online educational programs for elementary students

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The 20 Best Free Learning Websites for Kids in 2024

There's more to the web than influencers and ads. These sites can help kids AND adults keep on learning

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Online learning is here to stay, but it can get expensive if you're not careful. We've compiled a list of websites that offer entirely free learning options to help your kids study the subjects you feel they need.

Whether you're new to homeschooling or have been doing it for years, having new options to engage kids is always helpful.

This list offers suggestions for pre-k, elementary, middle, and high school students. We've left out the most obvious sites, such as Khan Academy , to provide you with other unique, engaging options that include basics like reading, science, and math but run the gamut from art history to music.

Best for High Schoolers: Open Culture

Thousands of available courses.

Easy to use alphabetical list of topics.

Ads. Ads. Ads.

You're not always sure where you'll end up online.

Open Culture compiles free upper-level classes from universities worldwide and offers links to users. Study archaeology from the University of Reading, public speaking from Missouri State, psychiatry and mental health from the University of Sydney, plus thousands of other topics. Classes are offered in both written and online formats (including audiobooks).

Best for Middle School Math: DeltaMath

Searchable by modules or common core standards.

Assignments teach children as they go along.

Hundreds of math topics provided.

It's free but you do need to set up an account to get in and see how the site works.

Only for sixth grade and up.

If you're a parent whose strong suit is anything other than math, this is the site you need to teach math to your kids. Create a teacher account, create assignments for your kids, and let the site do all the work. If the child answers a question incorrectly, the site will give them prompts or answers to help them see where the error was so they can correct it.

Best Site for Elementary Ages: National Geographic Kids

A wide variety of learning formats.

Factual information presented in entertaining ways.

It can be a bit difficult to find a desired subject in a specific format.

National Geographic is known for its factual information, and its site for kids is no different. What's great about this site is that it offers lessons in gaming, video, and photo formats. Kids of all ages appreciate the short written lessons accompanying the visuals; even the quizzes on the site are designed to engage minds with short attention spans.

Check Out Library Books Online: OverDrive

No late fees for overdue books.

Borrow audio books for free.

Requires a library card from your local library.

If your local library partners with OverDrive, your child can check out digital books at no extra cost. It works like checking out a paper book, but you don't have to worry about late fees since books are automatically returned on the due date. Over 300,000 eBooks for children are sorted into sections, including Young Adult Fiction and Young Adult Non-Fiction.

Books for Reading Comprehension: Epic

Epic Creations Inc.

Thousands of books for children of all ages.

Colorful illustrations.

Monthly fee required.

If your little one loves to read, this subscription service is well worth the monthly fee. Users get unlimited access to an online library of books for kids of all ages, from pre-schoolers to pre-teens. Books come with quizzes that kids can complete to earn badges.

Coding for Kids: Scratch

Teaches the basics of coding.

No internet connection required.

Completely free.

Website is a little cluttered.

Social networking feature isn't appropriate for all children.

Scratch is a programming language designed by MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten Lab to teach children how to code. Recommended for ages 8 to 16, Scratch visualizes code as building blocks to help kids understand the relationships between programming components. No internet connection is required, but users can share their projects online.

Best for History and Art Fans: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Extremely easy to navigate.

Turns art history into fun, simple lessons.

Multiple ways to engage kids of all ages.

We can't find one thing we don't like.

The Met is famous for fashion, but its website for kids, #metkids, is a well-kept secret. The site offers three different ways to engage kids in historical art facts: A clickable map that lets kids explore 5,000 years of art from around the world, a time machine that allows them to select different eras to explore, and a video section that offers lessons on everything from making a stained glass window (kid-style) to learning about children who live in other parts of the world.

Best for Finding Topics by Grade Level: Funbrain

Offers fun ways to problem-solve.

Is gated by grade level.

It's a little tricky to find certain subjects sometimes.

Lots of ads.

If you're looking for a site that offers math and reading options, plus offers games, videos, and a general online playground, you've come to the right place. Funbrain is for kids from Pre-K through 8th grade and offers hundreds of free interactive games, books, videos, and printables.

Best for Pre-K & Early Elementary Ages: Toy Theater

Unique approach to educational games.

Works on computer, laptops, and mobile devices.

You can't search by age or grade.

Ads. (But they aren't terribly distracting.)

If you're looking for a site with out-of-the-box games, try Toy Theater. These aren't racing games; they focus on teaching children about different topics such as learning time, the alphabet, measurement, numbers, and much more. The games are easy to play, covering math, reading, art, and music using online manipulatives and other interactive options.

Best for Learning about Communities: Whyville

Lots of unique activities to engage young minds.

It's sponsored to avoid ads.

You can explore the site on a limited guest account.

It's fairly juvenile for most teens.

Scientists created Whyville, a site for kids from 3rd to 8th grades. It offers an online community that engages kids by letting them explore, create, and solve problems. They can learn to protect coral reefs, use a Whyville currency, participate in the Whyville Senate, and more.

Best for Learning about the World: The Old Farmer's Almanac for Kids

Lessons offered are hard to find elsewhere.

Uses history, earth, and animals to engage young minds.

It's hard to search for specific topics.

Kids should be able to read if parents can't assist.

This site is just as you'd imagine but updated for the 21st century. It has a daily calendar to help kids learn what happened in history every day of the year, teaches them about the night sky, clouds, and daily weather, and uses history and animals to teach various lessons. The site is visually friendly and offers information in short chunks, which is great for elementary ages.

Best for Music Lovers: Chrome Music Lab

Encourages creativity.

Offers multiple, unique musical options.

No registration required.

It's a bit difficult to understand and use if you're not a music aficionado.

This site is all about tunes. Making them, practicing them, writing songs, and more. What's unique about this site is that it encourages kids to move, create and practice patterns, compose music, and even pull in math and science at times.

Best for Storytime: Storyline Online

You can search stories by author, reader, title or run time.

The videos and storytellers are excellent quality.

The selection is limited.

The filter option doesn't always return great results.

This site from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation features actors reading stories aloud. It's a great option when parents need a break; turn up the volume or give your child headphones and let the storyteller take over in a short video. Captions are provided, which are great for helping younger kids start to read and for reinforcing reading for older children. The videos are well-illustrated, and the audio is well-done, so it engages children for the entirety of the video.

Read Along and Sing Along: ABCmouse

Age of Learning, Inc.

Includes games, videos, print outs, and other teaching tools.

Detailed assessments for parents to track progress.

Only goes to the fifth grade level.

Many elementary schools use ABCmouse because it has educational tools for teachers and parents. In addition to educational games and quizzes, the website features sing-alongs and read-along books for younger students. Get access to the mobile app for a monthly fee.

Best for Online Quizzes & Assessing Development: TurtleDiary

Online quizzes.

Online assessments to help parents gauge progress.

Includes games, videos, printables and teaching tools.

It only goes to fifth grade level.

If you struggle to get your child to practice math, language arts, or science, or if you struggle to assess their skill level, check out this site. It offers a lot of learning options, but the online quizzes remove the need for printing out a ton of worksheets, and the online assessments help parents better gauge where a child's strengths and weaknesses are. The site is simple and easy to use, so kids enjoy hanging out on it.

Learning With Familiar Faces: PBS Kids Games

PBS Parents section has helpful tips for adults.

Kids can to browse by their favorite shows.

Some games might be too challenging for young kids.

Some games don't have descriptions, so you don't know what to expect.

PBS Kids caters to preschoolers with educational games featuring their favorite characters, such as Arthur, Curious George, and Bob the Builder. Games focus on fundamentals like letters, memory, math, and problem-solving. There are also games related to science, music, and more.

Best for Activity & Movement: GoNoodle

It's designed to get kids moving.

Combines activities kids enjoy to encourage physical movement.

Focuses on happiness.

The site is difficult to navigate.

Activities are limited (although they are creative!)

Since kids love to play games and watch videos, why not combine both into an educational opportunity that encourages physical movement? That's the premise behind GoNoodle, a site that offers activities involving tips and uses movement to help with subjects like math.

L is for Learning: Sesame Street Games

Sesame Street 

Create an account for free.

Sort games by which characters are in them.

Account required to access all content.

Links to other websites like YouTube and iTunes.

If your child loves Sesame Street, this website will keep them laughing and learning for hours. Kids can easily navigate the site to find games featuring their favorite characters to learn about shapes, letters, numbers, and more. In addition, each game suggests an offline activity that parents can do with their children to help reinforce the lesson.

Safe Viewing for Children: YouTube Kids

Advanced parental controls.

Thousands of hours of kid-friendly content.

Some videos include ads.

Not all content is educational.

Not everything on YouTube is kid-friendly, so there's a separate version of the site for young children. Naturally, YouTube Kids has a ton of educational videos. Like with regular YouTube, you can subscribe your child to educational channels and automatically get recommendations for similar content.

Games for Edutainment: Treehouse Games

 Treehouse Games

Games feature popular cartoon characters.

Topics covered include typing and coding.

Some games take a while to load.

Fewer games than similar sites.

Treehouse has casual and educational games featuring characters from popular kids' shows. Although the selection of games is limited, all the content is high quality. Kids will recognize faces from popular franchises like Paw Patrol, Blues Clues, and Dora the Explorer.

The best educational channels on YouTube for kids include TED-Ed, Khan Academy, National Geographic Kids, Crash Course Kid, and SciShow Kids.

Typing.com, TypingClub, Ratatype, Speed Typing Online, Dance Mat Typing, and Sense-Lang.org all offer online typing lessons for kids and adults.

The best sites to find free online preschool games for kids include Nick Jr. Games, Universal Kids, Thomas & Friends, Kids' Pages, and Disney Junior.

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Joyful learning starts here!

Inspire a lifetime of learning and discovery with our free, fun educational program for children ages two to eight.

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Kids will love to learn.

Focused on the whole child

Our program engages kids in core subjects like early literacy, reading, writing, language, and math, while encouraging creativity and building social-emotional skills.

Five whimsical, charming characters—including narrator Kodi Bear—guide kids through activities and stories.

Original interactive activities, books, animated videos, games, and creative lessons captivate children’s attention. 

Developed by experts 

Khan Academy Kids was developed in collaboration with learning experts at Stanford and aligned with the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework and Common Core Standards.

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Adaptive Learning Path

Our personalized learning path dynamically adapts, ensuring each child is presented with activities, books, educational videos, and creative lessons that allow them to learn at their own pace, creating an individualized experience for every learner.

Independent Learning

Kids can also learn independently in the Khan Academy Kids Library—a curated collection of activities, books, videos, and coloring pages. Our book reader allows kids to follow along with recorded audio narration or read on their own across our fiction, non-fiction, and fiction leveled books.

Parents love us.

“Every day I am amazed @khanacademykids is free, and I am so grateful for how much it has contributed to my kid’s development.”

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Unique for every learner.

Kids can also learn independently in the Khan Academy Kids Library—a curated collection of activities, books, videos, and coloring pages. Our book reader allows kids to follow along with recorded audio narration or read on their own across our fiction, non-fiction and fiction leveled books.

“ My 4-year old is working on @khanacademykids this morning and loving it. The combo of school facts along with social/emotional content is outstanding. ”

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Guide to Online Elementary School

Technology has become an integral part of daily life, and in response, elementary schools are incorporating it heavily into their curriculum. Beyond interacting with technology in traditional classrooms, elementary students now have the opportunity to explore online learning. According to the 2015 Keeping Pace with K12 Digital Learning report, the number of elementary students enrolled full-time in online schools is growing quickly.

Online elementary schools aren’t only for students transitioning to homeschooling; many elementary students enroll in online schools to supplement their reading, math, and writing classes, or even temporarily when ill or injured.

The flexibility of an online education allows students a new way to learn from home, and provides a background in technology that can carry them through the rest of their education.

Why Consider an Online Education?

It’s critical for parents to be able to articulate why an online program is right for their child. There are a number of compelling reasons to choose an online school and several learning options to meet the needs of your family. Online learning, whether fully online or blended, can be beneficial for students who have specific needs for alternative course work.

Common Types of Online Learning

Source: Adapted from Keeping Pace with K12 Digital Learning , 2015

A blended program allows students to split their time between a traditional classroom and an online one. These programs are a great option for parents interested in acquainting themselves and their children with online learning, allowing them to ease into the new format.

In addition to fully online and blended programs, children can take advantage of virtual tutoring services to try out online learning. Sites such as tutor.com and Smart Tutor offer supplemental curricula for elementary students struggling in math, reading, and science classes.

