Free online distance education courses didn’t exist a few years ago. Now free distance education courses are offered by some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the world. As they say, “times are a-changing.” Philanthropists donate millions of dollars each year to organizations, colleges, and universities that offer and promote free online education.

Below we’ve summarized the most popular choices for free online distance education courses. We do not endorse or recommend any particular university. It’s up to you to research the course you’re interested in and check out the university that offers it.

Harvard University – Harvard offers a variety of open learning opportunities, including online courses and modules. Through the edX learning platform, founded by Harvard and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), anyone with an Internet connection can gain access to courses from Harvard, MIT, and other partner academic institutions.

MIT OpenCourseWare – The Massachusetts Institute of Techology’s OpenCourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.

Stanford University – Stanford University has been associated with the advent of massive open online courses (MOOCs), but our efforts to improve teaching and learning are much broader. Experiments in technology-driven and experiential education are occurring in every corner of the university and are strategically led by the Office of the Vice Provost for Online Learning (VPOL).

Yale University – Open Yale Courses provides free and open access to a selection of introductory courses taught by distinguished teachers and scholars at Yale University. The aim of the project is to expand access to educational materials for all who wish to learn.

Free Online Courses – Free Online College Courses – Coursera Free Online Courses