Apologia Live Classes: A Rubric Review

Apologia calls this program Live Classes: interactive, instructor-led online classes for homeschool students in grades 6-12, taught live in a virtual classroom.

Last updated: 2026-10-15 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Live, instructor-led online classes; the publisher says sessions are recorded and made available to enrolled students, and students use a Canvas student portal
Worldview	Christian. The Live Classes page says all classes are taught from a Biblical worldview and aligned with Apologia's vision, mission, and statement of faith. The support center says the instructors are evangelical Christians with a Biblical worldview. The publisher's statement of faith says its owners, management, and staff come from many different traditions and denominational backgrounds
Grades	Grades 6-12. The publisher says it does not currently offer elementary classes
Formats	Live sessions in a virtual classroom, approximately one day per week for 60 to 90 minutes (math classes meet for 45 minutes twice weekly), per the Terms, which refer to Zoom; recordings and a Canvas student portal; classes are in Science, Math, Language Arts, History and Government, Foreign Languages, and Apologetics and Worldview
Cost tier	Premium (Every Homeschool classification); tuition is listed on each class page in the publisher's shop
Parent intensity	2 (Every Homeschool rating, 1 to 5). The publisher says no parent planning or grading is required and also lists parent responsibilities such as keeping records and reviewing completed assignments
ESA-common	Limited. The publisher says Florida and Arizona have approved ESA funds for Live Classes and that these are the only states that have
Accredited	No. The publisher says Live Classes are not accredited and that it does not issue transcripts
Publication history	The publisher's Our Story page says that since "the early 1990s" Apologia has been a leading publisher of creation-based homeschool curricula
Website	apologia.com/live-classes

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	4	Our assessment. The publisher describes its classes as led by qualified instructors and says that most students who take its advanced science courses can take the AP exams that correlate with the content, while stating that the classes are not AP certified
Ease of teaching	4	The publisher says instructors handle grading and assessments and that no parent planning is required; the family still keeps records and issues transcripts
Content quality	4	Our assessment. The publisher's Online Learning page says more than 30 courses are available, and the Live Classes page lists six subject areas
Flexibility	3	Classes are chosen one at a time, but the publisher sets the class dates and Eastern Time schedule, and the Terms limit transfers to another class of equal value in the first two weeks
Value for money	2	Our assessment. Tuition is charged per class, and the publisher says required texts and other materials are not included; the cost grows with each class added
Worldview scope	1	Written from one stated worldview: the publisher says all classes are taught from a Biblical worldview and aligned with its statement of faith
Visual/design	3	Our assessment. The Terms refer to Zoom and to a Canvas student portal; the publisher says the portal is accessible 24/7
Support resources	4	The publisher says instructors are accessible outside class, the Terms say teachers are available during office hours, and recordings are available for missed sessions

Who the publisher is

Live Classes are offered by Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc., which the Our Story page describes as a family-owned corporation, with Davis and Rachael Carman serving as the stewards since 2008. The company's other products, including its print science curriculum and Self-Paced Courses, are covered in our Apologia review. The Our Story page says Apologia Live Online Classes offer courses with a live instructor in science, math, Bible, worldview, apologetics, Latin, Spanish, history, and more for middle and high school students.

The Live Classes page lists classes in science, math, language arts, history and government, foreign languages, and apologetics and worldview. The Online Learning page says more than 30 courses are available. The publisher's instructors page lists the instructors and their credentials.

The Live Classes page says all classes are taught from a Biblical worldview and aligned with Apologia's vision, mission, and statement of faith. The statement of faith includes the belief that God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and the publisher's Our Approach page says it concludes that scientific evidence points to a young earth.

The core pedagogy

The Live Classes page describes classes in which students take part in scheduled live sessions in a virtual classroom with peers and instructors. It says the teachers guide students through the weekly lessons, explain key concepts, and go over what assignments are due, and that time is set aside in each class for discussion and questions. It lists the student portal's contents as the class syllabus, notes, assignments, tests, quizzes, audio and video clips, and discussions. It says assignments, tests, quizzes, and papers are graded by the teacher.

The publisher's Live Class terms say classes run about one day per week for 60 to 90 minutes, except math classes, which meet for 45 minutes twice weekly, that these times are approximate, and that a class may run shorter if students do not ask many questions. The support center says classes meet for 15 or 16 sessions each semester, or 30 or 32 sessions a year. The terms say the chat box and student webcams are not recorded, and that teachers report classroom activities to the parent through the student portal and provide numeric grade suggestions. The parent converts these to letter grades for the family's transcripts.

