The 64 best free Coursera courses you can take online, from schools like Yale, Princeton, and Stanford

Whether you're interested in learning computer programming or becoming happier in your daily life, you can probably find a course online — often, completely for free.

In an effort to democratize education, Coursera offers thousands of courses that are completely free to take. Many of Coursera's offerings are in partnership with top universities like Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, and the University of Michigan, as well as companies like Facebook and Google. It also caters to a range of demographics, from high schoolers and college students to adults. 

Students can audit a course, freely accessing all the lectures, readings, and discussion forums in a Coursera course. They can also opt to pay a fee (from $49 to a few hundred dollars, depending on the course) for features like graded homework or a certificate of completion to add to their LinkedIn profile or resume. 

Taking free online courses can be a great option for those looking for an affordable alternative to traditional college, helping learners develop new skills for a career switch. They can also be a great tool for personal growth and discovering one's passions, with classes ranging in topics from fashion to psychology.

The 65 best free Coursera online courses:

Personal Development

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• The Science of Well-Being, Yale University (You can read a review of the course here.)
• Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential, McMaster University
• Introduction to Psychology, Yale University
• Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments, Duke University
• Introduction to Personal Branding, University of Virginia
• Creative Problem Solving, University of Minnesota

Computer Science

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• Algorithms, Part I, Princeton University
• Introduction to Programming with MATLAB, Vanderbilt University
• HTML, CSS, and Javascript for Web Developers, Johns Hopkins University
• Build Your First Android App (Project-Centered Course), CentraleSupélec
• Algorithms, Part II, Princeton University
• Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose, Princeton University
• Introduction to User Experience Design, Georgia Tech

Business

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• Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills, University of Michigan
• Financial Markets, Yale University
• Marketing Analytics, University of Virginia
• The Strategy of Content Marketing, University of California Davis
• The Science of Success: What Researchers Know that You Should Know, University of Michigan
• Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design, Google
• Personal & Family Financial Planning, University of Florida
• Teamwork Skills: Communicating Effectively in Groups, University of Colorado Boulder 
• Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand, and Behaviour, University of London and London Business School
• Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies, Università Bocconi

Health

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• Introduction to Food and Health, Stanford University
• Social Psychology, Wesleyan University
• A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment, Indian School of Business
• Psychological First Aid, Johns Hopkins University
• Introductory Human Physiology, Duke University
• Science of Exercise, University of Colorado Boulder
• Managing Emotions in Times of Uncertainty & Stress, Yale University

Cloud and Tech

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• Machine Learning, Stanford University
• Cloud Computing Basics (Cloud 101), LearnQuest
• Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere, Google
• AI for Everyone, DeepLearning.AI
• Neural Networks and Deep Learning, DeepLearning.AI
• Managing Machine Learning Projects with Google Cloud, Google Cloud
• Google Cloud Fundamentals for AWS Professionals, Google Cloud
• Introduction to Cloud Identity, Google Cloud

Languages

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• English for Career Development, University of Pennsylvania 
• First Step Korean, Yonsei University
• Chinese for Beginners, Peking University
• Write Professional Emails in English, Georgia Tech
• Miracles of Human Language: An Introduction to Linguistics, Universiteit Leiden
• Tricky American English Pronunciation, University of California Irvine 

Arts and Humanities

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• Introduction to Philosophy, The University of Edinburgh
• Guitar for Beginners, Berklee College of Music
• Fashion as Design, MoMA
• Getting Started with Music Theory, Michigan State University
• Making Architecture, IE Business School
• Indigenous Canada, University of Alberta

Math, Logic, and Data Science

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• Machine Learning, Stanford University
• Data Science Math Skills, Duke University
• SQL for Data Science, University of California Davis
• Introduction to Calculus, The University of Sydney
• Introduction to Statistics, Stanford University
• Calculus: Single Variable Part 1 - Functions, University of Pennsylvania 
• Probability and Statistics: To p or not to p?, University of London
• Calculus: Single Variable Part 2 - Differentiation, University of Pennsylvania 
• Game Theory, Stanford University

Physical Science, Astronomy, and Engineering

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• How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics, University of Virginia 
• Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space, The University of Arizona
• Computer Architecture, Princeton University 
• Chemistry, University of Kentucky
• How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper (Project-Centered Course), École Polytechnique