15 Free Online Courses for Middle School Students
A structured academic online course is a solid option for middle school students who wish to learn and explore a new field, especially something not covered in the standard school curriculum. These virtual courses span various disciplines, so you can find the right option for you, whether you are interested in exploring academic writing, STEM, applications of computer science, or programming in various languages. These courses, like in-person programs, allow you to learn from industry experts who can offer you valuable contextual experience and the opportunity to build connections that will benefit you in high school and beyond.
How are courses different from other programs in middle school?
Unlike regular programs that require a long-term commitment, courses are structured to be flexible and self-paced, so you can easily fit them into your schedule. So, you can develop additional skills through these courses while keeping up easily with your schoolwork. Additionally, unlike broader pre-college programs, courses focus on a specific topic, discipline, or subfield, allowing you to dive into your interest.
To help you with your search, we have listed 15 free online courses for middle school students.
If you’re looking for online programs, check out our blog here.
1. Harvard Online’s Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking Course
Location: Online via edX
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open access
Application deadline: Open enrollment
Dates: Eight weeks; self-paced course
Eligibility: Open to all
This course covers the principles and practice of rhetoric with a focus on persuasive writing and public speaking. You will examine speeches by influential figures such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ronald Reagan to learn about different rhetorical techniques and structures. The course, based on Harvard Professor James Engell’s “Elements of Rhetoric,” allows you to explore how to create clear arguments, identify persuasive strategies, and use them in your own writing and speech. The experience can help you participate in civil discourse and communicate your ideas clearly.
2. Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 25 hours over 10 weeks (on weekends) in the spring | 25 hours over two weeks (on weekdays) during the summer
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines; you can check details and apply to the program here
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
The AI Trailblazers by Veritas AI is a virtual program for middle school students interested in exploring the fundamentals of AI and machine learning. Over 25 hours, you will learn the basics of Python along with topics like image classification, neural networks, data analysis, regression, and AI ethics. You will learn through lectures and group sessions with a 5:1 student-to-mentor ratio. Previous student projects have included building a machine-learning model to classify music genres and developing a machine-learning algorithm to generate a custom list of educational resources based on specified criteria.
3. StanfordOnline Computer Science 101 Course (SOE-YCSCS101)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free to enroll; $249 to earn a certificate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: Self-paced; typically requires a commitment of four to six hours/week for six weeks
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all
The Computer Science 101 course offered by the Stanford School of Engineering is a self-paced STEM course designed to introduce you to computer science. You will work with short bits of computer code to explore the nature of computers. The curriculum covers the basics of computer components as well as topics like coding, loops and logic, digital images, computer security, and computer hardware. As a participant, you will learn to recognize the patterns through which a computer operates and develop an understanding of how data, software, and the internet work.
4. Lumiere Junior Explorer Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Eight-week sessions run across multiple cohorts year-round
Application deadline: Several rolling deadlines throughout the year; you can find more details and apply here.
Eligibility: Students in grades 6 – 8
Junior Explorer Program is an eight-week fully virtual program where you get to work one-on-one with a Ph.D. mentor from universities like Harvard, MIT, or Oxford, and build a project in your field of interest. In the first four weeks, you will explore topics to find a research area that fascinates you. Then, during weeks five and six, you will narrow down your topic and begin shaping your project under mentor guidance. In the final two weeks, you will work intensively with your mentor to bring your research paper or case study to life, refining your writing and thinking along the way. As it’s entirely remote, you can join from anywhere and get a head start on exploring scholarly research across subjects from astronomy to business strategy.
5. HarvardX CS50: Introduction to Computer Science
Location: Virtual via edX
Cost: Free; additional cost may apply for a certificate.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: Self-paced 12-week course with multiple sessions running each year
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all
The HarvardX CS50 Introduction to Computer Science course is designed to introduce you to programming and computer science. You will learn how to think algorithmically and solve programming problems efficiently. You will be introduced to programming languages like C, Python, SQL, and JavaScript, plus CSS and HTML, and explore algorithms, data structures, security, software engineering, and web development. Additionally, you will work on nine problem sets, inspired by real challenges in cryptography, finance, forensics, and gaming. If you earn a satisfactory score on these programming assignments and the final project, you will be eligible for a certificate.
6. Meta’s Programming with JavaScript
Location: Online via Coursera
Cost: Free; optional fee for certificate of completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: Self-paced; commitment of five hours/week for 10 weeks required
Application deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all
The Programming with JavaScript course is a virtual, self-paced coding course offered by Meta and designed for students interested in learning JavaScript. The course moves from the basic concepts of web development with JavaScript to advanced program testing. You will learn about and work with functions, objects, and arrays, learn how to use JavaScript, and explore modern JavaScript technologies. Additionally, you will learn how to write and test your code and write a unit test using Jest. Throughout the course, you will take quizzes and a final exam to assess your knowledge and track your progress.
7. Duke University’s English Composition I
Location: Virtual via Coursera
Cost: Free to audit; paid certificate available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Self-paced; typical commitment of three weeks with 10 hours/week
Application deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all learners; some modules may be suitable for advanced middle schoolers
The English Composition I course, offered by Duke University on Coursera, is designed to help develop academic writing skills for school, college, and beyond through 10 structured modules. As a participant, you will learn how to write effective arguments, engage with others’ ideas, and cite accurately. You will work on assignments such as visual analyses, case studies, and opinion pieces. The course can help you build a steady writing process that takes you from ideas to final drafts. By the end of the program, you will develop habits that can make your academic writing work more organized and effective.
