Great Hearts Online

What is Great Hearts Online?

Great Hearts Online is the virtual arm of Great Hearts, a network of classical schools in Arizona and Texas. It teaches a classical liberal arts curriculum aimed at "truth, goodness and beauty," with nine virtues such as responsibility, courage and wisdom built in. Parents act as learning facilitators, with teachers supporting them.

It has two very different sides:

• Texas Academy. A tuition-free public online school for Texas residents. Like any public school, it requires state testing and attendance reporting.
• National Academy. A private, tuition-based online program that Great Hearts launched in 2023 with finances separate from its public schools. It sells single courses and full-time options and is aimed at families using ESA funds.

In 2023, Great Hearts said its public online schools in Arizona and Texas would stay tuition-free. As of October 2026, the Great Hearts Online site promotes the Texas Academy as its free option, while its Arizona offering is the ESA-funded National Academy.

How it works

Families choose between two learning models:

• Live. Teacher-led classes with classmates. In the National Academy, that means live Zoom classes in the morning and independent coursework in the afternoon.
• Flex. Instructional videos and self-paced assignments, done in order, with grades and feedback as work comes in.

Both models include teacher office hours and tutoring. Coursework runs through Canvas. The National Academy says it has no state testing or daily attendance reporting, which gives families more room to set their own schedule.

What it covers

Elementary and middle school courses include math, ELA or literature and composition, science, history, Latin, Spanish, art, music and PE. High school courses include English I–IV, algebra through calculus, and biology and physics. High schoolers can also take dual enrollment courses toward an associate degree.

Who it's best for

Texas families who want classical education at home for free should look here first. Families in ESA states who want classical courses at a moderate price are the other natural fit. It is a weaker match if you want a faith-based curriculum, if no adult can coach at home, or if you need published refund terms.

Pricing at a glance

The Texas Academy is free for Texas residents. In the National Academy store, most courses cost $510 each, and elementary ELA and middle school Lit/Comp cost $765. Core bundles list at $2,295 and Math + ELA bundles at $1,275; in October 2026 the store showed them on sale for $1,836 and $1,020. Full-time National Academy tuition isn't published.

Can a scholarship or ESA pay for it?

Great Hearts Online says its Flex Program is ESA-approved in the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account, Utah Fits All and New Hampshire's Education Freedom Accounts, and its Arizona National Academy is built for ESA families. Each program decides, so confirm before you buy. Texas residents don't need an ESA for the free Texas Academy; see the Texas scholarships page for other options.

Save Great Hearts Online to your wishlist to compare it with other classical programs.

How it compares

• Veritas Scholars Academy and Wilson Hill Academy are classical too, but explicitly Christian and tuition-based.
• Memoria Press offers classical Christian curriculum for parents to teach, plus live online classes.
• K12 and Connections Academy run free public online schools in many states, but they are not classical.