What's the cheapest way to take the prerequisites?
The worry underneath this question is usually cost stacking on top of cost — you're already weighing years of tuition, so nobody wants to overpay for the entry ticket too. The good news is you have real, accredited, low-cost choices, and you're allowed to take these concurrently with your Five Branches program, so this doesn't have to delay you.
Cheapest way to cover the six prerequisites
The worry underneath this question is usually cost stacking on top of cost — you're already weighing years of tuition, so nobody wants to overpay for the entry ticket too. The good news is you have real, accredited, low-cost choices, and you're allowed to take these concurrently with your Five Branches program, so this doesn't have to delay you.
The six required courses are: General Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and General Psychology.
| Route | Accreditation | Cost pattern | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| California community college (via cvc.edu) | Regionally accredited (ACCJC) — transfer-safe | Typically the lowest cost of any option | Search online sections statewide without applying to each campus separately; labs (e.g. Anatomy & Physiology) are sometimes in-person even if lecture is online |
| University of New England Online | Regionally accredited (NECHE) | ~$475/credit + registration fee | Covers all six courses; ships at-home lab kits |
| Portage Learning / Doane University | Regionally accredited (via Geneva College / HLC) | Mid-range | Strong on Biology/A&P/Chemistry, but Physics and Psychology aren't confirmed offered |
| UC Extension (San Diego, Berkeley, UCLA) | Part of accredited UC system | Mid-to-higher | Some labs are in-person only |
| StraighterLine / Sophia Learning | Not regionally accredited (ACE-recommendation only) | Cheapest sticker price (~$99/month) | Real transfer risk — get written pre-approval from Five Branches Admissions before relying on these |
(Source: Five Branches' own list of prerequisite providers, as we last checked it in 07/2026.)
For most people, a California community college — found statewide through cvc.edu — ends up both the cheapest and the safest transfer bet, since every CA community college is regionally accredited. Assist.org is also useful to double-check that a specific course is recognized as transferable.
Curious whether you're looking at this as a California resident, or comparing options from out of state?
Sources
- Five Branches University — Educational Requirements checked 2026-08
- Five Branches University — published materials checked 2026-07
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