Free online courses to help you further your education (2023)

Whether you're preparing for a big career change or just want to learn something new, free online courses can help jump-start your career.

What is itThe value of free online courses? Well, they don't replace traditional education programs, but these courses still offer a number of benefits. Our guide explores a selection of the best free online course providers to help you choose a new educational experience (without breaking the bank). Let's begin.

What are the benefits of free online courses?

One of the best parts about free online courses is that they are free. Trying a new theme is less risky if you don't have to weigh the cost. You can relax, enjoy and explore.

Relive the joy of learning with free online courses. They can also help you take concrete steps to achieve your career or educational goals. Students can use free online courses to try a new career field, develop skills for advancement, or refresh their knowledge before returning to school.

Many free online courses are known as massive open online courses (MOOCs). MOOCs allow hundreds or thousands of students to follow a course, often for free or at a low cost. With affordable prices and no formal enrollment requirements, MOOCs offer an affordable, low-risk way to learn.

Who Should Consider Taking Free Online Courses?

• career changer.Free online courses can help you learn about new industries and potentially land entry-level positions. These courses cannot replace a traditional degree, but they can help you stand out in the job market.
• working professionals.Free online training makes it easy for you to stay on top of industry trends. You can also use free online courses to demonstrate your desire and commitment when applying for new positions.
• student.Students can use the free courses to prepare for exams, review difficult concepts and combat learning loss during school hours. Users can find learning resources from undergraduate to graduate level through MOOCs.
• lifelong learner.If you want to learn about world events, take up a new hobby, or research a topic that interests you, there are many free online learning opportunities.

An online platform that offers free courses

Rediger X

A pioneer of the MOOC model, edX started in 2012 with 155,000 registrants. It now has more than 42 million users.

This collection site offers free and paid courses as well as microcredits, degrees and professional certifications. Founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), edX operated as a non-profit organization until it was acquired by education technology company 2U in 2021.

edX offers diverse course content from more than 160 partners, including Ivy League schools like Cornell University, international institutions like Oxford University, prominent companies like Google, and nonprofit organizations like the Smithsonian.

Students can take courses in the arts, sciences, social sciences and humanities. They can also study fields such as law, technology and healthcare. edX microloans and degrees are focused on business, technology and social services.

Students can attend most classes for free, but if they want to grade assignments and complete tests, they must pay $50 to $300 per class. class. Financial aid is available to eligible students.

Course courses

As the world's largest provider of MOOCs, Coursera offers courses to more than 100 million students worldwide. Stanford computer science professors Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng founded the company in 2012.

Like many MOOC platforms, Coursera offers content from multiple educational partners. Users can access courses from universities like Yale and companies like Microsoft. Learning pathways on Coursera include self-paced courses, diplomas, short mentoring programs and micro-credentials.

Course topics cover arts and humanities, health, mathematics, business, science and technology. Students can learn multiple languages ​​and delve into personal development topics such as mindfulness. Coursera is particularly strong with technology-related MOOCs, with courses in areas such as web development, data science, and cybersecurity.

Participants can attend most courses for free. Certificates of Completion cost $49 to $79 per class, or students can purchase annual or monthly memberships. Coursera also awards scholarships and partners with organizations to provide educational opportunities to underprivileged populations.

future learning

Based in London, FutureLearn emphasizes social learning. Users can create profiles to interact with other students. The classes often include opportunities for feedback and discussion.

The academic partners of this MOOC center are several American universities, but mostly international institutions, especially from the UK, Europe and Australia. Course content is also sourced from private and non-profit organizations.

FutureLearn students can explore STEM fields such as computer science, engineering and mathematics. Individuals can improve business skills and explore literature, law, politics and history. Creative arts courses study areas such as fashion and film, and language courses include less common subjects such as Irish and Norwegian.

Participants can join most FutureLearn courses for free. They can also upgrade to receive a certificate of completion and extended access to course materials. There is a fee for ExpertTracks, micro-credentials and online degrees.

canvas net

Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) that is widely used in primary and higher education. With over 30 million users as of 2019, many students and parents are likely already familiar with Canvas. The company also offers free online courses and professional development resources specifically for education professionals.

Educators can learn strategies for helping at-risk students, distance learning, dealing with copyright issues, and using the Canvas LMS, among other things. Depending on the program, classes are offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.

