A decade ago, universities and industry experts poured their energy into the MOOC movement. The acronym, standing for “massively open online course,” captured what online courses were like back then: free and available to anyone with an internet connection. That has since shifted. MOOCs no longer rule the day.
Today, you’ll have to pay to complete most of the courses you see on leading course platforms. These fees help cover the costs of delivering the course materials to you. They also compensate the institutions and/or instructors who teach them. Without these fees, it’s likely we would have very few new courses in development. But what’s in it for you? What do you get in exchange for paying for your courses?
Certificates are valuable
Aside from the tangible skills and knowledge, certificates are likely the most important artifact you take away from an online course.
A certificate indicates proficiency. It helps you showcase new skills or knowledge in specific fields like data science, management, or coding. It also demonstrates to others that you’re proactive in skill development and learning, a valuable trait to most employers.
That’s because most online courses are self-directed and require discipline and motivation to complete. Some course platforms will even verify your identity before issuing you a certificate.
This is to ensure that the person earning the certificate is indeed the same person who completed the coursework. This lends credibility and trust to certificates, making them even more valuable.
A better experience
Earlier MOOCs were scrappy endeavors. Often, they were simple repackagings of existing recordings of lectures given at universities. They weren’t designed from the outset for asynchronous learning or even for audiences outside of the lecture hall.
Today’s online courses are produced with an online audience in mind. They’ve been edited down from hour-long lecture videos to bite sized clips interspersed between quizzes, readings, and discussions. These smaller chunks make it easier for anyone to engage with the content.
The takeaway here is that modern online courses are more digestible without sacrificing their content or value. It helps too that the major online course platforms we feature are technology companies. This means they’re constantly refining their web platforms and mobile apps. The end result is a better experience for you, the learner.
The economics of certificates
If you’re reading this article, you’re undoubtedly wondering what all of this costs. In this section, we’ll look at course fees and analyze the benefits you should expect from paying them.
Cost
The large majority of courses require a fee. To complete a course and earn a certificate, you should expect to pay anywhere from $20 to $200.
Different factors can bring these fees down.
If you’re located outside of the United States, you may be able to enjoy savings based on cost of living adjustments. When you adjust for this, some costs can start under $5. In India, for example, the lowest price we’ve seen for courses can be as low as ₹349, which as of this writing is just a hair north of $4 USD.
You may also pay less in certain instances of you can dedicate more time each week to a course. Platforms like Coursera and Pluralsight offer monthly subscriptions. If you can devote many hours to your studies, you can complete a course designed to take, say, three months down to just one.
Return on investment
In 2023, Coursera commissioned the Huron Consulting Group to survey its learners who had completed a course or program.
Among learners who set out to learn for their career, 77% reported career benefits from completing a Coursera course. 41% reported tangible outcomes, which includes outcomes like increased salary (18% of respondents), receiving a promotion (14%), finding a new job (17%), or securing more interviews (19%).
edX in its 2022 Impact Report found in its survey that of the learners who earned certificates from MicroMasters (their brand for a series of courses), 92% said that the investment was worth it.
Beyond these surveys, there are countless anecdotes from learners on platforms like Reddit, Quora, Facebook, and LinkedIn who claim to have received tangible benefits in their career. For many, online courses and certificate fees represent a small cost relative to their potential returns.
Keeping your costs low
edX and Coursera offer financial aid to make their offerings accessible to low income learners. To see if you qualify and for instructions on how to apply, see our writeup about financial aid.
If you don’t qualify for aid, there are plenty of deals to take advantage of. These include special offers, seasonal promotions, and discounts exclusive only to OpenCourser visitors. You can find these on our Deals page.
What’s to do with certificates
Once you’ve earned your certificate, it’s time to put them to use for you. First, you’ll want to share your certificate on your LinkedIn. You can find instructions on how to do this depending on where your certificate is issued from:
You’ll then want to read about when and why you’d want to share your certificate on either LinkedIn or in your resume / CV.
Finally, if you’re looking to build your career with online courses, read our article about mentioning online courses in your job interviews.
