The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired college-level mastery of course content in 34 different subject areas. Students who successfully complete a CLEP exam can enrich their degree programs with higher-level courses in the same discipline, expand their horizons by taking a wider array of electives, and avoid the need to repeat material that they already know.

For students who are able to pursue their degrees only part-time, or who are struggling to meet the rising cost of higher education, CLEP offers an educationally sound, responsible way to shorten the path to a college degree. This benefit makes earning a degree more feasible - making it more likely those part-time or financially strapped students will continue working toward a degree.