Every time a parent tells me their teen passed a CLEP exam, I think the same thing: “You just saved a ton of money (and time) and I bet you don’t even realize how much!” If you read our Happy Posts and the shares from other parents, maybe you DO realize, but for those who haven’t thought about the math, let me show you.
What does one college course cost?
College costs vary wildly, but here’s a snapshot of what families typically pay for one 3-credit course:
| Type of School | Cost per Course |
|---|---|
| Community College (in-state) | $300–$600 |
| Public University (in-state) | $1,000–$1,500 |
| Public University (out-of-state) | $2,000–$3,500 |
| Private College | $2,500–$4,000+ |
That’s for one class.
And that doesn’t include textbooks, fees, or lab costs. Now multiply that by 5 courses per semester, 10 per year, 40 for a degree… you get the picture.
A few CLEP exams are worth 3 credits while a few others are worth 6 or more. The foreign language CLEP exams come in at a whopping 9+ college credits (!)
What does CLEP cost?
The standard CLEP exam fee is $93.
✅ But if you use Modern States, as we recommend, it’s free.
They pay for your exam and even cover the remote proctoring fee. That makes your cost: $0.
So, how much can you save?
We routinely see HS4CC teens graduate with 15–30 CLEP credits earned in high school. How do that do that? I recommend a very simple approach, selecting 1 CLEP exam to line up with 1 high school course each semester. At the close of high school that’s 8 CLEP exams, or 24+ college credits. Remember the best plan is to bring CLEP into YOUR homeschool, not morph your homeschool to chase college credit. This is a sample, of course you would choose exam that better aligned to your teen’s high school plan.
Sample Schedule:
| Grade | Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
|---|---|---|
| 9th | U.S. History I | U.S. History II |
| 10th | American Literature | American Government |
| 11th | Psychology | Sociology |
| 12th | College Algebra | PreCalculus |
Each test^ earns 3 college credits—if they pass. But even if they don’t? No big deal. They still earned the high school credit. That’s the HS4CC way. Want to put your plan into overdrive? Try this one:
| Grade | Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
|---|---|---|
| 9th | U.S. History I American Government | U.S. History II American Literature |
| 10th | Western Civilization I Analyzing Inter. Literature | Western Civilization II English Literature |
| 11th | Psychology Human Growth & Deve. | Sociology Spanish Language |
| 12th | College Algebra Biology | PreCalculus Natural Science |
The above plan yields 60 potential college credits!!! That’s two years of college credit done during high school without any added cost and minimal extra effort.
It’s not just money—it’s time
With enough credit, your teen can finish college faster. Some of our families have teens who graduate in 3 years—or even less. That means less tuition, less housing, and one more year to work, intern, or move on to grad school or a career.
Final Thought
You don’t have to do all 8 (or 16) exams. Start with 1.
Even one CLEP exam can save you hundreds—or thousands—of dollars.
How many college courses will you replace?
| Type of School | Cost per Course |
|---|---|
| Community College (in-state) | $300–$600 |
| Public University (in-state) | $1,000–$1,500 |
| Public University (out-of-state) | $2,000–$3,500 |
| Private College | $2,500–$4,000+ |
It’s totally possible.