Students with an array of unique circumstances find that an online education provides a flexible alternative to brick-and-mortar schools.

Mobile Students

Some special circumstances require full-time online elementary school enrollment. For example, families in the entertainment industry, in the military, or in international business may find themselves constantly traveling. Such families don’t have the scheduling and location stability necessary for traditional brick-and-mortar programs.

Ill or Disabled Students

Chronic illnesses affect up to 20% of school aged children and can prevent motivated learners from attending a traditional school, even if they are healthy enough to complete course assignments and to socialize. Long-term school absences due to chronic illness can be a detriment to a child’s social and educational development. A full-time online school can provide a student with an education regardless of where the student’s care is administered.

Students in Rural Areas

Rural elementary schools often have difficulty recruiting high-quality teachers and funding school facilities, according to a 2013 report by the Montana Office of Public Instruction . The challenges faced by low-population, remote parts of the country can be alleviated by blended or full-time online learning. Families in rural areas may also find that online education reduces the time, stress, and money required to commute to the nearest school. As Internet access continues to improve throughout these locations, more students are turning to digital lessons.

Gifted Students

Since most traditional schools operate on standardized benchmarks, gifted students are often required to work at the same pace as their classmates. They may become bored with the curriculum and lack the option to advance on their own. Supplementary courses can help advanced or accelerated students excel by giving them access to more demanding materials and activities. Several studies monitoring gifted student engagement in online programs corroborate this finding and also indicate that self-motivated learners can especially benefit from online study .

Homeschooling

Before Internet access was integrated into homeschooling , parents received training materials, textbooks, and worksheets in the mail. It was entirely up to parents to administer these lessons and to keep their child on track. Students enrolled in online homeschool programs will benefit from features like video lectures, interactive media, and remote instructors. Blended programs take some of the pressure off of parents who no longer need to oversee their child’s homeschool development full-time. There are many popular homeschool methods, such as the Classical Education and Montessori styles . These methods have already been converted to digital formats that take advantage of the technologies available.

Evaluating Online Schools

Set your child up for a successful school year online by researching teacher credentials, technology requirements, accreditation, tuition costs, and time commitments in advance. Consider the online commitment that best suits your family. Part-time courses can add supplementary value to a child’s existing academic activities. Full-time online elementary schools can take the place of traditional programs, giving parents more control over their child’s curriculum, schedule, and development.

Public vs. Private Online Schools

Like traditional educational programs, online schools can be public or private. The distinctions between the two extend to price, prestige, culture, academic benchmarks, and resources. The cost of an online elementary school can range from free to thousands of dollars annually depending on whether it’s a public or private school and which schools are offered in your state.

K-12 School Enrollment

Source: Keeping Pace with K12 Digital Learning , 2015

While there are many different options, online public schools remain the most popular choice for online learning.

Public vs. Private Schools

Some states offer free public virtual schools. In addition low- or no-cost attendance, public, state-run online schools can be very appealing to parents, since their children’s education is held to the same accreditation and academic standards as traditional schools.

Typically, residency must be established in the state that operates the specific public virtual school that a student wants to attend, and the state provides free education to residents only. While out-of-state students may enroll, non-residents are subject to tuition fees. Your state’s Department of Education (ED) website is a good starting point in your search for online public schools, but here are a few of the most popular schools:

If a virtual school works with your state, you will most likely not be charged a tuition fee to enroll your elementary student. If you choose private online schools offered, prices can vary widely, from just a few hundred dollars to nearly $5,000 a year . Some private programs offer ways to reduce the cost of attending an online elementary school. K12 International Academy works to offer lower tuition, payment plans, and sibling discounts. Potential out-of-pocket costs for parents include registration fees, technology upkeep, official transcripts, and school supplies. Depending on the school, parents can enroll in payment plans to help finance their child’s private school education.

In addition to tuition fees, when researching any school, be sure to confirm any additional hidden fees, including:

• Application fees
• Textbooks and supplies
• Extracurricular sports and activities
• Public Schools
• Technology fees or requirements

Accreditation

The Dept. of Education does not maintain a registry of all nationally recognized accreditation organizations for primary and secondary schools like they do with colleges and universities. That means for elementary schools, accrediting bodies and their standards vary by state. They are also different for public and private schools and whether they’re offered online or not. Online elementary schools are often accredited on the national level by AdvancED or by one of the six regional accreditation agencies in the United States. Before approving an institution, these accrediting agencies ensure that the school meets established criteria. For example, AdvancED conducts its reviews with these five standards:

• Purpose and Direction
• Governance and Leadership
• Teaching and Assessing for Learning
• Resources and Support Systems
• Using Results for Continuous Improvement

If an online elementary school has multiple locations in different states, the schools will usually pursue regional accreditation. Accreditation must periodically be renewed with these regulatory bodies.

Parents can check a school’s advanced annual status by visiting the organization’s Accredited Institutions registry. Type in the name of the academic institution or search with location parameters like your city, state, and zip code. This database also lets you search for accredited schools based on the public/private status, district, and charter status. These search functions can help you identify possible distance learning programs for your child.

Academic Rigor

Public online elementary schools must adhere to specific district and state academic standards to continue receiving funding and accreditation approval. This means specific content must be taught in math, social studies, science, and language arts courses. These content rubrics will differ from state to state, but will focus primarily on language arts and math skills. Here is a sample of core concepts that students are expected to understand at each grade level:

Kindergarten

First grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade.

In addition to core standards, parents should also examine accreditation and academic policies. Whether you’re researching private, public, or charter schools online, review the following:

• Curricula plans for each grade level
• Grading rubrics
• Regional and national accreditation
• Testing benchmarks
• Required study materials

Most online programs should use either state certified teachers or teachers with advanced degrees in their field. In order to be state-certified, the state’s Department of Education certifies the teacher after determining that they meet professional behavior and training standards. You may even find that an online school’s instructors hold local teaching awards and certifications. Some online schools post information regarding their teachers’ accomplishments and credentials.

Students may also have access to coaches or a mentor who oversees all coursework for a child and who should be in regular contact with parents. Check with the school to see what they offer for students.

Interface and Technology

Technology plays a prominent role in a child’s development and professional prospects to come. In a dedicated online environment, children learn how to interact with teachers and peers using virtual classrooms, interactive activities, and online lessons. Schools will also often merge online learning with hands-on learning for a more balanced academic experience.

You can expect that your child will use some of the following educational interfaces online: video chat sessions, interactive quizzes, and digital classrooms. Help your child prepare for this experience and make sure your home computer’s hardware and web access meet the program’s minimum technology requirements. Most school websites will have a page like this one outlining these requirements.

Course assignments and exams are typically submitted through the school’s learning management system (LMS). Online students can also use course textbooks, PDFs, and videos to complete their assignments. Further guidance may be provided through online forums, text chats, and interactive discussions.

The Online Learning Experience

Online elementary schools take different approaches to lesson deployment and assignment collection but most assignments are completed and submitted online, with multiple opportunities to seek out help from instructors. Schools also heavily rely on parents to act as student coaches and to facilitate learning in the home.

Because learning is highly individualized in the early grades, many schools offer a flexible schedule that works for the family and the learner, like this sample schedule from a K12.com student .

Social Opportunities

Many online elementary schools host local school functions and field trips so your child can interact with their peers. Parents might want to enroll their children in extracurricular activities or mixed-format schools to supplement their child’s social and physical development.

Instructors can lead students in group discussions with live text- or video-based chat sessions. These media platforms can expand your child’s group learning opportunities, helping them practice team-building and collaborative skills with peers. Many online schools offer real-world social activities and field trips, so your child can regularly interact with peers. Additionally, seek out local opportunities for learning like clubs, sports teams, and local attractions like museums.

Applying to Schools

Once you’ve collected a list of prospective online elementary schools it is time to begin applying. Here are some common materials you’ll need to gather before enrolling your student.

• Obtain your child’s proof of age, such as a birth certificate or passport. This will help the online school determine what grade your child will be enrolled in. For example, children five years of age before the start of the school year are usually enrolled in kindergarten.
• Provide your proof of residence. Proof of residence can include rental or utility payment statements. Most public schools only offer tuition-free education to residents of the state in which the school is based.
• Immunization and health forms. Your child’s enrollment may be contingent on having up-to-date medical records and immunizations. If you need to file for exemptions based on religious reasons, check with the school to see if you need to file additional paperwork with the Department of Education.
• Submit your child’s academic history. If you are enrolling your child in a new school, the new school might require a previous year’s report cards or transcripts.
• Complete the online application forms and attach all required documents.
• Watch for a confirmation email once you submit an application. If you don’t receive one, contact the school.

Note: If your child is applying to a private school, examine the school’s website for scholarship and funding opportunities. Scholarship applications often have additional requirements, such as previous schoolwork examples, student essays, or interviews. Mark scholarship deadlines on your calendar so your family does not miss out on funding opportunities.

Enrolling and Starting Classes

Once your child is accepted into an online elementary school program, you will need to take steps to enroll them in classes, chat with instructors, adjust to their schedule, and see how a daily workflow looks. Below are lists of things to consider before and after school begins.

Before Classes Start

• Full-time student enrollment: Online schools often design full lesson plans based on your child’s grade level. Make sure the school has your child registered in the correct grade level.
• Blended class enrollment: Often this format requires you to register on a course-by-course basis, since your child may be supplementing their education with a single course or taking several part-time classes. Sign up for these courses as soon as possible, before they fill up.
• Examine the school’s required supplies and technology lists. If the school does not provide these items, you will need to purchase them before classes begin.
• Work with your child to test out new technology. Practice logging in and navigating the school’s web portal.

After Classes Start

• Sit with your child as they get started and help them with navigation or technical issues during their school day. Elementary students are generally less familiar with the web-interfaces online classes rely upon and the technological skills they learn now will be valuable later on.
• Assist your child with turning in assignments. Regardless of whether you plan to keep your elementary student in online programs through middle school, it’s important that you help them to establish time management skills and self-directed learning habits early!
• Log in to the school’s grading portal and monitor your child’s performance. Precise digital logs of graded assignments can improve student accountability and help parents identify areas needing improvement. Some homework is automatically graded online, logging scores quickly for review.
• Schedule parent conferences with instructors. Have discussions regarding your child’s academic development.

Additional Resources

General resources.

• International Association for K-12 Online Learning
• Digital Learning Now
• Keeping Pace
• A Guide to Online Homeschooling
• Time 4 Learning

Accreditation Resources

• The Northwest Accreditation Commission
• The Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
• The New England Association of Schools and Colleges
• The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Resources for Parents

• A Parent’s Guide to Choosing an Online Program
• Learning Resources

Online Tutoring

• Online Tutoring Guide
• Khan Academy

Embrace the convenience of online learning and shape your own path to success.

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Best Educational Apps for Kids

Khan Academy is the best educational app for kids of all skill levels

Kids love screen time, but if you want your child to do a little less Pokémon chasing and a little more learning, there’s good news. Many of today’s apps for kids are combining technology and education to make learning more engaging, interactive, and fun.

Whatever skills or subjects your child is interested in, there is a wide variety of educational apps available. Here, we’ve highlighted the seven best educational apps for kids—beloved by both parents and youngsters.

Best Educational Apps for Kids of 2024

• Best Overall: Khan Academy
• Best for Toddlers: Busy Shapes
• Best for Preschoolers: ABCmouse.com
• Best for Elementary School Kids: Prodigy
• Best for Tweens: Google Arts and Culture
• Best for Teens: Quizlet
• Best for Teaching Kids Coding: Hopscotch
• Our Top Picks

Khan Academy

Busy Shapes

• ABCmouse.com
• Google Arts and Culture
• See More (4)

Final Verdict

• Compare Apps

Methodology

Best overall : khan academy.

• Price: Free
• Ages/Grades: Ages 4 and up
• Apple/Android: Both

Using engaging images and videos, Khan Academy offers learning opportunities for students of all ages across many subjects, including math, economics, and history.

Totally free

Offers a wide variety of subjects

Suitable for foundational or supplemental learning

Includes intro math classes for preschool and up

Available in more than 36 languages

Self-paced design might not be right for everyone

Lacks foreign language courses

English/language arts offerings are weaker

Khan Academy is the gold standard for educational apps, particularly considering the wide range of courses it offers for students of all ages, and it’s free. Khan Academy’s YouTube videos are suitable for all grade levels and cover a range of subjects, including math, science and engineering, arts and humanities (including history and social studies), economics, AP courses, and test prep.

