The search results for “learn to code” are in the millions, so it can be hard for even the most motivated self-starter to know where to begin.
If you want to get schooled on code, start with this list. It’ll point you to sites that are highly rated by users, recommended by experienced programmers, and associated with well-known institutions.
All of the sites on the list offer courses for people with zero programming experience. Each listing details the types of courses offered, cost, time commitment, experience level, and a sampling of topics covered. Though many courses are free, courses geared toward people seeking a career in programming are usually paid. Among all the options, you’re sure to find one that’s right for you.
Once you’ve found the right fit, make sure to review the six essential steps to success for learning how to code.
A Curated A-To-Z List of Coding Resources
Codecademy
Offerings: 20+ online courses
Cost: Free for 20 courses; $19.99 per month for Pro version
Time: One to 10 hours depending on course
Experience: Beginner; intermediate
Topics: APIs (application programming interfaces), basic programming concepts, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, Python, Ruby, web development, and more
Code School
Offerings: 50+ online courses; iPhone and iPad app
Cost: $19-$29 per month for entire site
Time: Two to five hours for most courses
Experience: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: AngularJS, Bootstrap, CSS, Git, HTML, iOS, JavaScript, jQuery, .NET, Node.js, Python, React, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, SQL, and more
CodingDojo
Offerings: 20-week online course
Cost: $7,500 (scholarships available; see tuition information)
Time: 20 weeks
Experience: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: AJAX, APIs, CSS, Flask, Git, HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, MySQL, Python, and more
Coursera
Offerings: Hundreds of online courses adapted from university courses
Cost: $79 per course (promotional discounts sometimes available)
Time: Two to five hours per week for four weeks for most courses; some courses are scheduled and some are self-paced
Levels: Beginner; intermediate
Topics: App development, data structures and algorithms, game design and development, JavaScript, Python, Scala, and more
Dev Boot Camp
Offerings: 19-week course in select cities
Cost: $12,700 to $13,950 depending on location (scholarships available; see tuition information)
Time: 19 weeks, with nine weeks remote part-time, nine weeks on-campus full-time, and one optional extra week
Experience: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: Agile development, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, pair programming, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, SQL, and more
edX
Offerings: Hundreds of online courses adapted from university courses (including Introduction to Computer Science, the most popular course at Harvard)
Cost: Free for some courses; $49 per course for some courses; $99 for verified certificate
Time: Shorter courses take about three hours per week for five weeks; longer courses take about 12 hours per week for nine weeks; some courses are scheduled and some are self-paced
Experience: Beginner; intermediate
Topics: Agile development, app development, introduction to computer science, Java, Python, Ruby on Rails, video game development, and more
Free Code Camp
Offerings: Four categories of guided challenges (and real-life projects for nonprofits once you complete challenges); verified certificates for each category
Cost: Free
Time: Estimated 2,080 hours of work to complete all four categories; self-paced
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: Back-end development, CSS, D3.js, data visualization, Express, front-end development, full-stack development, Git, Heroku, HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, MongoDB, Node.js, React, Sass, and more
General Assembly Dash
Offerings: Online course
Cost: Free
Time: About 30 minutes per project
Levels: Beginner
Topics: CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and more
General Assembly
Offerings: Workshops, part-time courses, and full-time courses and in select cities; part-time or full-time online courses
Cost: $35 to $280 for workshops; $1,250 for part-time courses; $13,500 for full-time courses on campus or online (financing available; see tuition information)
Time: Workshops range from 90 minutes to one day; part-time courses take eight to 10 hours per week for eight to 12 weeks; full-time courses take 40 hours per week for eight to 12 weeks
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: App development, data science, front-end development, web development, and more
Khan Academy
Offerings: Dozens of online courses
Cost: Free
Time: One hour for Hour of Code; all other courses are self-paced
Levels: Beginner; intermediate
Topics: Algorithms, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, and more
