Cicero Learning

What Cicero Learning Is

Cicero is a one-to-one online learning service for homeschoolers, worldschoolers, students for whom traditional school isn't working, and families building their own education. The company describes its model as "a classical model, adapted to the modern world," and pairs each student with a private teacher, with every course built around that one student rather than a standard curriculum. It teaches from primary school through high school, including AP, college prep and interest-led courses. The site's banner reports 150+ teachers across 14 time zones, which is what lets families on the move keep a regular schedule, and its history FAQ says about half of its families are outside the United States, including families traveling full time.

The site states that "Cicero is accredited with NCA CASI, NWAC and SACS CASI via Cognia," and its history FAQ adds that coursework therefore earns "real grades, credits and a transcript colleges recognize," including for families who otherwise homeschool. For a homeschooling family, that is the main thing separating Cicero from an informal private tutor: the teaching comes with a transcript grade attached.

What a Learner Actually Gets

Learning is personalized to the individual student. The site sets out three steps. First, a family has a live conversation (or several) with the company about the student's interests, goals and learning style. Second, Cicero surfaces some teacher options and works with the family to pick the right one. Third, the teacher "builds every lesson around your child," and the company tracks progress, adjusts pace, or switches teachers at any time. There is no fixed classroom and no standard curriculum applied to every student.

The format is one-to-one by default. The FAQ adds one exception: the company also works with small pods of 2-4 students, which suits siblings or a small group of homeschooling friends.

Cicero lists courses across 11 subject areas. The course catalog counts 13 in English and Humanities, 12 in Science, 8 in Social Science, 6 each in Art and Design, Business and Economics, and Math, 5 in Languages, 2 in Wellness and SEL, and 1 in Engineering and Technology, plus 13 AP courses. Every course can start any month of the year, and the site says it builds courses on request; several of the current history courses started as one family's inquiry.

History shows how the model works in practice. The history FAQ describes eight courses for grades 5-12, including AP US History, AP World History: Modern and AP European History, full-year surveys in World History and US History, and electives such as Ancient Rome and Modern Europe. The catalog page itself lists AP Art History, African American Studies, Art Appreciation, Art History, History of Philosophy and a course called Tea, The World in a Cup alongside the AP options. The FAQ gives the rhythm as "Typically two live sessions a week across a 30-week year, with reading and writing in between." Semester electives run 15 weeks, and start dates are rolling rather than tied to September.

Each session is discussion-based, with the student encouraged to do most of the speaking. Between lessons, students read primary sources (letters, speeches, treaties) rather than a textbook's summary, write essays, and come back with questions. The teacher sets the reading around what the student can carry: a strong reader in eighth grade gets Thucydides, while a reluctant one "gets there by a different road." Because the teaching is one-to-one, the site says "a course is pitched at the student in front of the teacher rather than at a grade average." Both kinds of student finish with a transcript grade and a portfolio of real essays.

Writing is central. The site calls historical writing "a key life skill" and says "every essay comes back marked line by line and gets rewritten. That loop is the whole of historical writing, and it is the first thing class size takes away."

For AP students, exam preparation is built into the year rather than added in spring. The AP section says every essay is marked against the real rubric and rewritten, and that "Our AP history teachers have between them read for the College Board, taught the course a dozen times, or both." Students can take one AP course on its own or alongside others.

For homeschoolers, Cicero teachers work within the family's chosen curriculum (classical, Charlotte Mason, unit studies, eclectic, or one the family built) or bring their own, and the family stays in charge of the overall direction. The FAQ also says the company regularly supports families on a sabbatical, working with their school so that re-entry is smooth. Worldschoolers get teachers who plan around time zones and itineraries, and the history FAQ says a child keeps the same teacher wherever the family is. Microschools and co-ops can add expert subject teachers without adding headcount.

The site says Cicero teachers "are experts in their field, hold advanced degrees, and have years of passionate mentorship under their belts," and that every teacher is vetted for subject mastery, teaching experience and the ability to connect with a single student. Teachers shown on the home page cover math, informatics, ecology, marine science, environmental science and architecture, and the history page mentions 27 more history teachers beyond the two profiled. Matching considers subject, level and temperament.

Pricing, Accreditation and Results

Pricing is published. The FAQ states "We charge $115 per session. A full-credit course usually comprises 60 sessions over a 30-week period; but this is a guide rather than a rule." The company says it offers volume discounts but does not print their size.

The accreditation statement appears on both the home page and the history page: NCA CASI, NWAC and SACS CASI via Cognia. The history page labels its courses "Cognia Accredited credit."

The history page reports a "4.7 Average AP score across Cicero students" and says "80% Of Cicero students score a 5." The home page also shows 150+ students and a 1:1 student to teacher ratio.

Getting started is a free, 20-minute consultation, which the site promises is "never a sales call." After it, the family receives "a hand-picked teacher match within 48 hours."

Family quotes appear on both pages. On the home page, the parent of a 10th grader writes: "My son went from failing to now writing essays and getting top scores on his APs. Honestly, Cicero has 10x'd his confidence and made him want to go to college. Truly life changing." On the history page another parent writes: "My son went from hating history to reading Tacitus for fun. It took one teacher who was willing to argue with him."

The home page names universities students have gone on to after Cicero: the University of Cambridge, the University of Chicago, Pomona College and Bard College.

Who It Suits and Who It Does Not

Cicero is built for families pursuing alternative education who want a high-touch, personalized model. Homeschooling families who want coursework with a transcript, worldschoolers coordinating school across borders and time zones, students who have struggled in traditional classrooms, and young athletes or artists with tough schedules all match the families the site describes. Students preparing for AP exams who want a teacher reading every essay closely fit well, and microschools and co-ops can use Cicero to add subject specialists without hiring permanent staff.

It is a poor fit for families looking for low-cost help: at $115 per session, and around 60 sessions for a full-credit course by the company's own guide, a single course is a significant spend before any volume discount. Learners who prefer structured, textbook-driven study over discussion and primary sources may find the format demanding. The model also asks for real family involvement in choosing a teacher, following progress and keeping motivation up outside a school building.