The usefulness of a typical bachelor’s or master’s degree is being questioned some students. While others are realising that they need to learn new skills to keep up with developing technologies. Online classes are more popular among students. We compiled this list of the top platforms offering online courses. Because it can be difficult to determine which ones are truly worth your time and money.
Students are beginning to question the worth of a standard bachelor’s or master’s degree. They realise need to pick up new skills to keep up with emerging technologies. Which is causing higher education to change. Online courses, also known as Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs. We put up this list of the top platforms for online courses. Because it can be difficult to determine. Which ones are truly worth your time and money with so many platforms offering them.
Top 9 Online Education Companies
- Best Overall on EdX
- Best for Accelerated Courses: FutureLearn
- Best for Credentials: Coursera
- Best for IT Courses: Udacity
- Best for Coding Courses: Codecademy
- The Best for Marketing Courses is HubSpot Academy
- The Best Business Courses on Udemy
- Best for Creative Courses on LinkedIn Learning
- The Best for Lifelong Learners: The Great Courses
How We Selected the Best Providers of Online Courses
Numerous businesses that offer online classes, certificates, degrees, and other things can be found with a short search. In order to compile a list of top educational platforms. That can assist students in achieving their professional and personal objectives. We reviewed more than a dozen well-known providers in order to identify the best ones.
These were some of the steps in our review process:
- Thorough examination of the particular course offerings and resources offered by each provider via website and catalogue evaluations
- When available, sample studies and courses
- Review and comment analysis of student opinions posted on sites like G2, Trustpilot, and Facebook Reviews.
Which programmes belonged on our list was determined by the four following criteria.
Flexibility
Many students choose online courses because they may study whenever. We also took the length of time needed to complete the courses a provider provides into account. In order to ensure that students learn with the least amount of time commitment. We sought for courses that could be finished in a few weeks to a few months.
Value
Online classes are also more affordable than traditional two- or four-year degree programmes, which is another tempting feature. However, we wanted to make sure that even if they are less expensive, these courses still offer a high-quality education. To ensure that students are receiving the skills, information, and support they need. We compared what providers had to offer in terms of course materials, access time, course completion documentation, and other factors.
Student happiness
One organisation cannot test all of the accessible online classes due to their sheer number. We sought the opinions of students who have successfully completed courses. These organisations in order to learn more about their experiences. For user reviews on their engagements with various providers.
Educators and course designers
We also looked at who creates and instructs the courses that students take from these online universities. Many, including edX and Coursera, compile courses from prestigious universities throughout the globe, including MIT, University of Toronto, Kyoto University, and more, offering students access to illustrious professors.
Top 9 Online Education Companies
EdX
A big open online course provider called EdX was launched in 2012 and was developed by MIT and Harvard. It has developed into a top provider of individual programmes, professional certificates, boot camps, and degrees during the last ten years. Without regard to a student’s location, EdX compiles courses from reputable colleges all around the world.
What We Enjoy
In 31 various topic areas, including business, computer science, the humanities, and STEM, there are more than 3700 courses accessible. There are beginning, intermediate, and advanced level classes available.
What Frustrated Us
There is no filter option for the pricing even though potential students can sort among edX’s courses in a number of ways, including by subject, level, and educational partner university. It would be beneficial for students to be able to filter through edX’s classes based on their budget because the courses range in price from zero to several hundred dollars. With a test or questionnaire and tailored course recommendations, EdX might also assist potential students in finding the correct class.
Statements Made by Students
On the software review website G2, users give edX a 4.5-star rating, and on Trustpilot, they give it a 3.4-star rating. One user claims that edX provides a number of advantages. “Some of the greatest in the area are offering courses that cater to a wide range of interests. Every CV may simply incorporate the credentials because they can be quickly integrated into a variety of platforms, like LinkedIn.
Next Learn
Students can access MOOCs, microcredentials, online degrees, and professional certification programmes through FutureLearn, a UK-based online learning portal. The principles of social learning, empowerment, change, and experimentation serve as the foundation of their organisation. Students get access to a course catalogue through FutureLearn from prestigious institutions, multinational corporations, and trade associations. Their Microcredential and ExpertTrack programmes give students a quick and effective approach to upskill and learn important new information.