The Live Classes page lists what parents are responsible for: ensuring the homeschool meets the standards of their state, reviewing completed assignments, assisting with labs, observing test-taking as needed, and maintaining records, grades, and transcripts. The page says the family is the "legal, authorized educational institution." The terms say Live Classes are not a school and are a resource for autonomous homeschools.

Signature mechanics: (1) Instructor grading. The instructors grade assignments, tests, quizzes, and papers and send feedback to students and parents. (2) Recorded sessions. Every live session is recorded and available to enrolled students through the portal. (3) Class-by-class registration. Families register for each class separately from the publisher's shop. (4) Parent as administrator. The terms say the parent assumes primary responsibility for the student's education and issues the transcript.

How a class week runs

The Biology class page, for example, lists class dates from August 18, 2026 to May 4, 2027, with sections on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at set times in Eastern Time and a named instructor for each section. It lists the Biology textbook, the Solutions & Tests, a dissection set with specimens, a microscope and complete slide set, and a computer with a microphone as required class materials, and the student notebook as recommended.

The support center's class-length article says students are expected to interact during class and that weekly classes are not meant to be a substitute for homework and class preparation.

What they do exceptionally well

Instructor grading. The publisher says instructors handle grading and assessments and provide feedback directly to students and parents. In our assessment, this is the clearest difference between a Live Class and the same course taught from a textbook at home, where the publisher recommends that parents grade tests.

Recordings and a 24/7 portal. All live sessions are recorded and made available to enrolled students, and the portal holds the syllabus, notes, assignments, and tests. In our assessment, this helps a family when a student misses a session or wants to review a lesson.

Choosing classes one at a time. Families select classes individually from the Live Classes section of the shop. In our assessment, this suits a family that wants to add a live class for one or two subjects without changing the rest of its curriculum.

What they do poorly

No accreditation and no transcripts. The publisher says Live Classes are not accredited, that families are responsible for issuing credits and transcripts, and that it does not issue transcripts, report grades, or send proof of completion to schools or colleges. The publisher's Terms also say it will not send diplomas or transcripts to parents for ESA reimbursement.

A fixed schedule. All classes are taught in Eastern Time, and the class dates are listed by the publisher on each class page. The support center says registration would end on August 24, 2026 and that no purchases can be made after that date, and the publisher's shop lists the classes as out of stock (retrieved October 2026). A family that wants to join mid-year or in a different time zone should check with the publisher first.

Costs beyond tuition, and a refund schedule. The publisher says required texts and materials are not included in tuition. Its Terms give a refund schedule that depends on when the request is made, with a cancellation fee per course in each case, and say there are no transfers or refunds after the second week of classes.

Parent duties remain. The Live Classes page says no parent grading or instruction is required, and it also lists parent responsibilities that include reviewing completed assignments, helping with labs, observing tests as needed, and keeping the family's records.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Live Classes if: you want a live instructor who grades the work for one or more subjects in grades 6-12; you want the class taught from the publisher's stated Biblical worldview; you are willing to keep your own records and issue your own transcripts; your family can follow an Eastern Time schedule.

• Skip Live Classes if: you want secular or worldview-neutral instruction; you need an accredited school of record or a transcript from the publisher; you need elementary classes; you need a flexible start date, since the publisher set August 24, 2026 as the end of registration; you use an ESA outside Florida and Arizona and need the program to be approved for live classes.

Cost honest assessment

Tuition is listed on each class page in the publisher's shop and differs by class. The publisher's support center says the costs of required texts and other materials are not included, and refers families to the required materials list on each class page (retrieved October 2026).

The same article says families on a payment plan pay a $35 non-refundable registration fee per class seat, and classes paid in full do not incur it (retrieved October 2026). The Live Classes page says a payment plan cannot be started or paid through the website and must be requested by email, with payments taken over the phone. Apologia's military discount article lists Live Classes among the products excluded from its 40% discount.

ESA eligibility notes

The publisher's support center, in an article updated November 5, 2025, says Florida and Arizona have approved use of ESA funds for Apologia Live Classes and that these are the only states that have. Its ESA page says (as of October 2026) that in Florida, funds for Live Classes can be reserved through the EMA platform and that Live Classes purchased outside the EMA portal are not guaranteed to be reimbursed. The Terms say Apologia cannot guarantee that state ESAs will reimburse Live Classes. Families should confirm the specific class with their state program administrator before registering.

Alternatives

• Veritas Scholars Academy, a family comparing live online class providers can compare that provider on its Every Homeschool page.
• The Potter's School, a family comparing live online class providers can compare that provider on its Every Homeschool page.
• Mr. D Math, a family looking for live online math classes can compare that provider on its Every Homeschool page.