Penn Foster Review: Cost, PLC Coverage and Whether It Is Worth It

Short answer: Penn Foster is a long-running US online school. Its High School, Career School and College are accredited by the DEAC (Distance Education Accrediting Commission), and its programs are self-paced, online and cheaper than most colleges. Prices are published on the site.

For PLC skills specifically, though, its programs are thin:

• The associate degree we reviewed, Industrial Electronics and Electrical Maintenance Technology, lists Programmable Logic Controllers as a single 3-credit technical elective. It isn't a core course.
• The Residential Electrician diploma has no PLC course.
• We found no standalone PLC program on the consumer site.

Worth it? It can be, if you want an inexpensive, flexible, accredited electronics or electrical credential. It isn't the place to learn PLC programming, and you'd need to add hands-on PLC practice somewhere else.

Researched October 25, 2026 from Penn Foster's program, curriculum and accreditation pages, BBB and Trustpilot (sources at the end). Penn Foster runs time-limited sales, so check the current price before you enrol. We did not enrol in a Penn Foster program.

Ownership disclosure: PLC Programming and PLC Simulation Software are run by the same team. Our product appears in the alternatives section, with its prices and limits stated.

Penn Foster programs relevant to maintenance and electrical work

Two things are easy to miss:

1. The degree price on the page is for the first semester only. The program has four semesters, and Penn Foster didn't show a total program cost on the page we checked. Ask Penn Foster for the full cost before you commit.
2. Industrial Maintenance. An "Industrial Maintenance program" still appears on a Penn Foster partner page for employer programs, which says "In just 9 months" without a price or curriculum. The old consumer career-diploma page now returns a "not found" error, and the program isn't in the consumer trades list. If you're searching for "Penn Foster industrial maintenance," check with Penn Foster or your employer whether it's still offered.

What the PLC elective covers

Penn Foster's curriculum page lists these outcomes for the Programmable Logic Controllers elective:

• PLC hardware
• programming and wiring diagrams
• timers and counters
• control instructions
• data manipulation
• arithmetic, sequencer and shift-register instructions
• installation and troubleshooting

That's a reasonable theory outline. The learning model lists "simulations and videos," and we saw no physical PLC kit mentioned. Three credits of study, chosen as an elective, is an introduction, not job-ready PLC skill.

Accreditation, and what it means

From Penn Foster's accreditation page:

• Penn Foster High School, Career School and College are accredited by the DEAC.
• The Career School is also accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) for non-degree postsecondary programs. That's a different body from the Middle States higher-education commission.
• The College, which grants the associate degree, is DEAC-accredited. We saw no regional accreditation listed for it.
• The Facilities Maintenance page states that it comes from Penn Foster Training Institute, which is "not accredited by DEAC or any other accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education."

Electrician licensing. Penn Foster's own Residential Electrician page says the program is not valid for licensure in California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. Licensing normally also requires supervised work hours. Check your state's rules before enrolling.

If credits transferring to another college matters to you, ask the receiving college whether it accepts DEAC-accredited credits.

What reviews show

The picture is mixed, and it depends on where you look:

• BBB: Penn Foster has an A+ rating and has been BBB-accredited since 1962. Customer reviews averaged 1.34 out of 5 from 71 reviews, with 239 complaints in 3 years (88 in the last 12 months). The first page of complaints was mostly about billing (disputed balances and collections), with others about transcripts and customer service.
• Trustpilot: 4.1 out of 5 from 1,652 reviews, 68% five-star and 13% one-star. The profile is claimed by the company and many reviews are marked as invited.

The billing complaints are the useful signal. Before signing up for a monthly plan, read the enrolment agreement on cancellation, withdrawal and what you owe if you stop.

Is Penn Foster worth it?

• Good fit: you want a low-cost, self-paced, DEAC-accredited electronics associate degree or electrical diploma and can study alone.
• Good fit: an employer is paying through a partner program.
• Poor fit: your goal is a PLC, controls or automation technician job. PLC content is one optional course, theory-based, with no hardware.
• Poor fit: you need an electrician licence in one of the states Penn Foster excludes.

Alternatives for PLC and maintenance skills

Frequently asked questions

How much does Penn Foster cost?

It depends on the program. On October 25, 2026, the Residential Electrician diploma listed at $1,139 (or $59/month). The Industrial Electronics associate degree showed $1,769 for the first semester (or $75/month; paid-in-full sale prices are lower), with four semesters in total.

Is Penn Foster accredited?

Yes. Penn Foster High School, Career School and College are accredited by the DEAC, and the Career School is also accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools for non-degree programs. Some professional-training programs come from Penn Foster Training Institute, which says it is not accredited.

Does Penn Foster teach PLC programming?

Only a little. In the Industrial Electronics and Electrical Maintenance associate degree, Programmable Logic Controllers is a 3-credit technical elective. The Residential Electrician diploma has no PLC course.

Is Penn Foster worth it for industrial maintenance?

It's worth it if you need a cheap, flexible, accredited credential and can study alone. For a maintenance or controls job, employers also look for hands-on skills such as motor controls, PLC troubleshooting and mechanical work, so plan on lab practice or a credential like NIMS as well.

Sources

• Penn Foster: Industrial Electronics and Electrical Maintenance Technology degree and curriculum
• Penn Foster: Residential Electrician career diploma
• Penn Foster: Facilities Maintenance professional training
• Penn Foster: trades programs and accreditation
• Penn Foster partner page: Industrial Maintenance
• BBB: Penn Foster
• Trustpilot: pennfoster.edu

Related reading

• PLC training programs compared
• Maintenance technician training program
• Industrial electrical training online