There are plenty of resources to help you learn programming, many of which don’t cost anything. Here are the best.
Are you looking to start a side hustle or upskill? Whatever your reasons for learning to code, this can be a rewarding decision. Naturally, the first place to start is by learning some programming.
You can go the conventional route by going to college, but this will be relatively expensive and isn’t always necessary. Sometimes, the better alternative is to learn the programming skills you need for success through the many free online resources dedicated to this. But what are the best ones?
Udemy hosts thousands of individual course creators who teach a wide range of subjects from business to music and, of course, programming.
Most courses are offered at some cost, which usually varies, but there are thousands of free Udemy courses which are often just as good as paid-for courses.
To access these courses, you will simply need to create an account; doing so won't cost you anything.
Simplilearn is another leading global online learning platform that offers free training on its website and its Youtube channel.
There are 400+ courses on offer across various skill sets, focused on aiding students and professionals to enhance their current skills or learn new ones.
As you'll be more interested in programming courses, you will be pleased to learn that Simplilearn offers several free courses covering all aspects of programming.
To access the courses, create a free account, log in, and navigate to the free courses category. Then, enroll whichever you fancy and start learning.
University of the People is a non-profit, tuition-free, accredited online university with a focus on business and computer science education. Courses are offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
University of the People does charge some fees to cover the costs of examinations, but you have the option of avoiding these if you do not wish to receive a certificate. You can also apply for scholarships.
To get started, visit the website and apply for admission. You will be required to take an assessment and granted admission if you pass.
Saylor Academy is a non-profit organization that offers free and open online courses to anyone with a desire to learn. They offer about 100+ courses at the college and professional levels, each of them developed by subject matter experts.
Saylor Academy offers 13 courses on programming and computer science, and you can find courses on Cyber Security, Networking, Software development, to mention a few.
To enroll in free courses at the Saylor Academy:
If that sounds like a little too much commitment for your schedule, you also have the option of auditing courses—with full access to the course content.
Some courses at the Saylor Academy are eligible for college credit.
Coursera is a global online learning platform that offers any individual across the world access to massive open online courses (MOOCs) and nanodegree programs.
There are over 9,000 courses available to choose from, spanning multiple programming niches. This means that no matter your area of interest, there is something for everyone here.
To get started, head on over to the website, create a free account, log in, search for a programming course that interests you, and click on the Enroll For Free Button.
Edx is a global non-profit online learning platform. The platform offers quality courses and certification from the world’s best institutions and universities, generally for free.
Edx offers career-focused programs and courses to help you build the skills you will need to succeed. They offer online boot camps, certificate programs, executive education, and more.
You have to create an account on Edx to enroll in any of the free courses. Once you have, simply log in to your newly created account and search for a programming course that interests you.
Check if the course is free on the course introductory page, and click the Enroll button if it is.
freeCodeCamp is another non-profit organization, but with a much narrower focus than EdX. The organization offers only programming-related training, with a mission to help people learn all the necessary coding skills required to help them excel in their respective fields.
Despite having been launched only in 2014, freeCodeCamp is now one of the most popular resources for learning programming.
Every aspect of freeCodeCamp is absolutely free, and it will cost you nothing to access the over 100 courses available. All you need is to create a free account, and you are good to go.
Geeks for Geeks is a computer science-oriented portal that contains well-explained computer science and programming articles plus many free programming courses that will help to ease the stress that new learners often face with programming.
Geeks for Geeks is quite similar to freeCodeCamp, and all the content on offer is available for free. All that is required is that you create an account which will take only a few minutes.
Once you're logged in, go ahead and enroll in any courses that interest you, and start learning.
W3Schools is an excellent resource for beginners, and you will find that the courses are well explained and accompanied by practical examples that help to illustrate how things work.
While the platform does offer paid courses, it also offers much of its training material for free and is an excellent place for any beginner to get started. You don't even need to create an account to start learning!
There you have it! These are nine of the best free programming training resources that will help to provide beginners with a solid foundation. More experienced programmers might also benefit from some of these resources.
If you are learning programming because you want a career in tech, there are other career paths that might interest you without requiring that you become adept at programming.
Don’t be discouraged if you want to be a part of the tech field. There are plenty of jobs for people without coding skills!
David is a WordPress lover who is passionate about helping small businesses grow!
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