Patrick Hearn · June 20, 2024 · 5 min read When you’re in college, it can be tough to find time to work a part-time job. The good news is that you already have all the skills you need to earn money on the side, all by working tutoring jobs for college students.
Most college students have some level of tutoring experience already, whether from their time in high school or beyond. Offering tutoring services is an excellent way to make some money on the side, as it lets you choose your own schedule. You can work full-time or part-time based on your coursework.
The key is knowing how to find online tutoring jobs for college students. We’ve put together a list of the best online tutoring jobs that offer great work-from-home opportunities for busy students that need flexible schedules.
The Best Online Tutoring Jobs for College Students
These are the best online teaching platforms for college students to earn extra money.
Tutor.com
Tutor.com is one of the most popular and well-known online tutoring platforms. It offers classes in various subject areas from English to computer science. There are minimal requirements. Tutor.com only asks that applicants be enrolled in a university or hold a Bachelor’s degree and be eligible to work in the United States. The technology requirements are also easy to meet, but you need a webcam.
An optional competency exam is available to give you an edge in applying. This exam is required to tutor one of the more advanced subjects, like Discrete Math or Nursing. The hourly rate varies depending on the subject you teach, but more advanced topics will pay higher rates.
TutorMe
TutorMe is another popular tutoring platform with more clear-cut pay rates than Tutor.com. TutorMe offers $16 per hour and requires all applicants to be enrolled in a university or hold a degree from an accredited school. Applicants should also be at least 18 years old and an expert in their subject, along with having previous teaching experience.
TutorMe is a more focused service than Tutor.com. While it doesn’t offer as many course options, it’s ideal for high school students that need ACT prep or SAT prep help. These test prep courses help students prepare for the major exams that determine their eligibility for specific colleges. TutorMe also offers a GRE course.
Magic Ears
If you’re interested in teaching English online, Magic Ears is a dedicated ESL tutoring program. It offers up to $26 per hour by connecting English-speaking students with Chinese students in an English-speaking classroom. The only requirements are that you speak English at an idiomatic (native) level and are actively pursuing a Bachelor’s degree or higher. You must also hold a 120-hour ESL Certification, but this can be obtained online.
English language tutoring is a field ripe with opportunities and a great way to gain experience teaching for those who don’t have much. If you want to earn more, private tutoring would-be English speakers is an excellent way to pad your income a bit. In most cases, you don’t need to speak a foreign language.
Studypool
Studypool claims to be one of the highest-paying online teaching jobs out there. The home page advertises up to $7,500 per month, but likely less than one percent of tutors earn that much. Studypool works a bit differently than other opportunities in that tutors bid for questions that students submit. The students set a price range and time limit and then choose from the bids they receive.
It doesn’t require a schedule since you bid only for the questions you have time for. Some people use Studypool as a full-time job, while others only do it for a bit of extra cash on the side. You need to be a current college student with a valid university ID, or you need to have a degree from a university.
Studypool needs everything from math tutors to humanity tutors. The company accepts applicants from all over the world, so it isn’t bound to student tutors from the US or Canada.
PrepNow
PrepNow is another online platform dedicated to test prep. It offers one-on-one tutoring sessions to students of different grade levels to help them prepare for the SAT, ACT, and other major exams. It’s a bit different from other tutoring companies because it requires building lesson plans around a specific student’s needs; in a way, tutors end up mentoring their students.
Due to this different approach, PrepNow’s requirements are stricter. Applicants need at least two years of teaching experience, as well as a score of 28 on the ACT or a 650 on the SAT. You’ll also need a university degree and at least six hours per week of dedicated time.
PrepNow also requires tutors to have a flexible approach to teaching since they will work with different kinds of learners. Tutoring sessions aren’t just answering a few questions—they’re about helping students progress.
What Do I Need to Be a Tutor?
These five tutoring companies each have different requirements, but if you want to earn money teaching online, you’ll need a few basic skills.
First and foremost, you need excellent communication skills. Tutors work with students that are frustrated and intimidated by the subject material and need to be able to convey it in a way that makes sense.
You’ll also need a reliable internet connection. While many tutoring sessions will be audio-only, equally as many will make use of a webcam so you can see your student and form a connection. If you do a great job as a tutor, you can get a referral to other students that might need help. In time, you’ll have a client base all your own.
