Ezra Learning vs Liberty University Online Academy
Liberty University Online Academy is an accredited online Christian school for K–12 — certified teachers grade the work, and the school keeps transcripts and issues a diploma — with tuition per student; Ezra is a Grades 1–9 curriculum the parent runs at home, priced for the household. A school and a curriculum are different things; here is how they compare, line by line. Facts checked October 14, 2026; sources at the end.
What each one is
Liberty University Online Academy (LUOA) is the K–12 online school of Liberty University, accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and by Cognia, and recognized by the Virginia Council for Private Education. A child is enrolled as a student: he works through online courses — "embedded videos," "interactive lessons," virtual labs — on his own schedule within a 180-day school year, with no set login times; an assigned certified teacher grades the work within 48 hours and answers lesson questions within 24, and the school keeps the records, emails the parent a progress report twice a month, issues transcripts and awards a diploma at a ceremony on Liberty's campus. Courses are $549 each for a full year, so a full-time year in Grades 1–8 is $2,745 per student (Kindergarten $2,196, high school $3,568.50 for an average 6.5 credits), or $287 a month on the 10-month plan, plus a $75 technology fee; there is no application fee.
Ezra Learning covers Grades 1–9 in Mathematics, English, Spelling, Bible and Geography, with about 6,900 hands-on practice skills and 1,220 narrated lessons, each with a printable sheet. Scripture (Berean Standard Bible) is read word for word in every strand of every subject; there are no cartoons, games or characters. The Family plan is $15 a month per household, up to six children, and the first two sections of every subject and grade are free.
Liberty University Online Academy fits best when…
Choose Liberty University Online Academy if you want an accredited school rather than a curriculum: teachers who grade and answer your child, official transcripts and a diploma, a 180-day school year with the records kept for you; if you need Grades 10–12, dual enrollment for college credit, Science and History; or if you want the structure of a school with the flexibility of working from home.
Ezra fits best when…
Choose Ezra if your children are in Grades 1–9 and you want to be the teacher yourself, with a short narrated lesson and hands-on practice that grades itself rather than three to five hours a day of online coursework; if you want a Bible verse read aloud in every strand of every subject; if you do not need accreditation, transcripts or a diploma; and if you have more than one child — the price is for the household.
The facts, line by line
 | Liberty University Online Academy | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | Grades 1–9 | K–Grade 12, plus dual enrollment in Grades 11–12 |
| Subjects | Math, English, Spelling, Bible, Geography | Language arts, mathematics, history, science, Bible-based courses, electives |
| Price | $15 USD a month for the household (up to six children) | $549 per course; $2,745 a year per full-time student in Grades 1–8, or $287 a month on the 10-month plan |
| Free to start | Two sections of every subject and grade, always free | No free trial described; curriculum previews on request from admissions |
| How a lesson is taught | Narrated by a voice, drawings only, watch-only | Online course content: embedded videos, interactive lessons, virtual labs |
| Practice | Hands-on: drag, tap, sort, build, drop a pin | Assignments submitted online and graded by the assigned teacher within 48 hours |
| Scripture | A Bible verse in every strand of every subject, read aloud | "Christ-centered" curriculum "taught from a biblical perspective"; "Bible-based education" |
| Printables | A PDF sheet for every lesson + a library of 147 books and packs | Not stated on their site |
| High school | No | Grades 9–12 with a diploma; dual enrollment for college credit |
| Science | No | Yes |
| History | No | Yes |
| Accredited school | No — a curriculum | Yes: ACSI and Cognia; teachers, transcripts, diploma |
| Parent reports | Per child: minutes, mastery, needs-a-hand, PDF report | An observer account with grades any time; a progress report emailed twice a month |
| Time on the computer | A few minutes per lesson, then practice | "3 to 5 hours a day" for a full course load, by their FAQ |
| Cartoons, games, characters | None | Not stated on their site |
Facts checked October 14, 2026 on the two sites. Prices and plans change; the links at the end go to Liberty University Online Academy's own pages, and we correct this table when we are told it is out of date.
What it costs your family
The biggest practical difference is how the price is counted. Liberty University Online Academy is priced per student. Ezra is priced per household, so a second, third or fourth child costs nothing more.
Ezra: $15 × 12 at the introductory price (normally $19 a month). Liberty University Online Academy: $2,745 a year or $287 a month tuition per student for a full-time year in Grades 1–8 (five courses at $549 each); the monthly figure is their 10-month plan, which includes the plan and technology fees; the chart multiplies by the number of children. Kindergarten is $2,196 (four courses) and high school $3,568.50 (an average 6.5 credits); add a $75 technology fee each year; no application fee. LUOA lists a 10% early-enrollment discount and a further 10% for families with three or more full-time students. No free trial is described on their site.
