TOP 5 COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES OFFERING FREE ONLINE CLASSES AND LECTURES

With a computer and an internet connection, you can now access free classes online from some of the very best colleges and universities around the world, as well as free lectures. A growing number of schools are making video and audio materials available, either through their own websites, YouTube EDU, and/or iTunesU.

Course topics cover a variety of fields. For example, you can take a course on Ancient Greek History or The Fundamentals of Physics from faculty members of Yale University, or you could listen to an Oxford professor lecture on Shakespeare. Whether you are a prospective student looking to get a peek inside some of the world’s most prestigious colleges and universities, an international student seeking ESL classes, or just feeling curious, you will likely find something that interests you in our list of the top 25 colleges and universities offering free online classes and lectures.

1. University of Cambridge      CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND

A growing collection of free lectures and courses from the storied British university are available on iTunes U. These free classes online cover 16 academic categories, including art, architecture, philosophy, and science. Cambridge also offers access through their app for the iPhone and the Apple Watch. Popular lecture and course selections include:

• Cambridge Judge Business School collection
• Darwin College Lecture Series
• 3CL Travers Smith Seminar Series

2. Carnegie Mellon University      PITTSBURGH, PA

A number of free online lectures and courses are available on CMU's YouTube channel. Lectures focus on arts, business, technology, and science concepts and innovations. Each of the university's academic schools host their own respective channels, which can be accessed directly from the CMU YouTube homepage. Popular playlists and lectures include:

• Summer pre-college programs
• The Global Learning Council
• Robotics and drones
• Digital security

3. Columbia University      NEW YORK, NY

A selection of free online college classes and lectures from scholars and dignitaries around the world are featured on Columbia's YouTube channel, which groups videos from within each of the school's academic departments into a unique playlist. There is also a collection of on-campus lectures, featuring each session of the latest keynote speaker conference and more. Highlights from Columbia are available through the university's multimedia page. Popular topics and series include:

• Research
• New York Stories
• Climate research
• Neuroscience

4. Cornell University      ITHACA, NY

Cornell's free online lectures and course content are hosted through the university's digital depository, eCommons@Cornell. The site features 731 videos and 426 audio files, as well as digital downloads of theses and dissertations, research data, images, and more. This virtual library includes more than 38,000 resources for both students and faculty. The most downloaded lecture topics include:

• Developing effective standard operating procedures
• Antigone
• Water resources systems planning and management

5. Duke University      DURHAM, NC

Both iTunes and YouTube host a variety of free online classes, lectures, panels, conversations, and campus news features from Duke. Each of Duke's individual academic schools, as well as its Graduate School and Divinity School, have their own channel and playlist. Popular downloads include:

• Hayek Lecture Series
• The Week at Duke (in 60 seconds) featurettes
• Weekly worship service
• Gene therapy research at Duke School of Medicine

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on Google+