We’re breaking down the education barriers for all.

Who we are
We empower students to choose the right education, at the right price, making higher learning accessible for all.

We recognize each student has a unique educational path with different obstacles. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to finding and funding your learning. So in 2012, Affordable Colleges Online (ACO) was created to connect students like you, to affordable, high quality education.

We help students identify colleges, programs, and scholarship opportunities that fit their academic and financial ambitions and needs. Our free, in-depth resources include comprehensive guidebooks, student interviews, user-friendly search tools, federal datasets, college rankings, and additional materials created and reviewed by experts in education.

Our Values

Our core beliefs define who we are and what we do.

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Integrity

Honesty is at the core of ACO. We believe in putting you first. We work extensively with education experts to ensure that we provide accurate and trustworthy information.

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Empathy

We strive to not only understand your situation, but offer real solutions. We know the process of finding and funding an education can be overwhelming, so we’re with you every step of the way.

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Authenticity

We’re real people offering our real advice. We will provide you with all the information - even the stuff that is hard to hear. We equip you to make the best decision for yourself.

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Intersectionality

At ACO, everyone is welcome. We celebrate our differences and strive for diversity. We recognize that people have different barriers, so we work to provide resources that are not one-size-fits-all approach.

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Accessibility

We believe education should be available to all. Higher education begins with understanding your options, which is why we make our information easy to understand.

Company Culture

We don't settle for the status quo.

We believe in leaving the world better than we found it.

In order to make change, we know we need to have ALL groups represented in our work. We take the time to listen and elevate every voice. We believe in being an inclusive environment that welcomes diversity, equity, and curiosity.

We believe in leaving the world better than we found it
We stand up for what’s right.

We let our moral compass guide our decisions, and nicely call each other out when we go off track. We are in the business of improving people’s lives.

We stand up for what’s right.
We celebrate our teammates.

Being a good place to work starts with being good people to work with. We embrace our differences, encourage each other, and make some jokes along the way.

We believe in leaving the world better than we found it
We put our words into action.

Our employees play an active role in supporting Road to Hire, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides mentorship, skills training, and support for underrepresented young adults seeking strong, sustainable careers.

We believe in leaving the world better than we found it
A letter from our editor

Meet Ben

Ben is the managing editor of AffordableCollegesOnline.org. He's worked in the education space for five years and is dedicated to providing prospective college students with the best possible information as they explore one of the most important choices of their lives -- pursuing a higher education. In his spare time, he writes about fantasy football for IDPGuys.org and ImportantNonsense.com.

Ben Strauss
Managing Editor
Ben Strauss Signature

Our Offices

Fort Mills, South Carolina Office
Fort Mill, SC 1101 Red Ventures Dr
Fort Mill, SC 29707
Seattle, Washington Office
Seattle, WA

AffordableCollegesOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

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Explore your possibilities- find schools with programs you’re interested in and clear a path for your future.