Best Sites For Free Courses In STEM

Some of the best-paying jobs out there require you to take courses in STEM to keep up with technological changes.

However, with rising tuition costs, you’d better find a place that’ll give you the courses you need in STEM at a reasonable price.

That’s where this blog will give you great resources and places that’ll cost you nothing.

So whether you’re a recent graduate looking for a promotion or a military veteran looking to retire, keep reading for more information!

STEM 101 & The Need For Qualified Employees

For those who are unfamiliar with the acronym STEM, it represents four significant industries: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects STEM jobs to grow by almost 11%, which translates to over 1 million job openings over the next decade.

Graduates, career switchers, or those seeking career advancements will find this advantageous.

However, drawbacks come from knowing this as well.

Countries that struggle to bring in or retain STEM-related personnel suffers big time.

We know this from valuable documents like the Global Innovation Index (GII) shows countries’ progress regarding the STEM pipeline each year and ranks countries.

For example, in the GII 2022 report, the Philippines slipped from 51^st in 2021 to 59^th in 2022. Although this may not sound like a big deal, it is a significant factor as there is a positive relationship between innovation and development about a country’s GII score and its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita.

Knowing the impact, this plays on the economy and quality of life must make this an essential component for individuals, companies, and governments.

Learning & Development For Courses In STEM

Wise corporate CEOs recognize the importance of retaining top talent, but they also understand that the profit lifeline will depend on their employees’ ability to scale out their potential.

For quick injections, quick training like workshops, attending conferences, and in-house sessions produce a flash in the pan, meaning those who attend them get the training but either forget what they learned soon or toss the information to the side and go on about their daily grind.

The best way to ensure skill development and retention of information comes from a steady pace of training from subject matter experts who provide relevant and timely knowledge.

Often this comes from courses that one can take in-person or online.

Courses offered in college or universities can cost a pretty penny, but if you’re smart and read on, you’ll discover where I’ve found great places to find free STEM courses.

I suggest making this blog a favorite, as it’ll periodically be updated as new places are found.

Where To Find Free Courses In STEM

Many opportunities exist based on where you live and your interests, so conduct your research on the interests you have. 

Each site below lists the name (and URL) and briefly describes how it can benefit you or your company.

Coursea – has over 5,400 courses, professional certificates, and degrees from well-known colleges.  Some include Duke University, Stanford, and Penn.  They even have courses offered by companies like IBM.

Courseity – If you’re an Udemy Fan, this is one site you’ll want to bookmark.  Here they have 25,000+ free Udemy courses.  The best part of Courseity comes with knowing they have over 50,000 free online courses.

EdX – boasts they have nearly half a million learners on their platform that use over 3000+ courses. An edX for Business helps users learn skills from over 150 leading experts like Google, Amazon, and more!

Grow With Google – Everyone knows Google, but many don’t know that they offer over 600 free Google Certifications. From Digital Marketing and E-commerce to IT Support, Data Analytics, Project Management, and UX Design, we know there’s something that will interest everyone. It even includes Google Cloud courses, which are highly desirable in today’s job market.

Harvard – Well known as one of the world’s premiere colleges, Harvard offers several free courses.  We particularly like them as employers respect this prestigious university.  

HubSpot Academy – Most people don’t realize this hidden gem.  They have quick, practical courses and well-spelled-out certifications to help you with after-business skills.  People don’t think marketing ties in with STEM, but I’d like to argue that marketing ties in with programming, data analysis, and much more.  HubSpot Academy they have hundreds of topics one can choose from to help build their skill set.

Khan Academy – We would be remorseful if we didn’t include Khan Academy on our list.  This non-profit strives to provide free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Through personalized learning, trusted content, and empowering their teachers, they can provide the tools and coursework for any learner. Their massive library of 10,000+ videos strengthens content delivery in just math and science alone.

LinkedIn Learning – Over 800 hours of courses that include free certificates such as business, design, and technology. This is great for job seekers, remote workers, managers at all levels, educators, and even human resource professionals.

Microsoft – 4,300+ courses with 750+ different learning paths where learners can earn many digital badges in a STEM-related profession. From SQL Server to Azure and Visual Studio, they’ve got you covered.

Mooc – Massive Open Online Courses (Moocs) help users gain access to free online courses that millions of people worldwide utilize them. Their extensive library of over 5,300+ courses and 500 micro-credentials allows the user to study about anything.

MIT Open Courseware – proudly boasts that they offer 2,500+ courses, where they freely share their knowledge with learners and educators worldwide.  They appear to continue adding new courses, such as Underactuated Robotics.

OpenLearn (from Class Central) – 822 courses for the picking. The filter and search features make it easy to find what you need. The actual OpenLearn site contains well over 1,000 courses.

Stanford Medicine – offers podcasts and webinars, free certificates, and medical education credits.

Stiegler Ed Tech – this organization pays you $17,500 to attend STEM-related courses.  The best part of this comes from knowing it costs you NOTHING!  There’s an in-class session and a virtual component to attend.

Udacity – Built for entrepreneurs, government officials, or even individuals, this site helps pave the way for those wanting to accelerate their careers with job-ready digital skills. Reputable leaders taught a course here, including Toyota, Shell, and Airbus. The 200 courses are free, but to acquire their Nanodegree (micro-credential), one must pay for them.

Udemy – This massive site also has over 500 free STEM-related courses for free in its Resource Area. From Java, HTML, and web development to Microsoft and Programming Languages, I’m sure that there will be something you will want to take here. To see more in Udemy, look at their entire collection of Udemy’s Free Courses, which contains over 2000.

Understanding The Importance of Micro-credentials

Micro-credentials assist Human Resource personnel in determining which candidates have the skills for critical positions. Often seen in a digital badge, it assures that the candidate received essential and pertinent information relevant to the job.

Some benefits of having a micro-credential include:

• Helps to show the needs of the ever-changing workplace
• Provides a partial credential showing progress toward a significant industry certification
• Validates successful learning for those new to the profession
• Ensures qualified candidates have essential competencies for a specialized area
• Demonstrates skills, knowledge, and experience in a particular occupation or industry

Sharing Micro-Credential and STEM Courses Taken On Resume

Before we wrap up this important topic, we need to discuss how and where to list the courses and credentials you’ve taken on your resume.  Listed below are some do’s when updating your resume.

• List them in your Education area. Spell out each one with the full name and the abbreviation if needed.
• Provide the credentials with the most recent and go back.  This will match the way you provided your work history.
• Provide the expiration dates so professionals reviewing your resume can see you are still in good standing.
• Avoid adding the digital badge itself.  Remember that resumes are scanned with Automated Tracking Software (ATS), and the algorithm does not like images.
• Include micro-credentials taken. This shows initiative and the desire to improve oneself.  It might also help distinguish between getting an interview and a “Dear John” letter.
• Reference your digital portfolio.  Your portfolio will show the digital badges plus other work you have done over your career.
• Hyperlink the micro-credentials.  ATS likes hyperlinks which strengthen your ranking to be interviewed.

How Will I Know If I’m Missing Knowledge Or A Micro-Credential?

There are two quick and easy ways to help.  The first would be to look at the job posting and see what courses/credentials are posted.

I would also recommend going to Illuminate, Upskill Talent’s occupation dashboard, to see all the soft skills, hard skills, tech tools, knowledge, and education needed for the job. If you don’t have an account, you can create one free!

You’ll Never Go Wrong With Free!

STEM courses are in high demand and can be scarce for free, but we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of resources to help you get started.

We hope this gives you the information you need to get started on the next steps in your education.

Are there other great resources for finding free STEM courses we missed?

Let us know in the comments below!