Key points:
- The integration of AI helps UoPeople keep costs low
- Peering into the digital AI divide
- Slashing budgets, saving futures: Can AI rescue higher ed?
- For more news on AI’s role in learning, visit eCN’s AI in Education hub
On February 14, 2025, the University of the People (UoPeople) reached a historic milestone by achieving full regional accreditation from the WASC Senior College and University Commission. This achievement not only affirms the institution’s academic integrity and quality but also positions UoPeople as a transformative force in global higher education. The institution, long known for its disruptive tuition-free model and commitment to underserved learners, has now solidified its place among respected peers such as Stanford University and the University of California.
Established in 2009 by educational entrepreneur Shai Reshef, UoPeople has challenged the traditional structures of academia from the outset. It operates entirely online, has no physical campus, and utilizes an all-volunteer faculty. Yet, with over 150,000 students from more than 200 countries–including 18,000 refugees–the university has become a global symbol of educational access and opportunity.
WASC accreditation serves as more than just a stamp of approval. It certifies that the institution meets stringent criteria for academic excellence, continuous improvement, and student success. The endorsement enhances credit transferability, expands graduate opportunities, and provides worldwide recognition for UoPeople degrees. As detailed in a UoPeople press release, the school now joins an elite group of institutions capable of delivering high-quality education at scale.
AI plays a pivotal role in this model. UoPeople uses bots to manage repetitive administrative tasks and student inquiries, such as assignment deadlines and course logistics, freeing instructors to focus on course content and mentoring. The AI systems also support adaptive learning strategies and automate grading, ensuring timely feedback for students. As President Reshef noted, “AI can reshape higher education for the better”.
The integration of AI also enhances affordability and scalability. With minimal overhead costs and a lean administrative structure, UoPeople is able to keep its total cost for a bachelor’s degree at approximately $4,860. By contrast, traditional U.S. degrees often exceed $146,000. According to research conducted by Tripp Umbach, the ROI for a UoPeople degree is 30 times greater than that of a typical American degree, largely because students graduate with minimal debt while maintaining full-time employment during their studies.
Still, UoPeople’s journey to accreditation has been closely scrutinized. As reported by Susan D’Agostino for Inside Higher Ed, the institution faced significant questions regarding the sustainability of its volunteer faculty model, the effectiveness of its peer-to-peer assessment practices, and its ability to scale without compromising quality. However, the WASC accreditation team recognized UoPeople for “embracing innovative concepts in the use of technology, community, and infrastructure,” and applauded its flexible admission model that allows students to prove their academic readiness through coursework rather than standardized testing.
UoPeople’s unique position in global higher education is perhaps best illustrated by its service to displaced learners. The institution currently educates more refugees than any other university in the world. Students such as Saleema, an Afghan woman studying from an undisclosed location, and Akram, a Syrian refugee whose family fled war, are emblematic of the populations that UoPeople serves. These students often cite UoPeople as their only viable path to higher education and economic empowerment.
In 2016, Sean Coughlan, the Global Education editor of BBC News, highlighted the university’s efforts to provide education to refugees worldwide, calling it the “university of anywhere.” That moniker rings truer than ever in 2025. UoPeople’s ability to offer fully online, asynchronous learning supported by AI not only removes financial and geographical barriers but also redefines what global education can look like in the digital age.
While some traditional institutions remain skeptical, others are taking notice. Bard College, for instance, is actively exploring potential collaboration with UoPeople, reflecting a growing recognition that innovative models may be essential for reaching underrepresented learners. Yet questions remain about whether such models can fully replicate the richness of traditional academic environments. Nevertheless, higher education leaders like Paul LeBlanc of Southern New Hampshire University and Mike Magee of Minerva University have praised UoPeople for reimagining what is possible when starting a university from scratch.
Ultimately, UoPeople’s WASC accreditation is more than a regulatory milestone—it is a bold affirmation that alternative models of education, powered by AI and driven by equity, can achieve the highest standards of academic quality. In an era defined by rising student debt, institutional distrust, and widening educational inequities, UoPeople offers a credible and scalable vision for the future of higher education. Its success may well compel traditional institutions to reevaluate long-held assumptions about cost, quality, and access.
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