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Williamsburg Academy is an online private school serving students in grades 6-12 worldwide. We offer high-quality, flexible courses emphasizing the liberal arts/classical ed, leadership training, a dynamic school culture of belonging, and tech intentionality (learning to leverage technology and limit its influence upon our lives).

Yes. Williamsburg Academy is accredited by Cognia and the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC). Cognia is one of the largest organizations of educational professionals in the world and accrediting partner to over 30,000 schools and school systems. View our Cognia certificate here.

Other accredited schools recognize credit earned at Williamsburg Academy, and colleges and universities recognize credits and high school diplomas earned at Williamsburg Academy. Graduates of the Williamsburg Learning program have been admitted to some of the most selective universities in the United States.

Should you have any questions about earning credit, credit portability/transfer, or accreditation, please email support@williamsburglearning.com. 

Yes. The NCAA accredits Williamsburg Academy’s Live-online courses. That means you can work towards Division I or Division II eligibility while attending classes from wherever you are.

For more information, visit our NCAA accreditation page.

Williamsburg Academy provides online courses offers online courses in three formats (check out this page  on the Williamsburg Learning website for full details on each one and what to expect with online classes):

• Live-online: Students meet together with a mentor in an online classroom and participate in live class discussions every week. Some live classes include an Honors version with a larger workload for students who want to go deeper.
• Self-paced: Students complete assignments on their schedule and communicate via email, online student forums, and mentor office hours.
• Independent studies: Students earn academic credit independently with an approved mentor or program. 

Because Williamsburg Academy is online, our students live across the U.S., Canada, and other countries worldwide.

We offer a private school setting to serve students in grades 6-12. We attract bright and dedicated students who want to study great minds and learn to think critically. Our program is challenging and requires self-discipline, initiative, and hard work.

Our students come from diverse backgrounds, including home, public, and private schools. No particular background is necessary to become a successful student. A strong work ethic, eagerness to learn, and a desire to help others are the key ingredients of success at Williamsburg Academy.

We call our teachers “mentors” because they have the role of helping students develop as leaders, in addition to the traditional teacher role of helping them acquire knowledge. We have the highest standards and strongest filter in the industry when it comes to hiring talented mentors. And, once hired, our mentors receive unequaled supposed and professional development. If you ask a Williamsburg student about their mentors, you will likely hear words like engaging, fun, inspiring, intelligent, hilarious, crazy, caring, and talented. For many students and families, our mentors are the main attraction of our entire program.

Williamsburg Academy does not affiliate with or support any faith, church, or religion. Our students come from a variety of religious and political backgrounds. We remain neutral and build a safe environment where students can be themselves, learn from each other, and share their ideas and beliefs respectfully.

We have a guideline, not a requirement. Students should turn twelve during the academic year they enroll in sixth grade. Students should turn fifteen during the academic year in which they enroll in ninth grade. This age guideline is recommended for all of our courses, but we leave the final decision to parents and students because we know that some students are ready earlier. We work hard to find the balance between giving students a challenging workload and ensuring it’s not so rigorous that students burn out. This can be a very delicate matter for younger students, so please make this decision carefully.

Yes! Every class is recorded, and the links to recordings are made available to students, usually within a few minutes of a live session ending.

If students only have an occasional time conflict with the live class, they can still enroll in the live class and watch the recordings when they can’t attend. If the conflict is weekly, the student should either a) enroll in a course that doesn’t have live sessions or b) take the course with live sessions and make special arrangements with the mentor to adjust time-sensitive assignments.

We maintain a student-instructor ratio of approximately 20:1. Instructors include both mentors and teaching assistants, who help provide detailed feedback on student assignments. For individual courses, our live-online class sessions range in size depending on the content of the course.

In general, we maintain smaller class sizes for middle school grades, with the exception of our seminar-style Leadership classes. It’s also important to note that a large online class is very different from a large class in person: The online classroom is a far less distracting environment for students than even a small class at a brick-and-mortar school. We’ve also pioneered using technology to maximize the online learning experience in classes of any size.

For example, many of our classes are based on engaging visual presentations by mentors, dynamic class-wide discussions, and smaller discussions and activities between groups of students in Zoom breakout rooms. Because of this, even students in our largest classes still make a personal connection with course material, their mentors, and their fellow students.

As Malcolm Gladwell pointed out in his book David and Goliath, smaller class sizes don’t always lead to better learning outcomes.* That’s because smaller classes make it easier for some students to dominate class discussions, among other things. At Williamsburg, we’ve found that offering a range of class sizes gives students a mix of small-group discussion and large-group participation that helps them build strong communication, learning, and leadership skills. We also offer ways for students to get extra support outside of class, such as mentor office hours.

