Jordan Peterson‘s ambitious venture into online education, Peterson Academy, has become a cautionary tale of overpromising and underdelivering. What was marketed as a revolutionary alternative to traditional higher education has devolved into a poorly managed streaming platform plagued by broken promises and hostile customer relations.
Peterson initially presented his academy as a legitimate university alternative that would “drive the cost of a bachelor’s degree down to $4,000” and provide accredited degrees through partnerships with established institutions. He promised rigorous testing, certification programs that employers would recognize, and a comprehensive educational experience featuring “the best lectures in the world.”
The reality delivered to paying customers tells a different story entirely. Peterson Academy launched in September 2024 as nothing more than a collection of videos with no exams, no accreditation, no certificates of value, and no meaningful interaction with instructors. Students paying $499 annually found themselves questioning whether they had enrolled in a university or simply purchased access to an expensive video library.
The platform’s credibility took further hits when management demonstrated alarming inconsistencies with Peterson’s stated principles. Despite building his career on free speech advocacy, Peterson Academy banned journalist Alex Boyd for researching an article, along with multiple students who dared criticize the platform’s shortcomings. This heavy-handed censorship directly contradicted Peterson’s public stance that “when people speak freely, they’re able to think.”
The situation deteriorated further when Peterson Academy suddenly announced a 20% price increase just months after launch, requiring members to pay lump sums upfront to maintain current pricing. When students expressed legitimate concerns about the unexpected financial burden, Peterson’s daughter Michaela Fuller responded with contempt, telling struggling members they should “probably change jobs and/or work harder” if they couldn’t afford the increased fees.
Fuller’s response was particularly tone-deaf given Peterson Academy’s stated mission of making education accessible. Her dismissive attitude toward students facing financial hardship—including veterans and disabled individuals—revealed a disturbing disconnect between the academy’s marketing promises and management’s actual values.
The communication failures extended beyond pricing controversies. Peterson repeatedly missed launch dates, shifting from November 2023 to February 2024, then May, then June, before abandoning specific timelines altogether. Basic platform features like testing and group functionality, prominently advertised during enrollment, remained absent months after launch.
Perhaps most damaging to Peterson Academy’s reputation was management’s response to criticism. Rather than addressing legitimate concerns about missing features and broken promises, they systematically banned dissenting voices while claiming harassment without providing evidence.
By April 2024, likely responding to mounting backlash, Peterson Academy reduced its annual fee to $399. However, this price reduction cannot address the fundamental issue: the platform remains a basic video streaming service masquerading as a university, lacking the accreditation, testing, and educational rigor originally promised to students who trusted Peterson’s vision for educational reform.