The courses include quizzes to test comprehension. Khan Academy also has shifted toward developing materials in conjunction with Common Core. A junior version, Khan Academy Kids , targets young learners aged two to eight. It covers math, English language arts, logic, and socio-emotional learning with e-books, games, songs, and videos.

Khan Academy is popular among students, parents, and educators because its videos are engaging and targeted at visual learners, using photos, maps, and other illustrations, and it also allows students to work at their own pace.

Best for Toddlers : Busy Shapes

• Price: $2.99
• Ages/Grades: Ages 3–7

Your toddler will love moving the shapes around in this app, and you’ll love that it’s teaching them spatial recognition and object awareness.

Easy for little hands to use

Gradually becomes more challenging

Encourages problem-solving skills

Available in over 20 languages

Doesn’t display or say the name of the shapes

Some users reported glitchy or “unsolvable” levels

Busy Shapes is an app aligned with the Montessori method of self-directed, hands-on learning. As such, it’s perfect for young kids just starting to interact with technology. The app is designed to develop young children’s logic and reasoning skills by helping them explore how objects relate to each other and how they can be manipulated.

Busy Shapes is simple to play, requires no instructions, and is all child-directed . Kids drag an object into a hole—they are challenged to match the shape of the object with the corresponding hole and eventually, another object and hole will appear in a new setting. The difficulty level increases over time, with multiple objects and holes of different shapes.

Best for Preschoolers : ABCmouse.com

ABCMouse.com

• Price: $13 per month
• Ages/Grades: Ages 2–8

ABCmouse.com has more than 10,000 activities available to play on its app or website. There are games for traditional subjects, like math, science, and language arts, as well as art activities, songs, and puzzles.

Designed by educators and early learning experts

One account can have up to three child profiles

Includes school subjects, games, and puzzles

Highly adaptable to different skill levels

Ad-free website

Free 30-day trial

More expensive than other options

Only available in English and Spanish

Only available for kids ages 2 to 8

More than just an app, ABCmouse.com is a well-rounded curriculum for kids ages two through eight. However, it works best for younger kids who haven’t started kindergarten yet.

It includes hundreds of interactive games, activities, and videos related to reading, math, science, and art. It’s also a multi-platform program that can be used on a computer or mobile device. 

Because it’s a full-fledged curriculum, ABCmouse.com is pricey and costs around $12.99 per month. However, if your child doesn’t attend preschool, the app is a great substitute to get them ready for elementary school. You can track your child's progress as they learn new skills and concepts.

The only reservation some reviewers, such as Common Sense Media, have with ABCmouse.com, is that it rewards children’s progress with tickets, which can be used to purchase virtual items. While this feature is sure to be successful in keeping kids using the program, some would argue it encourages extrinsic motivation instead of intrinsic motivation.

Best for Elementary School Kids : Prodigy

Prodigy Math Tutoring

• Price: Free for basic; premium memberships start at $10 a month or $75 annually
• Ages/Grades: Grades 1–8

Prodigy makes learning math fun by providing interactive games that align with school curriculum.

Features math curriculum standards for grades 1–8

Play online or via app

Can be used for practice or initial learning

Ads encourage membership and in-app purchases

Fantasy theme might not be for everyone

Prodigy is one of the most popular math games on the market, largely because it’s set up like a video game. It’s a fantasy-themed web and app game that covers math topics for kids from first through eighth grade.

Prodigy is designed to test kids’ knowledge rather than introduce them to math topics for the first time. Kids earn spells by answering questions correctly and get to do monster battles as they move through different fantasy worlds.

The basic app is free, but a paid premium subscriptions offers more features. The Level Up plan costs $9.95 per month or $74.95 annually, and the Ultimate membership is $14.95 per month or $99.95 a year. Despite the fact that Prodigy is widely loved by kids, one drawback for parents is that there seems to be significant pressure within the game to make in-app purchases.

Best for Tweens : Google Arts and Culture

• Ages/Grades: Ages 12 and older

Google’s interactive Arts and Culture app lets students explore art, history, geography, and cultures from all over the world by allowing them to tour museums, learn about international foods, and much more in the palm of their hands.

Designed for project research or just for fun

Transform your own photos into artwork

Virtual tours of museums around the world

Lots of information on art and culture

Entertaining and educational for tweens and adults

Database isn’t very user-friendly

Some content is restricted by location

A free mobile app has been developed to accompany the well-known Google Arts and Culture site, which offers a treasure trove of virtual travel and sightseeing. The app lets you search by keyword or category and read relevant editorials about the art collections. 

While Google Arts and Culture became famous for its selfie feature, which allows you to compare your face to great works of art, the site and app contain a wealth of information on museum collections, artists, theater and performing arts, historic figures, and events.

Google Arts and Culture is an invaluable resource for kids ages 12 and older who are assigned research projects, as it provides in-depth articles, images, and videos. While the app truly can be enjoyed by people of many ages, the amount of information available can be overwhelming for younger kids who may not know how to use search terms efficiently.

Best for Teens : Quizlet

• Price: Free for basic; premium membership is $8 a month or $36 annually
• Ages/Grades: Ages 4 and older

Quizlet makes it easy to prepare for tests by letting you create as many flashcard sets as you want on your phone or computer. It offers different testing methods, plus it has millions of sets available that students have already designed.

Offers flashcards, games, and study guides 

Can be used by students or teachers 

Five study modes allow for personalized instruction

Millions of flashcard sets available

Users say that editing flashcards can be difficult

Interface can be hard to organize

Self-directed study is an important skill for high schoolers, and Quizlet is one of the most effective apps on the market for reviewing material a student will be tested on. Teachers and students can create study sets/flashcards on many topics—from the periodic table to U.S. presidents to vocabulary words and more.

The Quizlet Learn feature provides different types of testing, such as true-and-false and multiple-choice questions. Quizlet is particularly useful for foreign language study, and its audio pronunciation is better than many other apps.

Quizlet has more than 500 million archived study sets already created by users, so new users can search within those to see if there is a set that matches their needs.

Note that the study sets aren’t fact-checked, so users need to be aware that they may contain errors. However, it’s a free resource, so users should weigh the benefits with the drawbacks.

Best for Teaching Kids Coding : Hopscotch

• Price: $8 per month or $80 for annual subscription
• Ages/Grades: Ages 4+, but designed for 9-11
• Apple/Android: Apple 

Ideal for beginners, Hopscotch is a great way for kids to explore the world of computer programming. Kids learn coding, problem-solving, as well as logical and mathematical skills while having fun creating projects.

Kid-friendly programming

Provides play-along video tutorials

Can create games, stories, and art

Values kids’ privacy

Not available on Android devices

Not suitable for seasoned programmers

Hopscotch is a coding app designed for kids 9 to 11 years old. It’s built much like Scratch, one of the first programs developed to introduce kids to computer programming, but Hopscotch is made specifically for mobile devices (only iPads and iPhones), while Scratch is web-based.

Kids can drag and drop commands and instructions into a script to create their own programs. They can customize their programs by choosing characters, save and share their creations with the Hopscotch community, and comment on and play others’ creations.

It’s a great way for kids to be creative and start learning how computer programming works without worrying about difficult, technical coding language. It’s also a good starter coding app from which kids can move on to more complex programs like Scratch on a desktop or laptop.

The best educational apps have features that support engaged learning and creatively connect the app content to a child's existing knowledge. Khan Academy is our choice for the best educational app because it’s free, easy to use, and works well for every age group. It provides informational videos and online exercises to help kids excel in a variety of subjects, including math, science, and language arts. Students can go at their own pace, which allows them to take their time learning about each topic.

Compare the Best Educational Apps for Kids

Frequently asked questions, what are some pros and cons of educational apps for kids.

Educational apps can help with foundational or supplemental learning and may spark a kid's interest in certain topics. On the other hand, educational apps can result in too much overall screen time and may lead to distraction and over-stimulation.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screens for children younger than 18 months, and up to one hour of high-quality screen time for kids older than 2 years. Ideally, parents should engage with media alongside young children.

How Can I Monitor Apps on My Kid’s iPad?

Parental control apps can be used to monitor app usage, set limits on screen time , and block kids from using certain apps on their smartphones and tablets. Although there are some free parental control apps, most require buying a monthly or yearly subscription for approximately $5 to $10 per month.

Do Apps Help Kids Learn?

Research is mixed and limited when it comes to educational apps for kids. When selecting an educational app for your child, be mindful of the content quality and whether the app contains distracting advertisements that take away from the educational content.

How Can I Stimulate My Child to Learn?

There are many ways to help your child learn, including setting up a safe environment where they can play, engaging with your child often, and taking an interest in subjects or topics that they like. Making sure their basic needs are met and their emotions are responded to in an empathetic way can also encourage learning.

We consulted dozens of editorial reviews by relevant publications—like parenting and tech magazines, as well as reviews by nonprofit organizations like Common Sense Media, the National Educational Association, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

For this category, we aimed to provide app recommendations for children ages 2 through 18, and also highlight a few unique categories that have become important in the field of education recently, such as coding. In addition, we tested out some of the apps to become familiar with their features.

 Thanasis Zovoilis / Getty Images

Oswald TK, Rumbold AR, Kedzior SGE, Moore VM. Psychological impacts of “screen time” and “green time” for children and adolescents: A systematic scoping review .  PLoS One . 2020;15(9):e0237725. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0237725

Council on Communications and Media. Media and young minds . Pediatrics . 2016;138(5):e20162591. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-2591

Meyer M, Zosh JM, McLaren C, et al. How educational are 'educational' apps for young children? App store content analysis using the Four Pillars of Learning framework .  J Child Media . 2021;15(4):526-548. doi:10.1080/17482798.2021.1882516

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early brain development and health .

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• Baby and kid

Some of the Best Online Learning Games for Kids

By Courtney Schley

To find our favorite learning apps and games for kids, we spent more than 40 hours researching and testing 50-plus apps recommended by educators, experts, and parents. If your family has a tablet and you want it to be more than a game-playing and video-watching device, or if you’re trying to find apps for your smartphone that will do more than keep your kids occupied in a pinch, we have some great suggestions.

As with our guides to STEM and learning toys, we didn’t test scores of apps to try to find the “best” ones. Rather, most of the apps here have been chosen by teachers for their students in classrooms, used by Wirecutter parents and their kids, or recommended by the experts and educators we spoke with. (For details, read more about how we selected the apps in this guide.) The apps we cover in this guide are great learning apps not because they’re designed to make kids smarter, to drill facts, or to replace in-school learning, but because they each offer something fun, unique, and interesting for kids and adults.

The research

Our favorite math apps, our favorite coding apps, our favorite science and exploration apps, our favorite social and emotional learning apps, our favorite ebook app, how we picked and tested.

These math games don’t simply drill facts or make kids memorize but rather use visuals, narratives, and storylines to help kids discover math concepts and build their skills. We like these apps because they offer games and exercises tailored to different ages and skill levels and because they encourage adults and kids to play together.

A family math app: Bedtime Math

Bedtime Math (iOS and Android)

Bringing math home.

This free app makes math a part of daily family life, like a bedtime story. A peer-reviewed study showed that it not only helps improve kids’ math performance but also makes parents feel more comfortable with math.

Buying Options

How it works: Bedtime Math ( iOS and Android ) seeks to do for math what the bedtime story does for literacy, by turning math into an enjoyable bonding routine between child and caregiver.

The free app offers a daily word problem for children to solve together with an adult during bedtime or anytime. Each exercise centers on a short narrative or interesting fact and poses questions at four difficulty levels, from pre-K through elementary school.

Why it’s great: Bedtime Math is one of the few children’s educational apps that have been evaluated in a peer-reviewed study . This particular study demonstrated that students who used the app significantly boosted their math scores; it also showed that Bedtime Math can help parents mitigate their own math anxiety , a phenomenon that can negatively affect their children’s attitudes toward math and their ability in the subject. Teacher Jennifer Auten told us she liked that the questions were written at a middle-school reading level, meaning an adult must facilitate the discussion but you have a choice of four levels of difficulty based on the child’s age and math level.

Apps for visual math: DragonBox Numbers and DragonBox Big Numbers

DragonBox Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual numeracy.

Cute Nooms help kids visualize and conceptualize numbers and arithmetic operations.

DragonBox Big Numbers (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

More-complex arithmetic.

Kids follow characters called Nooms on adventures, solving long addition and subtraction equations in the process.