*In fact, in one study cited by Gladwell, researcher Caroline Hoxby found no significant impact on student achievement as a result of class size (see “The Effects of Class Size on Student Achievement”). Instead, Gladwell says, the one thing educational researchers agree on is that teacher quality matters more than class size. At Williamsburg, that’s why we search hard to hire the best teachers and rigorously train them on our Six Mentor Practices.

Yes. Most courses with live sessions require a certain minimum number of enrollments, or the course will have to be canceled.

Yes, we accept transfer credit from accredited schools. This does not guarantee that all credits earned at other schools will transfer into our curriculum or count toward graduation. Students who plan to transfer credit should send a transcript from their previous school to the Registrar’s office, to find out how the credit will transfer, and what additional work will be required to graduate from Williamsburg Academy. 

Yes. Williamsburg Academy is accredited by Cognia* and the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC).

Other accredited schools recognize credit earned at Williamsburg Academy. Check with your transferring school for more details about credit categorization. Colleges and universities recognize credits and high school diplomas earned at Williamsburg Academy.

Students who complete our graduation requirements receive a well-received nationally accredited diploma. Our graduates have been accepted at competitive colleges and universities across the U.S.

We encourage Williamsburg students to take either the ACT or SAT (depending on the requirements of colleges they plan to apply to) a couple of times during their junior year and again as a senior. Students are not docked points for retaking these exams, and taking them multiple times increases scores for most students. A student is responsible for registering and paying for the ACT/SAT. Our students generally test above the national average, and we have placed students at highly competitive colleges and universities.

We treat students with special needs with respect and dignity and strive to understand their challenges, and support them as they learn and grow with us.

Individualized Educational Plan (IEP): As a curriculum provider, Williamsburg Academy does not provide and is not responsible for IEPs.

Williamsburg Academy (the private school) does not provide special education services. Williamsburg Academy does not have a special education department, and it is assumed and clarified in the enrollment agreement that parents of students in the private school forfeit their rights to an IEP or other accommodations they might have through a public school.

We encourage students to set aside designated time for activities that are meaningful to them. Balance is essential for healthy living. We encourage students to participate in drama, music, dance, athletics, martial arts, social and/or religious youth groups, and other activities that balance out all the academic work students do. We encourage students to share their priorities with parents and mentors (see our Leadership classes) and learn to manage their time and energy carefully.

Specifically, we encourage students on a graduation path to consider taking Independent courses for PE, Fine Arts, and Electives. These classes help students earn credit for their piano lessons, team sports, martial arts (and other activities in which they are already engaged) and free up important time students can use to keep their lives balanced.

Williamsburg Academy’s Student Success Team is available to parents and struggling students to help them figure out how to succeed. In addition, all mentors hold weekly office hours where students and parents can go for help. If your student is struggling, or if you have any questions about a course, visit during office hours and ask the mentor to customize the workload for your student. The day and time of office hours are posted on each course homepage in Canvas. You can also email mentors anytime with questions, and they will respond within one school day.

Our course mentors have regular office hours where students can schedule a time to get 1:1 help with their questions. Students can easily make appointments for office hours or additional help from inside Canvas, our online learning management system. Contact our Student Success Team at studentsupport@williamsburglearning.com for assistance.

Yes, our withdrawal policy is as follows:

• Students who withdraw from a course within the first 28 days of a semester receive no grade or record on their transcript
• Students who withdraw after 28 days receive an “F” for that course on their transcript
• You can also find this full policy in the “Grading Policies: Withdrawal” section of the Parent-Student Handbook.

Our school community comprises the board, administration, staff, mentors, parent boosters, families, and individual students pulling together in a team effort to build a school culture that is friendly, inviting, accepting, and, most importantly—fun! Each community member has a clear vision focused on student success and development. They live lives of meaning, purpose, and adventure both in and outside the classroom. Students and mentors are enthusiastic about education and support each other as each student explores their unique abilities and interests. Students build lasting friendships with youth of all faiths and beliefs, forming deep respect for each other. This is our culture.

The following information will give you a feel for our mission, methods, and curriculum.

A liberal arts education at Williamsburg Academy is challenging. Students and parents must decide if the student is sufficiently motivated and self-directed to take on the challenge. Our mission is to prepare highly motivated and independent learners for leadership. Consequently, we have high expectations of students.