How a lesson is taught
An LUOA student logs in to his courses whenever the family's schedule says — there are no set login times — and works through the day's lessons: embedded videos, interactive lessons and virtual labs, with assignments he submits online. A full course load takes "3 to 5 hours a day on the computer" across a 180-day year, by their FAQ. An assigned certified teacher grades each assignment within 48 hours and answers lesson questions within 24, through a built-in messaging system and comment boxes in the curriculum; subject specialists can be called during office hours, and enhanced courses add live sessions and proctored exams. The parent is the "learning coach" — keeping the child on track and motivated, with more hands-on help in the younger grades — and watches grades from an observer account, with a progress report emailed twice a month.
An Ezra lesson is a short narrated slideshow: one voice reads every word while a simple line drawing builds up on the slide — no cartoons, no characters, no questions asked of the child inside the lesson. The lesson ends with a Bible verse read aloud, and every lesson has a printable sheet for the child to do on paper. Then the child goes to the practice skills of that strand, which are hands-on: drag the pieces, tap the picture, build the number, sort the words, drop a pin on the map.
Where the Bible sits
Both programs are Christian. LUOA calls itself "an online Christian school" whose mission is to support parents "in their biblical responsibility to train their children"; its curriculum is "Christ-centered" and "taught from a biblical perspective," and it describes the program as "Bible-based education." The Bible translation used is not stated on its site. In Ezra, Scripture is not a subject on the side. Every strand of Mathematics, English, Spelling and Geography closes with a verse from the Berean Standard Bible, read aloud word for word, and a Scripture practice skill sits at the end of every strand. Bible is also a subject of its own in every grade, with a character strand (obey right away, tell the truth, no quarrelling) in each. The verses are never paraphrased.
What Liberty University Online Academy has that Ezra does not
A school. Certified Christian teachers assigned to each student, who grade the work and answer questions, with subject specialists on the phone during office hours. Accreditation by ACSI and Cognia, official transcripts, a diploma and a graduation ceremony on Liberty's campus, and the records kept for you. Kindergarten and Grades 10–12, dual enrollment for college credit in Grades 11–12, Science with virtual labs and lab kits, History, and a long list of electives and clubs. And a scholarship at Liberty University for its graduates.
What Ezra has that Liberty University Online Academy does not
A Bible verse in every strand of every subject, read aloud word for word from the Berean Standard Bible. Practice the child does with his hands — dragging, sorting, building, dropping a pin on a map — rather than ticking boxes. One calm narrated voice with a simple drawing on every slide, and no cartoons, games, characters or rewards shops. A printable sheet for every lesson and a library of 147 books and packs (copywork, handwriting, grammar, spelling, Bible, maps, a year planner). One price for the household, however many children. And two free sections of every subject and grade, so a family can see all of it before paying anything.
Questions families ask
Is Liberty University Online Academy cheaper than Ezra Learning?
No, and they are different things. LUOA tuition is $549 a course, so a full-time year in Grades 1–8 is $2,745 per student ($287 a month on the 10-month plan, plus a $75 technology fee), with a 10% discount for early enrollment and another 10% for families with three or more full-time students. Ezra is $15 USD a month, $180 a year, at the introductory price, for the whole household — but it is a curriculum the parent runs, not a school with teachers.
Is Liberty University Online Academy an accredited school?
Yes. LUOA is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and by Cognia, and recognized by the Virginia Council for Private Education; its teachers grade the work and it issues transcripts and a diploma. Ezra is a curriculum, not a school: there are no teachers, no transcripts and no diploma, and the parent keeps the records.
Does Ezra Learning cover high school?
No. Ezra covers Grades 1–9. LUOA runs from Kindergarten through Grade 12, with dual enrollment for college credit in Grades 11–12, so a family with a Grade 10–12 student needs LUOA or another program for those years.
Does Ezra have Science or History?
No, on purpose. Ezra teaches Mathematics, English, Spelling, Bible and Geography. LUOA's full curriculum includes science (with virtual labs and lab kits in some courses) and history.
Is Liberty University Online Academy Christian?
Yes. It is the online academy of Liberty University, describes itself as an online Christian school with a Christ-centered curriculum taught from a biblical perspective, and its teachers are Christian educators. Ezra is also Christian, and reads a verse from the Berean Standard Bible in every strand of every subject.
Can I try either one for free?
LUOA does not describe a free trial on its site; curriculum previews are offered by calling admissions, and there is no application fee. Ezra keeps the first two sections of every subject and grade free, with no time limit and no card.
Are these facts current?
They were checked on October 14, 2026 on liberty.edu/online-academy and ezralearning.com. Tuition and fees change by academic year; the links under Sources go to LUOA's own pages, and we correct this page when we are told it is out of date.
Where the facts come from
- Tuition and fees — liberty.edu/online-academy
- Liberty University Online Academy — home page
- Accreditation — liberty.edu/online-academy
- K–12 online school (FAQ) — liberty.edu
- Ezra Learning: pricing and curriculum pages, October 14, 2026.
Liberty University Online Academy is the name of its owner, used here only to identify the product. If you represent Liberty University Online Academy and a fact here is wrong, write to hello@ezralearning.com and we will correct it.
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