10 Websites that Offer Free Online Courses

During the Enhanced Community Quarantine, it is our role as citizens to stay at home so our frontliners can help protect us from the COVID-19 pandemic. If you feel that staying in quarantine during COVID-19 is negatively impacting your mental health, get the support you deserve and reach out to BetterHelp today. It’s only the second week of quarantine and you might be stuck in a loop of sleeping, eating, watching Netflix, playing video games, or getting into TikTok trend. While these are effective ways to pass the time, it is also a good idea to look for hobbies that you have been dying to try because of school or work suspension.

Explore Websites that Offer Free Online Courses

There are different websites that currently offer online classes or courses which you can check out, and once you see a class or course that is within your interest or at least you think would be one of your new curiosities in life, grab it, and join the class.

10 Websites that Offer Free Online Courses

For your convenience, we’ve created a list of websites that offer free online courses that you can choose from. Websites that made it to this list are arranged in no particular order.

1. Coursera

Coursera is a website for learning almost every necessary skill and knowledge a person would like to learn. This website is partnered with different universities all over the globe, with different professionals as instructors. If you’re worried that you might not be able to keep up with the class since you’re totally new to what you would like to enroll in, set aside your worries because, in Coursera, you can choose a course that’s either in “beginner”, “intermediate”, “mixed”, or “advance” level. In some classes offered by universities, companies, and institutions within Coursera, you may even get a professional certificate that could serve as one of your career credentials. However, do know that Coursera professional certificates have fees unless you’ll be able to apply for financial aid.

Some courses will just take a while; you can finish an online course within a span of months and some even weeks, depending on the class you’ll be joining. So while at home and still is in a community quarantine, it would be best to make an effort to improve yourself. Whether or not you’re within Baguio City, you may try Coursera.

2. Skillshare

Another one of the websites that offer free online courses is Skillshare. The Skillshare Premium is currently being offered for free by the website for its new users. “Start Today With Two Free Months of Skillshare Premium,” as stated on their website. Even without going Premium, there are still a lot of Free online classes in Skillshare which you can take part in, so don’t worry once your two-month free premium comes to an end. There will be no commitment and you can cancel anytime, while still continuously learning with the free classes that are being offered by different Skillshare Teachers.

What does Skillshare actually offer? This website offers thousands of classes to those people who want to upgrade their creativity and satisfy their curiosity about different kinds of creative topics such as design, illustration, video, animation, photography, music, web development, freelancing, and the like. So, do you want to awaken your artistic side? Want to save the last spark on your interest in art? Or do you just want to level up on what you’re already good at? If you answered yes to any of those questions, Skillshare might be the right platform for you.

3. edX

You can do some flexing for your mind, which might include taking an online class from websites that offer free online courses such as edX.

There are over 2,500 plus online courses in edX which are offered by different institutions and universities such as Harvard University, Berkeley University of California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Stanford Online, The University of Queensland Australia, and many more. A few of the most popular subjects which are being offered via edX are Computer Science, Business and Management, Language, Engineering, Data Science, and Humanities. Although, they still offer other subjects which you may choose from, including Design, History, Ethics, Law, Literature, and a lot more.

There are, of course, Free classes that you can take, and you just have to look for it. However, if you want to pursue a Verified Certificate that will highlight the knowledge and skills you gain, heads up, there would be a fee. Want to try taking at least one course at edX? Go ahead and enjoy the experience!

4. Future Learn

Looking for more platforms where you can expand your learning? Another one of the websites that offer free online courses is Future Learn. This is another one of the websites which you can run to in building professional skills and connecting with experts. Just like the first three websites that have been mentioned in this article, there are also many subjects/courses in Future Learn to choose from. IT and Computer Science, Business and Management, Creative Arts and Media, Psychology and Mental Health, Politics and Society are just some of these subjects. University of Aberdeen, Anglia 

Learning with Future Learn could be free depending on which course you’ll be joining in, but if you’re aiming not just to learn but also to get a Certificate of Achievement, you’ll need to upgrade your course and pay an amount which starts from $54 for the certificate.

5. Khan Academy

Already found the right platform which you think would bring out the best in you during your long stay at home? Then that’s good to hear, but if you’re still looking for more options, read on. There are many more websites that offer free online courses and one of them is Khan Academy.

Khan Academy caters mostly to students, thus it could be really useful for students who have their current school activities cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They offer courses such as Math (Early Math, Arithmetic, Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Geometry, and more!), Science and Engineering (Physics, Cosmology & Astronomy, Chemistry, Biology, and more!), and Arts & Humanities (World History, Grammar, Storytelling, and more!).

6. Udemy

Just like other websites that offer online courses, Udemy offers both paid courses and, of course, there are also a lot of free courses. In Udemy you can choose what to learn from different categories such as Development, Business, IT and Software, Design, Personal Development, Photography, Music, and more.

To see the Free courses Udemy offers, first, search about the topic, course, or category where your interest or curiosity falls, then using the “Filter” or “All Filter” button that you’ll see above the list, find “price” then tick on “Free.” As easy as that. Learning doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. With today’s technology, knowledge and information are within our grasp, so take advantage of it, especially when you have a lot of time in your hands to explore.

7. Open Culture Online Courses

Still looking for more? Great! Just stay curious because this list is still about to go on. Open Culture online courses, another one of the websites that offer free online courses, might also be able to teach you the knowledge or skills you’re looking for.

Open Culture Online Courses has a collection of around 1,500 Free Online Courses from top universities and institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, University of Michigan, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford University, and more. Try browsing all the online courses which are compiled within Open Culture Online Courses’ listing, maybe you’ll find just the right learning material you’re looking for.