We use distance learning tools that allow students to guide their education. We trust our students to use that freedom wisely and appropriately.

We expect each student to:

• Work, read, and study independently.
• Set daily and weekly commitments, then exert the effort to meet those commitments.
• Spend several hours a day in and out of class studying, completing assignments, and thinking about how their learnings apply to their lives and futures.

You should only enroll in Williamsburg Academy if you are committed, enthusiastic, and prepared to meet these challenges. We invite you to meet with one of our Customer Support Team members so we can learn about your family’s needs and answer your questions.

Parents are required to meet with their student for 20 minutes each week and generally be involved and supportive of their students. Students do best when a parent or guardian is home to help them during the day.

Canvas is our learning management system (LMS). It’s the platform we use to deliver all our courses. Canvas is where students will receive and submit assignments, complete some of their studies, collaborate with classmates, and access their course syllabi and assignments. Parents may create an Observer account in Canvas to view their students' assignments.

Student Information Services (SIS) is the online system parents use to create an account with us, register and pay for courses, view snapshots of their student’s academic progress, and access transcripts and grades for completed courses. Parents create their SIS accounts first, then add students individually. SIS recognized one email address per person, so parents and students may not share the same email address. Only one parent SIS account is required per student, but both parents can create their own account if they wish.

Visit SIS to register for courses, see your student’s progress, or contact your student’s mentors.

No, we do not offer discounts. The list price for each course is all you will pay. Further, we do not charge application or registration fees. There are never any hidden fees at Williamsburg Academy Private School. Visit our How to Register page for tuition pricing and information regarding payment plans.

Students who register through Williamsburg Learning public partners in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah can enjoy the Williamsburg program tuition-free through your taxpayer funds. To learn more about enrolling through a public partner, see our How to Choose & Enroll with a Public Education Partner page.

No. Because our courses are priced individually, your student can take as many as they like. We recommend a few à la carte options:

Start with a Leadership course (grades 6-12).

Our unique middle school and high school Leadership courses are the heart of our program. These courses empower students to effectively manage their time and energy, develop healthy relationships, and focus on their life’s purpose. Many students and parents report that these courses are life-changing.

Take a Social Studies + Language Arts combo (grades 9-12).

Our high school Social Studies and Language Arts courses work in tandem. For example, students read Emerson in American Lit at the same time they study Transcendentalism in U.S. History. These pairs of courses can serve as the backbone for the rest of your student’s homeschool curriculum.

Take a Leadership + STEM or Humanities combo (grades 6-8).

Students who sign up for a middle school STEM or Humanities course are required to also sign up for a middle school Leadership course (unless granted an exception). This is because we offer a high level of support in Leadership classes that will help younger students excel in their other courses.

Take a fill-in-the-gaps course (grades 6-12).

Many of our students have amazing academic strengths—but everyone has their weaknesses. Does your student need to catch up in a subject like writing or math? If so, they can pick and choose courses to boost their skills and get extra support in any area where they might be struggling.

Or, take something just for fun!

We offer a wide range of Electives for both middle school and high school, including topics like photography, journalism, second language, and public speaking. We also offer Independent Studies courses that let students get credit for activities they are already doing.

Not exactly, but Williamsburg Learning does. 

Williamsburg Learning, our parent company, partners with public schools and districts to provide the Williamsburg program tuition-free in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, and Utah. Students enrolled through a Williamsburg public partner attend classes with Williamsburg Academy students and become part of the Williamsburg Family of Schools community.

To learn more about enrolling through a public partner, see our How to Choose & Enroll with a Public Education Partner page.

If you are a school administrator and want to discuss providing our courses to your students, or if you are a parent wanting us to become a Public Education Partner at the school your student attends, please contact schoolpartnerships@williamsburglearning.com.   

Yes. Every Williamsburg Academy student can be a leader and live a life full of meaning. We expect our students to act accordingly, treat others with dignity and respect, and be truthful in all they say and do.

Plagiarism, cheating, or other falsification of research on projects, papers, or exams are not tolerated. Students agree in every course that they will not receive unwarranted help from any person and will complete all work themselves. Honor code violations may result in a failing grade and/or being permanently expelled from Williamsburg Academy. Mentors report honor code violations to the Director, and after consulting with the student and parents, a final course of action is chosen.

Williamsburg Academy does not discriminate based on race, ethnic origin, sex, or religion. We welcome diversity in our programs and strive to have students of high moral character from diverse races, ethnicities, and religions. Understanding and embracing diversity is a key characteristic for leaders seeking a liberal education.