Ezra Learning vs Enlightium Academy
Enlightium Academy is an accredited online Christian private school for PreK–12 — teachers, transcripts, a diploma — with tuition per student; Ezra is a Grades 1–9 curriculum the parent runs at home, priced for the household. A school and a curriculum are different things; here is how they compare, line by line. Facts checked October 14, 2026; sources at the end.
What each one is
Enlightium Christian Academy is "an accredited Christian online private school serving students in PreK through 12th grade," based in Spokane, Washington, and accredited by Cognia and the Association of Christian Schools International. From Grade 3 a child is enrolled in the online program: self-paced courses on the Ignitia platform — Bible, English, history, math and science as the five core courses, with more than 100 electives — open 24/7 through the school year, with Christian teachers who grade, answer messages and, at the higher support levels, hold live sessions or phone and screen-sharing calls; the school keeps the records and "graduates receive an accredited diploma and official transcripts." PreK–5 can instead be done book-based, with textbooks and video lessons under a teacher-coordinator. Tuition for the online program is $2,100 a year per student in Grades 3–5 at the Standard level ($2,500 in Grades 6–8, $2,800 in Grades 9–12), or $263 a month over eight payments plus a $100 plan fee; the book-based program is $1,500 a year.
Ezra Learning covers Grades 1–9 in Mathematics, English, Spelling, Bible and Geography, with about 6,900 hands-on practice skills and 1,220 narrated lessons, each with a printable sheet. Scripture (Berean Standard Bible) is read word for word in every strand of every subject; there are no cartoons, games or characters. The Family plan is $15 a month per household, up to six children, and the first two sections of every subject and grade are free.
Enlightium Academy fits best when…
Choose Enlightium Academy if you want an accredited school rather than a curriculum — teachers who grade and answer your child, official transcripts and a diploma, a counselor to plan the courses to graduation; if you need Grades 10–12, honors, AP or dual enrollment, Science and History; if your family would use the sibling discounts, the state funding programs it lists, or the live-class Prep option; or if you want a 30-day money-back trial of a full school.
Ezra fits best when…
Choose Ezra if your children are in Grades 1–9 and you want to be the teacher yourself, with a short narrated lesson and hands-on practice that grades itself; if you would rather have no learning games in the lessons; if you want a Bible verse read aloud in every strand of every subject; if you do not need accreditation, transcripts or a diploma; and if you have more than one child — the price is for the household.
The facts, line by line
 | Enlightium Academy | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | Grades 1–9 | PreK–Grade 12 (online from Grade 3; book-based PreK–5) |
| Subjects | Math, English, Spelling, Bible, Geography | Bible, English, history, math, science + more than 100 electives |
| Price | $15 USD a month for the household (up to six children) | $2,100 a year per student in Grades 3–5 (Standard); $2,500 in 6–8; $2,800 in 9–12; book-based $1,500 |
| Free to start | Two sections of every subject and grade, always free | 30-day money-back guarantee for new families |
| How a lesson is taught | Narrated by a voice, drawings only, watch-only | Ignitia online lessons: text with audio, video clips and interactive media; printable |
| Practice | Hands-on: drag, tap, sort, build, drop a pin | Assessments in the course with real-time grading; "interactive learning games" and off-computer projects |
| Scripture | A Bible verse in every strand of every subject, read aloud | "All subjects from a biblical worldview"; Bible as a core course, verses in the KJV |
| Printables | A PDF sheet for every lesson + a library of 147 books and packs | Lessons can be printed to work offline |
| High school | No | Grades 9–12 with an accredited diploma; honors, AP, dual enrollment, NCAA pathway |
| Science | No | Yes |
| History | No | Yes |
| Accredited school | No — a curriculum | Yes: Cognia and ACSI; teachers, counselor, transcripts, diploma |
| Parent reports | Per child: minutes, mastery, needs-a-hand, PDF report | Record-keeping by the school; parent training; the parent may assist as teacher |
| Teacher support | None — the parent teaches | By message at Standard; faster replies and live sessions at Priority; phone and screen sharing at Expanded |
| Cartoons, games, characters | None | "Interactive learning games" in the lessons, by their description |
Facts checked October 14, 2026 on the two sites. Prices and plans change; the links at the end go to Enlightium Academy's own pages, and we correct this table when we are told it is out of date.
What it costs your family
The biggest practical difference is how the price is counted. Enlightium Academy is priced per student. Ezra is priced per household, so a second, third or fourth child costs nothing more.
Ezra: $15 × 12 at the introductory price (normally $19 a month). Enlightium Academy: $2,100 a year or $263 a month tuition per student for a full year of the online program in Grades 3–5 at the Standard support level; the monthly figure is eight payments, plus a one-time $100 payment-plan fee; the chart multiplies by the number of children. Middle school is $2,500 and high school $2,800 at Standard; Priority and Expanded support cost more; the book-based PreK–5 program is $1,500 a year, or $1,050 using BJU Press books bought separately. Two students take 10% off, three 20%, and the fourth and later are free; there is a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How a lesson is taught
An Enlightium student in the online program logs in to Ignitia and works through the day's lessons at his own pace — their course descriptions speak of "text-based lessons, audio, and video clips, and integrated learning games" and "inspiring Bible verses (KJV)" — then takes the assessments in the course, which are graded in real time, with off-computer projects along the way; lessons can be printed to do offline. A Christian teacher is behind each course: at the Standard level the child messages the teacher with questions, at Priority the replies come faster and there are invitations to live sessions, and at Expanded the teacher gives phone and screen-sharing support. The school keeps the grades and records, a counselor plans the path to graduation, and the parent may step in as the at-home teacher when the child has a question. In the book-based PreK–5 program the child works from textbooks and video lessons with the parent, under a teacher-coordinator who directs grading and progress.