Most courses on the Canvas Network are free and at your own pace. The site only offers short courses and does not offer certificates of completion. Some individual teachers may include this option.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is a non-profit organization that focuses on primary and secondary education - unlike many other MOOC platforms. The platform, with a mission to increase educational outcomes worldwide, has over 61 million registered users in more than 190 countries.

Khan Academy offers courses in subjects such as language arts, science, economics, life skills and art history. Depending on the subject, the levels range from pre-school to high school. Students can also complete SAT, LSAT, Praxis Core, and MCAT preparation courses.

The courses are completely free, and the website offers resources to help teachers and parents support student success.

Udacity

Unlike aggregator sites, Udacity, a technical education institution, publishes its own courses. The for-profit site develops courses in collaboration with industry leaders such as GitHub and Amazon.

Udacity divides its programs into eight schools, each focusing on technical disciplines such as artificial intelligence, programming and development, or data science. Students can participate in short courses or a longer nanodiploma program. The free option belongs to the category of short courses, which last from 2 to 16 weeks.

The Nanodegree program requires paid participation, including academic and career support, forums, and program reviews. There is no free certificate option, but students seeking a certificate can save money with Udacity discounts and scholarships.

Udemy

Many MOOC centers only offer selected content from partner organizations. However, Udemy allows anyone to create, upload and teach courses. For this reason, Udemy users may need to research potential courses more carefully than students on some other MOOC sites. However, Udemy courses include many highly qualified instructors who teach a wide range of subjects.

Udemy organizes its courses into 12 broad categories, including IT & Software, Business, Lifestyle and Design. Special topics include TikTok marketing, tarot reading, day trading, and aerial photography.

Most of Udemy's 204,000+ courses require payment, but the platform also offers more than 500 free options. Course prices range from $19.99 to $199.99, and the site often runs promotions. Course fees include lifetime access and a certificate of completion. Udemy also offers subscription options.

Cognitive

IBM's Cognitive Course offers free online training in data science and cognitive computing. Students can earn badges to demonstrate their skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, Python and JavaScript.

Cognitive Class offers one-on-one lessons that typically last from 3 to 20 hours and 10 learning paths in areas such as data science fundamentals and deep learning. These three- to five-course sequences allow students to explore topics in depth. Participants can refine their course search using factors such as subject, experience level, target skills, and preferred language (English or Chinese).

To earn the badge, students must complete review questions and pass a one-hour exam. For many courses, Cognitive Class allows unlimited checks before participants attempt to earn a badge.

convention

This training service provider is focused on high-performance in-demand skills training. General Assembly courses are suitable for both beginners starting a new career and professionals looking to improve their CV. The offering includes career preparation camps, available online and at more than 30 campuses worldwide.

General Assembly Bootcamp fees range from $3,950 to $15,950. The platform also offers some free resources. Students can participate in live webinars that explore topics such as data, design and digital marketing. Beginners can learn the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with Dash's free web development course. General Assembly also offers free professional development courses and e-books.

OpenCourseWare

Since 2001, MIT has provided free online access to university courses through OpenCourseWare. OpenCourseWare materials are released under a Creative Commons license and are free to download, use, share, and adapt. Since launching as a pilot site with 50 courses, OpenCourseWare has grown to encompass the entire MIT catalog.

OpenCourseWare does not award credits or certificates, but students can follow their own paths through a wide range of subjects, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities and arts. Students can search for courses by subject, department and level. Users can also filter courses based on whether they offer features such as exams, online textbooks, or lecture videos.

open university

Founded in 1969, the Open University is a pioneer in using technological innovation to expand educational opportunities. Originally reaching students through television and radio, the Open University began online courses in the 1990s. Today, the UK-based public university offers degrees, diplomas, certificates as well as individual modules and courses.

Launched in 2006, OpenLearn, the open university's free learning platform, offers more than 1,000 courses ranging from 1 to 100 hours of study. Users can also access videos, games, quizzes and articles. More than 6 million people use OpenLearn every year.

Course topics are grouped into eight categories covering different academic subjects. Some courses allow participants to earn digital badges or certificates of participation. Students cannot contact their tutors, but can communicate with their peers through the comments section of each course.