Top universities like Harvard, Yale, MIT, and Stanford offer free online courses taught by their staff.
To narrow down all the free options, we outlined the most popular online classes from the top 21 universities, as ranked by US News. We determined popularity by the highest number of current enrollments and included courses that are part of longer certificate programs (as you can still audit them for free).
Harvard University — CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science
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Length: 12 weeks
Related courses or programs: Computer Science for Game Development (Professional Certificate);, Computer Science and Mobile Apps (Professional Certificate); Computer Science for Web Programming (Professional Certificate); Computer Science for Artificial Intelligence (Professional Certificate); CS50’s AP® Computer Science Principles (XSeries)
With nearly 3 million enrollments, this intro computer science course covers the basics of problem solving and algorithmic thinking, including abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development.
You can learn more about Harvard’s free computer science classes here, or check out more free Harvard online courses here.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
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Length: 9 weeks
Related courses or programs: Computational Thinking Using Python (XSeries)
Over 1 million students have enrolled in MIT’s entry-level computer science course, designed for people with no prior experience. Students learn the fundamentals of computer science and Python programming as well as some simple algorithms.
You can check out more free MIT online courses here.
Stanford University — Machine Learning
Udemy
Length: 11 weeks
At over 4 million enrollments, this introductory machine learning course provides a broad overview of the field, covering machine learning basics, datamining, and statistical pattern recognition.
You can check out more free Stanford online courses here.
University of Oxford — From Poverty to Prosperity: Understanding Economic Development
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Length: 6 weeks
This course examines how societies can financially prosper, looking into the political, social, and economical factors that affect how a country develops including national identity, scaling, and international trade.
Columbia University — Financial Engineering and Risk Management Part I
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Length: 8 weeks
Related courses or programs: Financial Engineers and Risk Management Part II
For those interested in financial engineering, a field that combines economics, math, statistics, and computer science, this course will introduce students to financial modeling while also providing ample context (such as the 2008 financial crisis).
You can check out more free Columbia online courses here.
University of Washington — Machine Learning Foundations: A Case Study Approach
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Length: 6 weeks
Related courses or programs: Machine Learning (Specialization)
No matter what you aim to use machine learning for, this course helps students gain applicable knowledge by offering practical case studies and exercises to teach Python programming, data analysis, and more.
To audit this course for free, click “Enroll for free” and then hit “Audit this course.”
You can check out more free University of Washington online courses here.
University of Cambridge — Teaching English Online
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Length: 4 weeks
Related courses or programs: Exploring the World of English Language Teaching
Led by Cambridge English Assessment (a part of the University of Cambridge), this course is designed for experienced English teachers who want to start their practice online, covering everything from virtual classroom communication to professional development.
You can check out more free University of Cambridge online courses here.
California Institute of Technology — The Evolving Universe
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Length: 10 weeks
Related courses or programs: The Science of the Solar System
Caltech’s introductory astronomy course goes over planetary systems, stars, galaxies, black holes, quasars, and larger structures to help broaden students’ understanding of the physical universe as a whole.
You can check out more free Caltech online courses here.
University of Pennsylvania — English for Career Development
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Length: 5 weeks
Related courses or programs: English for Business and Entrepreneurship
A collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania and the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, this course walks students through learning English for work-related situations, from writing a cover letter to nailing a job interview.
You can check out more free University of Pennsylvania online courses here.
University of Chicago — Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life
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Length: 10 weeks
Gain a thorough overview of how the human brain works in this introductory course, which covers how the nervous system creates behavior, how we use our brain, and how neuroscience can explain our problems.
You can check out more free University of Chicago online courses here.
University College London — The Many Faces of Dementia
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Length: 4 weeks
Related courses or programs: Dementia and the Arts: Sharing Practice, Developing Understanding and Enhancing Lives
Dementia impacts roughly 44 million people worldwide, and this course aims to demystify dementia care, examining four lesser-known forms of dementia and their symptoms, as well as the experience of getting a dementia diagnosis.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor — Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
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Length: 7 weeks
Related courses or programs: Python for Everybody (Specialization)
Perfect for students with basic computer and math skills, this course breaks down the basics of Python 3 programming, teaching students how to use tools like functions and loops to eventually write their first Python program.
To audit this course for free, click “Enroll for free” and then hit “Audit this course.”
You can check out more free University of Michigan online courses here.
Imperial College London — Mathematics for Machine Learning: Linear Algebra
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Length: 5 weeks
Related courses or programs: Mathematics for Machine Learning (Specialization)
To help plump up students’ math skills in preparation for their machine learning studies, this course covers how linear algebra relates to vectors and matrices, and how they can be used to solve problems.
To audit this course for free, click “Enroll for free” and then hit “Audit this course.”
You can check out more free Imperial College London online courses here.
University of California, San Diego — Algorithmic Toolbox
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Length: 6 weeks
Related courses or programs: Data Structures and Algorithms (Specialization)
The first course in the Data Structures and Algorithms Specialization, this course covers the basics of algorithms, focusing a lot on theory and relating it to core tasks like sorting data and problem-solving.
You can learn more about UC San Diego’s free online classes here.
Cornell University — A Hands-on Introduction to Engineering Simulations
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Length: 6 weeks
Designed for students who know differential and integral calculus as well as basic matrix algebra, this course goes over the steps to creating seamless simulations using Ansys software — a valuable, in-demand skill that can be applied to a number of real-world problems.
You can learn more about Cornell University’s free online courses here.
