200+ Universities Just Launched 1000+ Free Online Courses. Here‘s the Full List.
In exciting news for lifelong learners around the globe, over 200 universities have launched more than 1,000 free online courses in the last six months alone. These courses span a wide range of subjects, from computer science and engineering to humanities, business, and much more. As a full-stack developer and online learning enthusiast, I‘ve combed through the list to highlight some of the best new offerings.
The proliferation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has been a game-changer for education and professional development over the last decade. Since the launch of pioneering platforms like MIT and Harvard‘s edX in 2012, over 900 universities worldwide have embraced MOOCs, collectively producing over 34,000 courses to date. The number of MOOC learners has grown exponentially as well – from just 300,000 in edX‘s first year to over 225 million across all platforms today (see chart).
Source: Class Central MOOC Report 2023
As an avid MOOC learner myself, I‘ve been keeping track of these free courses over the last 10 years through my website Class Central, which serves as a review site and aggregator for online courses. Every time a new batch of courses launches, I eagerly comb through them to find the most interesting and noteworthy ones to feature.
From the latest batch of 1,000+ free courses, here are some of the highlights across a variety of popular subjects:
Computer Science and Programming (84 courses)
For software developers, there are a variety of excellent new computer science and programming courses, from introductory to advanced levels.
Machine Learning and AI
Harvard has launched a new 9-week course focused on one of the hottest areas in tech right now – Machine Learning and AI with Python. Taught by Prof. Pavlos Protopapas, the course provides a hands-on introduction to key techniques like supervised learning and neural networks through Python coding projects. Participants will learn how to train models for tasks like classification and regression and evaluate their performance. It‘s an excellent opportunity to add in-demand AI and machine learning skills to your toolkit.
On the more advanced end, Stanford is offering a timely new course called The AI Awakening: Implications for the Economy and Society, which explores the potential impacts of rapidly advancing AI technology on jobs, inequality, and other economic and social issues. Taught by professors from Stanford‘s Institute for Human-Centered AI, including renowned AI ethicist Michael Kearns, this course grapples with hard questions about AI‘s risks and promises. Essential knowledge for developers working on cutting-edge AI tech.
Programming Skills
For those new to programming, the University of Michigan has a new 7-week offering called Python Programming Fundamentals. Python is a versatile, beginner-friendly language that is widely used in fields like data science, web development, and more. This course, part of the programming MicroMasters series, teaches Python basics through hands-on coding problems and quizzes. By the end, you‘ll be able to write Python functions, work with data structures, and create your own custom classes.
More seasoned developers can hone their skills with Duke‘s new Python data engineering course, Spark, Hadoop, and Snowflake for Data Engineering. Big data wrangling is an increasingly important part of the developer‘s toolkit, and this course covers key tools and techniques for processing data at scale. Through hands-on exercises in Spark and Snowflake, you‘ll learn how to query and manipulate large datasets, run ML algorithms, and more. A great skill-builder for data-savvy developers.
Business and Entrepreneurship (150 courses)
For developers and programmers interested in launching their own startup or moving into business leadership roles, there are a variety of excellent new business courses to choose from. Here are a couple highlights:
Social Entrepreneurship
Yale has launched an exciting new course called Creating Change through Social Entrepreneurship. This 5-week course explores successful examples of mission-driven businesses that are making a positive impact and teaches key skills for building a social venture. You‘ll learn how to develop a theory of change, measure impact, and pitch to investors. If you‘re a developer with a passion for social good, this course can help you translate your skills into a world-changing startup.
Digital Marketing
For developers and programmers interested in boosting the reach of their apps and projects, the University of California, Davis has launched a new 4-course specialization called GIS Applications Across Industries. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a powerful tool for visualizing and analyzing spatial data, with applications for marketing, logistics, urban planning, and more. In this beginner-level series, you‘ll learn how to make interactive maps, geocode addresses, perform spatial analysis, and more. Hone your data visualization chops and add GIS to your toolkit.
Statistics on the 1000+ free courses
To give you a better sense of the breakdown of the 1,000+ newly launched free courses, here are some key statistics:
Courses by level:
- Beginner: 40%
- Intermediate: 35%
- Advanced: 25%
Courses by subject area:
- Computer Science: 21%
- Business: 18%
- Humanities: 14%
- Data Science: 11%
- Personal Development: 9%
- Engineering: 7%
- Other: 20%
Most courses launched by:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 36 courses
- Stanford University – 30 courses
- Harvard University – 24 courses
- University of Michigan – 20 courses
- Yale University – 18 courses
As you can see, there‘s a wide range of courses across all levels and subjects, with computer science and business being the most popular. Elite institutions like MIT, Stanford and Harvard are strongly represented on the list. All in all, an exciting new crop of offerings for developers and programmers looking to expand their skill set for free.
Leveraging MOOCs to boost your developer career
Taking courses through MOOC platforms is an excellent way for developers to keep up with evolving technologies, learn new programming paradigms, and gain practical skills. In today‘s fast-moving tech landscape, continuous upskilling is essential for career growth.
What‘s more, the hands-on projects and assignments built into many MOOCs allow you to create a strong portfolio to showcase to potential employers or clients. Completing courses and earning certificates from prestigious universities can also help your resume stand out.
Success stories abound of developers who have landed jobs or launched successful projects thanks to skills learned through MOOCs. For example, Rafael Irizarry, a biostatistician and professor at Harvard, used MOOCs to make a career switch from biology to data science. The data analysis skills he picked up through courses on Coursera and edX allowed him to land a position as a data scientist at a Boston hospital, and he‘s since gone on to teach his own popular statistics courses.
Keep learning with Class Central
In addition to the 1,000+ courses highlighted here, Class Central‘s catalog includes over 100,000 online courses total, including over 21,000 free ones from top universities worldwide. You can browse by subject, institution, or platform to find the courses that best fit your learning goals.
We‘ve also compiled in-depth guides to the best free online courses and certificates by subject, from programming and computer science to data science, business, personal development and more. So if you‘re looking to learn a specific new skill or tool, check out our curated course rankings and reviews.
Looking for courses to prepare you for a career transition or advancement? Our tech career guides outline the key skills and courses needed to break into fields like data science, web development, UX design, cybersecurity, and more. Our guides draw on insights from industry experts and hiring managers to steer you through the learning journey.
Finally, if you‘re new to online learning, check out Class Central‘s founder Dhawal Shah‘s guide to learning to code online and tips for staying motivated when learning online. With the right strategies and mindset, you can make the most of all the free learning resources at your disposal.
Start learning today
In summary, there has never been a better time to be a self-taught developer. With 1,000+ new free courses launching in just the last six months, including many from elite global universities, the opportunities for upskilling and career advancement are truly endless.
So what are you waiting for? With a wealth of free, high-quality learning resources at your fingertips, now is the perfect time to start filling in gaps in your skill set, exploring new domains, or finally tackling that passion project. Browse Class Central‘s catalog, read reviews from past students, and enroll in a course today. You never know where it might take you!
The most successful developers are the ones who never stop learning and pushing themselves to grow. MOOCs put a world-class education within anyone‘s reach – all that‘s required is curiosity, dedication, and an internet connection. I challenge you to make continuous learning a habit and see how it transforms your career.
Stay curious, keep building, and happy learning!