Ages: 4 to 8 and 6 to 9

How it works: DragonBox Numbers ( iOS , Android , and Amazon ), aimed at kids 4 through 8, introduces number sense, addition, and subtraction through cute characters called Nooms. (The characters are designed to resemble Cuisenaire rods , math learning aids that introduce kids to arithmetic operations in a hands-on way.) Kids feed, slice, and sort the Nooms, developing familiarity with addition, subtraction, fractions, and ranges. In DragonBox Big Numbers ( iOS , Android , and Amazon ), for kids 5 through 9, players follow the Nooms on more complex adventures, solving long addition and subtraction equations in order to gather and trade resources.

Why it’s great: The Nooms function as digital versions of what classroom teachers call math manipulatives , physical learning aids that help young children understand theoretical math concepts in a concrete way. For older kids, the DragonBox series continues on with algebra and Euclidean geometry.

Many great apps teach coding to kids as young as preschool and progressing through upper elementary grades. We’ve highlighted four of these apps because they’re particularly easy to get started with and don’t require reading or, for the child or the parent, a coding background. Regardless of what app they use, parents should think of coding apps as a family activity, said Pat Yongpradit of Code.org . “You will rarely have such a rich media experience as you can when coding with your kid,” he said.

Coding puzzles for beginners: Lightbot and Lightbot Jr

Lightbot (iOS and Android)

Coding puzzles.

The app’s simple puzzle challenges are easy to jump into for kids and adults with no previous coding experience.

Lightbot Jr (iOS and Android)

Coding puzzles for younger kids.

A slower-paced, easier set of puzzles for kids as young as preschool.

Ages: 9 and up (Lightbot); 4 to 8 (Lightbot Jr)

How it works: In Lightbot ( iOS and Android ), kids solve a series of simple puzzles by lining up commands that make a robot advance over obstacles and light up squares. As they master basic concepts, they add more-complex commands, such as conditionals, loops, and nested statements. Lightbot Jr ( iOS and Android ) follows a similar structure but at a slower pace and with simpler challenges that focus on reinforcing the basics. A minimal amount of reading is required, so pre-readers may need adult help at the beginning.

Why it’s great: Project Lead The Way (PLTW), a nonprofit educational organization that promotes and develops STEM curricula and resources, told us, “The best apps for young students without previous experience are those that teach and help build logic and reasoning skills [and] critical thinking skills, and provide brain teasers.” PLTW’s curriculum writers like the Lightbot and Lightbot Jr apps as ways to get kids as young as 4 started with the basic concepts and logical structures of coding.

A creative coding app: ScratchJr

ScratchJr (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Visual programming.

Using graphical coding blocks, ScratchJr lets kids animate characters and create storylines.

Ages: 5 and up

How it works: In ScratchJr ( iOS , Android , Amazon ), kids select characters and backdrop scenes and drag graphical programming blocks, which snap together like puzzle pieces, to make animation sequences and storylines. Although the app has some written cues, the programming blocks largely use symbols (such as arrows and stop signs) to indicate what they do (such as move the character forward or make them stop). As kids become familiar with how to structure the code, they can create multi-scene stories.

Why it’s great: ScratchJr isn’t lesson-based (though you can consult a variety of curricula and tutorials for the app) but rather designed to give kids a sandbox in which to experiment, learn, and create through trial and error (the app offers sample animations as well). Pat Yongpradit of Code.org , which recommends ScratchJr among other coding apps and games, noted one particular benefit: “It’s very free-form; you’re not basically being directed down a particular path.” Younger kids will need an adult or older child to guide them as they get familiar with ScratchJr .

An app for hands-on coding: Osmo Coding Awbie

Osmo Coding (iOS)

Tangible coding.

The Osmo system uses physical game pieces in conjunction with the device’s screen, making scripting and coding tangible and accessible for pre-readers.

Ages: 5 to 12

How it works: Osmo Coding Awbie requires a base system—a stand and a mirror that attach to the device’s camera and that are compatible with other Osmo games —for the iPad , iPhone , and Amazon Fire . The system allows players to use physical pieces to interact with the screen-based game. Kids use bricks marked with commands, arrows, numbers, and loops to create scripts that direct a silly character through mazes and challenges, picking up prizes such as strawberries.

Why it’s great: Teacher Jennifer Auten, who uses Osmo Coding Awbie and other Osmo games in her classroom, said the fact that it combined an app with physical pieces made kids more patient and thoughtful as they worked through the challenges: “When something is purely on the screen, kids will sometimes end up just tapping as fast as they can, randomly guessing. With the manipulatives, it slows their thinking down.” Auten also noted that the physical pieces made it easier to play the game with multiple people, fostering discussion, collaboration, and group problem-solving. She also likes that Osmo Coding Awbie is open-ended: “Kids can explore and create their own paths.”

In this category we chose these three apps—focused on anatomy, the natural world, and space—because they offer kids unique, open-ended ways to explore science topics. Each app encourages kids to meander, linger, and dive deeper at their own pace.

An app to see what’s inside: The Human Body

The Human Body (iOS and Android)

Seeing what’s inside.

The Human Body offers a visually and aurally interesting way to wander through the body’s organs, systems, and functions.

How it works: In The Human Body ( iOS and Android ), kids explore anatomy by jumping around to different organs and systems—for example, watching a mouth chew food and swallow drink, sliding into a stomach breaking down food, and following flashing nerve signals as they race up to the brain.

Why it’s great: The Human Body focuses less on teaching kids specific anatomical lessons and more on sparking wonder and fascination toward the body and what it can do. The app’s engaging visuals are neither cartoonish nor graphic, and the thoughtful sound effects are as compelling and instructive as the animations: Gurgles, wooshes, creaks, and spurts give kids a visceral sense of what’s happening inside them. You can toggle on or off the text labels that identify the systems and organs, but no reading is required to get deep into the app, making it equally accessible to pre-readers.

An app for discovering nature: Toca Nature

Toca Nature (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Natural-world building.

Toca Nature is an open-ended building app—similar to Minecraft—where kids can explore and shape the terrain, collect resources, and observe wildlife.

Ages: 4 and up

How it works: In Toca Nature ( iOS , Android , Amazon ), kids start with a simple plot of land where they can raise or lower mountains, create lakes, clear or plant forests, and make deserts. They can zoom in to different areas of their terrain to collect and distribute resources (like mushrooms, fish, or berries). As they change and shape the environment, different kinds of animals, plants, and fish will appear, multiply, migrate, or disappear.

Why it’s great: Similar to popular narrative-less building games like Minecraft , Toca Nature harnesses the enjoyment kids get from open-ended creating, wandering, and exploring games, with a unique focus on the natural world. Common Sense Media senior editor Christine Elgersma said that an app like Toca Nature doesn’t have explicit learning goals—it’s not trying to teach kids the names of animals or types of terrain, for example—but rather is “an exploratory app with experiences that a kid really couldn’t have off screen.” By creating and manipulating the environment, and then observing how the plant and wildlife change as a result, kids can see how animals, resources, and the environment interact.

An app for exploring space: Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System

Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Cats in space.

Explore the solar system with a jet-propelled cat.

Ages: 8 to 12, or 6 and up with an adult

How it works: Kids explore the app much as they would read a book, delving into facts, illustrations, and animations about planets, moons, stars, and space exploration. At various points, quizzes and other challenges let you earn sardine treats for Professor Astro Cat.

Why it’s great: Jana Grcevich , an astronomer, science educator, and author , told us she enjoyed the Professor Astro Cat app ( iOS , Android , and Amazon ), along with the popular book series it’s based on, with her then 6-year-old niece. The app requires reading, but the entertaining storyline and fascinating facts make it fun for adults along with younger children.

Social and emotional learning , which includes self-awareness, empathy, communication skills, and building relationships, among other capacities, has increasingly been recognized as a critical component of children’s education. These three apps let young kids explore different aspects of self-expression, emotions, and social play.

An app for self-expression: Me: A Kid’s Diary

Me: A Kid's Diary (iOS)

A digital diary.

This app lets kids explore self-expression through drawing, writing, photos, and audio and video.

Ages: 7 and up

How it works: Kids create a digital diary of their lives by answering questions about themselves; making avatars for family members, friends, and other loved ones; and designing their own media. Kids navigate all these entries on their Me Map, a sort of multimedia landscape of their lives.

Why it’s great: Me: A Kid’s Diary helps kids creatively document their feelings, experiences, and loved ones through different media and modes of expression. In some ways, the app offers an experience akin to social media—uploading photos, making videos, writing reflections, and mapping personal connections—but in an entirely closed environment (there’s no actual communication or sharing within the app). This can create a space for kids to start to explore (and for parents to discuss) digital self-expression and sharing.

An app for emotions: Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings

Daniel Tiger's Grr-ific Feelings (iOS, Android, and Amazon)

Exploring emotions.

The beloved PBS character helps young kids identify, act out, and explore their feelings through games, songs and creative activities.

Ages: 2 to 5

How it works: Kids explore the familiar world of the PBS Kids series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood ( iOS , Android , Amazon ) through simple games, songs, and art activities that focus on identifying and exploring feelings and emotions. It offers different ways for kids to practice, talk about, and experience emotions, such as by drawing a picture, taking a photo of themselves feeling angry or happy, or practicing a calming exercise with Daniel Tiger.

Why it’s great: The app is simple and accessible for very young kids, with frequent verbal cues and reminders to help them through the easily navigable interface. “Even without the Daniel tie-in, it could actually still be a pretty successful app for teaching a lot of social, emotional, and self-care skills,” said Harry Sawyers, Wirecutter senior editor and father of three. “But having the familiar characters and songs really helps jump-start their interest if, for example, they ‘have to go potty—stop, and go right awaaaaay!’”

An app for social play: Toca Tea Party

Toca Tea Party (iOS)

Tea for two (or more).

Toca Tea Party presents the elements of a tea party—drinks, desserts, and dishes—for unstructured imaginative play.

Ages: 2 and up

How it works: Toca Tea Party couldn’t be simpler: You set a tea table with plates, cups, drinks, and treats for three guests, and the rest is up to your imagination. There’s no objective beyond pouring drinks, munching treats, and wiping up spills, and the app has a built-in end point: Once you’ve finished the snacks and beverages, the table clears itself and the dishes drop into a sink, ending the party.

Why it’s great: Toca Tea Party isn’t so much a game as a scene for unstructured imaginative and social play for young children. Kids can play alone (perhaps by inviting dolls or stuffed animals as guests) or with one or two others—a unique feature for a tablet game to pull off well. My two daughters, now 4 and 5, haven’t tired of Toca Tea Party after two years, and their play centers on chatting, pretending, and sharing.

An app for reading: Epic! ebook subscription

Epic! e-book subscription

Endless ebooks.

This app allows young readers to choose from up to 35,000 different books for a low monthly cost.

How it works: For $8 a month, kids gain access to some 35,000 children’s books in an intuitively designed app. Epic’s library is updated regularly with new titles, including classics and the site’s original content. Many of the picture books have a “Read to me” function, where a narrator reads the text aloud and the pages turn automatically. The app also suggests books by age and based on what a child has previously read, allowing kids to easily discover new titles at their reading level. Epic! works on iOS, Android and Microsoft tablets and smartphones.

Why it’s great: While some subscription kids’ e-book apps tend to be populated with the kinds of uninteresting titles you’d find in a bookstore bargain bin, Epic! offers an impressive library of children’s books, including many of the beloved classics and award-winning authors you’d find in a well-curated children’s library. (The Wizard of Oz, with the original 1900 illustrations, was one memorable find that gave us many nights of rapt bedtime reading.) The app is simple enough to use that both of my daughters can independently browse books by the cover art and find what interests them—even though they are both pre-readers. Fairy tales abound, but I’ve also found them paging through books about geology, Ramadan, and coding.

Since we began researching learning apps in 2016, we’ve spoken with a range of experts, including a classroom teacher, a child developmental psychologist, a pediatrician, an astronomer, education researchers, app developers, and others.

These have included Kathy Hirsh-Pasek , a professor of psychology at Temple University who has written about and conducted research studies on educational apps for young children; Jennifer Auten , an award-winning teacher in Cupertino, California, who has been using tablet and smartphone apps in her first- and second-grade curricula since the iPad was released in 2010; Christine Elgersma , senior editor, parent education, for Common Sense Media, an organization focused on children’s media; and Pat Yongpradit , chief academic officer at Code.org, a nonprofit that advocates for computer science education. Last, we’ve spoken with parents on our staff for recommendations of apps they and their kids love in categories such as science, music, and coding.

