The Top 100 Free University Courses of the Year (Ranked by Popularity)

By Dhawal Shah

In 2024, the most popular online course out of 5,300 launched across the top MOOC platforms is Google's AI Essentials on Coursera. With over 900,000 enrollments, this single course had more enrollments than the combined total of all new courses launched on edX, FutureLearn, and Swayam in the same year.

More than a decade has passed since a few Stanford professors decided to offer their courses online for free. These courses later became known as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), and 2012 was dubbed the "Year of the MOOC."

What's unique about this edition is that the majority of the courses are from companies, not universities—a significant shift from when MOOCs were first popularized.

Methodology

I built this list following a well defined methodology:

First, I went through the Class Central database and made a list of all the courses that were offered for the first time ever in 2024, on the four platforms below. There were 5300 such courses.

Then, I wrote scrapers to collect enrollment numbers across four major online course platforms: Coursera, edX, FutureLearn, and Swayam. These platforms show how many students are enrolled in each of their courses.

Finally, I sorted the courses according to their enrollment number and truncated the list to keep only the 100 most popular courses. To maintain a balanced comparison, the number of courses considered from Coursera was limited, as they are significantly larger than other platforms, and the gap in scale continues to widen.

Combined, the platforms considered accrued over 5.7M enrollments for courses launched in 2024. The 100 most popular courses account for a whopping 2.7M of them.

If a Coursera course grabs your attention, you might want to read our guide: How to Sign up for Coursera Courses for Free.

Most Popular Online Courses (2025 Edition)

Google AI Essentials Google via Coursera

Operating Systems: Overview, Administration, and Security IBM via Coursera

Cybersecurity Compliance Framework, Standards & Regulations IBM via Coursera

Penetration Testing, Threat Hunting, and Cryptography IBM via Coursera

Incident Response and Digital Forensics IBM via Coursera

Introduction to Large Language Models Google Cloud via Coursera

Extract, Transform and Load Data in Power BI Microsoft via Coursera

Product Management: An Introduction IBM via Coursera

Business Analysis Fundamentals Microsoft via Coursera

AI Infrastructure and Operations Fundamentals Nvidia via Coursera

Data Warehouse Fundamentals IBM via Coursera

Introduction to Computers Microsoft via Coursera

Workday Basics Series Workday via Coursera

Data Analyst Career Guide and Interview Preparation IBM via Coursera

Project Management Essentials Howard University via Coursera

Project Management Fundamentals Microsoft via Coursera

Generative AI for Executives and Business Leaders - Part 1 IBM via Coursera

Fundamentals of Immunology: Complement, MHC I and II, T Cells, and Cytokines Rice University via Coursera

Business Intelligence (BI) Essentials IBM via Coursera

Generative AI Essentials: Overview and Impact University of Michigan via Coursera

The Principles of Real Estate Keller Williams via Coursera

Introduction to Generative AI for Software Development DeepLearning.AI via Coursera

The Art of Storytelling IESE Business School via Coursera

Comprendre la France, Advanced French Language & Culture École Polytechnique via Coursera

Statistical Learning with Python Stanford University via edX

Basic Mathematics Birla Institute Of Technology And Science–Pilani (BITS–Pilani) via Coursera

Fundamentals of Immunology: Inflammation, Tolerance, Autoimmunity Rice University via Coursera

Accelerate Your Learning with ChatGPT Deep Teaching Solutions via Coursera

Software Developer Career Guide and Interview Preparation IBM via Coursera

Supply Chain Management and Analytics Unilever via Coursera

Introduction to Data Engineering DeepLearning.AI via Coursera

Introduction to Prompt Engineering IBM via edX

English Intermediate B1.2 University of Naples Federico II via Coursera

Google Prompting Essentials Google via Coursera

OpenAI GPTs: Creating Your Own Custom AI Assistants Vanderbilt University via Coursera

Data Science Using Python Aligarh Muslim University via Swayam

Data Science Using Python Aligarh Muslim University via Swayam

Child Development_Education CEC via Swayam

Microsoft 365 Copilot: Personal Productivity for All Vanderbilt University via Coursera

ChatGPT for Project Management: Execution, Tracking, Success Vanderbilt University via Coursera

Introduction to Security Principles in Cloud Computing Google Cloud via Coursera

Generative AI: Elevate Your Data Science Career IBM via Coursera

Advanced Digital Transformation (Part 1) Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad via Coursera

