You can learn anything online.
The internet abounds with learning platforms, courses, webinars, videos, and content designed to help you learn anything.
Whether you want to enhance your professional abilities, start a side hustle, learn a new skill, or earn a degree, there’s an online learning platform to meet your needs.
Discover the best websites dedicated to online learning for adults.
Why Online Learning?
Learning online makes education easy.
You don’t have to travel to class and can take the courses on your own time. Most adult learning websites offer flexible schedules and class times, allowing you to do your coursework when convenient.
Accessibility and flexibility make online education the best option for active adult learners who wish to enhance their skill sets.
Which Online Learning Platform is Right for Me?
The internet bursts with platforms claiming to be the best online learning options. The niche is so saturated that determining which one truly is best can be overwhelming.
Should you sign up for LinkedIn Learning or take courses on Udemy? What about Coursera? Are there any free options?
Here, we will narrow it down, focusing on your goals rather than each platform’s advertised claims.
The first step is to identify your online learning goals. Why are you pursuing education online? What do you want to learn?
We’ve highlighted fantastic platforms for a variety of different learning purposes:
- Online Learning for Enhancing Your Career
- Educational Websites for Learning New Skills
- Online Learning for Personal Fulfillment
- Free Adult Online Learning Platforms
Choose the best for you based on your learning goals.
The Best Online Courses for Enhancing Your Career
A top reason to explore adult learning online is to enhance your career. You may need a graduate degree or certificate to move up or a bachelor’s degree to change industries. Sometimes, you need to brush up on your soft skills to improve at your current job.
These four online learning platforms are the best for distance education programs to help you achieve your career goals.
Hey folks! Transparency Disclosure- Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. That means I’ll receive a small commission if you decide to click on it and buy something. Don’t worry, it doesn’t cost you anything extra!
Emeritus
Emeritus is the place to go if you need an online certification program. They offer programs in professional areas such as data science, leadership, and finance.
Many of Emeritus’s certificate programs are from the world’s leading universities, like Columbia, Wharton, and Northwestern. However, the certificate prices are much lower on Emeritus than if you studied at a university. For example, you can complete a certificate in B2B marketing for approximately three thousand dollars.
Emeritus is the place to start if you need a certificate program for career progression.
Coursera
Coursera is one of the leaders in eLearning, and it’s easy to see why. They partner with a wide array of accredited universities (even my Alma Mater—the University of Illinois!) and offer a plethora of online course offerings, from creative writing to special relativity.
Coursera has hundreds of options for those who want to pursue higher education online. They offer online MBA programs from places like the University of Illinois and Arizona State, as well as a variety of other online degree programs. Unfortunately, the degree programs cost about what they would at the university, so you’ll pay tens of thousands per degree.
If you don’t need the credentials, you can take many classes on Coursera for free. You take courses on machine learning, AI, data, finance, and a wide range of topics without paying, which is an excellent option if you’re learning for yourself. However, if you need the credential, you will have to pay.
Edx
EdX.org has various online programs designed to help you advance your career. Although you’ll find similar programs to Coursera, EdX shines by offering “micro” degree options for both bachelor’s and master’s programs, a faster and more affordable route to degree programs. While the microprograms don’t offer degrees, they allow you to take a subset of the classes, giving you credits to apply to the degree program.
Edx offers these programs in many disciplines, from information technology to marketing.
Although many are related to computer science and information technology, biology, physics, and psychology programs are also available.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning is one of the best places to learn “soft” skills and business skills.
The short, to-the-point courses were developed by industry leaders and experts in the fields rather than professors, leading to a different kind of learning environment.
Many LinkedIn learning courses are structured like webinars, with a video instructor explaining the materials. Some of them have tests and exercises in between lessons.
The videos are available online, and you can access them at any time of the day. There aren’t any class discussions or assignments, so the work is entirely self-paced.
The Best Online Courses for Learning a New Skill
Many distance education programs focus on specific skills that we may need for career progression or because it’s something we’re interested in learning.
These five learning platforms are the best for learning those skills we want to master.
Babbel
If you want to learn a new language, Babbel is the site for you. Actual linguists developed the courses to get them as close to immersion as possible. These online classes are self-paced, and the app works on various devices, so you don’t have to be tied to a computer.
The only downside to Babbel is that it doesn’t offer many languages. Although the 13 language programs it does offer are commonly spoken, it doesn’t offer Mandarin, one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. The only Eastern Asian language it offers is Indonesian.
However, Babbel is a perfect choice if you want to learn a European language, such as Spanish, French, or Italian.
Codecademy
Codecademy is the go-to resource for learning new computer skills.
Though the name implies coding, it offers many IT courses, from cyber security to mobile development.
If you want to learn HTML, Java, programming, web development, game design, or a wide array of computer skills, Codecademy is the first place you should look.
Udemy
Udemy offers thousands of educational options, making it difficult to place on this list. The platform features fun and professional development options, but the vast majority are geared toward specific skills, so this section seemed like the best fit.
You can learn a wide range of unique and niche skills on Udemy. It features courses for creating YouTube videos, drawing, and web design, but you can also learn business skills like public speaking and punctuation.
