This Site Can Help You Get a College Education Without Going Into Debt

Education is expensive.

I know, I know, you’ve heard it before. You’ve probably even said it yourself.

But besides abundant cat videos and the ability to binge-watch television until productivity is but a distant, faded memory — the internet has also brought us free university-level course material.

Free College Courses

Massive open online courses, or “MOOCs,” are available from lots of different platforms like Coursera and EdX.

And while you don’t get the actual degree, you do get the knowledge and experience — sometimes from really awesome institutions, and usually totally free of charge.

But with so many different options and outlets, how do you pick an institution or platform, let alone a course?

And even if your eye is set on a couple of specific courses, wouldn’t your life be a lot easier if they were all easily accessible from the same place?

CourseBuffet

Enter CourseBuffet.

This website is exactly what it sounds like: a catalog of free MOOCs available across the Internet.

Like a sprawling buffet table, you can go in and take your pick.

How about some art history with a side of superheroes? Maybe you’d rather choose a main course (get it?) of Python programming with Linux for dessert — making a “meal” that could jump-start a brand new career.

It’s all right there, waiting for you to take your pick.

Plus, you can rest assured each course will be complete and high quality: CourseBuffet requires that the source be an institution, professor or “recognized authority” on a subject.

Plus, you can filter your search by level and institution as well as by subject, so if you only want to learn about data science from MIT, you can skip offerings from other schools.

Basically, it’s really convenient and awesome.

And free.

Get a Free Degree

Even better? CourseBuffet has just introduced degree paths — full 40-course, 120-credit curricula in computer science and management.

You don’t get an actual degree, of course — but you do get the option to customize your experience, deciding the order you take the courses and the pace at which you complete them.

Although course options are limited for now, the site lists a finance option as “coming soon,” and probably more will follow if they’re successful.

This could be a great catalyst for a lucrative new career — without the costs associated with traditional college, or even adult education programs like coding bootcamp.

If you’re curious, head on over to CourseBuffet and click around a bit. After all… you have nothing to lose!

Your Turn: Will you organize your free online courses with CourseBuffet?

Disclosure: A toast to savings! Thanks for allowing us to place affiliate links in this post.

Jamie Cattanach (@jamiecattanach) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder. She also writes other stuff, like wine reviews and poems.