Rocket Science for Everyone Yale University via Coursera

Fundamentals of UI/UX Design Microsoft via Coursera

Generative AI: Elevate your Software Development Career IBM via Coursera

Customer Understanding and Digital Marketing Channels Unilever via Coursera

Graphic Design Essentials LCI Education via edX

ChatGPT - Usos y Estrategias Tecnológico de Monterrey via Coursera

Introduction to Cosmetic and Skincare Science Olay via Coursera

CompTIA a+ Cyber CompTIA via Coursera

Strategy and Game Theory for Management Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad via Coursera

5G Wireless Standard Design Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur via Swayam

Introduction to Generative AI Duke University via Coursera

JavaScript Programming Essentials IBM via Coursera

Building Generative AI-Powered Applications with Python IBM via Coursera

CompTIA a+ Network CompTIA via Coursera

Python Data Structures Coursera Project Network via Coursera

Responsible & Safe AI Systems NPTEL via Swayam

Design Fundamentals Adobe via Coursera

Advanced R Programming for Data Analytics in Business Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur via Swayam

Responsible AI: Applying AI Principles with Google Cloud Google Cloud via Coursera

Data for Business Analysts Using Microsoft Excel Microsoft via Coursera

Generative AI: Enhance your Data Analytics Career IBM via Coursera

MBA Essentials University of Glasgow via Coursera

Introduction to Data Analytics in Google Cloud Google Cloud via Coursera

Introduction to Game Design Epic Games via Coursera

AI in Human Resource Management NPTEL via Swayam

Generative AI for University Leaders Vanderbilt University via Coursera

GPT Vision: Seeing the World through Generative AI Vanderbilt University via Coursera

Mastering Laravel Framework and PHP Board Infinity via Coursera

Business Analysis: Key Definitions & Strategy Analysis Starweaver via Coursera

Inteligencia Artificial (IA): Interacciones y prompts Universidad de Palermo via Coursera

Web Technology Uttarakhand Open University, Haldwani via Swayam

Practical Cyber Security for Cyber Security Practitioners Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur via Swayam

CS50's Introduction to Programming with R Harvard University via edX

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Materials Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur via Swayam

A Basic Course in Machine Learning for All Indian Institute of Management Bangalore via Swayam

Electronic Systems Design: Hands-on Circuits and PCB Design with CAD Software Indian Institute of Technology Delhi via Swayam

3D Printing and Design for Educators NITTTR via Swayam

The Living Amazon: Science, Cultures and Sustainability in Practice SDG Academy via edX

Introduction to Large Language Models (LLMs) NPTEL via Swayam

Digital Marketing Strategy Banaras Hindu University via Swayam

Introduction to Portuguese / Iniciação à Língua Portuguesa Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia via edX

Artificial Intelligence for Economics Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur via Swayam

Introduction to Illustrator LCI Education via edX

Computer Architecture Essentials on Arm Arm Education via edX

Introduction to ChatGPT. Boost your productivity to the maximum using artificial intelligence! Universitat Politècnica de València via edX

Introduction to Robotic Programming RWTH Aachen University via edX

Quickbooks Level 1 Intuit via edX

Financial Markets and Products State Bank of India via edX

Interpreting Genomic Variation: Overcoming Challenges in Diverse Populations via FutureLearn

Fundamentals of Economics University of California, Berkeley via edX

Structure and Function of Argument: Introduction to Critical Thinking Harvard University via edX

Inclusive Education: Exploring SEND Practice and Strategies University of Leeds via FutureLearn

Interior Design Essentials LCI Education via edX

An Introduction to Programming Using Python University of Leeds via FutureLearn

How to Get Into AI University of Leeds via FutureLearn

Excel básico para emprendedores Universidad del Rosario via edX

Mining and Materials for Sustainable Development Transformations SDG Academy via edX

Maths Foundations University of Adelaide via edX

Developing Generative AI Applications with Python IBM via edX

Intro to AI for Digital Marketing Davidson College via edX

3D Printing Essentials: From Design to Reality University of Alaska Fairbanks via edX

Antimicrobial Databases and Genotype Prediction: Data Sharing and Analysis via FutureLearn

AI in Architectural Design: Introduction Delft University of Technology via edX

Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Forestry-related Sectors (ForGEDI) University of Padova via FutureLearn

Team Working: How to Succeed via FutureLearn

Play Full: Getting Creative with Design Thinking in Health and Care via FutureLearn

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