How to Get a Free Ivy League Education

This month, millions of Americans are heading back to school. If that includes you, study hard. The more you learn, the better prepared you will be for life. If you have already completed your schooling, guess what? It is now easier than ever to reach that next level of education. September 15 is National Online Learning Day. You are just a click away from signing up for some free learning that could enrich your mind — or maybe even your wallet.

With the popularity of tablets and smart phones and the increased access to streaming, it is now easier than ever to use your free time for some free education from the best teachers in the world. It may mean cutting back on your TV or Netflix binge watching, but learning from a master teacher can be equally addicting.

Here are some free online Ivy League learning options to consider.

Princeton University. Classes include topics such as “Imagining Other Earths,” “Effective Altruism” and more.

University of Pennsylvania. Classes here include “Improving Communication Skills,” “Positive Psychology: Resilience Skills,” “Leading the Life You Want” and dozens more.

Yale University. Classes include topics such as “Everyday Parenting: The ABCs or Child Rearing,” “Introduction to Classical Music,” “Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator,” and many others.

Other top tier schools that offer free classes include Caltech, Duke University, Northwestern University, Stanford University, The University of Chicago and dozens more.

If you can’t commit yourself for a full series of lessons, you can always turn to TED Talks with more than 90,000 available lectures that have been viewed more than 1.7 billion times.

Online learning via YouTube videos can even help you save money by training you on new recipes or do-it-yourself repairs that used to mean calling a plumber or handyman.

If improving your mind isn’t a good enough reason to replace online entertainment with online education, you should also realize that lifelong learning leads to a higher quality of life.

Do you have a favorite online learning experience?