Coursera offers online courses, Professional Certificates, Specializations, and degrees from top universities and companies. See pricing and key features.
Category
Online Learning
Pricing
Freemium / Subscription, from Free to audit; Coursera Plus from $59/month
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2012
Headquarters
Mountain View, California, United States
Free PlanWeb AppiOSFree TrialAndroidFreemium
Overview
Coursera was founded on April 18, 2012, by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller and is headquartered in Mountain View, California. The company is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker COUR and had reached approximately 205 million cumulative registered learners as of its Q1 2026 financial reporting.
The platform partners with universities and companies to deliver courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, and accredited online degrees across fields such as technology, data science, business, and health.
Key Features
Coursera offers video-based courses with quizzes and graded assignments, peer review for certain coursework, Specializations that bundle related courses, Professional Certificates from companies like Google and IBM, and full bachelor's and master's degree programs delivered online through accredited university partners.
The platform also includes Coursera for Business and Coursera for Teams for organizational learning, along with AI-assisted features for coaching and content translation introduced in recent years.
Pricing
Most courses can be audited for free without a certificate. Individual courses or Specializations typically cost $49 to $99 with certificate access, while Coursera Plus offers unlimited catalog access for $59 per month or $399 per year. Degree programs range from about $3,750 to $49,440, and Coursera for Teams costs $399 per user annually for organizations of 5 to 125 users, with custom Enterprise pricing above that.
Key Features
University and industry partnerships — Courses and credentials produced with universities like Stanford and Yale, and companies like Google and IBM.
Specializations and Professional Certificates — Multi-course sequences and employer-recognized certificate programs in high-demand skills.
Accredited online degrees — Full bachelor's and master's degree programs delivered online through university partners.
Coursera Plus subscription — Unlimited access to most of the course catalog for a flat monthly or annual fee.
Free auditing option — Lets learners access video lectures and materials for free without a certificate.
Coursera for Business/Teams — Organizational licensing for employee upskilling with team management and reporting.
Graded assignments and peer review — Auto-graded quizzes and peer-reviewed assignments to assess learning.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Wide selection of courses from well-known universities and companies
Free auditing option for cost-conscious learners
Accredited degree programs available fully online
Coursera Plus offers strong value for learners taking multiple courses
Recognized Professional Certificates from major technology employers
Cons
Degree programs can be significantly more expensive than individual courses
Free auditing does not include certificates or graded assignments
Coursera Plus does not include every course, degree, or specialization on the platform
Team pricing may be costly for very small organizations
Pricing
Audit Free N/A
Individual Course/Specialization $49-$99 one-time
Coursera Plus $59/month or $399/year monthly or annual
Coursera for Teams $399/user/year annual
Degrees $3,750-$49,440 program-dependent
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Coursera?
Coursera was founded in 2012 by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller.
Is Coursera free?
Most courses can be audited for free without a certificate; paid options include individual course purchases, Coursera Plus, and degree programs.
How much is Coursera Plus?
Coursera Plus costs $59 per month or $399 per year for unlimited access to most of the course catalog.
Does Coursera offer full degrees?
Yes, Coursera partners with accredited universities to offer online bachelor's and master's degree programs, ranging from about $3,750 to $49,440.
What is Coursera for Business?
It is Coursera's organizational learning offering, priced at $399 per user per year for teams of 5 to 125 users, with custom Enterprise pricing for larger organizations.