Cengage Reviews

2.9

32% would recommend to a friend

(2,397 total reviews)
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Michael Hansen

41% approve of CEO

25% positive business outlook

Cengage has an employee rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars, based on 2,397 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Cengage employee rating is 22% below average for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews
1.0
17 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It used to be a great place to work. Still a few great people left. They won't be for long.

Cons

Private equity ownership has prioritized quarterly savings over sustainable growth. Leadership increasingly relies on consultants who lack a practical understanding of the business, leading to decisions that may improve short-term financial results while undermining long-term competitiveness. The company that was once known for innovation, employee engagement, and customer focus has become increasingly driven by cost-cutting and financial engineering. The decline in employee sentiment is reflected in the company's ratings and the recurring themes found throughout employee feedback over the past several years. Concerns regarding morale, leadership decisions, turnover, and the overall direction of the company appear consistently across many reviews and should not be ignored.

1.0
15 June 2026

Soulless, heartless, broke(n)

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Still fully remote, no more offices. Great people who are dedicated to the work.

Cons

Nearly everything else. This company has carried out mass layoffs relentlessly, month after month and year after year, including loyal 10-30 year employees that they replace for half the price if at all. Loyalty here means nothing; the company has made it clear they don’t care about you. They won’t invest in your growth (though they’ll put on a show that they do). They won’t fix deep, systemic issues with morale (though they’ll act like they’re addressing them). Advancement here has nothing to do with talent or results. It’s all about obedience theater, parroting leaderships corporate nonsense, and showing public loyalty at the all costs (including your dignity.) 90% of your time at this company will be spent on managing or participating in office politics, the other 10% is maybe doing your job if you’re lucky. In reality, it seems like they’re deliberately pushing people out, likely to avoid paying severance and to refill or outsource positions at a fraction of the cost. Employee moral is at an all time low, though leadership likes to pretend otherwise and look the other way. They will pays lip service to autonomy and empowerment, but in practice micromanages every minor detail while also belittling their people. They pretend to be inventive, announcing half-baked initiatives handed down with no real thought behind them, while expecting employees to treat these directives as gospel though there is zero thought put into actual execution. The result is that everything is half-assed, rushed, and outsourced at twice the expense for half the quality, all on the backs of the remaining full-time employees. You won’t be valued as a professional; you’ll simply be a life raft for leadership and the private equity firm in their pursuit of an IPO.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 2,397 Reviews

Glassdoor has 2,593 Cengage reviews submitted anonymously by Cengage employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Cengage is right for you.