Best Tutoring Companies

The newest entrant in this field is Varsity Tutors, founded in 2007. Their private tutors have built up a database of more than 100,000 questions across 150 subjects.

Sylvan Learning Center is one of the best-known tutoring companies in the United States. This company has tutoring centers in many cities across the country.

Tutor Doctor has been offering in-home tutoring for the last 10 years. It has grown into an international franchise, giving students extra help in countries all over the world.

TutorTutor is a San Diego tutoring company that offers one-on-one tutoring services to elementary through secondary school students.

• Central tutoring dispatcher: This service talks to parents about their kids' needs and then matches them with an appropriate tutor. Parents always have the option of requesting a different tutor if one doesn't work out.
• Works on skills for academic success: TutorTutor can help kids improve time management and organizational skills as well as assist them with improving their ability to focus.
• Offers college prep tutoring: Students who want extra help passing college entrance exams will benefit from one-on-one tutoring.
• Home-based tutoring company: Students meet with tutors in their own home rather than going to a tutoring center, making it easier for busy students and parents to access tutoring services.
• Tutors must pass background checks: Parents can rest assured that tutors have the expertise to teach their kids and that they are safe people to let into their home or around their children.
• Best for: College-bound teenagers, special needs students, kids who are failing and kids who are taking state exams.

Club Z has offered in-home tutoring services to over 300,000 students since 1994. It offers a variety of services to students ranging from pre-K age up through high school.

Eduboard is an online tutoring service that helps students get answers to their academic problems online. Students can ask questions about their homework as well as hire a tutor.

• Free registration: Students can register with Eduboard for free; they only pay if they choose to work with a tutor.
• Service is entirely online: Once a student hires a tutor, sessions are entirely online, making this an ideal choice for students who are particularly busy or unusually shy.
• Quick response times: Tutors respond to student queries with two hours of posting.
• Flexible pricing and payment: Students can get a quick answer to a question for very low cost as well as pay for an online session or video tutorial. Payment can be made via Paypal, giving students and their parents lots of payment options.
• Video tutorials: Students who are struggling with learning specific procedures can purchase a video tutorial to get step-by-step instructions.
• Best for: Kids who are failing and special needs students.

TutaPoint is an online tutoring service that has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. It has offered tutoring services since 2007 and also offers supplemental educational materials to help teachers n the classroom.

Tutor.com offers one-on-one, personalized tutoring over the Internet. It focuses mainly on middle school and high school students.

Mindlaunch is a startup that combines passion for education with technology to offer unique online tutoring options.

• All tutors are licensed teachers: Tutors know how to teach and are experts in a given subject, allowing them to better help students master the subject.
• Holistic approach considers environmental factors: Incoming students are assessed to see what factors are contributing to their academic problems so that tutors can create the right plan to help them.
• No in-person meetings: Students and teachers only interact online, ensuring that students remain anonymous and that their safety is never compromised.
• Virtual classroom includes audio and video sharing: Students can use online technology to get personalized feedback and help with academic issues.
• Educational resource library: Students can research class topics as well as learn more about various study skills.
• Best for: Special needs students and kids who are failing.

eTutor is a virtual classroom that can be used for tutoring as well as for supplementing children's primary classroom experience. It has offered tutoring services to students since 1997.

• Offers supplemental classes for homeschooled students: Students who are in a homeschooling program can ensure they will pass required exams that they may not have focused on in their primary educational setting.
• Browser-based service: International students and others who need to be able to get service at a hotel or library can do so using eTutor's online portal.
• Offers lesson modules in various subjects: Students can learn at their own pace and can supplement their education by studying topics they are interested in via eTutor.
• Tutors are trained to be patient: Students who feel embarrassed about not being able to keep up with their classmates will find a patient, nonjudgmental attitude that helps them be more able to learn.
• Unlimited access to tutors: Students can reach tutors via email or chat 24 hours a day.
• Best for: Special needs students, kids who are failing and kids who are taking state exams.

Wyzant is a one-on-one tutoring company that grew out of a recent college graduate's desire to find tutoring clients in his field. This company has helped more than 73,000 students since its inception in 2005.

• Free registration: Students don't pay anything until they find and hire a tutor.
• Tutors available at a variety of prices: Users can search for tutors that charge a specific amount, so they can always find a tutor that fits into their budget.
• Satisfaction guaranteed: If a user doesn't find tutoring services satisfactory, Wyzant will pay for the first hour of service.
• Tutors sign up for free: Tutors can set up a profile at no cost; they just pay a portion of their fees when they get clients.
• Tutors tested for quality: Tutors must pass a test to demonstrate mastery of their subject when signing up with Wyzant.
• Best for: Students who are failing classes, students who have trouble with testing,, and people going to college.

Oxford Learning offers tutoring services in Canada. It specializes in individualized programming for students in grades 1-12, including kids who are overwhelmed by academic expectations, kids with special needs and kids seeking enrichment.

BenchPrep offers online courses to help students pass standardized exams. It is run by a former strategic consultant for Capital One.

A-List Tutoring provides assistance for students taking standardized tests as well as offering services directly to schools. Since 2005, it has grown from just 5 students to over 20,000 throughout the United States and Europe.

• Offers college advising: Students in the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) can get one-on-one advising about where and how to apply to college.
• Offers tutoring worldwide: Students in Europe and Asia can receive the same benefits as students in the United States.
• Offers help with a variety of standardized tests: While SAT/ACT prep is one of the biggest programs, A-List offers assistance with other standardized tests as well, such as the GRE and LSAT.
• Offers direct instruction programs to schools: Schools can help students directly by partnering with A-List Tutoring.
• Offers academic tutoring to help students pass end-of-year exams: Students who are struggling or who have problems with testing can raise their grades on required exams for promotion to the next grade.
• Best for: Students who are going to college, students who are failing classes, and students who want to do better in school.

TestMasters is the world’s leading provider of live and online preparation for the LSAT, GMAT, GRE, SAT, PSAT, and ACT. Founded in 1991, their comprehensive classes and tutoring packages serve students worldwide and have helped over 150,000 students achieve their academic goals.

Learning Ally's mission is to help blind, visually impaired and dyslexic students achieve academic success. The company began in 1948 as an organization that recorded audio versions of books for blinded World War II vets.

• Audio books: Students can purchase audio copies of their textbooks and other reading materials.
• Resources for learning-disabled individuals: Users can visit the Learning Ally website to get specific resources for managing their disability and achieving academic success.
• Exclusive focus: Users must have certifications of their disability, and employees are trained in helping people with special needs, making success even more likely.
• Information for educators: Educators can visit Learning Ally's website to sign up for a workshop to help them learn how best to teach special needs students.
• Student advocacy program: Students in Colorado can attend sessions to help boost their self-confidence and allow them to stand up for other students with similar special learning needs.
• Best for: Blind students, visually impaired students and dyslexic students.

With their acclaimed Self-Learning Method, JEI Learning Centers help children learn at their own pace. Each child's strengths and weaknesses are assessed to determine strong suits and areas for improvement. Once this report is complete, the child begins the JEI Learning Centers curriculum for math, English, reading and writing.

A former Associated Press executive, editor and reporter, he has covered just about everything imaginable and a few things that seemed unimaginable until they happened.