Memoria Press Online Academy

Memoria Press Online Academy is the online school arm of Memoria Press, the most academically-rigorous classical homeschool publisher in the United States. It exists to deliver Memoria Press's curriculum with live instruction for families who cannot teach Latin, Greek, and advanced classical content themselves.

Last updated: 2026-04-20 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Classical Christian (Memoria Press curriculum, live online delivery)
Worldview	Christian classical (broadly orthodox; Reformed and Catholic users both well-served)
Grades	3-12
Formats	Live online classes with trained teachers
Cost tier	Standard to Premium
Parent intensity	2
ESA-common	Yes
Accredited	Yes
Established	2008
Website	online.memoriapress.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	5	Memoria Press rigor delivered with live instruction
Ease of teaching	5	Academy teaches; parent supports
Content quality	5	Memoria Press curriculum plus skilled teachers
Flexibility	3	Class schedule fixed; curriculum prescribed
Value for money	4	Modestly lower than Wilson Hill or Schole
Worldview scope	3	Christian classical, broadly orthodox
Visual/design	4	Professional platform
Support resources	4	Teachers, Memoria Press integration, accreditation

Who the publisher is

Memoria Press Online Academy launched in 2008 as the online instruction arm of Memoria Press, the Louisville-based classical Christian publisher founded by Cheryl Lowe. The academy was created to address a specific gap: many families using Memoria Press curriculum could not credibly teach Latin, Greek, or advanced literature themselves. The online academy provides live instruction in these subjects — and increasingly in full course sequences — while using Memoria Press's own curriculum as the textbook base.

The academy's relationship with Highlands Latin School (the brick-and-mortar classical Christian school Cheryl Lowe helped found, which also uses Memoria Press curriculum) is close. Teachers are often drawn from Highlands Latin School or from the broader classical Christian school network that uses Memoria Press materials.

Scale is meaningful. Our editorial estimate is that Memoria Press Online Academy serves several thousand students across its grade levels, with particular strength in Latin, Greek, and literature courses that parent-teachers often cannot credibly deliver.

The core pedagogy

Memoria Press Online Academy's pedagogy is identical to Memoria Press curriculum delivered through classroom instruction rather than parent teaching. Same books, same scope and sequence, same pedagogical philosophy — but with live teachers leading classes.

Signature mechanics are Memoria Press's signature mechanics: (1) Latin centrality from elementary. Latin through First Form, Second Form, Third Form, Fourth Form — taught live online at grade-appropriate levels. (2) Chronological history and literature integration. Ancient, medieval, early modern, modern cycles with texts read chronologically. (3) Memorization as pedagogy. Memorized content is substantial — Latin vocabulary and grammar, historical dates, catechisms, poetry. (4) Live teacher-led instruction. The online academy's differentiator from other Memoria Press-adjacent options. (5) Accredited diploma. The academy offers an accredited high school diploma for students completing the full course sequence.

Scope and sequence: starts at approximately third grade (Prima Latina or Latina Christiana online classes) and continues through high school (full course load available). Courses include Latin (all levels), Greek (middle and high school), logic, literature, rhetoric, composition, and selected history and theology. Mathematics and science are less commonly taken through the academy — most families use outside publishers for those subjects.

A day in the life

A sixth-grader at Memoria Press Online Academy enrolled in four or five courses (Latin, literature, history, math, science) spends approximately 60-90 minutes in live class time per day. Memoria Press classes typically meet 2-3 times per week per course, 45-60 minutes per session. Independent homework runs 2-3 hours daily — Latin practice, literature reading, history reading, math problems.

A tenth-grader at Memoria Press Online on a full course load (Latin IV, Greek, Literature, Composition, Logic, plus math and science from outside) spends 90-120 minutes in live class time and 4-5 hours of independent work. Latin translation is demanding at this level (Caesar, Cicero, Virgil approaching at higher levels). Literature reading load is substantial. Writing expectations are real.

What they do exceptionally well

Memoria Press Latin delivered live. Latin is Memoria Press's signature, and Memoria Press Online Academy delivers Memoria Press Latin with live instruction. This is the best Latin instruction available at homeschool pricing — rigorous curriculum, skilled teachers, real classroom engagement.

Curriculum-teacher coherence. Unlike academies that adapt outside curricula to their classroom format, Memoria Press Online uses Memoria Press's own curriculum in the classroom. Teachers know the curriculum, curriculum supports the teachers, and students work in a coherent system.

Highlands Latin School pedagogical backing. Teachers come from or through the Highlands Latin School community where Memoria Press curriculum was originally developed. This pedagogical lineage is unusual and valuable — teachers are not adapting someone else's curriculum but teaching curriculum developed at the institution they come from.

What they do poorly

Schedule inflexibility. Like all live online academies, Memoria Press Online requires scheduled class attendance. Families whose schedules require asynchronous flexibility find the format constraining.

Less pedagogically distinctive than Wilson Hill or Schole. Memoria Press Online Academy does not have the same distinctive pedagogical branding as Wilson Hill (ACCS-aligned with trained-teacher brand) or Schole (Circe Institute pedagogy). It is more straightforwardly Memoria Press instruction — which is great for families who want that and less distinctive for families who want a specific pedagogical philosophy beyond Memoria Press's own.

Smaller community than other academies. Memoria Press Online Academy's student community is meaningful but smaller than the combined brick-and-mortar-plus-online network of Wilson Hill or the Circe-affiliated ecosystem of Schole. Students join class cohorts but the broader community experience is less built-in.

Who it fits

• Families using Memoria Press curriculum as their core who want live Latin, Greek, or literature instruction
• Families who value Memoria Press's austere classical aesthetic and Latin-centric pedagogy
• Families with both Reformed and Catholic theological backgrounds (Memoria Press is broadly orthodox Christian)
• Families seeking accredited diplomas through a curriculum-aligned online academy
• Families who want pedagogical continuity from curriculum to classroom

Who it doesn't

• Families not using Memoria Press curriculum (other academies may fit better)
• Families preferring Circe Institute pedagogy specifically (Schole fits better)
• Families wanting Reformed Protestant theological emphasis specifically (Wilson Hill fits better)
• Families requiring asynchronous or highly flexible scheduling
• Families on the tightest budgets

Cost honest assessment

Individual courses: approximately $600-$1,000 per year. Latin courses typically at the lower-middle end; Great Books literature and rhetoric at the upper end.

Full enrollment: approximately $3,500-$5,500 per year per student on five to six courses.

Memoria Press Online Academy is modestly less expensive than Wilson Hill or Schole at comparable course loads — reflecting Memoria Press's generally standard pricing discipline across the company.

ESA eligibility notes

Memoria Press Online Academy is approved on most ESA marketplaces that handle online accredited education. Accreditation and online-course treatment mean reimbursement is generally clean.

Alternatives

• Wilson Hill Academy — a family would choose Wilson Hill over Memoria Press Online when they prefer ACCS-accredited curriculum with Reformed Protestant theological framing.
• Schole Academy — a family would choose Schole over Memoria Press Online when they want Circe Institute pedagogy specifically.
• Memoria Press curriculum self-taught (no online academy) — a family would skip the online academy when the parent can credibly teach Latin, Greek, and the curriculum, saving substantial cost.

How we verified this

Our editorial team reviewed Memoria Press Online Academy's course catalog at online.memoriapress.com, teacher credentials, Highlands Latin School connection, and the broader Memoria Press ecosystem. We cross-referenced against Memoria Press curriculum reviews and classical Christian homeschool community discussion of online options. Pricing is as of April 2026.