20 U.S. Colleges and Universities with Free Online Courses
By Karen Schweitzer
Teachers and students aren’t the only people who have embraced the idea of free and open learning. There are a number of U.S. colleges and universities that have decided to explore this venue as well.
Although many of the free courses these institutions offer do not result in a degree, certificate, or diploma, the courses are still a great way to get a quality education. Free online courses also provide the perfect opportunity for students to prepare for formal enrollment in a U.S. school, allowing international students specifically to familiarize themselves with the U.S. style of teaching. Here are 20 respected colleges and universities that offer free online courses to self-learners around the world:
Berklee College of Music – The Berklee College of Music offers excerpts of the school’s 12-week, instructor-led music courses. These excerpts are free to download and share with other online learners. 
Brigham Young University – The Independent Study Department of Brigham Young University offers free courses in many different areas of study, including family history, genealogy, history and government, mathematics, arithmetic, music, professional development, and religious scripture.
Carnegie Mellon University - rovides a number of free courses through the school’s Open Learning Initiative (OLI). Some of the topics that are covered include statistics, economics, chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and French.
College of Eastern Utah – There are several departments within the College of Eastern Utah that publish free online courses. Covered topics include accounting, medical terminology, geography, geology, and astronomy.
Dixie State College of Utah – Dixie State offers free online courses in computers, mathematics, and information technology. Free courses in elementary education, humanities, and family studies are also available.
John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health – The John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provides free access to some of the school’s most popular courses online. Each course covers an important topic or issue in public health.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – MIT offers more free courses online than any other U.S. college or university. Self-learners can take more than 1,800 courses in a wide range of subjects.
New York University – NYU offers a number of informal mathematics courses online. The school also links to free math books, videos, and other study materials.
Stanford University – Stanford University has partnered with iTunes to offer free courses, lectures, and other events to self-learners around the world. To take advantage, sign up for a free iTunes account and download the items that interest you.
Tufts University – Many of Tufts’ schools provide free courses online, including the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the Fletcher School of International Relations.
University of California-Berkeley – UC Berkeley webcasts many of its most popular courses online. Self-study students can access current courses or explore archived courses from previous semesters.
University of California-Irvine – This California university provides free online courses for pre-college and college-level students. Courses cover a wide range of topics, including business, finance, and Internet technology.
University of Massachusetts-Boston – UMass Boston publishes a large collection of free courses and self-study materials. Some of the most popular courses offer instruction in biology, chemistry, computer science, history, mathematics, political science, nursing, music, and special education.
University of Michigan – U of M’s many schools and colleges provide free courses online. Offerings include courses in medicine, dentistry, nursing, public health, engineering, and information technology.
University of Notre Dame – The OpenCourseWare site from Notre Dame is an excellent place to find free African, American, and Middle East studies courses. Other offerings include courses in architecture, language, and literature.
University of Washington – The UW Educational Outreach presents a series of free courses on the UW Open website. Courses explore everything from English literature to Greek mythology.
Utah State University – This Utah university offers one of the largest collections of free courses available online. Courses cover a variety of subjects, including economics, education, engineering, biology, history, math, languages, and family studies.
Utah Valley State College – UVSC provides a wide range of free online courses through their UV Open website. Courses cover many different topics, including career planning, life planning, computer applications, web design, literature, tax preparation, technology, math and science.
Western Governors University – The free courses offered through Western Governors University were specifically designed to be completed online by self-learners. All of the courses fall into one of two categories: liberal arts and information technology.
Yale University – This Ivy League university provides open access to a select group of courses taught by Yale professors. The Open Yale Courses offer instruction in astronomy, physics, engineering, history, economics, political science, English literature, psychology, and many other subjects.
About the Author
Karen Schweitzer is an education writer who specializes is writing about business education. She is the Business School Guide for About.com. She also writes about management degrees for ManagementDegree.net.
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[...] 20 U.S. Colleges and Universities with Free Online Courses | Al … [...]
That is very useful list of free courses offerd by US universities!
Wow, nice showing by Utah.
[...] here for the list of free online courses: 20 U.S. Colleges and Universities with Free Online Courses. “Oh the blood and the treasure and the losing it all. The time that we wasted and the place [...]
please i want to be with you in online course in your school please put me through
Hello! I would like to join with you. Could you help me? What must I do? Thanks& regards.
What a useful list for free courses! This is what the youth that can't afford college needs!
Many of the top universities are now offering free courses like the University of Michigan and Yale. Hope there will be more free courses offered in many different fields.
How can I Learn Doctor Of Medicine (MD) on line.
iwant to study chemistry science with you
iam studying chemistry first level in the sudan
PLEASE I HAVE A KEEN INTEREST IN STUDYING DOCTOR OF MEDICINE. HOW CAN I FALL INTO ONE OF YOUR INSTITUTION?
however, today there are hundreds of colleges, universities, and private educational institutions offer programs in a wide variety of subject areas to meet the needs of students who either cannot afford the time to attend school on a full-time basis. Online education offers the chance to expand on your qualifications to improve your marketability in the job market, to help get promotion at your current employer or even to change your career path. When someone decides to go back to school for an MBA, they really need to know whether or not it is right for them…many peoples are unable to decide the accurate degree for their career…I personally think that we should proper research before selecting our degree…I hope so this article will help online degree seekers to take right decision…great post…i get some useful information….I wish you post some more articles to guide others…
arindranathks@yahoo.com.pg in physics from india and age 51.interest to do education in physics
You mentioned:
"Although many of the free courses these institutions offer do not result in a degree, certificate, or diploma, the courses are still a great way to get a quality education"
It seems a shame that after having put all the work into developing these courses that their is no formal recognition, such as a diploma or degree. It's almost like the job is only 1/2 done!
Bruce
We have a great online University here in Northern Alberta, where the entire experience is done online, and I do believe there are many free courses, where they DO off the ability to get a diploma or even a degrees. Maybe worth checking , Google "Athabasca University"
When you mentioned Standford offer iTunes class that reminds me Standford did offer some classes for writing iphone app and it was free. It was such a big news at the time when all the interest was making money from iphone app. I think it still does but there are a lot of other means to partner with some company and profit share the iphone app idea you generate.
Can't wait to see the new iphone 5 coming up this summer or may be in fall….
It is good to know that these awesome institutions are giving back to the community. This is social responsibility at its finest.
Nice blog ! I’ve got lots of information about the 20 U.S Colleges and Universities that offers free Online Courses. What I love most is the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that a self-learners can take more than 1,800 courses in a wide range of subjects
A very resourcesfull page;great website.
There's a lot to know more about these college universities and I want to know more of these.
Very smart as the world goes more and more virtual. thanks for the article.
plz provide me complete information about online engineering courses
It is a nice idea of posting such source of information online about the courses offered by the universities in the US. It is a way of encouraging every people to strive for their studies.
When I can get any scholarship here?
Are these free courses designed to allow you to get full credits or do you have to be enrolled at a few on-campus classes to take these courses?
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