What is the best online captain’s license course?

On price, Confident Captain at $499, if you already own or can buy the tools, book and charts it requires. For a course that never expires, US Captains Training at $595; for materials included, Sea School at $600; for Coast Guard application help included, Mariners Learning System at $695.

Which online OUPV course is cheapest?

Confident Captain, at $499 for the course and exam, but you buy the dividers, parallel ruler, Chapman book and three NOAA training charts separately, and it publishes no price for them. Next are US Captains Training at $595, Sea School at $600 and Mariners Learning System at $695.

Is an online captain’s license course legit?

Yes, when the course is on the Coast Guard’s NMC approved course list: Confident Captain, US Captains Training, Sea School and Mariners Learning System all are, on the September 23, 2026 edition. An approved course replaces the Coast Guard exam only; sea time, a medical exam, a drug test and the NMC application are still required.

Do I still have to take a Coast Guard exam?

Not if you finish an approved course within a year of applying: the National Maritime Center’s approved-course list says that “satisfies the examination requirements.” Each of these schools gives its own proctored final exam online instead of testing at a Coast Guard exam center.

Which course includes help with the Coast Guard application?

Mariners Learning System includes two years of MM-SEAS Expert Access in its $695 course. US Captains Training offers application preparation and submission in its $1,445 Premium Bundle. Sea School does not include application help, and Confident Captain recommends MMSEAS.com.

How long do I have to finish?

US Captains Training’s course never expires. Sea School and Mariners Learning System give 12 months, and Mariners sells a $125 extension. Confident Captain says the Coast Guard requires you to finish within a year of registering.

Ranked comparison

Best Online Captain’s License Courses, Ranked by Course Price

Online OUPV courses on the Coast Guard’s approved list, ranked by price, with what each includes.

Ranked by course price, the online captain’s license courses on the Coast Guard’s NMC approved course list (September 23, 2026 edition) are Confident Captain at $499, US Captains Training at $595, Sea School at $600 and Mariners Learning System at $695. Confident Captain’s price leaves out the plotting tools, textbook and training charts, and it publishes no price for them; US Captains Training and Sea School include them, and Mariners asks you to supply parallels and dividers. An approved course replaces the Coast Guard exam only; sea time, a medical exam, a drug test and the NMC application are still required.

Which online captain’s license course is best?

1. Lowest course price on the NMC list
Confident Captain — $499
Required materials not included, and no price published for them
Course and online exam; the dividers, parallel ruler, Chapman book and three NOAA training charts are bought separately, and it publishes no price for them. Exam: online, proctored through Proctor 360; three attempts per module. Access: finish within one year of registering. On the NMC approved course list as CONCOP-340 (OUPV); CONCOP-281 (Master 100).
What you’ll need to buy: Weems & Plath #176 dividers, a Weems & Plath 15-inch parallel ruler, Chapman Piloting & Seamanship (67th edition), NOAA training chart 13205TR, NOAA training chart 12221TR and NOAA training chart 12354TR. See the list
2. No deadline, and required materials included
US Captains Training — $595
Required materials included
Course, book package (OUPV textbook, Rules of the Road book, a training chart, parallel rules and dividers), and three final exam attempts. Exam: online, with a live proctor on Google Meet; exam modules on consecutive days within one business week. Access: never expires. On the NMC approved course list as USCAPT-340 (OUPV); USCAPT-281 (Master 100).
3. Books, charts and plotting tools in the box
Sea School — $600
Required materials included
Course, books, charts and plotting tools (shipped free), and the online exam. Exam: online, with a live remote proctor; a free retake if needed. Access: 12 months. On the NMC approved course list as SEASCH-340 (OUPV); SEASCH-530 (OUPV-to-Master 100 upgrade).
4. Coast Guard application help included
Mariners Learning System — $695
Parallels and dividers not included
Course, online exam, and two years of MM-SEAS application support; you supply parallels and dividers. Exam: online and proctored, any day, any time; retakes within three months. Access: 12 months (a $125 extension adds time). On the NMC approved course list as MARSCH-340 (OUPV); MARSCH-631 and MARSCH-534 (Master 100).
What you’ll need to buy: dividers and parallels. Mariners also sells them as a set in its own store. See the list

We ranked online OUPV (Six-Pack) courses on the Coast Guard’s NMC approved course list by the course price on each school’s own site, lowest first; where two prices are within $10, the one with longer course access goes first. The table shows what each price includes — materials, exam, application help and access — so you can see what the cheaper options leave out.

With code BOATINGCLASSES (10% off; we earn a commission when it is used), Mariners’ OUPV course is about $625.50, so the gap to US Captains Training’s $595 is about $30.

10% off at Mariners with code

About $70 off the $695 OUPV course

BOATINGCLASSES

Enter it at Mariners Learning System's checkout. We earn a commission when this code is used, at no extra cost to you — it never changes how we rank or review courses.

How do the online OUPV courses compare?