We read articles and reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and child developmental psychologists and educational researchers to learn about kids’ media use and about principles for designing learning apps. Finally, we read through reviews and ratings from well-regarded children’s media sites such as Common Sense Media .

Similar to what we found when researching learning toys , we discovered that developers and app stores often label apps as “educational” with little research or evidence, and few experts, to support those claims. In 2016, the AAP released a broad report on children’s use of digital media, calling for more-rigorous evaluation of apps that claim to be educational: “Unfortunately, very few of the commercially available apps found in the educational section of app stores have evidence-based design input with demonstrated learning effectiveness.” Similarly, in a 2015 article , Hirsh-Pasek writes that educational apps “present a significant opportunity for out-of-school, informal learning when designed in educationally appropriate ways” but notes later on that “[o]nly a handful of apps are designed with an eye toward how children actually learn.”

Experts are still studying what makes learning apps successful pedagogical tools, as well as fun and interesting activities for kids. But after speaking with experts, reading research, and trying out apps ourselves, we identified a few features that seem to be common among great learning apps.

• Offer unique experiences: Several of the experts we spoke to noted that a good educational app should offer children something they couldn’t simply do, learn, or explore in a classroom or the real world. If the app is “basically a worksheet on screen, [or] an experience that could be replicated off screen, then that’s not a good use of the screen,” Elgersma said. “You want it to be an experience that kids could really only have in that screen world.”
• Be open-ended, with limits: Most of the apps in this guide are open-ended in the sense that they encourage kids to independently explore, create, and navigate within the app. But researchers say it’s important to have built-in limits, as well. The AAP has pointed out that digital games have traditionally been designed with rewards and reinforcement designed to keep kids playing as long as possible. The organization recommends that learning apps instead have “automatic ‘stops’ as the default design to encourage children and caregivers to pause the game use and turn to the 3-dimensional world.”
• Be engaging but not distracting: Apps have great potential to engage children through interactive features, but some research has shown that too many bells and whistles can distract children or reduce their comprehension. A good learning app uses interactive, animated, and responsive features to engage kids or enhance their comprehension, not simply to entertain. Hirsh-Pasek has written that parents should evaluate an app’s interactive features and ask: “Do the enhancements actually add value and increase engagement, or do they cause distraction?”
• Encourage interaction: The AAP and other organizations say that learning apps that encourage real-life interaction among multiple people—adult and child, or child and peers—can be especially strong at facilitating learning. The apps in this guide are fun and interesting for kids and adults, and many foster conversation and play outside of the app itself.

As with our guide to learning toys , we focused primarily on apps aimed at kids 3 to 9 years old, though older kids can enjoy many of our recommendations, as well. We chose this age range because, as Hirsh-Pasek has written , “there are so many apps targeted toward [children in this range] that parents and educators do not know how to navigate the marketplace of possibilities.”

All the apps we recommend in this guide adhere to the FTC’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act . Among other things, COPPA requires that websites and apps directed at children under age 13 obtain permission from parents before collecting or sharing personal information from children, or targeting them with behavioral advertising. None of the apps in this guide require children to enter personal information in order to use the app’s functions, and none offer social media sharing or connectivity.

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, et al., Putting Education in “Educational” Apps: Lessons From the Science of Learning , Psychological Science in the Public Interest , April 20, 2015

Yolanda (Linda) Reid Chassiakos, et al., Children and Adolescents and Digital Media , Pediatrics , October 1, 2016

Jana Grcevich, PhD, astronomer, science educator, author , phone interview , December 1, 2016

Jennifer Auten, first- and second-grade teacher, Cupertino, California , phone interview , November 8, 2016

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, professor of psychology, Temple University , phone interview , January 8, 2019

Christine Elgersma, senior editor, parent education, Common Sense Media , phone interview , March 12, 2019

Pat Yongpradit, chief academic officer, Code.org , phone interview , April 18, 2019

Meet your guide

Courtney Schley

Courtney Schley, a senior editor covering sleep and appliances, has been at Wirecutter since 2014. She has held several roles at Wirecutter, including research editor, as well as supervising editor of baby and kid coverage.

Further reading

Kids Exercise Videos to Help Keep Your Family Moving (and Sane)

by Ingrid Skjong

Free online exercise videos can help everyone from toddlers to teenagers stay active and calm during a coronavirus self-quarantine. These are our favorites.

How to Set Up a Remote Learning Space for Your Kids

by Melanie Pinola

With many schools closed this fall, it’s time to set up a remote schoolwork area for kids that’ll make learning a little easier.

These Four Video Games Are Fun for the Whole Family

by Haley Perry

If you’re looking for a video game for your next family game night, these are the games we recommend for all ages and skill levels.

8 Time-Tested Sidewalk Games We Love

by Dan Koeppel

Old-school games from the sidewalks of New York are still surprisingly fun—and require not much more than chalk.

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Turn screen time into quality time with Stride Learning Solutions’ game-based learning tools and content, designed to spark curiosity in digital natives.

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40+ Best Online Educational Games for Every Grade in 2023

Make screen time meaningful and fun!

Kids are always asking for more screen time, and parents and teachers are always looking for ways to make that screen time more worthwhile. Fortunately, there are endless free online games for kids that teach language arts, math, science, art, and STEM. If you’re not quite sure where to get started, try this list of our favorite teacher-approved online educational games. You’ll find educational games for students in every subject and every grade.

Preschool and Elementary Online Educational Games

Middle and high school online educational games.

Offering a full curriculum for children ages 2 to 8, this site includes fun and interactive games, songs, and puzzles for reading, math, science, and art. (Free for teachers and classrooms; subscription available for home use)

Adventure Academy

From the same company as ABCMouse, Adventure Academy takes kids ages 8 to 13 on a knowledge quest through language arts, math, science, and social studies. (First month free, then monthly subscription fee)

Looking to improve outcomes in a way that kids will enjoy? This educational game takes K-12 students on a time-traveling adventure to meet some of the most influential mathematicians in history. (Monthly or annual subscription plans for families; schools request price quote)

Duck Duck Moose Reading

Based on Common Core State Standards, this app teaches phonics including the letter sounds for all consonants, short vowels, and long vowels. Kids will also practice spelling consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. If you like this one, check out Duck Duck Moose’s whole collection of school games online. (Apps are free to download and play.)

Test your knowledge while earning rice for those in need! Each time you play, you’re helping the United Nations World Food Programme provide food to those around the world who need it. The game offers a variety of subjects and difficulty levels. (Free)

Dive into a coral reef or be a star climber on this great site that features a wide assortment of free online games for kids. These educational games focus mainly on reading and math, but you’ll find lots of fun activities here with options for pre-K through grade 8. (Free)

Gamestar Mechanic

Do you have gamers in your class? This site helps kids ages 7 through 14 learn how to design their very own video games through game-based quests and courses. (Free)

Whether they’re jetpacking through the stars in Zapp Von Doubler’s Space Race or clearing weeds in the garden in Om Petalhead’s Flower Power, kids will enjoy this collection of fun educational games that get them up and moving! (Free)

KUBO Play – Coding for Kids

KUBO Play is an interactive online platform that teaches coding and computational thinking to early learners. Its three activity modes (Free Play, Practice, and Story) include more than 100 coding tasks combined. You can even customize your students’ learning pathways. (Contact for pricing)

Learning Games for Kids: Health Games

Kids in grades K-5 can learn about a range of health topics, from body parts to staying fit, with these interactive online games. They’re perfect for science learning enrichment. (Free)

Little Alchemy 2

This deceptively simple game is actually a lot of fun. Kids (and teachers!) can experiment with combining different elements, such as fire or dirt, to create something entirely new. It encourages creative thinking as well as knowledge of the world around us. (Free)

Minecraft: Education Edition

Kids love the regular Minecraft video game, but this education-focused version takes learning to the next level. With lessons, STEM curriculum, and project-based challenges, this immersive digital environment promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. (Priced per user, per year)

Moose Math engages kids in a mathematical adventure and teaches counting, addition, subtraction, sorting, geometry, and more. While playing five multi-level activities in the Moose Juice Store, Puck’s Pet Shop, and Lost & Found, kids can earn rewards to help build their own city and decorate buildings. (Free)

Multiplication.com

Need to master your multiplication facts? This is the site to try! Fun games and memory-building strategies will help students tackle this key skill. (Free, with Premium membership available for extra features)

National Geographic Kids

Head out on the trail with Captain John Smith, explore Ancient Greece with Zeus the Mighty, or just take a quiz about sharks on this robust site filled with great educational games for students. (Free)

PBS Kids Games

You’ll find everything from social studies to teamwork and feelings in this incredible collection of games that vary in degree of difficulty. The website is truly filled with some of the very best educational games centering on science, social studies, history, and art. (Free)

Prodigy Math

Looking for personalized math lessons for your students? Kids in grades 1-8 take a Prodigy placement test that generates games tailored to their strengths and weaknesses. They’ll build confidence by solving math challenges to progress in the game. (Free)

RoomRecess.com

Access over 140 online educational games for kids in grades K-6 on this site, which was developed by an elementary school teacher with a focus on reinforcing fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving. (Free)

Roy: Tale of a Singing Zebra

Kids pre-K to grade 2 will enjoy the punctuation, reading, and spelling games on this cute, simple site. You’ll also find online guided-reading stories and lesson plans for teachers. (Free)

Starfall activities are research-based and align with individual and Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics. There are engaging and interactive games for students in grades K-3. (Some free content with subscriptions available)

Teachers love this great site that offers personalized math and spelling practice for kids ages 5 through 13 through adaptive learning and multi-player games. This is definitely one of the best online educational game sites out there! (Monthly subscription fee)

How good are your airbrush skills? Which famous artist should design your bedroom? Are you a master of street art? Kids can explore these questions and more with the cool quizzes and games on this art-focused site from the Tate Gallery. (Free)

Toy Theater

How would your students like to learn multiplication while shooting hoops? They can do that and more at Toy Theater, which teaches early math concepts through game-based learning. (Free)

Turtle Diary

Introduce kids to new, exciting ways of learning with the help of fun online games, videos, experiments, puzzles, coloring sheets, and more! Turtle Diary activities pair with the appropriate grade level to enhance retention of material and increase success in the classroom. (Free)

The games and challenges on Tynker give kids ages 5 and up a fun and easy way to build coding skills. This is one of the top online educational games for young coders— see more of our favorites here . (Subscription required)

Vocabulary A-Z

Dive into engaging learning activities and games for kids in first through sixth grades, designed to promote vocabulary, spelling, phonics, and language arts. (Free basic access; Premium membership unlocks complete library)

Algebraic Reasoning Sweet Shop

Who doesn’t like candy? Buy and sell sweet treats in this game that helps students grasp concepts related to price and purchasing. (Free)

Boat Coordinates

Use this fun boating game to learn and practice concepts related to grids and quadrants. Race along the X and Y axes to get to the finish line as fast as you can! (Free)

Cells Alive

This information website provides all sorts of interactive ways to learn about cells! Interactive models, puzzles, and more all help tell the story of this building block of life. (Free)

This guessing game uses maps and photos from around the world to educate kids on world locations as well as historical landmarks and famous cities. User-made quizzes add to the guessing fun! (Free)

Get the Math

Explore all the ways you really do use algebra in the real world. Students see how professionals use math in music, fashion, video games, restaurants, basketball, and special effects. Then take on interactive challenges related to those careers. (Free)

Created by a high school student, this interactive review game is something kids can play on their own devices, earning in-game money for correct answers that they can use to buy upgrades and power-ups! (Free, with Pro subscriptions available)

High-Stakes Heist

Kids use their knowledge of the order of operations to crack the safes and help hero Kit Foxtail return the townspeoples’ money that was stolen by the evil Duke von Wolfington. They’ll have to think fast as they try to solve equations in the correct order before time runs out! (Free)

Help kids learn the foundations of civics and government with this collection of highly interactive games including Court Quest, Newsfeed Defenders, and Do I Have the Right? (Free)

Kids Environment Kids Health

Through a wide assortment of puzzles, riddles, brainteasers, and more, kids can learn about their own health and the health of the environment on this website from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (Free)

NASA STEM Engagement

With a variety of games, activities, and educational options to choose from, the NASA Stem Engagement site offers options for all grades. Learn, discover, and play online educational games related to space technology and exploration. (Free)

Physicsgames.net

This website offers dozens of different simple games to choose from that help educate kids on the mechanics of physics. Whether they are shooting pigs, knocking down walls, or trying to balance a building, they’ll learn and have fun at the same time. (Free)

Science Vocabulary Hangman

Use the clues to guess the scientific term before the cellular hangman disappears. Choose from literally hundreds of subject sets that include grade-specific vocab, state-level standardized tests, and more. (Free)

smokeSCREEN

As part of their #BeTheFirst Initiative, smokeSCREEN was developed by the play2PREVENT Lab, 1stPlayable, and Schell Games and funded by the NIH/FDA and the CVS Health Foundation. The game addresses the range of challenges that young teens face, with a dedicated focus on youth decision-making around smoking and vaping and strategies for both smoking prevention and cessation. Educators can request free access to the web-based game here . (Free)

Sortify: Angles

Learning about angles can be tricky, but this game uses cue cards and sorting bins to help students learn to properly classify angles into different categories. Make sure they’re all correct and then submit the responses to earn the most points. (Free)

Though Quizlet is known for its huge array of digital flash cards, this educational site offers much more for students. AI tutors help kids learn more about tricky subjects, plus transform their own notes into interactive learning activities. (Free; Quizlet Plus has more features available for a subscription fee)

Trigonometry Minigolf

Trigonometry has never been more fun than in this game that uses correct answers to power your golf swing as you aim for a hole in one! Miss an answer? The game will let you know what you did wrong and give you another shot. (Free)

Wrecks Factor

S.O.S.! Ships are sailing into your harbor and you need to help keep them from sinking! Solve the quadratic equations to keep the boats afloat and clear the board … if you take too long, boats start to sink and you lose a life. (Free)

Did we miss one of your favorite online educational games? Share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, 28 online interactive math games kids will love ..

