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20 Free MIT Classes Anyone Can Take

By Tracy Farnsworth,

8 hours ago

Clint Eastwood said, “Children teach you that you can still be humbled by life, that you learn something new all the time. That’s the secret to life, really – never stop learning.” When you want to expand your knowledge, where do you turn? Free MIT classes make it easy to never stop learning.

Administrators from Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology established edX in 2012. The Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) provider enabled students from around the world to take courses from both Harvard and MIT from anywhere, often for free. Within a year, edX reached a million students and added partnerships with Stanford.

John Katzman of “The Princeton Review” founded 2U in 2008. He noticed some of the nation’s biggest colleges and universities failed to offer online classes. 2U acquired edX in 2021. Under the new direction, edX has grown to have more than 86 million students and 4,600 classes from more than 260 schools and educational partners.

Students do not receive a certificate or receive grades. Instead, they audit a class of interest. The course materials expire once the scheduled session is over, but it’s possible to access archived class materials and go through them at your own pace. If you want a certificate of completion, you must upgrade to a paid account.

To choose the top 20 free college classes, I accessed the total enrollment in August 2024, which means archived classes are not included. Enrollment information changes daily and sessions are scheduled and become archived once they end. My list is ranked by the current number of enrollments and includes the amount of time the course materials are available after a session starts. (Learn why free classes are one of the best money-saving tips from older adults .)

Visualizing Japan (1850s to 1930s): Westernization, Protest, Modernity

Examine Japan’s history through Commodore Perry’s Japanese expedition and the Hibiya Riot of 1905. The lessons continue through the country’s modernization through the 1930s using consumer culture and the changing roles of women and the military’s role in shaping Japan’s future.

Enrollment: 37,148
Course Materials Availability: 6 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: None

Management in Engineering: Accounting and Planning

Explore the business fundamentals of finance, marketing, and sales. Learn how to build financial statements and analyze this information to make smart business decisions.

Enrollment: 39,925
Course Materials Availability: 8 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Basic understanding of business organization

Manufacturing Process Control I

Boost your manufacturing expertise for high quality by learning to use statistics for process control. Learn how to use SPC applications and CUSUM, EWMA, and Xbar for detecting problems.

Enrollment: 46,161
Course Materials Availability: 8 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Basic understanding of manufacturing processes

Management in Engineering: Strategy and Leadership

Learn how to analyze a business’s risks and apply smart marketing approaches. The course also explores the best use of technology and management practices to lead a business to success.

Enrollment: 31,904
Course Materials Availability: 8 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Engineering management

Fundamentals of Manufacturing Processes

If you’ve ever wanted to learn about how your prized possessions were created, this course is perfect. It covers the different types of manufacturing including 3D printing and injection molding. Over the course, learn how a design turns into a finished product using different machines and operational procedures.

Enrollment: 47,754
Course Materials Availability: 14 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: High school math, physics, and calculus

Sustainable Building Design

Climate change urges people to make smarter energy choices, and sustainable design looks into the best ways to do this. The course explores the science behind the behavior of light and heat in a building. It covers the pros and cons of different technologies, such as solar, on indoor comfort.

Enrollment: 56,276
Course Materials Availability: 13 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Architecture, basic math, engineering, environmental science, physics, and sustainability

Financial Accounting

Gain a basic knowledge of accounting terms. Continue with a better understanding of the design and information in a financial statement and how to use that information for financial decisions.

Enrollment: 70,332
Course Materials Availability: 12 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Calculus, linear algebra, and probability and statistics

Molecular Biology – Part 1: DNA Replication and Repair

The first part in a series of molecular biology covers the process of DNA replication. It goes over how enzymes within a cell are used to repair or handle damage to your DNA. Learn how to test your theories and how to collect and understand data collected from DNA replication and repair experiments.

Enrollment: 74,176
Course Materials Availability: 9 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Biochemistry and biology

Foundations of Modern Finance I

In this in-depth business finance course, learn about risk analysis, investment decisions, valuations, and derivative securities. Knowing how to invest your company’s revenues and mitigate risk are essential in a fluctuating economy. This class is a good introduction to corporate financing and budgeting, too.

Enrollment: 104,371
Course Materials Availability: 12 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Basic probability and statistics and calculus

Supply Chain Design

A supply chain is a company’s steps towards producing and distributing goods. Explore all aspects of designing a strong supply chain for your business. The course covers finding the right property for your facility, sourcing and procuring materials, and production planning.

Enrollment: 131,567
Course Materials Availability: 13 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Supply chain analytics and fundamentals

Circuits and Electronics 1: Basic Circuit Analysis

Over five weeks, learn how to design circuits and analyze them to complete tasks like making a device’s battery last longer or getting a computer to run faster. You learn how to design and analyze circuits and use tools like virtual multimeters, oscilloscopes, and signal generators.

Enrollment: 138,592
Course Materials Availability: 5 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: High school math and basic physics

Fundamentals of Statistics

Gain an understanding of the basics of statistics and how to use information to estimate the likelihood of something happening. Learn how to use that information to choose between two items with the help of software and mathematical knowledge.

Enrollment: 166,017
Course Materials Availability: 17 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Calculus, matrices and vectors, and probability theory

Introduction to Biology: The Secret of Life

In this free online course, learn the role of biology in how life is formed. How do your cells develop and repair damage? It goes over the conversion of DNA to RNA and protein sequences.

Enrollment: 231,827
Course Materials Availability: 16 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: A desire to learn

Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science

Use Python coding skills to create programs that contemplate problems and use data to come up with solutions. Probability and statistics are key components explored, but the course uses computational thinking to find answers faster than a person would.

Enrollment: 249,031
Course Materials Availability: 9 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Python programming

Becoming an Entrepreneur

Gain a better understanding of the steps it takes to become a successful entrepreneur. The course covers common myths, market research and targeted marketing, product testing, and logistics.

Enrollment: 268,733
Course Materials Availability: 6 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: None

Machine Learning with Python: From Linear Models to Deep Learning

AI and machine learning are a very large part of our lives. This course teaches you about using Python for analyzing, organizing, and implementing the different areas of machine learning, such as linear models and neural networks.

Enrollment: 284,049
Course Materials Availability: 15 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Python programming, college-level calculus, and probability theory

Supply Chain Fundamentals

Gain insights into identifying uncertainty and risk in supply chain management. The course explains how to build a solid approach to inventory control, supply management, and transportation that fits each customer’s needs.

Enrollment: 301,356
Course Materials Availability: 13 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: High school algebra, calculus, and probability and statistics

Supply Chain Analytics

Learn the basic methods used in supply chain analytics and statistics. The course covers how to formulate and optimize supply chain models for better management of a company’s inventories and production numbers.

Enrollment: 305,244
Course Materials Availability: 15 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Algebra and probability and statistics

Probability: The Science of Uncertainty and Data

Master how to analyze data and make sound predictions using scientific data. Explore the basic components of probability and how variables impact them.

Enrollment: 325,383
Course Materials Availability: 16 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: Calculus and a high comfort level with reasoning

Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python

At the top of the free MIT classes list is a course teaching Python. It’s an online course focused on the basics of Python and how to use it for programming, structuring data correctly, and debugging errors.

Enrollment: 1,713,927
Course Materials Availability: 9 weeks
Recommended Prerequisites: None

The selection of free courses at edX changes regularly. Sign up for the newsletter to stay updated with the latest additions. Burnout affects many people, and a change of pace like online classes helps overcome it. Learn more about burnout by reading “ Spot the Burnout Signals and Refuel Your Motivation .”