10 of the best free online courses

Learning never ends, no matter how old we are. There’s always something new to learn and with plenty of free online courses available, there’s no excuse either! We’ve put together a list of the 10 best free online course providers and course which you can interact with wherever you have an internet connection.

10 Best Free Online Courses for Adults

Portrait of thoghtful mature man reading a book, light effectThere are countless courses available online which let you learn new skills at new cost. Depending on whether you are learning for interest or to help with your career, you may need to choose a course provider who is accredited or well respected. We’ve made a list of the 10 best course providers and some of the courses they offer to make your decision about what to study much easier.

  1. Open 2 Study – an Australian based open university, Open 2 Study offers plenty of free courses. Topics include Chinese language, astronomy, food and nutrition, photography and teaching adult learners.
  2. Open Polytechnic – our NZ based Open Polytechnic also offers a small range of free courses, great for taking if you plan on attending formal education later down the track. Courses include tertiary study, mathematics and horticulture.
  3. BBC – for a range of informal online courses, the BBC offers plenty of interesting general topics on it’s website. Topics range from cooking, language learning, using the internet and gardening.
  4. Coursera – Coursera offers free and paid online courses aimed at general interest topics through to university accredited courses. Subjects are mostly business related, making this a great site to upskill your work skills.
  5. Future Learn – a large international site, Future Learn offers both paid and free courses. Topics are varied and include world history, law, creative arts and literature.
  6. Citizen Maths – if you’re looking for help with maths or to further your math skills, Citizen Maths is for you. Perfect for anyone who wants to become more confident in using maths in their life.
  7. Alison – a major player in the world of free online courses, Alison’s website is well worth a visit. Courses include communication skills, marketing, project management and psychology.
  8. OpenLearn – with over 1000 free courses, OpenLearn can help you learn about science, education, health and financial topics.
  9. TedEd – well known for their online lessons, Ted-Ed is a fun and informal way to pick up new skills and knowledge for free.
  10. Udemy – offering free and paid courses, Udemy is well known as a major player in the online business education industry. Topics include coding, accounting, website building and graphic design.

If courses aren’t your thing or you prefer smaller bites of learning, you can’t go past our large range of short articles. With something to suit everyone, GrownUps is your one stop educational and information website for mature adults.