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30+ Virtual Learning Platforms and Tools for Teachers and Kids

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Bachelor of Arts

Elementary Education Degree

Leads to Teacher Licensure

This Online Elementary Education Degree Qualifies You to Become a Licensed Teacher

Raise your hand if you're passionate about education and love working with young students! If you want to become an elementary teacher, a bachelor's degree in elementary education is exactly what you've been looking for. Put your passion to work with an elementary education degree and teaching career where you can make a meaningful contribution in students' lives as a licensed teacher. This online bachelor's education degree program gives you the skills and credentials you need to educate and care for diverse learners. And this online teaching degree program prepares you for teacher licensure in any of the 50 states, so you will be qualified to obtain your teaching certification no matter where you live. Learn more about teacher licenses in your state.

This bachelor's in elementary education program includes coursework and assessments, as well as a preclinical experience that includes observation hours. While you’ll complete your coursework online, you’ll also get in-classroom experience with a Student Teaching component hosted by an experienced elementary teacher and directed by a clinical supervisor.

68% of graduates finish within 

WGU lets you move more quickly through material you already know and advance as soon as you're ready. The result: You may finish this teaching bachelor's degree faster.

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Tuition per six-month term is

Do the math and you'll see that you're in control of the cost of your teaching degree. We charge tuition per-term instead of per-credit. Finish faster, pay less!  

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Your associate’s degree or previous college may waive some courses through transfer. We review your transcripts for transfer credits, helping you accelerate this bachelor's degree in education.

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Elementary Education Courses

Online elementary education courses focused on learning techniques for different kinds of students..

Program consists of 38 courses

At WGU, we design our curriculum to be timely, relevant, and practical—all to help you show that you know your stuff.

Earning a B.A. in Elementary Education provides theoretical depth and practical experience combined with curriculum planning and classroom management skills. Our goal is to help you connect with students of various levels with different learning techniques and strategies. This teaching degree program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation . This online elementary education bachelor's degree program was designed (and is regularly updated) with input from the experts on our Education Program Council. These experts know exactly what it takes for a graduate to qualify for a teacher’s license and be successful in a career teaching elementary school students. 

Some of the courses in this program may be waived through transfer from your previous college experience. The rest you will complete one at a time as you make your way through your program, working with your Program Mentor each term to build your personalized Degree Plan. You’ll work through each course as quickly as you can study and learn the material. This means that you can finish as many courses as you're able in a term at no additional cost.

Students will take eight professional core courses that will prepare them to handle unique educational situations and become better teachers. These elementary education courses focus on a variety of important topics including social and emotional learning, and technology and diversity inclusion in the classroom. Plus, students will get to use augmented reality experiences to give them the opportunity to practice their work before entering the classroom. These eight professional core courses are also coupled with preclinical experience to help ensure teachers are ready for their classroom.

This online elementary education degree is focused on helping you and your students thrive. The B.A. Elementary Education teaching program is a mostly online program, with some in-classroom requirements. You will complete your courses by studying and working independently with instruction and support from WGU faculty.

Washington students, please note that you will be required to complete one additional course that is not listed below: Survey of Pacific Northwest History for Educators. View the Washington program guide.

An unofficial estimated 14 courses are fulfilled by your associate degree leaving 27 courses.

This is an unofficial estimate of your transfer credit. You may recieve more or less credits depending upon the specific courses taken to complete your degree and other credits you may have.

Below are the anticipated courses that will be fulfilled based on your indication that you have earned an associate degree. During the enrollment process this information will be verified.

Welcome to Composition: Writing with a Strategy! In this course, you will focus on three main topics: understanding purpose, context, and audience, writing strategies and techniques, and editing and revising. In addition, the first section, will offer review on core elements of the writing process, cross-cultural communication, as well as working with words and common standards and practices. Each section includes learning opportunities through readings, videos, audio, and other relevant resources. Assessment activities with feedback also provide opportunities to check your learning, practice, and show how well you understand course content. Because the course is self-paced, you may move through the material as quickly or as slowly as you need to gain proficiency in the seven competencies that will be covered in the final assessment. If you have no prior knowledge or experience, you can expect to spend 30-40 hours on the course content.

In this course you will learn key critical thinking concepts and how to apply them in the analysis and evaluation of reasons and evidence. The course examines the basic components of an argument, the credibility of evidence sources, the impact of bias, and how to construct an argument that provides good support for a claim. The course consists of an introduction and four major sections. Each section includes learning opportunities through readings, videos, audio, and other relevant resources. Assessment activities with feedback also provide opportunities to check your learning, practice, and show how well you understand course content. Because the course is self-paced, you may move through the material as quickly or as slowly as you need to gain proficiency in the four competencies that will be covered in the final assessment. If you have no prior knowledge or experience, you can expect to spend 30-40 hours on the course content.

Welcome to Introduction to Communication: Connecting with Others! It may seem like common knowledge that communication skills are important, and that communicating with others is inescapable in our everyday lives. While this may appear simplistic, the study of communication is actually complex, dynamic, and multifaceted. Strong communication skills are invaluable to strengthening a multitude of aspects of life. Specifically, this course will focus on communication in the professional setting, and present material from multiple vantage points, including communicating with others in a variety of contexts, across situations, and with diverse populations. Upon completion, you will have a deeper understanding of both your own and others’ communication behaviors, and a toolbox of effective behaviors to enhance your experience in the workplace.

Welcome to Composition: Successful Self-Expression! In this course, you will focus on four main topics: professional writing for a cross-cultural audience, narrowing research topics and questions, researching for content to support a topic, and referencing research sources. Each section includes learning opportunities through readings, videos, audio, and other relevant resources. Assessment activities with feedback also provide opportunities to check your learning, practice, and show how well you understand course content. Because the course is self-paced, you may move through the material as quickly or as slowly as you need to gain proficiency in the seven competencies that will be covered in the final assessment. If you have no prior knowledge or experience, you can expect to spend 30-40 hours on the course content. You will demonstrate competency through a performance assessment. There is no prerequisite for this course and there is no specific technical knowledge needed.

Mathematics for Elementary Educators I guides preservice elementary teachers in an investigation of number systems, place value, number theory, and ratio and proportion. This is the first course in a three-course sequence.  There are no prerequisites for this course.

This is Introduction to Physical and Human Geography, a three-module course that addresses the question of what geography really is in today's complex world; how migration affects—and has been affected by—geography; and one of the biggest present problems related to geography: climate change. Because the course is self-paced, you may move through the material as quickly or as slowly as you need to, with the goal of demonstrating proficiency in the five competencies covered in the final assessment. If you have no prior knowledge of this material, you can expect to spend 30–40 hours on the course content.

​This course presents a broad survey of U.S. history from early colonization to the mid-twentieth century. The course explores how historical events and major themes in American history have affected diverse populations, influenced changes in policy an established the American definition of democracy.  This course consists of an introduction and five major sections. Each section includes learning opportunities through reading, images, videos, and other relevant resources. Assessment activities with feedback also provide opportunities to practice and check how well you understand the content. Because the course is self-paced, you may move through the material as quickly or as slowly as you need to, with the goal of demonstrating proficiency in the five competencies covered in the final assessment. If you have no prior knowledge of this material, you can expect to spend 30-40 hours on the course content.​ 

This course provides students with an overview of the basic principles and unifying ideas of the physical sciences: physics, chemistry, and earth sciences. Course materials focus on scientific reasoning and practical, everyday applications of physical science concepts to help students integrate conceptual knowledge with practical skills.

This course provides students an introduction to using the scientific method and engaging in scientific research to reach conclusions about the natural world. Students will design and carry out an experiment to investigate a hypothesis by gathering quantitative data. They will also research a specific ecosystem using academic sources and draw conclusions from their findings.

This is a Global Arts and Humanities course that contains three modules with corresponding lessons. This course is an invitation to see the world through the humanities, examine the humanities during the Information Age, and explore the global origins of music—essentially questioning what makes us human, and how people are connected across culture and time. Each module includes learning opportunities through readings, videos, audio, and other relevant resources. Assessment activities with feedback also provide opportunities to practice and check learning. With no prior knowledge or experience, a learner can expect to spend 30-40 hours on the course content.

Mathematics for Elementary Educators II engages preservice elementary school teachers in mathematical practices of algebraic reasoning. This course explores important algebraic topics such as patterns, expressions and equations, linear equations, inequalities, and functions. This is the second course in a three-course sequence. 

American Politics and the U.S. Constitution examines the evolution of representative government in the United States and the changing interpretations of the civil rights and civil liberties protected by the Constitution. This course will give candidates an understanding of the powers of the branches of the federal government, the continual tensions inherent in a federal system, the shifting relationship between state and federal governments, and the interactions between elected officials and the ever-changing electorate. This course will focus on such topics as the role of a free press in a democracy, the impact of changing demographics on American politics, and the debates over and expansion of civil rights. Upon completion of the course, candidates should be able to explain the basic functions of the federal government, describe the forces that shape American policy and politics, and be better prepared to participate in America’s civic institutions. This course has no prerequisite.

Mathematics for Elementary Educators III engages preservice elementary teachers in important concepts in geometry, measurement, data analysis and statistics, and probability. This is the third course in a three-course sequence. 

The School as a Community of Care is a key component of WGU's Professional Core and is a required course for all initial licensure candidates. This course prepares candidates to meet the social and emotional needs of learners, taking into account theories and philosophical perspectives on child and adolescent development and learning. Candidates learn to effectively collaborate with parents, families, caregivers, and other community stakeholders in each child's education, to build a strong foundation for academic and personal success. Emphasis is placed on family engagement as candidates gain knowledge of individual, cultural, and community assets that can be used to facilitate learner growth and development, as well as understand mental health and emotional differences among learners that may necessitate leveraging additional resources to support students' wellbeing. Issues of youth mental health, substance abuse, suicide awareness and prevention, and abuse within families will be addressed as will the importance of parent involvement. Candidates will engage in seven hours of preclinical experiences, which include visual observations of learning environments that involve parents and families in their children's' education while supporting the social and emotional learning (SEL) needs of learners and an interview with an educational professional to explore topics related to parent involvement, youth mental health issues, and professional responsibilities to ensure student wellbeing. Additionally, crosscutting themes of technology and diversity are interwoven for further development.

Educational Foundations is a key component of WGU's Professional Core and is a required course for all initial licensure candidates. The course provides candidates with early classroom experience where they observe multiple school settings at three different levels of schooling and interview an educator to learn how state standards and various legal and ethical issues affect classrooms today. The course also provides candidates with opportunities to gain foundational knowledge about what it means to be a teacher in the current educational context while exploring their future role within the larger landscape of historical and cultural influences. This course ensures candidates have a firm grasp on important issues affecting educators including state standards-based curriculum, legal and ethical requirements affecting educational opportunities, and professionalism, preparing them for subsequent coursework within the Professional Core and their content area major courses. Five preclinical hours are interwoven throughout this course, and cross-cutting themes of technology and diversity are introduced for further development throughout the candidate’s programs.

