Modern States, a philanthropic non-profit, offers fully subsidized early college credit courses available online to anyone. Yet, few are aware of this program. In this article, Daniel Hamlin presents his empirical research on Oklahoma’s participation in Modern States as well as student performance in the program.
The Escalating Cost of Higher Education
The cost of a university degree in Oklahoma has increased considerably over the past twenty-five years. In response, Oklahoma has expanded access to Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, and early college high school offerings that enable high school students to earn 1-2 years of college credit at very little or no cost. Yet, many students, especially those in rural areas, still have limited access to these programs. One of the most accessible but underutilized options for early college credit is the Modern States program. Modern States was established to offset the escalating cost of higher education by offering fully subsidized early college credit courses available online to anyone. Students who complete a Modern States course also receive a voucher to take the College-level Examination Program (CLEP) assessment for college credit, so there is no cost to the student from start to finish. The purpose of this analysis was to examine Oklahoma’s participation in Modern States as well as student performance in this program. Since the Modern States program poses no financial risk, increased awareness and utilization of the program could be an important pathway for Oklahoma’s students to earn college credit at no cost.
Key Results
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Last year less than one percent of Oklahoma’s students took advantage of the Modern States program. Among those who did, nearly one-in-four students took College Algebra.
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Approximately 28% of the students in Oklahoma who enrolled in a Modern States course advanced to take the CLEP assessment. The pass rate, which qualifies students for college credit, was 49% in Oklahoma. By comparison, the pass rate was 85% in regional competitor states (i.e., Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas) and 60% nationally.
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If only 1% of Oklahoma’s students were successful in completing one year of college credit through Modern States, students and their families would save over $40 million on college tuition and fees.
The Rising Cost of a University Degree in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, annual tuition and fees together with room and board at a public 4-year university were approximately $6,000 in 2000 according to the US Department of Education. By 2022, the most recent year with available data, this cost climbed to around $19,500, which is more than a 200% increase. Even after accounting for inflation, the price of a university degree in Oklahoma has roughly doubled during this period. At top-rated universities in the state, these costs are greater. For an undergraduate student at the University of Oklahoma, tuition, fees, and room and board are approximately $31,000 a year. Nationally, economic data suggest that the rising cost of a university degree has outpaced income growth and contributed to total student loan debt of $1.7 trillion. These increasing costs could lead to fewer students being able to pursue a university degree while those who do may need to carry substantial debt as young adults to complete their degree.
In Oklahoma, some projections indicate that the ten “highest-paying critical occupations” in the state will require a bachelor’s degree or higher by 2030. Yet, only 27.9% of Oklahoma’s population has a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 31.4% in regional competitor states (i.e., Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas) and 35% nationally.
Modern States – A Fully Subsidized Online CLEP Preparation Program
Even though CLEP is highly accessible, students cannot take CLEP-aligned courses in their high schools for credit as in the case of Advanced Placement. To address this challenge, Modern States, a philanthropic non-profit organization launched in 2017, created a CLEP-aligned early college program that is available online to anyone and is fully subsidized for participating students. The main goal of the program is to help students earn enough free college credit to cover the entire first year of a bachelor’s degree program at a university at no cost to the student. Additionally, students who pass a Modern States course receive a voucher from Modern States that covers the cost to take the CLEP assessment in that subject. (Note. The cost of an unsubsidized CLEP examination is generally $95.) Since Modern States was formed, thousands of students have participated in the program to qualify for college credit, collectively saving millions of dollars in tuition.
Data Sources and Methods
For this study, the sample was drawn from all US-based students enrolling in Modern States courses during the 2024-25 academic year, including students from Oklahoma. In the study sample, approximately 44% of students were male and 56% female, mirroring national trends among undergraduates. Thirty-four percent of students were current high school students, 25% had a high school degree, and 41% reported having some college. Across race/ethnicity, 11% were Asian; 19% were Black; 18% were Hispanic, and 49% were White. One-third of the entire sample were first-generation students with 33% being students whose parents had a high school degree or less. All students in the sample were located in the United States and its territories.
The variables of analysis were participants’ age, gender, race/ethnicity, current level of education, and a parent’s highest level of education. Student race/ethnicity was categorized as White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native/Pacific Islander, and Other Race. Current level of education comprised the following categories: less than a high school degree, high school degree, and some college. Parents’ highest level of education was high school degree or less, some college, bachelor’s degree, or graduate degree. The 32 Modern States courses were categorized into the following four subject areas: business (e.g., Principles of Marketing), humanities and language arts (e.g., American Literature), social sciences (e.g., Introductory Sociology), and math and science (e.g., Calculus).
Results
In Oklahoma, a very small percentage of students (far less than one percent) take advantage of the Modern States program. Among those who do participate, the most popular course is College Algebra with 24% of Oklahoma’s students taking this course. Other popular courses are College Composition (taken by 8% of Oklahoma’s participants), Spanish Language (7%), and American Government (7%). Figure 1 presents a breakdown of the most popular subject areas. In Oklahoma, 44% of students take courses in math and natural sciences (e.g., College Algebra), whereas in Oklahoma’s regional competitor states and nationwide, smaller percentages take courses in this area (36% and 33%, respectively).