What We Enjoy
We choose FutureLearn as our top pick for the finest accelerated courses because of the diversity of choices they provide students who want to advance their knowledge and certificates as quickly as possible.
The 2-4 week long FutureLearn Short Courses are an option for students looking for a one-on-one instruction. With the help of ExpertTracks, students can take a deep dive into a subject and graduate with a professional degree in as little as six weeks. Another way FutureLearn helps students advance their education is through microcredentials. Many microcredential programmes are certified, allowing students to transfer their credits to more established degree programmes.
We also enjoy that FutureLearn offers students a number of payment choices, such as monthly or annual subscriptions, for their courses. The platform’s library of courses in 14 various subject areas, including IT and computer science, language, law, business and management, literature, and more, are available to students with an unlimited membership.
What Frustrated Us
The FutureLearn website requires users to go through FAQs and Help pages in order to locate important information, such as membership costs and FutureLearn’s educational partners. Some people may look for platforms that make it easy to find vital information, therefore having to search for this information may turn them off. It would be beneficial if they offered potential students the ability to filter courses by level.
Statements Made by Students
Users of FutureLearn rate the site 4.8 out of 5 stars on Facebook, 4.4 out of 5 stars on G2, and 2.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. Users that are happy with FutureLearn appreciate that it gives them the chance to learn from top colleges around the globe and that their video lectures are succinct, simple, and understandable.
Coursera
More than 275 colleges and organisations worldwide collaborate with Coursera, a strong, comprehensive online education service. They are the greatest online course provider for students looking for credentials because they provide everything from standalone courses to entire degree programmes. Through the platform, students have access to hundreds of industry-leading professional training certificates in addition to 100% online bachelor’s and master’s degrees from some of the most famous universities in the world.
What We Enjoy
Coursera brings together courses and programmes from some of the best universities in the world, including the University of Tokyo, Imperial College London, and the University of Pennsylvania. Students can utilise Coursera to access 100% online, fully accredited bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes in fields like data science, engineering, public health, and others that are in high demand.
The MasterTrack courses on Coursera are designed for those with bachelor’s degrees who wish to further their education without committing to a master’s degree. These courses concentrate on advanced abilities in a particular field. Market leaders including Google, IBM, and Intuit create professional credential programmes. When enrolling in a master’s programme, students who acquire a university certificate can use their credits towards their degree.
The fact that Coursera provides courses in more than 50 different languages, more than any other online course provider on our list, is another thing we admire. Students can select course options by a particular language to discover a class that suits their communication requirements.
What Frustrated Us
Despite providing access to a large range of online degree programmes, Coursera mostly serves as a middleman. Students would still need to apply for admission, and universities will still offer lessons and award degrees. Students have the option to apply and register directly at the university hosting the desired programme. With monthly subscriptions beginning at $59 per month, Coursera is also one of the more expensive providers on our list.
Statements Made by Students
On G2, Coursera has a rating of 4.5 stars, and it has 2.9 stars on Trustpilot. Positive evaluations highlight Coursera’s extensive selection of courses and top-notch instructors. Users have offered discount codes or sales to assist make their programmes more affordable in response to negative remarks that reflect Coursera’s high price tag.
Udacity
The founders of Udacity were professors at Stanford University who intended to increase accessibility for students worldwide to technology education. In order to educate students for employment as data scientists, programmers, business analysts, UX designers, and other fields, they provide a variety of well-liked, skill-based programmes. We recommend Udacity as the finest online IT course provider because of its focus on IT content and ability to offer top-notch courses created and instructed by leaders in the tech sector.
What We Enjoy
The course catalogue at Udacity includes both free and fee-based offerings that address various IT-related topics. Programmes in robotics software, self-driving car engineering, and artificial intelligence are just a few of the courses they offer that are unique to the platform. For curriculum development and instruction, the platform collaborates with global firms like GitHub, Microsoft, and Accenture, ensuring that students are taught the most recent knowledge, innovations, and skills.