An Ezra lesson is a short narrated slideshow: one voice reads every word while a simple line drawing builds up on the slide — no cartoons, no characters, no questions asked of the child inside the lesson. The lesson ends with a Bible verse read aloud, and every lesson has a printable sheet for the child to do on paper. Then the child goes to the practice skills of that strand, which are hands-on: drag the pieces, tap the picture, build the number, sort the words, drop a pin on the map.
Where the Bible sits
Both programs are Christian. Enlightium says it "teaches all subjects from a biblical worldview" and "includes Bible courses as part of the curriculum"; Bible is one of the five core courses in every grade of the online program, and its course descriptions say the Bible verses in the lessons are from the King James Version. In Ezra, Scripture is not a subject on the side. Every strand of Mathematics, English, Spelling and Geography closes with a verse from the Berean Standard Bible, read aloud word for word, and a Scripture practice skill sits at the end of every strand. Bible is also a subject of its own in every grade, with a character strand (obey right away, tell the truth, no quarrelling) in each. The verses are never paraphrased.
What Enlightium Academy has that Ezra does not
A school. Christian teachers who grade and answer, a counselor, accreditation by Cognia and ACSI, official transcripts and an accredited diploma. PreK, kindergarten and Grades 10–12, with honors, AP, dual enrollment and an NCAA pathway. Science and History as core courses and more than 100 electives — coding, digital media, music theory, Spanish and more. A live-class Prep option and a book-based option for the youngest grades. Sibling discounts that make the fourth child free, a list of state funding programs that can pay the tuition, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What Ezra has that Enlightium Academy does not
A Bible verse in every strand of every subject, read aloud word for word from the Berean Standard Bible. Practice the child does with his hands — dragging, sorting, building, dropping a pin on a map — rather than ticking boxes. One calm narrated voice with a simple drawing on every slide, and no cartoons, games, characters or rewards shops. A printable sheet for every lesson and a library of 147 books and packs (copywork, handwriting, grammar, spelling, Bible, maps, a year planner). One price for the household, however many children. And two free sections of every subject and grade, so a family can see all of it before paying anything.
Questions families ask
Is Enlightium Academy cheaper than Ezra Learning?
No, and they are different things. Enlightium's online program is $2,100 a year per student in Grades 3–5 at the Standard support level, $2,500 in Grades 6–8 and $2,800 in Grades 9–12, with 10% off for a second student, 20% for a third and no tuition for the fourth and later; the book-based PreK–5 program is $1,500. Ezra is $15 USD a month, $180 a year, at the introductory price, for the whole household — but it is a curriculum the parent runs, not a school with teachers.
Is Enlightium Academy an accredited school?
Yes. Enlightium is an online Christian private school accredited by Cognia and the Association of Christian Schools International; its teachers grade the work, it keeps the records, and its graduates receive an accredited diploma and official transcripts. Ezra is a curriculum, not a school: there are no teachers, no transcripts and no diploma, and the parent keeps the records.
Does Ezra Learning cover high school?
No. Ezra covers Grades 1–9. Enlightium runs through Grade 12, with honors, AP and dual-enrollment courses, so a family with a Grade 10–12 student needs Enlightium or another program for those years.
Does Ezra have Science or History?
No, on purpose. Ezra teaches Mathematics, English, Spelling, Bible and Geography. Enlightium's five core courses are Bible, English, history, math and science.
Which one puts more Scripture in front of the child?
Both are Christian. Enlightium teaches every subject from a biblical worldview, with Bible as a core course in every grade and verses from the King James Version in its lessons. Ezra has a Bible subject in every grade, and in addition every strand of Math, English, Spelling and Geography ends with a verse read aloud from the Berean Standard Bible and a Scripture practice skill.
Does either program use games?
Enlightium's course descriptions list "integrated learning games" and "interactive learning games" among the lesson activities. Ezra has no games, characters or rewards shop; its practice is hands-on — drag, tap, sort, build, drop a pin — with endless generated questions.
Can I try either one for free?
Enlightium gives new families a 30-day money-back guarantee from the day the student gets course access, with a full tuition refund. Ezra keeps the first two sections of every subject and grade free, with no time limit and no card.
Are these facts current?
They were checked on October 14, 2026 on enlightiumacademy.com, support.enlightiumacademy.com and ezralearning.com. Tuition changes by school year; the links under Sources go to Enlightium's own pages, and we correct this page when we are told it is out of date.
Where the facts come from
- Tuition and admissions — enlightiumacademy.com
- Academics — enlightiumacademy.com
- Online program — enlightiumacademy.com
- The Online Program — Enlightium Academy support
- Ezra Learning: pricing and curriculum pages, October 14, 2026.
Enlightium Academy is the name of its owner, used here only to identify the product. If you represent Enlightium Academy and a fact here is wrong, write to hello@ezralearning.com and we will correct it.
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