of a college course.
- ACE CREDIT™ Recommendation: ACE assesses the documentation and, if applicable, recommends specific college credits based on established equivalencies.
- Credit Transfer: Participating colleges and universities review ACE’s recommendations and grant the corresponding credits, subject to their individual transfer policies.
A Small List of ACE Credit Participating Institutions
Numerous accredited colleges and universities across the United States recognize ACE CREDIT™ recommendations. Here are some notable institutions:
- Pennsylvania State University (World Campus)
- Offers a wide range of online degree programs that accept ACE credits for various prior learning experiences.
- University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
- Specializes in serving non-traditional students and accepts ACE credits to accelerate degree completion.
- Purdue University Global
- Provides flexible online programs that recognize ACE credits, allowing students to leverage their prior learning.
- Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
- Accepts ACE CREDIT™ recommendations to help students reduce the number of courses needed for their degrees.
- Colorado State University Global
- Offers a variety of online degree programs that honor ACE credits for prior military and professional training.
- Excelsior College
- Known for its focus on adult learners, Excelsior accepts ACE credits to acknowledge prior learning and experiences.
- Capella University
- Provides online degree programs that incorporate ACE credit recommendations to help students progress efficiently.
- American Public University System (APUS)
- Includes American Military University and American Public University, both of which accept ACE credits to benefit military and civilian students.
ACE Credit Providers
If the process of submitting documentation for review to the American Council for Education sounds like a long and difficult process, fear not! Here is a list of providers of ACE Credit that you can get started with right away. I’ve also included my personal notes on those that I have used in the past.
- Sophia Learning
- Overview: Sophia Learning provides competency-based online courses that are recognized for college credit through ACE CREDIT™ recommendations. Their courses cover a wide range of subjects and are designed to be flexible for adult learners.
- Features:
- Over 60 courses available.
- Self-paced learning.
- Partnerships with numerous accredited institutions.
- My take: Sophia is my #1 recommended ACE Credit provider for several reasons. First, you can’t beat the value: the subscription is affordable enough for anyone, they offer almost every general education course, and the courses are streamlined and paced so that you could obtain a significant portion of your program’s requirements in as little as a month.
- Study.com
- Overview: Study.com provides a large number of courses at a good cost-value ratio, which brings it high on the list of recommendations.
- Features:
- Dozens of subjects with hundreds of courses.
- Costs are considerably lower than completing traditional courses.
- Complete courses very fast for college credit.
- My take: I used Study.com to complete several courses that weren’t available on Sophia or StraighterLine when I was in my undergraduate program. The courses were interesting, and most importantly, they saved me thousands of dollars.
- StraighterLine
- Overview: StraighterLine offers a comprehensive catalog of affordable, online courses across various subjects. Each course is designed to align with ACE CREDIT™ recommendations, making it easier for students to transfer credits to participating colleges and universities.
- Features:
- Over 100 courses available.
- Low-cost monthly subscription model.
- ACE recommended for credit.
- My take: I have taken a couple of courses through StraighterLine that were not available through many other partner programs for my bachelor’s degree, and I completed them very quickly. StraighterLine is good if you need to complete foundational STEM program requirements or courses that aren’t offered through other providers and have a decent foundation in the subject matter.
- Saylor Academy
- Overview: Saylor Academy is a non-profit organization offering free online courses. While Saylor itself does not grant college credit, many of its courses are eligible for ACE CREDIT™ evaluations, allowing students to earn transferable credits.
- Features:
- Extensive free course offerings.
- Option to purchase proctored exams for credit evaluation.
- Recognized by several institutions for credit transfer.
- CollegeSource
- Overview: CollegeSource specializes in prior learning assessments and provides services to evaluate non-traditional learning experiences for potential college credit. Their assessments can lead to ACE CREDIT™ recommendations, helping students gain credits for work experience, military training, and other learning.
- Features:
- Customized assessments for various types of prior learning.
- Professional evaluators with expertise in multiple disciplines.
- Support throughout the credit evaluation process.
- CLEP (College Level Examination Program)
- Overview: CLEP offers a series of standardized exams that allow students to demonstrate proficiency in specific subject areas. Passing CLEP exams can earn you college credits, which are often recognized through ACE CREDIT™ recommendations.
- Features:
- 34 exams available covering a wide range of subjects.
- Flexible scheduling at authorized testing centers.
- Cost-effective way to earn multiple credits quickly.
- My take: CLEP testing is a good option if you have a substantial, thorough understanding of a concept. The idea is very simple at its core: if you can pass the test, you get the credit. However, I would caution anyone going this route to be absolutely certain that they fully understand the subject matter of the test because the tests are comprehensive.
- DSST (formerly DANTES Subject Standardized Tests)
- Overview: DSST provides exams that enable students to earn college credit based on their knowledge and skills in specific areas. These exams are widely accepted for credit transfer and can be recommended by ACE.
- Features:
- Over 30 exams available.
- Accessible testing locations and online options.
- Recognized by many colleges and universities for credit.
- My take: Like CLEP testing, DSST tests should only be undertaken by those who have a thorough understanding of a given subject.
Benefits of Using These ACE Credit Providers
- Cost Savings: Many of these providers offer affordable courses or assessments compared to traditional college tuition, allowing you to earn credits at a lower cost.
- Flexibility: Online and self-paced options make it easier to balance education with work, family, and other commitments.
- Accelerated Degree Completion: By earning credits through prior learning or competency-based courses, you can reduce the number of courses needed to complete your degree.
- Recognition of Prior Learning: These providers help ensure that your existing knowledge and skills are acknowledged and credited towards your academic goals.