The core of Udacity’s offerings are its nanodegree programmes, the majority of which can be finished in three to five months of online coursework. With the help of nanodegrees, students can delve deeply into a particular subject and acquire the fundamental, intermediate, or advanced skills they need to launch new careers or improve in their present ones. With flexible classes, tools for career services, and mentorship support, Udacity helps students.
By asking users to fill out a brief questionnaire when registration, Udacity generates a personalised experience for students and uses the answers to suggest courses that will help them achieve their objectives.
What Frustrated Us
Even though Udacity’s emphasis on IT-related courses and programmes may be a benefit for some, it does imply that they will only have a few features that certain students may want in an online learning platform. Additionally, students should be informed that it may take them many months to finish various nanodegree programmes. People should think about how much time they have to dedicate to their studies since this is lengthier than some of the expedited courses other providers provide.
Comments From Students:
Udacity has received 4.9 out of 5 stars on Facebook, 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, and 4.4 out of 5 stars on G2. The programme is designed for every sort of learner, as one reviewer put it. The classes and reference links they provide will satiate those who choose a self-paced learning method.
Codecademy
In order to help students learn computer programming, one of the most in-demand talents in the tech sector, leading SAAS business Skillsoft established Codecademy. This online course provider offers a range of professional development programmes, including in-depth lessons and practise, career counselling, and certificates of completion, in addition to allowing students to learn the fundamentals of coding for free. Students can learn all the popular programming languages, such as Python, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Swift, and others, with Codecademy.
What We Enjoy
Codecademy is an excellent place to start for students, whether they are new to coding or want to expand on what they already know. This online learning environment provides beginner- and intermediate-level individual programming language classes. The majority of classes are free, but to access all of a course’s materials, such as projects, tests, and certificates of completion, students must switch to a premium plan.
Codecademy offers two subscription programmes for students who wish to pay: Pro Lite, which is best for those who want to concentrate on skill development, and Pro, which includes customised learning paths and career coaching to assist students land employment as engineers, developers, data scientists, and other positions. Pro Lite plans cost $209.88 per year, while Pro plans cost $299.88, making Codecademy an economical choice for many people looking to advance their careers or learn new skills.
In addition, we appreciate Codeacademy’s on-demand distribution model. Classes last anywhere from one to thirty hours, and instruction is delivered through reading homework and practical application.
What Frustrated Us
Independent, self-driven students that want to learn through reading and doing are most suited for Codeacademy. The absence of any audio or video components in the classes could make it more challenging for students who learn best by listening to or seeing examples of concepts in action to complete the courses. The free courses offered by Codeacademy are also relatively constrained, and to access graded assignments and projects for experiential learning, students must purchase a Pro Lite or Pro plan.
Statements Made by Students
Students from Codecademy rate the platform 4.4 on Trustpilot and 4.6 on Facebook. This review, which is positive, claims that the lessons and projects were all pertinent and well-structured. The Discord learning community has been encouraging and quite beneficial. The experience has been the most enjoyable and difficult I’ve had in a while.
HubSpot Academy
Since its establishment in 2006, HubSpot has emerged as a pioneer in the creation of software for inbound marketing, sales, and customer care. They want to make it easier for the upcoming generation of marketing, sales, and development professionals to get the training they need to pursue rewarding careers using HubSpot Academy, their online education platform. We suggest HubSpot Academy because of their accessibility and subject-matter knowledge to students looking for online marketing and sales courses.
What We Enjoy
A specialised online education provider, HubSpot Academy offers courses in marketing, sales, and development. Because of this, students who enrol in HubSpot Academy courses are aware that they are learning the most recent techniques and competencies used in the business. While some courses concentrate primarily on teaching HubSpot software, others include a wider range of subjects like company analytics, social media advertising, and customer care training.
