School Comparisons
Path Unbound vs. Chegg Skills (Formerly Thinkful): Which UI/UX Design Program Should You Choose?
Quick Verdict
Choose Path Unbound if you want a design-focused school with transparent pricing, weekly 1:1 mentorship, flexible online learning, and deep portfolio support.
Choose Chegg Skills if you want a broader online skilling platform, especially if you may access the UX/UI Design Professional Certificate through an employer or Guild education benefit.
Comparison
Which one is right for you?
Both are premium UI/UX career programs with strong reputations. The honest differentiation is in how they structure mentorship, portfolio coaching, and the visual design foundation.
Choose Path Unbound if you want…
- University-level depth and a portfolio that competes with design school graduates
- Weekly 1:1 mentorship from vetted senior designers — not crowd-sourced peer feedback
- A visual design foundation built into the curriculum from day one
- Flexible entry points — start at $29/month on-demand or commit to the full program
- A boutique program that prioritizes depth and quality over scale
- Programs with different pricing entry points to help you reach your career goals and afford it easily
Choose Chegg Skills if…
- Prefer a broader corporate learning platform with many program categories
- Are interested in UX/UI plus adjacent skills like AI, data, business, or web developmentdel where you're matched with mentors from a wider community
- May be applying through Guild or an employer benefit
- Want a program that emphasizes Figma, AI workflows, research, prototyping, and iterationer name recognition outside the design community
- Are comfortable verifying exact support, pricing, and enrollment terms before committing
FULL COMPARISON
The complete side-by-side
Specifics matter when both options are good. Here’s exactly how the two programs compare on what affects your day-to-day learning and your final outcome.
Features
Path Unbound
Designlab
Curriculum & Teaching
Avocademy
Curriculum source
- Designer-written, university-level
- In-house curriculum
Visual design foundation
- Built into the curriculum from day one
- Light introduction
Instructional model
- Weekly 1:1 with multiple vetted senior designers
- 1:1 sessions with mentors from their community pool
Instructor Choice
- Students select their own instructors
- Mentors assigned by school
Portfolio & Career Outcomes
Avocademy
Dedicated Portfolio School
- Yes — full module built for portfolio readiness
- Portfolio elements integrated into program, no dedicated module
Portfolio coaching depth
- Standalone Portfolio School specialized in high quality portfolio coaching
- Portfolio reviews built into the end of the program
Career services
- Personalized 1:1 coaching, mock interviews by working senior designer instructors, not career coaches
- Career services included
Job Outcomes
- 92.5% hired within 6 months
- Publicly stated; methodology varies
Cost & Flexibility
Avocademy
Career program tuition
- $7,080 (payment plans available)
- Not publicly stated; need to inquire with program
Portfolio School (standalone)
- $2,100 - $3,200
- Not offered
On-demand subscription
- $29-$49/month
- Not offered
Shorter specialization courses
- Specialized upskilling courses including Art Direction are available
- Available in many areas other than design
Payment plans
- Available + scholarships
- Not publicly stated; need to inquire with program
Course schedule
- 100% online, full-time-worker friendly
- 100% online, full-time-worker friendly
PRICING
What you actually pay — and what's included
No hidden fees. No “contact for pricing.” Here’s exactly what each program costs and what comes with it.
Path Unbound
School of UI/UX Design
Full career program — career-ready in months, not years
$7,080
total
Or start with on-demand at $29-$49/month · Portfolio School available standalone at $1,600 – $3,200 · Upskilling short courses + ongoing working designer mentorship available
- University-level UI/UX curriculum, former university faculty and senior designer-written
- Weekly 1:1 mentorship with vetted senior designers
- Portfolio School included and built into the program
- Personalized career coaching + mock interviews
- Lifetime alumni access and community
- 100% online, full-time-worker friendly
- Payment plans + scholarships available
Chegg Skills
Chegg Skills UI/UX Design Program
UX career-change program with mentor pool sold through employer-sponsored Guild benefits platform
Not Stated
(inquire with school)
- UI/UX design career-change curriculum as one of many programs
- 1:1 mentor sessions from their community of mentors
- Portfolio elements integrated into the end of the program
- Career services included
- Primarily enrolled through employer-sponsored Guild benefits network
- Living under large institutional umbrella
- Payment information unavailable until inquiry is submitted to school
How To Think About The Difference
If your goal is to become a designer, your portfolio will matter more than a certificate name alone.
