Take free online courses (and get real free certificates)

Learn from Microsoft, MIT and Harvard for free. Which courses give a free certificate, which charge, and how to avoid fake "certificate" sellers.

⏱ About 10 minutes · 5 steps
What you'll need
  • A computer or tablet with internet
  • An email address for sign-up (some courses need none)
  • About 10 minutes

  1. Compare the free options

    WhereWhat's freeCertificate?
    Microsoft LearnSelf-paced lessons on Windows, Excel, AI, cloud and moreFree badges and trophies; official certification exams cost money
    MIT OpenCourseWareReal MIT course notes, videos and assignments; no sign-upNo certificate or credit
    Harvard CS50xHarvard's intro to computer scienceFree CS50 certificate if you pass
    CourseraPreview: the first part of most coursesCertificates cost money; financial aid can cover them

  2. Start a free course

    1. For Microsoft Learn, open learn.microsoft.com/training and pick a topic. Sign in with a free Microsoft account to save progress (see the Microsoft Learn FAQ).
    2. For MIT, go to ocw.mit.edu, search a subject, and open the lecture videos. Nothing to sign up for.
    3. Set a small goal, like one lesson twice a week.
    MIT OpenCourseWare home page with a search box and the note No registration required
    MIT OpenCourseWare: free, no registration. Screenshot of the official page, October 2026. It may look a little different now.

  3. Earn Harvard's free CS50 certificate

    Take CS50x free at cs50.harvard.edu/x. Score at least 70% on the problem sets and the final project to get a free CS50 Certificate. For CS50x 2026, finish by June 30, 2027. You do not need to pay for the separate edX certificate.

    CS50 Certificate page showing a sample certificate
    Harvard's CS50 certificate page. Screenshot of the official page, October 2026. It may look a little different now.

  4. Use Coursera without surprise charges

    • Most courses let you Preview the first module free. Certificates and full access are paid.
    • Can't afford it? Apply for Coursera Financial Aid.
    • Free trials turn into monthly charges unless you cancel. Put a reminder in your calendar.

    💡 Tip: Your library card may give you free access to course sites too. Ask your library what they offer.

  5. Avoid certificate scams

    ⚠️ Watch out: Real course sites don't contact you with "guaranteed job" offers or sell certificates without coursework. Fake job offers asking you to pay for training are a common scam; see the FTC on job scams. Type the course site's address yourself instead of tapping ads.

🎉 All done! You're learning free from real universities and companies. After the free part: Microsoft certification exams and most Coursera certificates cost money; MIT and CS50 materials stay free.

Related game: Scam or Legit?. Related explainer: Will AI take my job? A calm, plain-English look .

Official help pages

Steps checked against these pages in October 2026. If a button looks different, look for a similar label.