Online OUPV captain’s license courses side by side
	Confident Captain	US Captains Training	Sea School	Mariners Learning System
Price	Confident Captain$499Required materials not included, and no price published for them	US Captains Training$595Required materials included	Sea School$600Required materials included	Mariners Learning System$695Parallels and dividers not included
What’s included	Confident CaptainCourse and online exam; the dividers, parallel ruler, Chapman book and three NOAA training charts are bought separately, and it publishes no price for them	US Captains TrainingCourse, book package (OUPV textbook, Rules of the Road book, a training chart, parallel rules and dividers), and three final exam attempts	Sea SchoolCourse, books, charts and plotting tools (shipped free), and the online exam	Mariners Learning SystemCourse, online exam, and two years of MM-SEAS application support; you supply parallels and dividers
Exam	Confident CaptainOnline, proctored through Proctor 360; three attempts per module	US Captains TrainingOnline, with a live proctor on Google Meet; exam modules on consecutive days within one business week	Sea SchoolOnline, with a live remote proctor; a free retake if needed	Mariners Learning SystemOnline and proctored, any day, any time; retakes within three months
Application help	Confident CaptainNot included (it recommends MMSEAS.com)	US Captains TrainingExtra: the $1,445 Premium Bundle adds application preparation and submission	Sea SchoolNot included	Mariners Learning SystemIncluded: two years of MM-SEAS Expert Access
Course access	Confident CaptainFinish within one year of registering	US Captains TrainingNever expires	Sea School12 months	Mariners Learning System12 months (a $125 extension adds time)
Coast Guard approved course (NMC list)	Confident CaptainYes — CONCOP-340 (OUPV); CONCOP-281 (Master 100)	US Captains TrainingYes — USCAPT-340 (OUPV); USCAPT-281 (Master 100)	Sea SchoolYes — SEASCH-340 (OUPV); SEASCH-530 (OUPV-to-Master 100 upgrade)	Mariners Learning SystemYes — MARSCH-340 (OUPV); MARSCH-631 and MARSCH-534 (Master 100)
	Confident Captain site	See US Captains Training	See Sea School	See Mariners Learning System 10% off with code`BOATINGCLASSES` We earn a commission when it’s used, at no extra cost to you.

See the full cost of a captain's license

We may earn a commission if you enroll through a link above, at no cost to you.

An approved course replaces the Coast Guard exam only; sea time, a medical exam, a drug test and the NMC application are still required.

What will you need to buy?

Two of the four courses leave some materials to you. Confident Captain asks for dividers, a parallel ruler, the Chapman textbook and three NOAA training charts; Mariners Learning System asks for a set of parallels and dividers for its chart plotting module and final exam. US Captains Training and Sea School include their materials in the course price.

Weems & Plath #176 Marine Navigation Ultralight Divider
Confident Captain lists this exact item · Mariners asks for dividers, no model named
Weems & Plath Marine Navigation Parallel Ruler (Aluminum Arms, 15-Inch)
Confident Captain lists this exact item · Mariners asks for parallels, no model named
Chapman Piloting & Seamanship, 67th Edition
Confident Captain lists this exact item
NOAA Training Chart 13205TR, Block Island Sound
Confident Captain lists this exact item
NOAA Training Chart 12221TR, Chesapeake Bay
Confident Captain lists this exact item
NOAA Training Chart 12354TR, Long Island Sound
Confident Captain lists this exact item

Mariners Learning System also sells Weems & Plath parallel rulers and dividers as a set in its own store.

What else does a captain’s license cost?

The course is only part of it. Our captain’s license cost breakdown itemizes the federal fees, the TWIC and the medical exam. For two schools side by side, see Mariners Learning System vs US Captains Training and Mariners Learning System vs Sea School.

Last updated: September 25, 2026

Best online captain’s license course — FAQ

What is the best online captain’s license course?: On price, Confident Captain at $499, if you already own or can buy the tools, book and charts it requires. For a course that never expires, US Captains Training at $595; for materials included, Sea School at $600; for Coast Guard application help included, Mariners Learning System at $695.
Which online OUPV course is cheapest?: Confident Captain, at $499 for the course and exam, but you buy the dividers, parallel ruler, Chapman book and three NOAA training charts separately, and it publishes no price for them. Next are US Captains Training at $595, Sea School at $600 and Mariners Learning System at $695.
Is an online captain’s license course legit?: Yes, when the course is on the Coast Guard’s NMC approved course list: Confident Captain, US Captains Training, Sea School and Mariners Learning System all are, on the September 23, 2026 edition. An approved course replaces the Coast Guard exam only; sea time, a medical exam, a drug test and the NMC application are still required.
Do I still have to take a Coast Guard exam?: Not if you finish an approved course within a year of applying: the National Maritime Center’s approved-course list says that “satisfies the examination requirements.” Each of these schools gives its own proctored final exam online instead of testing at a Coast Guard exam center.
Which course includes help with the Coast Guard application?: Mariners Learning System includes two years of MM-SEAS Expert Access in its $695 course. US Captains Training offers application preparation and submission in its $1,445 Premium Bundle. Sea School does not include application help, and Confident Captain recommends MMSEAS.com.
How long do I have to finish?: US Captains Training’s course never expires. Sea School and Mariners Learning System give 12 months, and Mariners sells a $125 extension. Confident Captain says the Coast Guard requires you to finish within a year of registering.

Sources (7)

Every factual claim on this page traces to one of these. The date is when we last checked it against the source.

Confident Captain OUPV course page and FAQ — checked 2026-09-25
Mariners Chart Plotting Tools store page — checked 2026-09-25
Mariners Learning System course pages — checked 2026-09-25
Sea School online OUPV course page — checked 2026-09-24
US Captains Training course pages — checked 2026-09-24
USCG National Maritime Center approved courses (MARSCH-340, -631, -534) — checked 2026-09-23
USCG NMC Course Approvals (September 23, 2026 edition) — checked 2026-09-24

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