Coursera Review for 2023

Last Updated: January 28, 2023

Are you looking for valuable learning resources to develop new skills and enhance your career? Acquiring new learning opportunities has become much easier than ever. You don’t need to rely only on traditional educational methods to further your education or become more prominent in your professional career. You can access numerous e-learning platforms without stepping out of your comfort zone.

Coursera is one of the legit and most popular digital learning platforms that offer dozens of courses to help lifelong learners widen their minds and polish their skills. After scouring thousands of Coursera reviews, you might ask if the platform has everything it is cracked up to be. With an array of options available, how do you know which online learning platform best suits you?

Here, we will review the Coursera platform in-depth to give you a clearer picture of its effectiveness and trust score. Our unbiased Coursera review will uncover everything you need to know about pursuing your passion and professional goals by enrolling in Coursera courses.

Pros and Cons of Coursera

Pros

• A classic academic style of learning
• 7,000+ courses in the library
• Financial help for low-income learners
• Availability of courses from top-rated institutions
• Recognized completion certificates
• 7-day free trial on Coursera Plus
• Different learning styles
• Availability of courses in foreign languages
• High-quality and well-reputed courses
• More than 1,700 free courses
• Flexible schedule- learn at your own pace
• Quizzes and exercises for hands-on learning
• Offline learning
• A wide range of subjects, from computer science to arts
• High-quality video content taught by field experts
• User-friendly learning platform

Cons of Coursera

• Time limits on some courses
• A few Coursera courses are outdated
• Lack of certificates for free courses
• Courses on complex topics can be expensive but cheaper than on-campus

What is Coursera: A Brief Overview

Coursera is a legit online learning space that helps students expand their careers and access new learning opportunities. The platform aims to help learners access thousands of degrees, certificates, and courses from the world’s best universities and companies, including Imperial College of London, the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Yale University, Google, and IBM.

Coursera was founded by two Stanford University computer science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, in 2012. Within no time, the platform has gained massive penetration in the educational industry. Thanks to its connections with leading companies and prestigious universities, Coursera has become a popular choice for learners and instructors. In addition, the combination of accredited institutions and Coursera courses has helped the platform become one of the most popular and reputable online learning platforms.

Coursera is one e-learning space that delivers massive open online courses (MOOC) and MasterTrack courses, professional courses, and degrees. The sheer vastness of the courses offered by Coursera helps the platform to itself apart from the competition. The platform features over 7,000 courses ranging from Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees to short courses. The University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, Princeton University, and the University of Michigan are the most notable names that offer content on Coursera, allowing students to access quality educational resources without having to leave home.

Coursera offers a complete workforce development program that can be used by business and government organizations. Today, the platform has partnered with 200+ world-class universities and institutions across 29 countries. In addition, Coursera works with many reputable corporations and institutions, such as the University of Illinois, Yonsei University in Korea, and the University of London.

Coursera Courses

Whether you’re considering pursuing your degree in a traditional subject or developing some fundamental professional skills, Coursera has excellent options to cater to the needs of every learner. When it comes to learning from Coursera courses, you can enroll in different course options, which are:

1. Specializations

Coursera has hundreds of specializations to choose from. This course enables you to enroll in a series of subjects instead of only a single course. You can pursue the following popular specializations on Coursera:

• Organizational Change and Culture for Adopting Google Cloud
• Digital Marketing
• Artificial Intelligence for Medicines
• Healthcare IT Support
• Data Science Fundamentals
• Communication Skills for Engineers

Some Coursera specializations include three courses that may take only a few months to complete, while others have more than ten courses, taking up to a year to complete. Specialization course options are ideal for individuals wishing to master a specific skill.

2. Guided Projects

Guided projects are designed for learners who want to master job-related skills in hours. In this learning option, you can use a tool called Rhyme to complete a project in a virtual space. For example, you need only 1-2 hours to complete a guided project on Coursera and learn a new skill.

3. MasterTrack Certificates

MasterTrack certificates are ideal for passionate students who want to earn credits towards a degree or university-issued certificates. This learning option gives learners and flexible and interactive format for making degree credits.

The Master’s degree programs of some top universities make up the MasterTrack Certificates of Coursera. They use collaboration with peers, live expert feedback and instructions, and team-based learning for the MasterTrack Certificates. If you enroll in this learning option, you can demonstrate your skills and create new work samples through real-world projects and assignments. You may take up to 4-7 months to get a MasterTrack Certificate from Coursera.

4. Courses

Coursera features more than 1,700 free courses along with guided projects and specializations. With these free courses, you can access all the learning materials. But you need to pay extra money to access graded assignments or earn a Coursera Certificate. In addition, some Coursera courses take only 4-12 hours, while others may take weeks and even months to complete.

5. Professional Certificates

If you’re considering learning new skills for an in-demand career, Coursera’s professional certificates option is best suited for you. These certificates can help you get a promotion in the workforce or excel in your professional career. However, the professional certificate learning option of Coursera may take up to 1-6 months to complete.

6. Degrees

Coursera also features Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from some of the world’s famous universities. In addition, the platform does not have any specific timeframe, meaning you can get a degree anytime and anywhere in the world.

You can get a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Marketing, and Computer Science. In addition, Coursera offers a Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, International Relations, Public Policy, Public Health, Entrepreneurship, Data Science, MBA, Engineering, Information Technology, and Computer Science.

Coursera Cost & Pricing

Before signing up, many students ask, is Coursera free? Although the platform has hundreds of free courses, if you want to get an accredited certificate, you have to pay for it. Most Coursera courses start from $39. However, at this small price, you can access the course and access technical support, mobile learning, feedback from field experts, graded assignments, and certificates.

Coursera Plus Subscription

You can use the Coursera Plus subscription to access unlimited learning opportunities, including specializations and certificates. This Coursera subscription will let you access guided projects, professional certifications and specialization programs, and more than 7,000 courses.

You can get a 7-day free trial on a Coursera Plus subscription, which can help you understand the platform before becoming its paying member. Once your free trial is expired, you can go with the following Coursera Plus subscription plans:

Coursera Reviews

Coursera is a legit online learning platform with numerous positive reviews from its members. Most Coursera reviews talk about its financial aid for students that can’t afford to pay for Coursera courses. Some members give five stars to Coursera due to its vast collection of free classes and affordable subscription plans. Only a few students complain about the limited promotions of Coursera.

Final Verdict: Is Coursera Worth Your Investment?

Since its launch, Coursera has been considered one of the best e-learning platforms you can access anytime and anywhere in the world. Although the platform has a comprehensive collection of free courses, paying for Coursera Plus Subscription is worth it. With Coursera Plus Subscription, you can get unlimited courses and specializations and earn certificates.

Coursera also partners with some of the world’s prestigious universities to help learners access quality learning resources on their computers and smartphones. In addition, you can try a 7-day free Coursera Plus Subscription trial to understand better whether the platform meets your expectations.