College Consensus (https://www.collegeconsensus.com), a unique new college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published a guide to the Top 50 Colleges for Free Online Courses at https://www.collegeconsensus.com/rankings/free-online-college-courses/.
The potential of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is only now beginning to be realized, though the concept has been around for over a decade. As the format has been embraced by reputable colleges and universities, free online courses have proven to be a game-changer for continuing education, lifelong learning, and skills building for working adults, seniors, and other nontraditional students. College Consensus is highlighting the institutions that have integrated MOOCs into their mission with their guide to the Top 50 Colleges for Free Online Courses.
Schools in the Top 50 Colleges for Free Online Courses are all accredited institutions which had enough reputable rankings and student reviews to qualify for a College Consensus rating. Schools were then ranked according to how many MOOCs they offer, from most to fewest. The full top 50 (in alphabetical order) are:
Arizona State University
Babson College
Berklee College of Music
Boston University
Brown University
California Institute of the Arts
Columbia University
Dartmouth University
Davidson College
Doane University
Duke University
Emory University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michigan State University
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Rice University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rutgers University
Stanford University
State University of New York
The University of Oklahoma
The University of Texas at Austin
University System of Georgia
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, San Diego
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado System
University of Florida
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of New Mexico
University of Pennsylvania
University of Rochester
University of Texas Arlington
University of Virginia
University of Washington
Vanderbilt University
Wesleyan University
Yale University
“Just a few years ago, it seemed that MOOCs were a passing fad that no one could take seriously,” College Consensus editors write. According to critics, “Either MOOCs could never compete with colleges, or colleges could never compete with MOOCs.” But MOOCs live on, over a decade later, because of institutions that found a middle route: “Only a few realized that colleges and MOOCs didn’t need to be in competition,” the editors note; “MOOCs could enrich college education, continuing education, and lifelong learning, and colleges could provide MOOCs with real substance and rigor.” By using their resources to make substantial MOOCs, colleges and universities made MOOCs legitimate.
To create the Top 50 Colleges offering MOOCS, Consensus editors “researched MOOCs offered by Consensus-ranked schools, which means they have a sufficient number of published rankings and student reviews to qualify.” Consensus’ focus on accredited, reputable institutions helps guide students to courses that will have a real, positive impact. Thanks to colleges buying in, “Students can find MOOCs in virtually every field and industry, every level of education and experience, and every available media format – video, readings, interactive chats, and more.” Free, open online courses are a revolution in learning that College Consensus supports.
