50 Places You Can Learn to Code (for Free) Online

If you’re curious about learning a programming language then you’re in luck: there’s no shortage of resources for learning how to code online. University-level courses, tutorials, cheat sheets, and coding communities all offer excellent ways to pick up a new language, and maybe even a new job, too. Read on, and you’ll discover 50 great places to learn how to code, for free, online.

University

Many big names in education including MIT and Stanford offer programming courses, absolutely free.

1. UC Berkeley Webcasts: UC Berkeley’s Computer Science department offers a huge collection of courses in programming and computing.
2. MIT OpenCourseWare: Find more than a hundred online course materials for electrical engineering and computer science in MIT’s OpenCourseWare collection.
3. Stanford University: Through iTunesU and Coursera, Stanford University offers plenty of programming courses, including Coding Together: Apps for iPhone and iPad, Programming Methodology, and Human-Computer Interaction.
4. The Open University: U.K.-based Open University has a variety of learning units in computing and ICT.
5. University of Southern Queensland: From the University of Southern Queensland, you’ll find courses in Object Oriented Programming in C++ and Creating Interactive Multimedia.
6. Princeton: Through Princeton University’s Coursera site, you can find courses on algorithms, computer architecture, and networks.
7. University of Michigan: From the University of Michigan, you’ll get access to great programming courses including Computer Vision and Internet History, Technology, and Security.

General

If you’re just dipping your toes into programming, or you want to find a variety of resources, these sites offer several different ways to learn how to code.

8. School of Webcraft: Mozilla Foundation’s School of Webcraft is a peer-powered school that offers free web development education.
9. Google Code University: Google Code University is full of excellent resources for code learning, including tutorials, introductions, courses, and discussion forums.
10. Google Code: Search Google’s repository of code through this awesome resource.
11. Webmonkey: On Webmonkey, you’ll find tutorials for everything from building your first website to developing with HTML5.
12. OER Commons: Find programming courses from the Saylor Foundation, Teachers’ Domain, and more in this directory of open education.
13. ArsDigita University: In ArsDigita’s curriculum, you’ll find excellent courses for programming design, computer science, and even artificial intelligence.
14. Code School: Many of Code School’s courses are paid, but they do offer rare gems like Rails for Zombies that are worth checking out.
15. SitePoint Reference: Find references for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on Sitepoint.
16. Khan Academy: Video tutorial site Khan Academy offers computer science courses with an introduction to programming and computer science, including lots of Python resources.
17. Lifehacker Night School: Lifehacker.com offers this concise guide to learning code, with 4.5 lessons offering the basics of programming.
18. Wikiversity: Through Wikiversity’s School of Computer Science, you’ll be able to study techniques for programming in computer systems.
19. Wikibooks: Check out the Computer Programming section of Wikibooks to find resources in just about every coding language.
20. Programmer 101: Another one from Lifehacker.com, Programmer 101 is a great guide to getting started with programming.
21. Mozilla Developer Network: Find plenty of resources for learning web technologies on Mozilla’s Developer Network, including lessons in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
22. Landofcode: Get an introduction to programming from Landofcode, with practice resource, reference, tools, and how-tos.
23. Academic Earth: Academic Earth’s collection of video courses is impressive, boasting computer science and programming courses from Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more.
24. Skillcrush: Learn how to develop anything you want with this site, offering explanations of terms, resources, and cheat sheets.
25. Udacity: Udacity is a great resource for finding programming courses, including Intro to Computer Science, Web Application Engineering, and Software Testing.
26. Udemy: Learn computer programming from these popular courses on Udemy. Many are free, but be sure to check; some are paid.
27. Learn Code the Hard Way: On Learn Code The Hard Way, you’ll find books and courses to learn Python, Ruby, C, SQL, and Regex. Although courses aren’t free, the books are.
28. The New Boston: The New Boston offers an incredible collection of video tutorials for all types of programming, including iPhone and computer game development.
29. HakTip: Check out this weekly web show to find programming how-tos that you can use.
30. Onvard: Onvard offers a self-guided resource for learning different tracks, including Ruby on Rails, HTML, and PHP.
31. WiBit.net: Wibit.net shares several courses and videos offering free education in programming, especially C and Java.

Community

Learn how to code on these sites with a heavy community influence ready to offer help to newbs.

32. Stack Exchange: This Q&A community, programming is one of the most popular subjects, offering users a great way to learn from peers.
33. Stack Overflow: Like Stack Exchange, Stack Overflow is a Q&A site, but this one is all about language-independent programming questions.
34. Codecademy: Check out Codecademy for an easy, interactive way to learn how to code.
35. Code Year: A part of Codecademy, Code Year is a project that provides participants with a new interactive programming lesson each week.
36. The Code Project: This incredible development resource offers articles, discussions, quick answers, and tips for programming.
37. Village88: Learn how to code for free with the help of a personal mentor on Village88. You can even get certified and find a job through the site.
38. Dream.In.Code: Find tutorials, discussion, and more on this community learning site for programmers.
39. Ladies Learning Code: Join this community, and especially the email list, to find tech help and resources for code learning.
40. Programr: In this IT community, you’ll be able to start projects, join contests, and more, all for developing your programming skills.
41. Processing Forum: Check out the Processing forum to find a great community for answering programming questions.

Language Specific

Drill down to the language you really want on these sites, offering expansive learning in one or two specific languages.

42. CodePupil: Learn how to code HTML and CSS through fun exercises and games on CodePupil.
43. Learn Python: Learn Python offers a free interactive Python tutorial, for beginners and experienced programmers alike.
44. Pyschools: Check out Pyschools to find practices, challenges, and other resources for learning Python.
45. Hackety Hack!: Visit Hackety Hack! to learn the basics of programming Ruby, with no previous programming experience needed.
46. Kidsruby: Designed for kids, this Ruby learning resource is great for beginners of all ages.
47. Try Ruby: Explore Ruby code with this site, offering an interactive tutorial and editor that allows you to check it all out.
48. Code Avengers: On Code Avengers, you’ll find a fun game for learning JavaScript.
49. gotoAndLearn(): Here you’ll find free video tutorials for Adobe Flash development.
50. WWDC Session Videos: Check out Apple Developer’s collection of more than 100 session videos from the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference.

This article was first posted in Online Courses.