Have you ever wanted to learn a new skill but couldn’t find the right place to start? Do you have any academic curiosities that lead you down intellectual rabbit holes?

If there are things you want to learn, and you want to learn them well, then the internet can provide. In fact, you can find formal learning opportunities that are completely free in countless languages that are available on your schedule.

Today, we’re going to cover some of the best online courses and learning tools that can help you with anything from gardening to advanced engineering.

Picking the Right Course

The internet is a big place. How can you be sure that any online learning tool or course is reliable? There are a few practices that can go a long way.

First, check the sources. Who made the course? What are their credentials? How can they demonstrate their expertise? A good online course will say exactly who made it, and you should be able to find professional credentials.

Here’s an example. If you take an online college course, you know who the professor is, and their affiliated university or college will list them as faculty.

Online platforms will not necessarily match you with a verified professor, but there should still be a name on any course, and you can look that name up to see if they have real credentials.

You can also check reviews on any given course. People who actually took it will give you an idea as to what you will actually learn and how effective the process was for them.

Lastly, you can compare information. For your first few lessons, see if the information matches what you might find on Wikipedia or similar resources. This bit of fact checking can help you verify that your online teacher really does know their stuff.

The Best Free Online Learning Tools

Below you will find some of the most trusted and robust online learning platforms. Each option has countless classes and learning resources that cover too many topics to list. While plenty of other platforms exist — especially if you want to get deep into a niche topic — these are your best starting point as they are verified, safe, and effective.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is committed to providing quality, free educational resources to everyone around the world. All of their resources are completely free to use for anyone, although they may occasionally ask you if you want to donate to the cause.

Khan Academy focuses on traditional learning topics that most K-12 students would find directly helpful. If you want to learn more about anything that might include math, science, literature, history, or other school topics (including computing and economics), you can learn more here.

Skillshare

Skillshare is a learning hub dedicated to creative skills and processes. While not all content on this platform is free, you can find endless opportunities to learn without ever paying a penny.

Skillshare can show you how to do things like video editing, photography, writing, and other creative skills. You can learn to use practical and digital tools, and it even covers lessons on things like entrepreneurship if you aim to market your new skills.

Udemy

Udemy is one of the two industry leaders when it comes to formally designed digital lessons on topics of all varieties. While anyone can create Udemy classes, the platform is a great place to find structured lessons from verified industry experts.

Udemy has a mix of free and paid courses, but if you are looking exclusively at free content, the volume of lessons still feels endless. Always verify an instructor before committing to a class, but provided you take that time, you can learn at a college-course level covering any topic under the sun.

Coursera

Coursera is the other of the two industry giants. The availability is similar to that of Udemy, with one major difference. Coursera structures lessons around goals, and you can get many formal certifications through Coursera programs.

Again, you will find a mix of paid and free material, and again, there is more than enough free material to keep you busy. You will also find that many Coursera courses are made and sanctioned by accredited universities, meaning you can get accredited certifications with this platform.

edX

This platform was created through a joint effort by Harvard and MIT. The goal is to bring world-class, university-level learning on many topics to everyone. While you cannot complete an entire degree program through edX, you can deepen your knowledge on any topic using these resources, and you can do it by learning from some of the most renowned specialists in many fields.

University Resources

There are many university resources you can choose for your learning that are completely free. Similar to edX, many other colleges and universities have invested in creating free, online learning platforms. Some of the most notable include MIT OpenCourseWare, Harvard Online Learning, and Stanford Online. You can even see if your local learning institution has a similar program.

The internet is a place that democratizes information. Whatever you want to learn, resources exist, and they can cater to any level of interest. If you have a passion or even just a casual curiosity, there’s a place where you can learn, and free learning options get better every day. Now is a great time to get started.