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4.5

Overall Score

Author: Kaitlyn Short

LAST UPDATED: July 19th, 2024

Coursera is currently partnered with 122 colleges and universities worldwide including Stanford University, Princeton, University of Michigan, SC San Diego and many more. Coursera offers over 1,000 post-secondary courses - free of charge. Although Coursera has only been in business since 2012, it has taken big steps in making college courses both easily accessible and low-cost.

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The Good

  • Simple and straightforward
  • Mobile features
Coursera is specifically designed for students seeking a simple and straightforward way to gain course credit, earn certification, or develop specialized skills online. Students can take advanced courses at their own pace and participate in peer assessments as they take part in Coursera's blended learning platform. Course subjects range from art and humanities, to law, to computer science, to teacher development. And as Coursera has partnered with hundreds of top universities throughout the world, courses are also offered in over 30 different languages. For users on the go, Coursera has developed both an iOS and Android mobile app, and both apps have received generally positive user reviews. The company also provides a number of support options to help customers navigate their platform and troubleshoot potential problems that could arise. And for customers who are looking for a refund on paid courses, Coursera has put a 14-day refund policy in place. In some cases, they may even provide vouchers that customers can redeem on other courses in Courera's catalog.
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The Bad

  • Peer-reviewed system
Peer-reviewed system is used where assignments and other objectives may not be possible for Professors to score based on such a high user frame. And despite Coursera's explicit any-plagiarism policy, this peer system makes it easy for students to plagiarize work. And while some support options, such as their online knowledge base, blog, and social media platforms, provide a healthy baseline understanding of how to use Coursera, other support features are lacking. Both finding the number and getting a response to questions is like pulling teeth. Other than that, there wasn't much about Coursera that could be deemed as a negative aspect. Additionally, while all of Coursera's courses are free, customers should be prepared to pay anywhere from $30 to over $100 for course certificates or specializations.
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The Bottom Line

Coursera offers high-quality education for free - and it has made more than enough partnerships with high-ranking universities to substantiate that claim. For customers looking to advance their post-secondary education at their own pace, Coursera is an excellent choice; just remember that not every course is completely free, and unless a problem you encounter is specifically addressed on their online forums, you may be waiting longer than expected for a response.
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Star Rating

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3.6

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18 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

44%

4 grade

17%

3 grade

11%

2 grade

6%

1 grade

22%

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Kevin Ortiz

Coursera is up there right at the top of my list after Khan Academy. I would read it higher, but the age of the content in Coursera tend to be a little outdated when you start going into the specific courses being offered. I don’t know if there’s a moderation of Contant to Wedow outdated contacts, mainly in areas, such as technology, which have recent developments day after day and month after month. If you are looking for contact related to something such as music or art, which does not quickly change you are in a good place, however, if you are looking for up-to-date Content regarding up-to-date topics such as ecology, maybe Coursera is not for you .

1 year ago

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Jason Atlanta, GA

I got my Google Data Analytics certificate through Coursera and I genuinely do not believe I would've gotten the job I have now without it. The course was laid out so it was very easy to understand and complete. I would say the money I spent on the course has paid itself off 10x in just the past year. I recommend Coursera to anyone wanting to advance their career or just learn a new skill.

2 years ago

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Jeremy Summa Inverness, FL

I do the year subscription for Coursera. I try to take as many classes as I can. I enjoy the IT classes but also they offer classes for hobbies and other ares of interest. Some courses offer a certificate of completion and you can get college credits for some of them.

1 year ago

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Heidy Mejia

I found their advertising on Facebook and I still am satisfied with what I learned. I took 2 photography courses (approved by the MoMA) with them and my knowledge was so good that I was even able to teach at a school in my country. Very useful information. I would still take more courses from them.

5 years ago

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Heather Novus Palm Bay, FL

Online learning is the way to go. And there are so many free courses available. We use this for courses at work and I have been able to get CEUs towards certifications

2 years ago

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Janery Astacio-Marrero

The variety of courses available is impressive, and the quality of the content is top-notch.

8 months ago

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Erik Lewis Minneapolis, MN

For big academic topics it is really impossible to beat the product. I'm a fan and have continued my subscription even when I'm not really using the product.

3 years ago

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Tate Huber Phoenix, AZ

Great courses and resources! I took a course on negotiation that helped lay a foundation for my career in procurement.

3 years ago