Educational Psychology and Development of Children and Adolescents is a key component of WGU’s Professional Core and is a required course for all initial licensure candidates. This course prepares candidates to support classroom practices grounded in research-validated principles from the areas of educational psychology and child/adolescent development. Candidates will be introduced to learning theories that equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to support the diverse populations of students with whom they will interact. This course addresses theories of human development, spanning early childhood through adolescence, and candidates completing this course will be able to explain and analyze the guiding perspectives on linguistic, physical, cognitive, and social development. This course will also cover appropriate instructional and assessment strategies to support student learning and development. Candidates will engage in four hours of virtual classroom observations related to issues in educational psychology and learner development. Cross-cutting themes of technology and diversity are interwoven for further development.

Fundamentals of Diverse Learners is a key component of WGU's Professional Core and is a required course for all initial licensure candidates. This course prepares candidates to consider and address the wide range of learning needs in the classrooms of today. This course teaches candidates to identify and support the needs of diverse populations of learners, including, for example, students with disabilities (Including Dyslexia), students who are English language learners, and students who are gifted and talented. Practical strategies for differentiating instruction while creating a safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning environment are explored. This course helps candidates develop skills for partnering with parents and advocating for all students, particularly those impacted by provisions of IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Multitiered systems of support are addressed to prepare candidates for their future classrooms as they seek to select appropriate instructional practices and interventions to best serve their students. Candidates will engage in four hours of preclinical experiences that include a simulated teaching experience in which skills learned can be applied. Cross-cutting themes of technology and diversity are interwoven for further development.

Managing Engaging Learning Environments is a key component of WGU's Professional Core and is a required course for all initial licensure candidates. This course prepares candidates to establish and contribute to safe and productive learning environments that support the success of all learners by ensuring student engagement and motivation for learning. Candidates will learn strategies, such as incorporating consistent routines and expectations, to provide positive behavior supports, increase learner motivation, promote active learning and self-direction, and ensure a safe and productive classroom setting that fosters a sense of community through collaborative educational practices. The course will culminate in evidence-based, practical application of current strategies, theories, or philosophical perspectives related to motivating and engaging all students in a learning community. Candidates will engage in seven hours of preclinical experiences that include both virtual observations of classroom settings and time in a simulated classroom environment where theory can be put into practice. Cross-cutting themes of technology and diversity are interwoven for further development.

Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment is a key component of WGU's Professional Core and is a required course for all initial licensure candidates. This course provides candidates with the knowledge and skills necessary to create engaging and standards-aligned lessons that meet the needs of all learners. Candidates will learn to analyze learner needs based on a variety of inputs, including their state P–12 standards, assessment results, and knowledge of learner differences. This course will help candidates design, deliver, and modify instruction in accordance to needs and educational requirements. Candidates will engage in three hours of preclinical experiences that include virtual classroom observations. They also will record a short teaching segment, allowing for authentic teaching experience. Crosscutting themes of technology and diversity are interwoven for continued development.

Assessing Impact on Student Learning is a key component of WGU's Professional Core and is a required course for all initial licensure candidates. This course equips candidates to evaluate student learning and their own professional practice, ensuring candidates are prepared to ensure all learners' success. In this course, candidates learn multiple methods of assessment to ensure they are able to implement a balanced approach to assessment while monitoring their students’ progress. Assessments types such as formative, summative, standardized, and common assessments are addressed so candidates understand their purposes and can apply them within the context of a lesson to determine impact on learning. Data literacy skills are taught to ensure candidates interpret and analyze individual and classroom data and apply their knowledge in ways that support academic success. Candidates will engage in three hours of preclinical experiences that include virtual classroom observations. Cross-cutting themes of technology and diversity are interwoven for further development.

Educational Technology for Teaching and Learning is a key component of WGU's professional core and is a required course for all initial licensure candidates. This course prepares candidates to incorporate technology into their classroom practices in ways that improve teaching and learning. The ISTE standards will form the basis for their practice. The material will teach candidates to critically evaluate software and hardware options that may positively impact the classroom environment, while also increasing their awareness of ethical usage and considerations related to equity, access to technology, and appropriate use of technology by P–12 students. Assistive technologies to meet the needs of a diverse learner population also will be taught in this course. Candidates will engage in three hours of preclinical experience including virtual observations of classroom practices incorporating technology in order to achieve educational goals. Crosscutting themes of technology and diversity are interwoven for further development.

Inclusive Classroom introduces and prepares candidates to use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance the learning of elementary students with mild to moderate exceptionalities. The beginning of the course focuses on multitiered systems of support. Strategies for intensifying and individualizing instructional interventions, such as making instructional decisions based on progress monitoring data and collaborating with the special education teacher, are targeted. The second portion of the course provides opportunities for candidates to incorporate intensive instructional strategies and practice making accommodations to elementary math and literacy lesson plans based on learner characteristics, performance data, and Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. This course is designed to be taken by candidates after they have completed D091, Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment; C365 Lang. Arts Instruction and Intervention; C909, Elementary Reading Methods and Interventions; and C109, Elementary Mathematics Methods.

Elementary Reading Methods and Interventions provides candidates with an in-depth look at best practices for developing reading and writing skills. Course content examines the science of reading, the stages of and approaches to literacy development, differentiation, technology integration, literacy assessment, and Multitiered Systems of Supports (MTSS), including the comprehensive response to intervention (RTI) model used to identify and address the needs of learners who struggle with reading comprehension. This course is designed to be taken after successful completion of Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.

Language Arts Instruction and Intervention helps students learn how to implement effective language arts instruction and intervention in the elementary classroom. Topics include written and spoken English, expanding students' knowledge, literature rich environments, differentiated instruction, technology for reading and writing, assessment strategies for reading and writing, and strategies for developing academic language. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Elementary Mathematics Methods helps students learn how to implement effective math instruction in the elementary classroom. Topics include differentiated math instruction, mathematical communication, mathematical tools for instruction, assessing math understanding, integrating math across the curriculum, critical thinking development, standards-based mathematics instruction, and mathematical models and representation. This course is designed to be taken after successful completion of Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment OR Introduction to Instructional Planning and Presentation AND Instructional Planning and Presentation in Elementary or Special Education.

Elementary Science Methods helps students learn how to implement effective science instruction in the elementary classroom. Topics include processes of science, science inquiry, science learning environments, instructional strategies for science, differentiating instruction for science, assessing science understanding, technology for science instruction, standards-based science instruction, integrating science across the curriculum, and science beyond the classroom. This course is designed to be taken after successful completion of Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment OR Introduction to Instructional Planning and Presentation AND Instructional Planning and Presentation in Elementary or Special Education.

Elementary Social Studies Methods helps students learn how to implement effective social studies instruction in the elementary classroom. Topics include social studies themes, promoting cultural diversity, integrated social studies across the curriculum, social studies learning environments, assessing social studies understanding, differentiated instruction for social studies, technology for social studies instruction, and standards-based social studies instruction. This course is designed to be taken after successful completion of Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment OR Introduction to Instructional Planning and Presentation AND Instructional Planning and Presentation in Elementary or Special Education.

Elementary Physical Education and Health Methods helps students learn how to implement effective physical and health education instruction in the elementary classroom. Topics include healthy lifestyles, student safety, student nutrition, physical education, differentiated instruction for physical and health education, physical education across the curriculum, and public policy in health and physical education. This course is designed to be taken after successful completion of Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment OR Introduction to Instructional Planning and Presentation AND Instructional Planning and Presentation in Elementary or Special Education.

Elementary Visual and Performing Arts Methods helps students learn how to implement effective visual and performing arts instruction in the elementary classroom. Topics include integrating arts across the curriculum, music education, visual arts, dance and movement, dramatic arts, differentiating instruction for visual and performing arts, and promoting cultural diversity through visual and performing arts instruction. This course is designed to be taken after successful completion of Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment OR Introduction to Instructional Planning and Presentation AND Instructional Planning and Presentation in Elementary or Special Education.

Elementary Disciplinary Literacy examines teaching strategies designed to help learners in grades K–6 develop the literacy skills necessary to read, write, and think critically while engaging content in different academic disciplines. Course content highlights strategies to help learners distinguish between the unique characteristics of informational texts while improving comprehension and writing proficiency across the curriculum. Strategies to encourage inquiry and cultivate skills in critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity also are addressed. This course is designed to be taken after successful completion of Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment OR Introduction to Instructional Planning and Presentation AND Instructional Planning and Presentation in Elementary or Special Education.

Children's Literature is an introduction to and exploration of children's literature. Students will consider and analyze children's literature as a lens through which to view the world. Students will experience multiple genres, historical perspectives, cultural representations, and current applications in the field of children's literature. This course is designed to be taken after successful completion of Introduction to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment OR Introduction to Instructional Planning and Presentation AND Instructional Planning and Presentation in Elementary or Special Education.

This course is a foundational introduction to the biological sciences. The overarching theories of life from biological research are explored as well as the fundamental concepts and principles of the study of living organisms and their interaction with the environment. Key concepts include how living organisms use and produce energy; how life grows, develops, and reproduces; how life responds to the environment to maintain internal stability; and how life evolves and adapts to the environment.

Preclinical Experiences in Elementary provides students the opportunity to observe and participate in a wide range of in-classroom teaching experiences in order to develop the skills and confidence necessary to be an effective teacher. Students will reflect on and document the 75 hours of in-classroom observation and experience in their performance assessments. Prior to entering the classroom for the observations, students will be required to meet several requirements including a cleared background check, passing scores on the state or WGU required basic skills exam and a completed resume.

The Teacher Performance Assessment course is a culmination of the wide variety of skills learned during a student’s time in the Teachers College at WGU. In order to be a competent and independent classroom teacher, students will showcase a collection of their content, planning, instructional, and reflective skills. This course is eligible for an In Progress grade. Please see the Grading Scale Policy for more information.

Professional Portfolio requires candidates to create an online teaching portfolio that demonstrates professional beliefs, growth, and effective teaching practices from the Demonstration Teaching experience. The portfolio includes reflective essays (educational beliefs, professional growth, and collaboration with stakeholders) and professional artifacts (resume and artifacts with commentary on academic language, systems of student support, education technology, and professional communication with families) developed and acquired during Demonstration Teaching. This course is eligible for an In Progress grade. Please see the Grading Scale Policy for more information.

Cohort Seminar provides mentoring and supports teacher candidates during their demonstration teaching period by providing weekly collaboration and instruction related to the demonstration teaching experience. It facilitates their demonstration of competence in becoming reflective practitioners, adhering to ethical standards, practicing inclusion in a diverse classroom, exploring community resources, building collegial and collaborative relationships with teachers, and considering leadership and supervisory skills. This course is eligible for an In Progress grade. Please see the Grading Scale Policy for more information.

Professional Portfolio

Special requirements for this program

You will complete a professional portfolio, which will include your resume and Philosophy of Teaching Statement and serve as a way to showcase the skills you have acquired throughout your degree program and Student Teaching. 

Skills For Your Résumé

As part of this program, you will develop a range of valuable skills that employers are looking for. 

• Lesson Planning:   Created effective lesson plans for optimal instrucitonal delivery. 
• Teaching:   Established positive and meaningful relationships with students, fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment.
• Classroom Management:   Developed and implemented organizational routines and norms for classroom discourse and student work, fostering an environment conducive to effective learning and collaboration.
• Research:   Expertly evaluated research evidence, identifying weaknesses, inconsistencies, biases, and other issues to ensure the reliability of information.
• Writen Communication:   Communicated ideas with clarity and precision through written communication techniques.
• Communication:   Delivered messages through tailored communication methods, ensuring resonance with diverse audiences. 

“After completing my degree, my husband also completed his degree at WGU and went back to pursue his master's degree at WGU. It is not unreasonable for our family to say that WGU changed our lives.”

—Amanda Rogers B.A. Elementary Education

WGU vs. Traditional Universities Compare the Difference

Traditional Universities

TUITION STRUCTURE

Per credit hour

Flat rate per 6-month term

Schedule and wait days or even weeks to meet with one of many counselors

Simply email or call to connect with your designated Program Mentor who supports you from day one

Scheduled time

Whenever you feel ready

Professor led lectures at a certain time and place

Courses available anytime, from anywhere

TIME TO FINISH

Approximately 4 years, minimal acceleration options

As quickly as you can master the material, typically less than 3 years

TRANSFER CREDITS

Few accepted, based on certain schools and specific courses

A generous transfer policy that is based on your specific situation

You Aren't On Your Own

WGU has Program Mentors who work with you from the day you start, all the way through graduation. They help you set up your Student Teaching, learn about teaching certification in your state, and more. You're not alone when you choose an online education degree at WGU.