Path Unbound is structured around helping you produce stronger design work, explain your decisions, and present your portfolio professionally. This is especially important for career changers who need to prove both thinking and craft.
Chegg Skills is part of a much larger skills ecosystem. Its website lists programs across technical skills, data skills, AI skills, and business skills, not just design.Â
That can be a benefit if you want broad upskilling or employer-sponsored access. But if your primary goal is to build a highly competitive UX/UI portfolio, you should look carefully at how much individualized design critique you will receive.
REAL OUTCOMES
What graduates actually achieve
Verified data from graduated students
92.5%
1,000+
Designers trained
100+
100+
$75K+
Average starting offer
Career Outcomes
Path Unbound Graduates Have Landed At
From startups to Fortune 500s — our graduates hold design roles at some of the world’s most recognized companies.
Student Testimonials
From students who considered both
Real stories from people who looked at Chegg Skills alongside Path Unbound
My employer does provide an education budget, so naturally, I came across Chegg Skills. But they also do tuition reimbursement which is great because I can choose more broadly. I really appreciate how transparent Path Unbound is about everything, and from all the reviews, it’s clear that they care a lot about students. I’m not a big fan of corporate, so I gravitated towards Path Unbound.
Sven J.
Graphic Designer At Agency Transitioning to Product Design
I did a lot of research prior to enrolling. All I can say is, I want to know as much about a program as possible, upfront, before giving my contact information away. Path Unbound has everything on their site. Knowing what I’m getting into is super important. Once I did do the admission call, I felt even better because they answered all of my questions and even provided me with advice.
Imani K.
Social Media Specialist Adding Design to Skillset
If yor employer is already on the Guild network and you can do Chegg for free, I’d say do it. But I don’t see any other reason to choose that program if your employer isn’t paying, and most of us don’t have that benefit.I really like how Path Unbound focuses on the craft of design much more than other programs. I also love the personal attention I receive as a student. It makes a world of difference.
Kwon K.
HR Professional Transitioning to Design
FAQs
The questions people actually ask
Real questions from prospective students — answered honestly.
Is Chegg Skills the same as Thinkful?
Chegg Skills is the current brand that replaced Thinkful. Chegg announced that Thinkful would be known as Chegg Skills starting in October 2023.Â
Does Chegg Skills still offer UX/UI Design?
Yes. Chegg Skills currently lists a UX/UI Design Professional Certificate on its website. The page describes a 5–6 month program requiring 5–10 hours per week.
Does Chegg Skills include mentorship?
Chegg’s support section says support may include academic success coaching, 1:1 mentorship, live chat or Q&A sessions, SkillMate AI, and support center access, depending on the program. Because the wording varies across the page, students should confirm exactly what is included for the UX/UI program before enrolling.
Does Chegg Skills publish UX/UI tuition?
No, not on their website. Prospective student must inquire directly with the program.
Which program is better for building a UX/UI portfolio?
Path Unbound is likely the stronger fit if your main goal is building a personalized, polished design portfolio with direct human feedback. Chegg Skills does include portfolio-ready projects and a capstone, but its broader platform positioning may make it less specialized than a design-only school.
Which program is better if my employer pays for training?
Chegg Skills may be worth exploring if you can access it through Guild or an employer education benefit. Path Unbound may be a better fit if you are self-funding and want transparent pricing, design-specific mentorship, and direct portfolio support. Path Unbound is also a great choice if your employer offers tuition reimbursement rather than using the network of Guild.
Risk Management
If you're worried about the investment
For a $7,080 decision, you should know exactly what safety nets exist. Here are ours.
1
Structured refund policy
Specific terms apply at each milestone — see our refund policy for the details.
2
Free syllabus + course preview
See exactly what you’d learn before paying anything. Download our full syllabus for each career program.
2
Scholarships available
Path Unbound offers partial scholarships for qualifying applicants — apply before enrollment.
Still deciding? Talk to a real human for 30 minutes.
Choosing between Path Unbound and Chegg Skills depends on your goals, budget, schedule, and how much personal feedback you need. If you want help figuring out whether Path Unbound is the right fit, book a free admissions call and we’ll give you honest guidance — even if another program is a better match.