Harvard puts dozens of its courses online for free. You can watch every lecture, do the assignments and learn at your own pace — you only pay if you want an official verified certificate. Here are 10 free Harvard courses worth your time in 2026, each checked on Harvard’s own course catalog.
How “free” works
- Free to audit: all videos, notes and most assignments cost nothing. You need a free edX account.
- Certificate optional: a verified certificate costs about $149–$299 (price shown on each course page). You do not need it to learn.
- Self-paced: start any time; no admission, no IELTS, no application.
The 10 courses
1. CS50: Introduction to Computer Science
Best for: complete beginners in programming. Harvard’s famous intro course — C, Python, SQL, HTML/CSS and JavaScript, with a final project. Effort: about 10–20 hours a week. Certificate: $219 (optional). Official course page
2. CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python
Best for: learning Python from zero — functions, loops, libraries, testing and file I/O. Effort: 9 weeks, 3–9 hours a week. Official course page
3. CS50’s Web Programming with Python and JavaScript
Best for: building real web apps with Django, JavaScript, SQL and APIs. Effort: 12 weeks, 6–9 hours a week. Certificate: $199 (optional). Official course page
4. CS50’s Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python
Best for: students who know some Python and want search, optimisation, machine learning and neural networks. Effort: 7 weeks, 10–30 hours a week. Certificate: $299 (optional). Official course page
5. CS50’s Introduction to Cybersecurity
Best for: anyone — no coding needed. How to protect your accounts, data, devices and software. Effort: 5 weeks, 2–6 hours a week. Official course page
6. CS50’s Introduction to 2D Game Development
Best for: making your own games in Lua with LÖVE 2D — classics like Pong, Flappy Bird and Mario. Effort: 12 weeks, 6–9 hours a week. Certificate: $299 (optional). Official course page
7. CS50’s Computer Science for Business Professionals
Best for: managers and non-programmers who need to understand technology, the cloud and software decisions. The edX run is archived, but all lectures and material are free on Harvard’s CS50 site. Official course site
8. CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Scratch
Best for: school students and absolute beginners — learn programming logic with drag-and-drop blocks. Effort: 3 weeks. Certificate: $299 (optional). Official course page
9. Justice (with Michael Sandel)
Best for: anyone interested in philosophy, ethics, law or public policy — one of Harvard’s most popular courses ever. Effort: 12 weeks, 3–6 hours a week. Certificate: $209 (optional). Official course page
10. Remote Work Revolution for Everyone (Harvard Business School)
Best for: students and professionals who want to lead and work well in remote and hybrid teams. Effort: 3 weeks, 2–3 hours a week. Certificate: $149 (optional). Official course page
Correction: our Instagram reel listed HBS Online’s “Leadership Principles” as course 10. That course is paid ($1,949 on Harvard’s catalog), so we replaced it here with Remote Work Revolution for Everyone, which is free to audit.
Tips to get the most out of them
- Start with course 1 or 2 if you have never coded; take course 4 only after you are comfortable with Python.
- Put finished CS50 projects on GitHub — PhD supervisors and employers do look at them, and many funded PhD and internship calls ask for programming experience.
- Need a certificate for a scholarship application? Check whether the scholarship accepts free audit tracks first before paying.
- Browse all free Harvard courses in the official catalog.
Looking for funded study instead? See open PhD positions, master’s scholarships and paid internships — all verified on official pages.
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