On Your Schedule

Students choose WGU for their  online teaching degree program  because of its flexibility. Whether you already have a full-time job, have responsibilities as a parent, or just have a busy schedule, WGU can work for you.

Licensure In Any State

WGU's online elementary education degree prepares you for a teaching license in any state in the United States. It's valuable to learn the other requirements in your state to know the full process for gaining licensure.

Accredited, Respected, Recognized™

One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.

COST & TIME

An Affordable Elementary Education Bachelor's Degree Program

By charging per six-month term rather than per credit—and empowering students to accelerate through material they know well or learn quickly—WGU helps students control the ultimate cost of their degrees. The faster you complete your program, the less you pay for your degree.

A College Degree Is Within Reach

There is help available to make paying for school possible for you:

The average student loan debt of WGU graduates in 2022 (among those who borrowed) was less than half* the national average.

Most WGU students qualify for financial aid, and WGU is approved for federal financial aid and U.S. veterans benefits. 

Many scholarship opportunities are available. Find out what you might be eligible for.

*WGU undergraduate students have approximately half the debt at graduation compared to the national average, according to the  Institute for College Access and Success (2022).

FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE

A Different Way to Learn: Degree Programs Designed to Fit Your Life—and All the Demands on Your Time

Professional responsibilities. Family obligations. Personal commitments. At WGU, we understand schedules are tight and often unpredictable for adult students. That’s why we offer a flexible, personalized approach to how education should be. No rigid class schedules. Just a solid, career-focused teaching program that meshes with your current lifestyle. You'll be challenged. You'll work hard. But if you commit yourself and put in the hours needed, WGU makes it possible for you to earn a highly respected degree as a busy working adult.

"Getting my degree from WGU helped me achieve the career I always dreamed of having. It opened doors for me to become a life-long learner and go to a job everyday that I love!”

—Sara Hyde B.A. Elementary Education

CAREER OUTLOOK

Prepare to Lead your Classroom and Impact the Lives of Students with an Online Elementary Education Degree

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2019 and 2029, over 56,000 new kindergarten and elementary teaching positions will be created nationwide. Once you have completed your B.A. Elementary Education degree program at WGU, you’ll be ready to step into this rewarding career. With the knowledge and skills gained from in-classroom experiences and your coursework, you'll be on the road to success as a teacher.

This elementary education degree lets you shape your life, and the lives of students. You'll be prepared to run your own classroom, shape the minds of students, and create a safe and fun place for learning with this online program. Get ready to care for and educate diverse learners and communities with an elementary education degree. The specific grade level you will be eligible to teach will depend on your state’s corresponding license. Earn your elementary education degree today! 

Return on Your Investment

On average, wgu graduates see an increase in income post-graduation.

Average income increase from all degrees in annual salary vs. pre-enrollment salary. Source:  2023 Harris Poll Survey  of 1,655 WGU graduates.

Survey was sent to a representative sample of WGU graduates from all colleges. Respondents received at least one WGU degree since 2017.

The number of positions for all elementary teachers in the United States is expected to grow by 4% by 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

—U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

WGU Has Alumni Teaching in Schools Across the Country

Graduates of WGU's online Teachers College have found meaningful, rewarding teaching careers in classrooms at:

• Inclusionary K–12 classrooms
• Middle/junior high schools
• High schools
• Private and charter schools

Impressive Class of Graduates

Graduates of the WGU Teachers College include recipients of many professional honors, including:

• Gates Millennium Scholars
• Intel Grant for Mathematics and Technology
• Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction Award
• Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award
• Association of Public Charter Schools Educator of the Year Award

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education Admission Requirements

Students who are seeking initial teacher licensure in a bachelor’s, post-baccalaureate, or master’s program must also pass a state-specific basic skills test for the state in which they live as a prerequisite to Student Teaching . (Registering and paying for the test is the student’s responsibility.) This requirement can be met either prior to admission or before beginning the Foundations of Teaching subject area once you are in your WGU program.

WGU’s teacher licensure programs also include Student Teaching. You must be at least 18 years of age before you may begin the application process or participate in Preclinical Experiences and Student Teaching. You must also submit to a criminal background check prior to entering the classroom for this component of your program.

An Enrollment Counselor can help you best determine whether you have the sufficient background for entry into your program of choice.

Get Your Enrollment Checklist

Download your step-by-step guide to enrollment.

Get Your Questions Answered

Talk to an WGU Enrollment Counselor.

Transfer Credits

Get added support and flexibility as you start your degree  take a course or two at your pace before committing to a full degree program. strengthen your study habits, gain essential learning skills and, best of all, each completed course counts toward your degree requirements. .

Learn More about Pathways to Starting

MORE DETAILS

Becoming a Licensed Teacher

State-specific licensure requirements : Each state in the U.S. has specific testing requirements that must be met or completed in addition to completing your teaching degree program at WGU. Teacher licensure requirements vary depending on state laws and may include a number of factors, such as:

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree program
• Submission of transcripts
• Completion and clearance of a background check
• Passing of required entrance exams and basic skills tests

Preclinical Experiences    

As part of this program, you'll participate in a wide range of in-classroom teaching experiences through at least 75 hours of in-classroom observation.

Student Teaching

To help you prepare to work in classrooms, this program includes a student teaching component. Student Teaching is a full-time, supervised, in-classroom experience of a minimum of 12–20 weeks during which you will be hosted by an experienced teacher and observed by a Clinical Supervisor. Your host teacher will evaluate your performance based on accepted professional standards. Learn more about teacher licensure.

More About the B.A. in Elementary Education

• More About Teacher Licensure
• More About This Degree

What grades will I be able to teach?

It depends on your state and which Teachers College program you complete, so it is best to ask your Enrollment Counselor. Typically, teachers with an elementary education license can teach anywhere from kindergarten through 8th grade, and secondary teachers in math, English, or science can teach anywhere from 5th to 12th grades. K–12 special education licenses typically enable teachers to work with students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

How long is Student Teaching?

It depends on your state and your program, but for most Teachers College programs, Student Teaching is typically about the length of one full traditional school semester. Student teaching is a minimum of 12–16 weeks, but it can be longer in other programs.

How do I set up my Student Teaching?

WGU has a team that works with you to connect you with schools in your area, and with host teachers that will support you through your Student Teaching.

Can I use my own classroom for the Student Teaching placement?

Your Enrollment Counselor can provide more details about your specific situation. While you can provide recommendations of a school you want to be placed in, generally, our Field Placement Office will be selecting and setting up the placement in the end.

Will this program lead to a teaching license in my state?

Your Enrollment Counselor has access to an up-to-date database that tracks requirements and eligibility for all WGU programs and all US states and territories, so a conversation with your Enrollment Counselor can quickly verify this for you based on where you live and your desired program.

What courses might you take in an elementary education program?

An elementary education program will include many courses such as:

• Science methods
• Math methods
• Social studies methods
• Language arts methods
• Classroom discipline
• Children's literature
• Inclusive classrooms
• World history
• U.S. history
• Health and wellness

What’s the best way to get your degree in elementary education?

You can choose a traditional college or an online program for your elementary education degree—the best choice for you will depend on your current schedule, your lifestyle, and how motivated you are to pursue a degree online. For many students, an online degree program allows for crucial flexibility that can make earning an elementary education degree a better option.

Do all education programs prepare you for teacher certification?

Not every education degree program will prepare you for a teaching license, so it's important to do your research and understand what kind of program you are enrolling in. You also need to make sure the college you attend is accredited and recognized so it can help you get your license.

What can I do with an online elementary education bachelor's degree?

An online elementary education bachelor's degree should prepare you to become a teacher in a K-6 classroom, giving you skills in math, English, science, social studies, and more so you can properly teach children.

How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree in elementary education?

Typical bachelor's degree programs will take 4 years to complete. However, if you choose an online, flexible program you may be able to finish faster. At WGU, most students finish their bachelor's in elementary education in just 36 months.

What is an elementary education bachelor’s degree?

An elementary education bachelor's degree is an undergraduate program that is focused on giving future teachers the skills and credentials they need to become licensed and enter the classroom.

Can you become an elementary school teacher online?

Absolutely! An accredited online university like WGU allows you to get your elementary education bachelor's degree entirely online. This degree is accredited and respected and leads to teacher licensure in any of the 50 states.

Does WGU require transcript submissions of prior college work?

Yes. Transcripts are used by your program mentor to help develop your personalized degree plan. WGU requires that official transcripts of previous academic work completed at other colleges or graduate schools be submitted for evaluation. It is your obligation to request official transcripts from the institutions you have attended when applying for admission. At the present time, we don't require a minimum grade point average (GPA) or SAT/ACT scores for admission.

Do graduate students need to submit transcripts?

Yes. Students applying to a graduate degree program must send bachelor's degree official transcripts verifying their receipt of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or DETC-accredited institution. The Records and Admissions Departments should receive the official transcripts by the 1st of the month prior to the start of your program. WGU accepts  limited  college transfer credits at the graduate (master’s) level in  only a few programs : M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership. Transfer credit is  not accepted  in all other master's programs. For all other graduate-level programs, requirements are not cleared through transfer because of prior graduate school study. However, competencies obtained through prior study will help students to accelerate toward degree completion.

Who reviews my transcripts? How long does it take?

Your official transcripts will be evaluated by a member of the Transcripts Department. The time it takes to review your transcripts and report which subject areas (domains) are cleared will vary. We will inform you via email when your transcripts arrive, and we endeavor to report transfer decisions through your  Enrollment Counselor  within two weeks of that date.

What is the deadline for transcript submission?

Because your mentor will use your transcripts to help develop your personalized Degree Plan, it is important we receive official transcripts directly from all the colleges and universities you have previously attended no later than the 1st of the month prior to your intended start date. WGU will not award transfer credit based upon the work identified by transcripts received after your start date.

Can I submit unofficial copies of transcripts?

If you have questions about your transcripts prior to submission of your official transcripts, you may  contact your Enrollment Counselor  to discuss the Transfer Evaluation Guidelines for your intended degree program.

Can I transfer previously earned college credits to WGU?

Yes. If you’re applying for a bachelor’s degree program and have completed college coursework at another institution, you may have your transcripts evaluated and may be able to have some or all of the requirements for lower-division courses cleared through transfer credits. In some programs, professional certifications may clear additional requirements.

What credit hours can I expect to transfer into WGU?

Many students transfer into a WGU degree program already having accumulated many credit hours or having earned an associate’s degree. Transcripts are evaluated on a course-by-course basis according to the following general guidelines:

• If you hold an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree from an institution that is recognized as nationally or regionally accredited by the U.S. Department of Education, you should clear all or many of the lower-division requirements for a bachelor’s degree in Business or Information Technology. For Health Professions and Teachers College programs, a course-by-course evaluation is typically required. Only an official transcript evaluation can determine how many requirements you may be able to waive.
• If you earned an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) or other applied associate’s degree, you may be able to clear a significant portion of WGU's lower-division degree requirements.
• If you have completed college courses but have not earned a degree of any type, you may also be able to have some degree requirements cleared through a course-by-course transcript evaluation.
• WGU accepts  limited  college transfer credits at the graduate (master’s) level in  only a few programs : M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership. Transfer credit into the M.S. Nursing and Master of Health Leadership programs will only be considered for new students beginning their program on February 1, 2021, and beyond. Transfer credit is  not accepted  in all other master's programs. For all other graduate-level programs, requirements are not cleared through transfer because of prior graduate school study. However, competencies obtained through prior study will help students to accelerate toward degree completion.

I have lots of credit hours but don't have a bachelor's or associate's degree. What will transfer?

It depends on how well the courses you’ve already taken match the competencies in the WGU degree program you’re applying for.

Each WGU degree program specifies the competencies you must possess and demonstrate mastery of in order to receive your degree; having accumulated credits isn’t sufficient proof that you have mastered the competencies.

Prior courses must be relevant. If your prior coursework directly matches the requirements for your WGU bachelor’s degree, you may be able to clear one or more required lower-division courses. However, if your coursework was in subject areas that don’t match WGU's degree requirements, the amount of transfer credit you receive may be limited.

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