8. Academic Earth

Academic Earth is a website that contains a collection of free online college courses from top universities all over the world such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Berkeley University of California, New York University, University of Oxford, Princeton University, and more. This website aims to give everyone access to a world-class education, thus online courses within their listing were even hand-picked by their staff. “We also make sure there is something for everyone: whether you want to explore a new topic or advance in your current field, we bring the amazing world of academia to you for free,” stated in their website’s home page. Been watching dramas, movies, anime, and cartoons all day? You may drop by on sites like Academic Earth to view something else, like 

9. Codecademy

Take a guess what kind, of course, you can learn here. Well, the name of the website already says it all. This website is dedicated to teaching coding, so if you want to learn to code for free, you may drop by at Codecademy. Just like other websites that offer free online courses, Codecademy offers both paid and free courses, however, expect that by choosing to learn for free, there will be member-only content, practice, and application that you won’t be able to access.

By joining and signing-in for free at Codecademy, you’ll already be able to learn by participating with interactive lessons & daily practice in basic courses. The limited mobile practice is also going to be included. Not bad for a free course? Of course not. Learning the basics is a good start and is still better than learning nothing at all. 

10. National Geographic Kids

If you want to learn even in times like this, it would also be really nice if you can encourage your kids or younger siblings to do the same. This one might not be a total course or program which the younger ones can take on a scheduled time unlike what you might be taking from the websites above, but National Geographic Kids is truly a website that can help them learn something new and grow. 

Remember Encarta Kids? National Geographic Kids almost has the same idea, except this one works online and has more updated content. It contains videos, games, quizzes, and more which are all focused on learning. You, your kids or your younger siblings can access this website for free.

Here are a few samples of the free online courses being offered by some of the websites which made it within this list:

Programming

• CS50’s Introduction to Game Development from Harvard University via edX

This course will let you explore the design and development of 2d and 3d interactive games such as Super Mario Bros., Pong, Flappy Bird, Breakout, Match 3, Legend of Zelda, Angry Birds, Pokémon, 3D Helicopter Game, Dreadhalls, and Portal.

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for $149 USD

• CS50’s Mobile App Development with React Native from Harvard University via edX

This course will let you learn about mobile app development with React Native. You’ll learn the following: JavaScript, ES6, React, JSX, Debugging, Data, Navigation, Expo Components, Redux, Performance, and more.

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for $90 USD

• CS50’s Web Programming with Python and JavaScript from Harvard University via edX

This course will make you dive deeper into the design and design and implementation of web apps with Python, JavaScript, and SQL. You will learn the following: Git, HTML, CSS, Flask, APIs, Front Ends, Django, Scalability, Security, and more.

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for $149 USD

• Pixel Art for Video Games from Michigan State University via Coursera

This course will give you the knowledge and tools needed for you to be able to start creating simple pixel art for video games using the Unity game engine.

Price: Enroll for FREE, you may apply for financial aid to finish the course (applying for financial aid is like applying for a scholarship)

Paid Certificate is available

• AR (Augmented Reality) & Video Streaming Services Emerging Technologies from Yonsei University via Coursera

This course will teach you important technologies that are being used in state-of-the-art AR, YouTube video, Skype, and multimedia products and services such as advanced video and real-time multimedia delivery mechanisms based on MPEG-DASH, CDN, mobile CDN, and H.264/MPEG-4 AVC.

Price: Enroll for FREE, you may apply for financial aid to finish the course (applying for financial aid is like applying for a scholarship)

Paid Certificate is available

Art and Design

• 18th-Century Opera: Handel & Mozart from Harvard University via edX

In this course, you’ll learn about Baroque and Classical opera through Handel’s Giulio Cesare and Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for $99 USD

• Realistic Architectural 3D Modeling from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay via edX

In this course, you’ll learn and understand how to do the following: Model objects with precision, Simulate the effects of light and sciography in internal and external environment, Add textures, finishes, and color schemes, and Achieve a final output.

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for $149 USD

• Flower Arrangements in China and Japan from Tsinghua University via edX

In this course, you’ll be able to learn and understand Oriental flower arrangement skills and oriental flower arrangement etiquette. 

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for $139 USD

Humanities

• Shakespeare’s Othello: The Moor from Harvard University via edX

Reading and discussing William Shakespeare’s Othello is, of course, within the features of this course. Its goal, however, is not to cover everything that is written within Othello, rather find an entry, which is storytelling, which will help you think about the play as a whole.

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for $49 USD

• Sports Marketing from Northwestern University via Coursera

Some of the things you’ll learn in this course are ticket pricing strategies, how a crisis might happen in sport, how all types of companies are using sports to enhance and position their brands, how to promote and market a sporting event, how to develop sponsorships, and more.

Price: Enroll for FREE, you may apply for financial aid to finish the course (applying for financial aid is like applying for a scholarship)

Paid Certificate is available

Business

• Improving Your Business Through a Culture of Health from Harvard University via edX

This course will teach you how a Culture of Health is able to transform a business to improve the well-being of its employees and the company itself while increasing revenue.

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for  $99 USD

• Leadership and Influence from University System of Maryland via edX

This course will help you develop the skills which are necessary for motivating and inspiring others. These skills which will be taught will help you in confidently leading your organization to success.

Price: FREE, but if you would like to have a Verified Certificate, it will be for  $214 USD

Those are just some of the Websites that Offer Free Online Courses

The clock is still ticking, so you should do the same – keep on moving, continue on growing, don’t stop on learning. We’ve only listed 10 websites that offer free online courses, but there are still more which you can explore on your own.

Which among these Websites that Offer Free Online Courses have you already tried?

Already tried any of these helpful websites? How was your experience? Share it with us and to everyone who is planning to try one of these. Also, for those who still haven’t experienced joining an online course, which among the websites that made it to this list would you want to try first? Let us know what are your thoughts about taking online courses in the comment section below.