Improve your knowledge and advance your career with the help of the best online course platforms that specialize in either technical or creative subjects.
edX – Access 2,000+ diverse courses from MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, and more Best Sellers
10 million registered
Edureka – Rigorous, engaging tech courses from committed instructors Editor Choice
400,000 +
CreativeLive – Flex your right brain and please your artistic side with creative classes Best Values
2 million registered
Coursera – Earn a degree online and learn from top institutions like Stanford and Duke Worth a Try
23 million registered
Linkedin Learning – Strengthen your career prospects with more than 16,000 courses Worth a Try
17 million
Udacity – Earn nano-degrees through online courses designed by Google and Facebook Worth a Try
3 million registered
Udemy – A library of more than 100,000 video courses on business, tech, and art Worth a Try
15 million registered
Acadium – Courses and apprenticeships impart the ins and outs of digital marketing Worth a Try
Thousands
Plural Sight – Thousands of tech courses designed and taught by industry experts Worth a Try
17,000 + businesses
Expert Rating – Earn certification in everything from healthcare to business management Worth a Try
2 million +
The Best Online Learning Platforms for Busy Professionals
Say goodbye to night school. If you’re looking to score a promotion, make a career change, or simply broaden your knowledge, you no longer need to leave home. Today, the best online course platforms offer classes from top universities on everything from nano-tech to business, design, and the humanities.
Online learning sites offer many advantages to in-person learning: they allow you to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule while providing the same expert instruction and resources you’d expect from a university. From the best online course platforms for degree-seeking students to the most creatively rewarding learning platforms, here’s a breakdown of the best ways to hit the books from the comfort of your home.
The Best Online Learning Sites for Serious Students
The first step in choosing which online learning site is best for you is pinpointing the subject you wish to learn, be it coding, marketing, photography, or anything in between.
1. edX
One of the best learning websites for motivated students is edX. Started by MIT and Harvard University, edX offers university-level courses in a wide range of subjects to students worldwide. With the tagline, ‘advance your career, improve your life,’ edX aims to help students broaden their skill sets and master topics as diverse as business management, biology, and computer programming. You can take a 9-week course offered by an MIT professor titled, ‘Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python,’ or learn about what it takes to be a stellar project manager in a 1- to 11-week course offered by the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Here are some of the best edX courses for 2022:
- Analytics: Essential Tools and Methods
- Project Management
- The Science of Happiness
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Science
2. Edureka
Edureka isn’t for those with casual interests, which is one thing that separates it from many other online learning platforms across the web. Courses in DevOps, Python, and data science are taught by expert instructors who don’t shy away from rigorous assignments and challenging curriculums. Most of Edureka’s courses end in certification, which explains the approach. Those who are serious about expanding their professional toolbox or entering the tech world, and who are willing to invest the time will come out of Edureka with a substantial grasp of the material.
Here are some of the best Edureka courses for 2022:
- AWS Architect Certification Training.
- DevOps Certification Training
- Data Science with Python Certification Course
- Java Certification Training Course
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3. CreativeLive
If you’re looking for a site that offers courses to satisfy your right brain, CreativeLive is a sure winner. Take art courses, get inspiration, and learn tips in subjects ranging from photo and video to crafts and DIY projects. Under its ‘money and life’ category, CreativeLive also offers courses in self improvement, communication skills, and entrepreneurship. The next phase is to pick the best website buiilder and to start making money.
- Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived Life
- Get Into Your Creative Flow
- Time Management & Productivity for Creatives
- Unfu*k YourSELF
Free Online Learning Platforms
Most online learning sites offer free registration. However, many of them require fees for anything more than rudimentary content or beginner’s classes. One top-rated program, however, has great content and offers everything on it for free.
4. Coursera
Founded by Stanford professors, Coursera offers all of its courses for free as part of a mission to make education accessible to everyone, everywhere. Its courses are taught by instructors from world-leading universities and educational institutions, and the platform is a veritable digital campus stocked with video lectures, peer-review assignments, and community discussion forums.
