Epic List of Free Online Courses From the Ivies

Many Ivy League and other top-tier universities offer online classes to reach a wider audience. The best part is that many of these e-learning and development courses are free.

My favorite Harvard University courses:

  • Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking: Improve your writing and public speaking skills
  • Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies: Understand how entrepreneurship and innovation work together to take on complex social problems 
  • The Path to Happiness: What Chinese Philosophy Teaches Us About the Good Life: Learn about Confucius, mindfulness and Chinese philosophy

My favorite MIT courses: 

  • Entrepreneurship 101: Who is Your Customer?: Discover how entrepreneurship is a learned skill, and how you can start the journey with the right customer target.
  • Shaping Work of the Future: Find out how you can develop a career plan that fits today’s changing work environment. 
  • Data Analysis: Statistical Modeling and Computation in Applications: Get started on using statistics and analytics tools to get more from data. This course is part of the MITx MicroMasters program in Statistics and Data Science.

My favorite Stanford courses:

  • Algorithms: Design and Analysis, Part 1: Learn fundamental principles of algorithm design.
  • Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Techniques: Learn about artificial intelligence and how machines help with problem-solving, learning, reasoning and interaction. 
  • Careers in Media Technology: Explore audio, video and music technology companies for potential career options, including Adobe, Universal Audio and iZotope.
  • Designing Your Career: Leverage a design thinking approach and five career-oriented vocational wayfinding concepts to help design your career.  

My favorite Yale courses:

  • The Science of Well-Being: This course, designed with mental and emotional wellness in mind, continues to be one of the most popular and relevant free courses available. 
  • Introduction to Negotiation: Learn how to improve your negotiation skills by testing concepts against real-world situations.  
  • The Global Financial Crisis: Discover the factors that contributed to the last global financial crisis, its impact, and how to minimize the same risks in the future. 

More awesome online courses accessible to you:

  • Princeton University features courses on Coursera like Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency TechnologiesEffective Altruism, and several technical courses, such as The Art of Structural Engineering: Bridges on edX.
  • Columbia University offers Financial Engineering and Risk Management on Coursera, as well as Artificial Intelligence and Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analytics
  • The University of Pennsylvania has a diverse course selection, including Business Foundations SpecializationViral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content, and Intellectual Property Law and Policy found on various platforms. 
  • Northwestern University provides a wide range of business courses, such as Content Strategy for Professionals SpecializationSocial Media Marketing SpecializationModern Robotics, and Scaling Operations: Linking Strategy and Execution.   
  • Duke University has software courses like Excel to MySQL: Analytic Techniques for Business Specialization; personal development courses like Think Again IV: How to Avoid Fallacies; and finance courses like Behavioral Finance.
Kate Stone

Kate Stone

Founder, Head Coach
NYU Graduate, Princeton Fellow

Kate is a highly regarded college application coach, renowned for her ability to transform students' essays into compelling narratives that reflect their unique identities. She excels at fostering a motivating and encouraging environment where students gain confidence and overcome challenges like writing anxiety.

Her personalized approach tailors each session to the student's specific needs, whether it's structuring the essay writing process, brainstorming ideas, or providing guidance. Parents have praised her for helping their children improve their abilities and self-assurance, making her not just a coach but a trusted mentor and friend throughout the college application journey.