Fewer students from Oklahoma take courses in the humanities, language arts, and social sciences compared with regional and national percentages. Although it is uncertain exactly why Oklahoma’s students are more likely to take math and natural science courses, one possible explanation is that they have comparatively fewer credit-bearing opportunities available to them in these subjects at their high schools. Another possible explanation is that introductory math and natural science classes are often important gateway courses for university students, and Oklahoma’s students may desire guaranteed transfer credit in these areas.
During the 2024-25 academic year, 1,373 students from Oklahoma participated in Modern States, but only 28% of these students attempted the corresponding CLEP assessments. Of those who attempted the CLEP assessments, about half were successful in passing, meaning that just 13% of all course participants from Oklahoma went on to pass the CLEP assessment. Among Oklahoma’s students who attempted the CLEP assessments, the average score was 51 – slightly above the 50-point threshold needed to qualify for college credit. The average score was 62 in regional competitor states and 53 in the United States overall.
Figure 2 compares the pass rates on the CLEP exam for test-takers from Oklahoma, regional competitor states, and the United States overall. Forty-nine percent of Oklahomans passed the CLEP last year, compared to 85% in regional competitor states and 58% nationally. For exams in math and natural science, pass rates for Oklahoma’s students were lower with only 35% passing CLEP exams in this area. The pass rate for regional competitor states was more than double Oklahoma’s at 82%. In Oklahoma, the comparatively lower pass rates seem to represent a missed opportunity for students who have completed a Modern States course and received a voucher for a CLEP exam.
The CLEP Examination and Pass Rates in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, there is some variation in performance across student subgroups. For instance, students from small towns and rural areas in Oklahoma show the highest average performance, while non-White students and those whose parents have a high school degree or less slightly outperform their peers. The scores for students from small towns and rural areas are notable since this subgroup of students in Oklahoma may have the most to gain from a no-cost online program offering 32 courses that may not be offered at their high schools through Advanced Placement or dual enrollment programs. The relatively higher scores for non-White students and those whose parents have less education is largely attributable to student performance on the CLEP’s Spanish language exam.
Financial Impact of Low Participation in Modern States
The limited participation in Modern States in Oklahoma may be a missed opportunity from a financial standpoint. Modern States’ primary objective is to help students earn enough college credit to make their first year of university free. If only 1% of Oklahoma’s high school students earned enough credit to cover the first year of university, it would produce a total savings for students and families of over $40 million. If 10% of the state’s high school students did so, over $400 million would be saved.
Conclusion
Oklahoma’s high school students who are aspiring to attend a university have opportunities to complete one or even two years of college credit. Some students in the state already take advantage of opportunities for low and no-cost early college credit through Advanced Placement and dual enrollment. Modern States, which offers a wide array of online CLEP-aligned courses that can lead to free college credit, could be a tool for providing greater access to early college opportunities in Oklahoma.
Modern States may be particularly beneficial for specific subpopulations in the state. For example, in rural high schools, where opportunities for early college programs can be limited, Modern States could help satisfy excess demand. Modern States could further benefit high school graduates who are either preparing for or returning to college. Currently, participation in Modern States in Oklahoma is low and evidence indicates that success could be improved for those who do participate. While high school students may face competing demands and other barriers to participating in a program like Modern States, the following steps could be taken to broaden both participation and success in this program:
Provide Structured Support within the School Day
To increase participation rates, high schools could incorporate Modern States courses into the school day by creating structured study blocks or supervised courses as credit-bearing electives. Classroom teachers assigned to supervised courses could track progress and answer questions as students work through Modern States courses during the school day. Providing these structured opportunities within the school day could not only increase participation but also give students guided support to earn college credit through online platforms. Presently, schools in New York, Tennessee, Ohio, and Louisiana provide such structured opportunities within the school day for students to use the Modern States program. When classroom teachers are unavailable, tutors and other appropriate school personnel could provide instructional support in study blocks or after-school programs.
Although students have little to lose by participating in Modern States, Oklahoma’s relatively low CLEP examination pass rate suggests that students might be able to utilize learning resources available to them more effectively. Students taking Modern States courses should be encouraged to follow course curricula while also drawing on other learning supports, including school libraries, web resources, and AI-powered tutoring tools (e.g., Kahn Academy’s Khanmigo application).
Promote Awareness among Families and Students
To maximize impact, schools might actively publicize the Modern States program through counselors, community partners, and parent events. Information about Modern States can be integrated into college readiness materials, advising sessions, and district websites so that it is part of teacher-student and parent-teacher conversations about college affordability and planning. Programs like Modern States could be positioned as a standard option in rural districts where Advanced Placement and other early college credit-bearing programs may be limited.
Embed Modern States in the State’s Workforce and Higher Education Strategy
To take advantage of Modern States, Oklahoma could formally recognize the program as an important option for families. Higher education institutions and workforce boards could play an active role in promoting Modern States and other programs like it, potentially normalizing the use of these programs as a pathway to college credit. By positioning Modern States as a component of Oklahoma’s broader strategy to strengthen higher education attainment and economic competitiveness, state leaders could support greater use of the program.
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from Hamlin, Daniel. “Are Oklahoma’s Students Taking Advantage of Free Early College Credit? An Analysis of a Fully Subsidized Program.” OCEP Policy Brief. Oklahoma Center for Education Policy, October 2025. Https://ou.edu/content/dam/Education/documents/600_Policy_Brief.pdf
Author Bio
Daniel Hamlin is Presidential Professor of Education Policy at the University of Oklahoma. He is also currently serving as Oklahoma Secretary of Education.
