College tutoring: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What college tutoring is

College tutoring helps students with upper-level coursework, problem sets and exam preparation in specific subjects, often at a university or online. Students book it when a course is much harder than the last one, when a problem set is due, or when a midterm or final is close and the material feels like too much.

Signs you need it

  • The student attends lectures but cannot solve the problem sets on their own
  • Midterm scores are much lower than the homework grades
  • The course uses a method or a language the student has not seen before
  • The student is juggling several hard courses and needs a plan for each
  • The student needs help with a specific topic, such as a proof or a lab method, for a set deadline

What the pro does

  • Checks the student's understanding of the prerequisite material for the course
  • Works through the hardest problem sets with the student doing the reasoning
  • Teaches exam strategy, such as which problems to try first and how to check answers
  • Covers the specific methods and notation the course uses
  • Gives practice problems and reviews the student's work at the next session

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Length of each session and how many sessions are in a series
  • The course and subject, from introductory to advanced courses
  • Whether sessions are in person or online
  • One-on-one tutoring versus a small group
  • How much problem set help versus exam prep each session needs
  • Whether the tutor works from the course's materials and the professor's notes

What a written quote should spell out

  • Number of sessions, session length and start date
  • Whether sessions are in person or online, and what tools are used
  • Whether practice problems and exam review are included
  • Cancellation and make-up policy
  • Whether the tutor will need access to the course materials

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Do you know the course and the professor's style, or the textbook it uses?
  • How do you help with problem sets without doing them for me?
  • How do you prepare me for an exam that mixes several topics?
  • What is your own background in the subject, and what degree do you hold?
  • Do you tutor online, and how do you share work on screen?
  • What is your policy on the school's rules for outside help?
  • What should I be able to solve on my own after the first month?

Red flags

  • Offers to do the problem set for you and submit it under your name
  • Ignores the school's rules on outside help or academic integrity
  • Promises a grade or a specific result without seeing the course materials
  • Charges for sessions with no clear plan for the course

What you can do yourself

A student can use office hours, study groups and the course's recorded lectures, and practice the problems from the textbook before checking the solutions. Ask the professor for practice exams. Hire a tutor when a problem set keeps stalling, when a method needs a clear explanation, or when an exam is close and the student needs a plan.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required to tutor college courses privately. If the tutor works for a university or a program, that institution may have its own rules. Ask whether the tutor has a degree and experience in the subject, and check with your university or your state or local licensing agency only if the tutoring is part of a program with its own requirements.

College tutoring questions

Is college tutoring worth it if I am already taking the course?

Yes, if you have a clear gap. A tutor can focus on the method and the exam format, and that is often what lecture and reading do not cover.

Should I ask my tutor for the answers to my problem set?

A good tutor helps you find the method and check your steps. Submitting work that is not yours can break your school's rules, so check those rules before you book.

Does my tutor need a background check?

College students are usually adults, so a background check is not always needed. If you are under 18 or the tutor works with minors in a program, ask for proof before the first session.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer college tutoring remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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