- Google IT Support Professional
- Python for Everybody
- Google IT Automation with Python
- AWS Fundamentals by Amazon AWS
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Online Learning Sites With Free Courses
Even though some platforms require fees for advanced courses, you can still find exceptional classes for free. Whether you want to test the water before investing in a more immersive learning track, or simply want to take advantage of free classes from a credible platform, paid sites with free courses have plenty to offer.
5. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is one good example of this. The globally recognized career networking platform now boasts its own educational wing that offers thousands of classes in professional development, networking, and other career-adjacent subjects. Much of LinkedIn Learning’s curriculum is free, including courses in digital networking, job pitching, and lead generation.
- Time Management: Working From Home
- Strategic Thinking
- Excel Essential Training
- Project Management Foundations
Accessible e-Learning Platforms
Some learning sites are easier to use than others. For those who are easily distracted, or hesitant to trade tangible books for the web, approachable e-learning sites like Udacity minimize the distractions that so often intrude on learning.
6. Udacity
Udacity offers a clean and vibrant look, that gives it a friendly feel. It’s simple and to the point, and it doesn’t distract users with ads or other promotional offers. It also has a mobile app, which allows you to take your courses on the go and learn on your commute to work, the treadmill, or anywhere else you could possibly want.
- Microsoft Power Platform by Microsoft
- Linux Command Line Basics
- Front End Frameworks by Google
- Responsive Web Design Fundamentals by Google
Free Online Learning Sites For Student Support
When settling on the learning site that best suits your needs, and the one that will teach you the skills you want to learn even during even the busiest of times, it’s important to take support into account.
7. Udemy
If you’re looking for an affordable and convenient way to learn something new, there are few places that can offer the wealth of knowledge available at Udemy.
The site offers over 130,000 courses on all manner of subjects, such as how to draw or code. The best part? All the materials are available to stream or download indefinitely (even after completing the course). Plus, if you’re unsatisfied with what you’ve learned, they’ll offer a full refund within 30 days of purchase!
Here are some of the most popular Udemy online courses:
- 2022 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python
- Microsoft Excel – Excel from Beginner to Advanced
- Machine Learning A-Z: Hands-On Python & R In Data Science
- The Web Developer Bootcamp 2022
Online Learning Sites for Professional Development
While sites like edX and CreativeLive can be used to explore general interests, academic curiosities, and personal hobbies, some eLearning sites cater exclusively to career-oriented goals. Acadium, Plural Sight, and Expert Rating offer serious students the opportunity to gain certification in real-world skills that align with budding tech and other professional industries.
8. Acadium
Acadium is unique in that it offers real-world experience in tandem with online courses. The platform pairs students with employers for apprenticeships in their selected fields, and while these apprenticeships are unpaid, they offer students the chance to incorporate their learning into on-the-job (digital) work that gives them both a feel for the industry and material for their resumes. Acadium’s curriculum is geared towards digital marketing and includes courses on SEO, email marketing, and analytics.
9. PluralSight
PluralSight offers in-depth learning paths in many areas of technology, and is designed for professionals or those seeking entry into new technological industries. Courses are offered in everything from software development to IT Ops and information and cyber security. A learning path may extend upwards of 48 hours, which provides students with close instruction, resources, and assessments designed to prepare them for the professional world.
10. Expert Rating
One of the leading providers of pre-employment testing, Expert Rating, is something of an authority on professional skills and how they translate into the workforce. Its online learning wing capitalizes on its unique position with certificate-track courses and training programs that span a wide range of fields. The course list includes online classes and instructor-led programs for industries such as healthcare, business management, accounting, and teaching.
Online Learning Platforms: Cheers to New Skills
Hooray! So you finally decided to start putting more effort into your future prospects? great decision. This article will take a deeper look at online learning sites, looking at their benefits, drawbacks, and what they offer so that you can make an informed decision about which is best for you.
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- 1The Best Online Learning Platforms for Busy Professionals
- 2The Best Online Learning Sites for Serious Students
- 3Free Online Learning Platforms
- 4Online Learning Sites With Free Courses
- 5Accessible e-Learning Platforms
- 6Free Online Learning Sites For Student Support
- 7Online Learning Sites for Professional Development
- 8Online Learning Platforms: Cheers to New Skills
- 9You May Also Like These Top 10 Lists