8. Stanford’s Code in Place
Location: Virtual
Cost: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: Starts in April and runs for about six weeks
Application deadline: Typically, spring
Eligibility: Open to all
The free virtual Code in Place course introduces you to the first half of Stanford University’s introduction to Python course, CS106A. As a participant, you will study the fundamentals of Python programming, including control flow, loops and conditionals, console programs with variables, graphics, lists, and dictionaries. You will learn through sessions with a 1:10 student-to-section leader ratio, with leaders typically retired teachers, industry programmers, university students studying computer science, and past Code in Place students. During the course, you will work on projects and build games, using all the concepts you learn. You will also attend a virtual session weekly with 10 other students.
9. Harvard CS50's Introduction to Programming with Scratch
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free; $299 to earn a certificate
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: Self-paced three-week course with multiple sessions running each year
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all
The CS50x Introduction to Programming with Scratch is an introductory course for students interested in programming. The program focuses on Scratch, a visual programming language, teaching you how write code by dragging and dropping graphical blocks instead of typing, like in traditional programming through Java and Python. The course also covers functions, return values, loops, and variables. As a participant, you will design your own games, animations, and interactive art. You will leave with the programming knowledge necessary to enroll in advanced coding courses.
10. University of Michigan’s Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization
Location: Virtual via Coursera
Cost: Free to audit; paid certificate available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Self-paced
Application deadline: None
Eligibility: All learners
The Good with Words: Writing and Editing Specialization, offered by the University of Michigan on Coursera, is a four-course series designed to refine your writing through lessons on sentence structure, organization, drafting, and revision. In the first course, Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order, you will explore how word choice and order affect meaning. The second course, Writing and Editing: Structure and Organization, will help you build on the structure and flow of writing. The third and fourth courses focus exclusively on drafting and revising. As a participant, along with sharpening writing skills, you will learn how to handle challenges like writer’s block and stick to deadlines.
11. Commonwealth Education Trust’s Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest
Location: Virtual via Coursera
Cost: Free to audit; paid certificate available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Self-paced
Application deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all
The Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest is a free, online course offered by the Commonwealth Education Trust through Coursera. As a participant, you will learn to write stories for children and young readers while exploring the fundamentals of storytelling, including defining characters, building believable plots and themes, and engaging young audiences. You will participate in readings and peer workshops, write your own stories, and explore how words and illustrations work together in children’s books. The course progresses from developing ideas to editing, and finally to preparing your work for publication. You can expect to complete the course in two weeks if you commit to 10 hours every week.
12. University of Michigan’s Python Basics Course
Location: Virtual via Coursera
Cost: Free to enroll
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrolment
Dates: Flexible; self-paced course
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to everyone
Python Basics, the first course in the five-course Python 3 Programming Specialization, is designed for learners interested in building Python programming skills. During the course, you will learn about the basics of Python, including conditional execution, iteration, and strings and lists. You will also learn through short assignments, such as programming an on-screen Turtle to draw, or even drawing reference diagrams for program execution. The course offers an introductory opportunity to build a theoretical and practical foundation in programming, especially if you are new to the field.
13. University of Michigan’s Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization
Location: Online via Coursera
Cost: Free; optional fee for certificate of completion
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Self-paced; commitment of ~80 hours
Application deadline: None; open enrollment
Eligibility: Open to all
This online five-course coding series offered by the University of Michigan is designed for learners interested in website development and user interface design. As a participant, you will learn how to use JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to develop websites for computers, phones, and tablets. Here, you will also learn how to build user-friendly websites, personalize text and formatting, and engage in advanced styling and responsive design. By the end of the course, you will be familiar with the key terms and tools used in the web design world and have the ability to create your own pages and modify existing sites. You will complete the course with an initial web portfolio that you can continue to develop for college applications or for personal websites.
14. Math Planet’s Geometry: Angles, Shapes, and Area
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Open year-round, self-paced
Application deadline: No deadline
Eligibility: Anyone can join
Math Planet’s Geometry: Angles, Shapes, and Area course is designed to introduce you to both the fundamental and advanced concepts in geometry. The curriculum covers points, lines, angles, triangles, circles, transformations, and area, along with geometric reasoning and techniques for proving theorems. You will study coordinate geometry, including equations of lines and circles, tangents, normals, and transformations of graphs. Additionally, trigonometry topics include sine, cosine, and tangent ratios, along with radians, the unit circle, and graphing trigonometric functions. You will learn how to apply these tools to calculate length, area, and volume for both simple and compound shapes.
15. American Digital University’s The Fundamentals of Statistics
Location: Online
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: No fixed dates; you can start anytime
Application deadline: None
Eligibility: Open to all
The Fundamentals of Statistics is a free, online course designed to introduce you to the core statistical methods for analyzing and interpreting data. During the course, you will learn how to conduct sampling, gather and classify data, and work through computation using mean, median, and mode. You will assess data sets using correlation, scatter plots, and regression analysis, and calculate the Pearson correlation coefficient, the equation of the regression line, and the critical values of r.The course covers sigma notation, measures of dispersion such as variance and standard deviation, and the application of the normal bell curve to understand data distribution.