Students have the option of enrolling in either individual courses or certification courses offered by HubSpot Academy, which compile lessons for in-depth study of a certain subject. Although certain courses are available for free, in order to get their certification, students must upgrade to a premium subscription.
Students may easily create a HubSpot Academy account by answering a few questions about their profession, employer, and industry. Through the straightforward, user-friendly learning experience of HubSpot Academy, students can start their course right away after registering.
What Frustrated Us
There won’t be everything a student wants at HubSpot Academy because it is a specialised online course provider. Additionally, we didn’t like how HubSpot Academy promotes its courses as being free even though certification requires students to convert to a subscription membership. Instead of being somewhat buried inside the course information, the information might be expressed more explicitly on the website.
Statements Made by Students
On G2, customers rate HubSpot Academy with 4.7 stars. The videos are brief, succinct, and to the point, praises one pupil. Multiple videos can easily be watched in a single learning session. Each teacher speaks with clarity, and the text is clear and organised.
Udemy
In order to link people all around the world with the education they need to advance in a range of fields, Udemy was launched in 2010. Their online business courses offer a wide range of topics, such as sales, marketing, strategy, legal, and management. Because of their extensive options, reasonable costs, and variety of languages, we selected them as our top choice for the best online business courses.
What We Enjoy
We appreciate that Udemy’s online business courses cover both hard skills—such as e-commerce, real estate investing, and human resources—and soft skills—which can be used in a variety of sectors. These classes cover management, leadership, and public speaking. Students will probably be able to find whatever specialised business subject or talent they choose to concentrate on through Udemy.
Students can browse thousands of courses on the internet by topic, level (beginning, intermediate, and expert), language, and other criteria using the interface. As part of its objective to serve as a hub of learning on a global scale, Udemy offers courses in a variety of languages, including Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, German, and others.
Courses on Udemy are presented as video lessons created and instructed by subject matter experts and business pioneers. Additional reading assignments, examinations, quizzes, and practical learning activities are common components of courses. Short segments in the videos make it easier for students to incorporate teachings into their hectic schedules.
What Frustrated Us
Udemy offers a dizzying array of courses, which has both advantages and disadvantages. Sifting through the tens of thousands of courses accessible can be a bit overwhelming, even if the platform probably has content available to fit any student’s learning goals. Students can sort between free and paid courses using Udemy’s filtering features, but there is no mechanism to do so within the paid courses themselves. Students could use this to choose classes that meet their budget.
Comments From Students:
The G2 and Trustpilot ratings for Udemy are 4.5 and 2.4 stars, respectively. Positive reviews highlight their user-friendly layout, online and mobile accessibility, and experienced instructors. However, complaints about unsatisfactory customer support and perplexing dynamic pricing on some courses predominate.
Learning on LinkedIn
In order to create LinkedIn Learning, the online networking service LinkedIn acquired the online training provider Lynda in 2015. Currently, this section offers hundreds of courses in a range of subjects, including business, technology, and the arts. Given that many online course providers don’t offer education in creative disciplines, this last one sets it apart from the competition.
As a result, we selected LinkedIn Learning as the top online source of creative courses.
What We Enjoy
People looking for online courses in creative fields should start by visiting LinkedIn Learning. They provide classes in a variety of subjects, including photography, animation, video editing, and production. For students interested in these topics, LinkedIn Learning is a great resource because it can be challenging to find online courses in these fields.
Students have the choice of enrolling in a single course to focus on acquiring a specific skill or choosing an acquiring Path, which combines several courses around a larger topic. Learning Paths frequently result in a LinkedIn Learning certificate that students may use to show their level of proficiency in that field. Students can prepare for professions as recording engineers, graphic designers, fashion designers, and other creative fields by following learning paths in those fields.
Although a subscription to LinkedIn Learning is required for students, the firm does provide a generous one-month free trial.
What Frustrated Us
The LinkedIn Learning UI might be made more user-friendly. For instance, it took longer than necessary to get a description of what a Learning Path is specifically and how it differed from individual courses. Potential students may be put off by having to search for detailed information on the choices provided by LinkedIn Learning, especially given the abundance of competing course providers with more user-friendly websites.
