There are thousands of online courses, and every landing page promises a new profession in three months. To avoid wasting your money, check a course against ten criteria — the same ones our editorial team uses to build the Compass Score.
10 selection criteria
- Curriculum. An open, detailed lesson plan matters more than loud promises. Match the topics against real job postings.
- Practice. How many projects will you build with your own hands? Will there be something for your portfolio?
- Instructors. Practicing specialists or "stars from video recordings"?
- Format. Live webinars, self-paced learning or a hybrid — what fits your schedule?
- Feedback. Who reviews your homework and how quickly.
- Document. A certificate, a professional development certificate or a retraining diploma — these are different things.
- Job placement. Real help (internships, partners) or "career consultations" for show.
- Price and installments. Compare the full price with alternatives, not the monthly payment.
- Reviews. Look for detailed graduate stories beyond the school's own website.
- Contract. Refund terms in case the course doesn't work out for you.
The golden rule
Don't pick a course because of a "−70% today only" discount. A good course survives a calm comparison with its competitors — that's exactly why we built EduCompass Hub.