If you’re looking for real degrees and certifications, Udemy isn’t for you. The courses are created by regular people who want to teach a skill they have, so they don’t offer credentials. However, on the plus side, the courses are way cheaper than anywhere else, making it the perfect place to pick up a skill if you don’t need a piece of paper showing you can do it.
Launch Your Side Hustle
Launch Your Side Hustle is a fantastic course for those who want to launch or build an online business. You can read a full review here, but I cannot say enough good things about it.
It’s a must-have for anyone trying to build their online business (and even great for those just toying with the idea!).
Pinterest Ninja
Pinterest Ninja teaches you how to grow an audience on Pinterest. It’s not just for bloggers – it’s for anyone with an online presence who uses Pinterest to drive engagement (Etsy Sellers, YouTubers, podcasters, drop shippers, etc.).
Pinterest Ninja was the first course I took that delved deep into using the platform like a search engine because that’s what it is at its heart.
Adult Online Learning for Personal Fulfillment
Sometimes, we just want to take a course for fun or personal development. You may want to learn how to crochet or discover a different method of doing something you already love.
Many of the platforms I listed above do have some course offerings in this area, but there’s one platform dedicated to it.
International Open Academy
International Open Academy is the best option for learning random new skills that may have nothing to do with a career. They have course offerings in areas like pet CPR, bread making, and herbology. They even have a course on how to make clothes for your pets!
International Open Academy also offers online classes for basic skills, such as car maintenance, baby care, and dog training. With initial prices as low as $100 and numerous deals throughout the year, there’s no reason not to explore their offerings.
International Open Academy is the best place to start if you want to learn a random new thing just for fun.
Free Adult Learning Online Courses
It’s hard to find free courses online that are actually free.
A quick search of free online courses will bring you to platforms like Coursera and Udemy (which are great – don’t get me wrong), with a few free offerings, but you have to dig for them. It’s hard to tell if the course you want is free until you get excited and click on it, only to find that it’s a paid course.
So, are there any that are really free?
The answer is yes – there are opportunities for free adult online education. But, most of these won’t give you a certificate (you have to pay the big bucks if you want the credit – but that’s a post for another day).
Open Culture
Open Culture has one of the widest selections of massive open culture online courses (MOOCs) available. MOOCs are free online courses open to anyone with an internet connection. Open Culture is one of the best-known and most inclusive, boasting over 1000 courses.
Some of these free online courses even include that certificate!
Open Culture offers far more than classes. The platform also provides free eBooks, audiobooks, podcasts, and movies, making it easy to find learning in a way that works for you.
Alison
Though many of Alison’s courses are paid, the platform features numerous free options that are actually easy to find.
Alison’s front page shows its most popular free courses, and you can sign up through Facebook, Google, or even LinkedIn.
Most platforms on this list have a few free offerings, but I like that you don’t have to dig for them on Alison.
Many of Alison’s free offerings are just for fun or personal development. They have courses in areas like mechanical engineering and diesel engine basics, which are great if you’re curious about how stuff works. But you probably need hands-on learning at an accredited school to build a career in these fields.
YouTube
There’s a lot of cool stuff on YouTube for those willing to look for it. If you are just trying to figure out how to do something, like install drywall or change the oil on a car, YouTube is the place to look first.
The platform offers millions of instructional videos made by people with a specific niche skill. For example, you can learn how to solve differential equations in calculus one day and how to change your own oil the next.
One thing to be careful with on YouTube is that not everyone is an expert, regardless of whether they think they are. The platform bursts with misinformation, so you must watch several videos to ensure you learned the correct information.
Which Online Learning Opportunity is Right for you?
Options for learning something new online abound. Some focus on professional development, while others help you gain personal knowledge.
Hopefully, this short round-up helped you determine which platform best suits your continuing education goals.
Sign up for one and learn something new today!
This immediately made me think about the phrase “there just isn’t enough time in the day.” And it’s true! I cannot express enough how many times I have thought about starting my own “side hustle” (l love that you used this term) but have become overwhelmed by the amount of work upfront and the know-how I need to actually be successful. Not to mention that I truly don’t have time to attend a class every day (nor do I want to spend that much money). I usually get frustrated and give up, but I came across your blog and the resources you mentioned and it has sparked my desire to get going! I’m looking for ways to passively generate income and have been trying to find free online training software and lessons. I checked out Pinterest Ninja (which you’d listed) and it was loaded with information (videos and articles) for a small fee. Launch Your Side Hustle discusses the art of making money off of the things you already know how to do and that appeals to me, since that is exactly what I am looking for. I also came across Capterra, which lists some of the best online training software for small businesses and startups. There are some online resources that come at no cost, but you do have to dig around a bit for that. Thanks for your amazing list of resources, Melanie!
Wow, super comprehensive list! Lots of new to me stuff here. I bought a bundle of self dev courses this year which is going to keep my busy for like… forever.
I’m glad you enjoyed the list! I did a lot of research to try to find the best options! What self dev courses did you get? I’d love to hear about them!