Statements Made by Students
LinkedIn Learning receives an average rating of 4.4 on G2. The site has received appreciation for its diversity of courses, the concision of its courses, and the simplicity with which credentials may be added to LinkedIn profiles. Users also draw attention to several drawbacks, such as the lack of linguistic diversity in courses.
Great Courses
Many students use online learning to upgrade their skills and increase their chances of landing a good job and a good wage. But for others, it’s about intellectual curiosity and personal fulfilment. The Great Courses are available for those pupils. People who enjoy learning for the sheer fun of it can select from approximately 1300 courses on this platform that cover a variety of subjects, such as music and fine arts, food and wine, language and literature, travel, and more.
What We Enjoy
We appreciate The Great Courses because it focuses more on knowledge sharing to satiate intellectual curiosity, whereas the majority of other online course providers are very skill- and career-focused. Subjects like cooking, drawing, training dogs, history, and geography are popular course topics.
Lessons are accessible on DVDs or online streaming on The Great Courses’ website or mobile app. The ability to learn whenever and wherever is made much simpler for students by the availability of many lectures as streaming audio. There may also be practise exercises and PDF manuals included in the course materials. The Great Courses, however, do not offer grades or completion certificates. The knowledge one acquires from passing the course is the advantage.
Although courses can cost anywhere from $20 to several hundred dollars, The Great Courses frequently has deals and discounts, making its courses more affordable. Additionally, Wondrium, a subscription-based online learning platform, and The Great Courses have partnered to provide students with unrestricted access to a library of courses for as little as $7.50 a month.
What Frustrated Us
The Great Courses may require assistance in helping students who are looking for online learning to develop marketable, career-focused skills locate what they’re looking for. This platform doesn’t provide the kind of hands-on practise students require to truly learn new abilities, nor does it offer completion certificates. Some students may not find lecture-based video lessons engaging, particularly those who choose reading assignments or experiential learning.
Statements Made by Students
On Trustpilot, The Great Courses customers give the website 3.8 stars. One student claims, in a letter to the company, “I have been taking online classes from this company for the past 10 years, and I have enjoyed them in the areas of history, linguistics, physics, literature, music, economics, theology, and photography. These classes have informed, entertained, and widened my perspective on life.
How Online Courses Can Improve Your Career Outlook
Among the many reasons why students enrol in online classes is to advance their professional prospects. Here are a few ways that finishing an online school can improve your prospects for employment.
Acquire in-demand abilities
The skills workers need to stay competitive change along with technology, industry standards, and employment markets. In accordance with a World Economic Forum research, 50% of jobs will require retraining by 2025. Online classes can be a convenient, cost-effective approach to learn important new information. Students can concentrate on gaining hard skills in quickly expanding industries like technology, marketing, and management, or they can build transferable abilities like communication, digital literacy, and leadership.
Examine a different career path
Maybe you’re thinking of changing your career. If so, you’re not alone; between 2019 and 2021, over half of Americans who left their occupations did so in order to work in a different sector. It’s possible that at least some of these people took online classes to weed out potential jobs. You can decide on your future by taking an online course in your field of interest to get a sense of the kind of work you’ll do and the abilities you’ll need.
Show employers your expertise
Whether you want a new job, a rise in compensation, or prospects for growth, you’ll probably need to convince your employer that you deserve it. The completion of an online course can be used as concrete evidence that you possess the qualifications required to get recruited, promoted, or paid more. By furthering your education, you can demonstrate to potential employers that you’re receptive to new ideas and that you’ll make a valuable addition to any team.
Create a professional network
Because of the people you’ll meet as well as the material you’ll study, taking online classes can advance your profession. Having a strong network of contacts is crucial for obtaining jobs, mentors, and other possibilities for professional development regardless of your field or ambitions. Meeting people you might not otherwise get the chance to interact with through an online course. Social media and communications technologies can aid in the development of ties between you and your classmates and instructor, even though networking online differs from networking in person.
