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Coursera is a popular e-learning platform, offering thousands of courses administered by some of the top universities and higher-learning institutions in the world.
With such a breadth of options, it can be hard to know which courses are worth your time (and money, if you opt for a certificate program).
We reached out to Coursera to get some insight on their most popular courses based on completion rates, a metric we felt signaled the value a course is providing to students. Coursera wasn’t able to share exact completion rates with us, but they provided a list of courses that they say have both high enrollment numbers and corresponding high completion rates.
Many of the courses are free to audit (Click the “Enroll” button and then “Audit this course”), meaning you can view all of the course’s videos and materials but usually can’t earn a certificate of completion. Others are parts of longer paid certificate programs (including several from Google), which can cost $39 or $49 per month until you finish.
Whether you’re looking to sharpen up some business skills or pick up a new hobby, Coursera probably has something for you.
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Offered by: Johns Hopkins University
Number of students enrolled: Over 1.2 million
One of the few Coursera courses with a free certificate of completion, this relatively short class covers the basic science behind COVID-19 and how it’s transmitted, strategies for creating an infection timeline, and even the ethics behind contact tracing
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Offered by: IBM
Number of students enrolled: Over 481,000
Meet a range of data science professionals and learn about what they do, getting a real overview of what data science looks like today.
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Offered by: The University of Michigan
Enrolled: Over 2.2 million
Learn the basics of programming computers with Python. This course — the first in a Python Specialization — covers everything from how to install Python, write your first program, and understand the nuances of the language.
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Offered by: Google
Number of students enrolled: Over 835,000
Prepare for a role as an entry-level IT support specialist with this course — the first in Google’s IT Support Professional Certificate. Introduce yourself to the world of IT and get tips on how to best prepare for a career in the industry.
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Offered by: The University of California, Irvine
Number of students enrolled: Over 396,000
Part of UCI’s Career Success Specialization, this course covers organizational tips to help students learn how to successfully plan their goals (leaving room for potential surprises or crises) and manage their time to reduce stress and overwork.
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Offered by: DeepLearning.AI
Number of students enrolled: Over 988,000
This course will help you develop a strong background in deep learning, so you can break into the world of AI. Learn about major technology trends as well as how to build, implement, and fully understand neural networks.
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Offered by: Google
Number of students enrolled: Over 353,000
The first course in Google’s Data Analytics Professional Certificate, this foundational class covers key terms in data analytics and kickstarts students’ path towards an entry-level data analyst career.
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Offered by: Google
Number of students enrolled: Over 236,000
The first of six courses in Google’s Project Management Professional Certificate, this course goes over the core responsibilities of project managers before going into different project management methodologies.
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Offered by: DeepLearning.AI
Number of students enrolled: Over 690,000
Designed for non-engineers and people with no direct experience with AI, this course explores the fundamentals of AI and machine learning, including the limitations of AI, how teams can build data science projects, and ethical considerations that should be discussed in relation to AI.
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Offered by: The University of Michigan
Number of students enrolled: Over 423,000
Part of a web design and coding Specialization, this course is ideal for total beginners and starts from what happens when a webpage URL is typed into a browser, with coding exercises and assignments to put theory into practice.
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Offered by: Google
Number of students enrolled: Over 208,000
In this intro course to Google’s UX Design Professional Certificate, students learn the main responsibilities of entry-level UX designers, get familiarized with concepts like “user-centered design,” and begin to create an online portfolio.
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Offered by: LearnQuest
Number of students enrolled: Over 113,000
Perfect for beginners, this course explains common Cloud computing terms like APIs and Azure Services, goes over different Cloud deployment models, and helps students identify the best Cloud services for their needs.
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Offered by: Indian School of Business
Number of students enrolled: Over 113,000
Part of a Specialization in business technology management, this course teaches students how to apply emotional intelligence to work effectively in teams, manage important relationships with stakeholders, and navigate conflict in the workplace.
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Offered by: Macquarie University
Number of students enrolled: Over 609,000
As part of the Excel Skills for Business Specialization, this first course teaches students the basics of navigating Excel, from performing simple calculations with formulas and functions to creating data visualizations.
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Offered by: The University of Toronto
Number of students enrolled: Over 167,000
This three-hour course acknowledges the unprecedented anxiety people have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic before diving into stress management strategies, from reducing news consumption to maintaining social interaction in a time of physical distancing.
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Offered by: DeepLearning.AI
Number of students enrolled: Over 262,000
As the first course in the DeepLearning.AI TensorFlow Developer Professional Certificate, this class teaches aspiring software developers the basics of TensorFlow, a commonly used open-source machine learning framework, including the steps to building their own neural network.
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Offered by: Johns Hopkins University
Number of students enrolled: Over 394,000
Learn the RAPID model (Reflective listening, Assessment of needs, Prioritization, Intervention, and Disposition) to help aid people in an emergency. Bring these applicable skills to your workplace, volunteer organizations, and more.
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Offered by: Rutgers University
Number of students enrolled: Over 155,000
For anyone who’s interested in a career in supply chain management, this course covers the three main parts of supply chain logistics networks: transportation, warehousing, and inventory, teaching students how to develop supply chain networks that reduce cost and maximize customer satisfaction.
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Offered by: Amazon Web Services
Number of students enrolled: Over 180,000
Designed for anyone interested in a machine learning or AI career, this introductory course explains the basics of machine learning before jumping into using AWS tools like Amazon SageMaker, AWS DeepLens, Amazon Comprehend, Amazon Rekognition, Amazon Translate, and more.
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Offered by: The University of California, Irvine
Number of students enrolled: Over 610,000
Part of UCI’s Academic English: Writing Specialization, this course acts as an English grammar and punctuation refresher, offering tips on everything from correct comma and verb tense usage to varying sentence types to write more effectively.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected].
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