Learn Code the Hard Way
Offerings: Online courses; books (some courses are open-source and still in development; the most popular courses are for Python and Ruby)
Cost: Free online; about $30 for books
Time: One week to six months; self-paced
Experience: Beginner; intermediate
Topics: C, command line interfaces, Python, Regex, Ruby, SQL, and more
Lynda
Offerings: Hundreds of online courses
Cost: $19.99 to $34.99 per month for entire site (some local libraries offer free access to Lynda)
Time: One to four hours for most courses
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: App development, basic programming concepts, C, C++, C#, databases, game development, Java, JavaScript, Objective-C, PHP, Python, Ruby, SQL, Swift, web development, and more
Microsoft Virtual Academy
Offerings: Dozens of online courses
Cost: Free
Time: Shorter courses are one to three hours; longer courses are 11 hours
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: App development, C#, databases, game development, HTML, Python,
web development, and more
MIT OpenCourseWare
Offerings: Collection of course materials from MIT courses
Cost: Free
Time: Self-paced
Experience: Beginner; intermediate
Topics: Algorithms, C, C++, introduction to computer science, Java, Python, and more
The Flatiron School
Offerings: Part-time or full-time online course
Cost: $1,500 per month (financing and scholarships available; see tuition information)
Time: Part-time course takes 20 to 25 hours per week for eight to nine months; full-time course takes 40 to 50 hours per week for five to six months
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: App development, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, SQL, web development, and more
The Odin Project
Offerings: Seven online courses
Cost: Free
Time: Estimated 1,000 hours of work to complete all courses; self-paced
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: CSS, databases, Git, HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, web development, and more
Treehouse
Offerings: 100+ online courses; corporate training
Cost: $25 per month for Basic plan; $49 per month for Pro plan; corporate training by request
Time: One to four hours for most courses
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: App development, C#, CSS, databases, full stack development, game development, HTML, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, and more
Udacity
Offerings: Online courses; online “nanodegree” courses built in partnership with Google and other tech giants
Cost: Free for regular courses; $199 per month for nanodegree courses (50 percent tuition refund if you complete a nanodegree in less than 12 months)
Time: Regular courses take about six hours per week for three to six weeks; nanodegree courses take about ten hours per week for six to 12 months; both are self-paced
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: App development, data analysis, front end development, full stack development, introduction to programming, web development, and more
Udemy
Offerings: Hundreds of online courses (the site’s highest-rated course is The Complete Web Developer Course)
Cost: About $20 to $50 per course
Time: Courses range from about one hour to twenty hours
Levels: Beginner; intermediate; advanced
Topics: APIs, app development, Bootstrap, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, MySQL, PHP, web development, and more
Viking Code School
Offerings: Full-time online course
Cost: Free (but if you are placed in a software engineering job, you pay a fee equal to 18 percent of your first year’s salary)
Time: 16 weeks full-time
Levels: Intermediate (applicants must complete a free prep course)
Topics: Agile development, app development, CSS, full stack development, HTML, Ruby, user experience, web design, web development, and more
Lists of More Resources
These lists are particularly helpful if you’re looking for resources on a specific programming language rather than a general introduction to coding.
- CarlCheo: List of resources by programming language
- GitHub: Curated list of resources by topic
- Learn Programming: List of books about programming
- Learn Programming: List of online courses by topic
- Learn X in Y Minutes: List of resources by programming language
- Mashable: List of resources by programming language
- OpenCulture: List of free video and audio tutorials
Resources for Kids
These resources are designed for aspiring coders under 18—or anyone who wants to learn to code by, say, helping Rey of Star Wars: The Force Awakens program a BB-8 droid.
- Black Girls Code
- Code.org
- Girls Who Code
- Programming for Kids
- Made w/ Code by Google
- Microsoft Imagine
- Scratch by MIT
Holly Munson is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Philadelphia. She has been reporting on business trends for seven years and has also worked in marketing, magazines, and museums.
