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Writer's pictureStephen Turban

10 Free+Online Harvard Courses for High School Students in 2024-2025

As a high schooler, taking courses or earning certifications in the field you wish to pursue can give you an edge in college admissions. Admissions officers often look for candidates who demonstrate initiative and readiness to excel in their chosen field, especially today when there is great competition and exposure through online resources. By taking pre-college courses, you not only gain valuable skills but also show your dedication to personal and academic growth. 


Pre-college courses are an excellent way to gain practical experience in managing projects, solving creative challenges, and collaborating with peers, all of which prepare you for future academic and professional environments. Universities like Harvard have made these courses much more accessible by offering them on online platforms like edX. There is a wide range of options to choose from, including courses on data science, architecture, and cooking. 


In this listicle, we have covered a diverse range of disciplines that collectively cover some of the most in-demand skills and knowledge areas for high school students. Here’s a list of 10 free + online courses by Harvard University that high school students can take in 2024-2025. 




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Open to all learners 

Application Deadline: No deadline

Course Dates: Self-paced 


This course helps you develop skills in writing, communication, and public speaking, which are essential in all fields and help you convey your ideas in a compelling way. These skills are especially relevant in fields like law, marketing, education, and any career involving leadership or advocacy. Building a strong foundation in rhetoric also enables you to participate confidently in debates, presentations, and academic discussions.


In this course, you will learn the art of conveying a convincing message that can benefit your personal, public, and professional life through an introduction to American political rhetoric. You will learn to construct and defend arguments using speeches from prominent Americans and learn how speakers and writers persuade an audience. Employing rhetorical devices in writing and speaking, differentiating between argument and rhetorical technique, and writing persuasive opinion editorials and short speeches are some of the skills you will develop through this course.




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course, does not require any prerequisites and is suitable for high school students

Application Deadline: Not specified 

Course Dates: April 16 – December 17, 2025


Data science is a rapidly growing field that intersects with numerous disciplines. Learning R, a programming language widely used in data analysis, provides you with fundamental skills in statistical computing and data manipulation. In this professional data science certificate course, you will learn foundational R programming concepts such as data types, vectors arithmetic, and indexing. You will learn to perform operations such as sorting, data wrangling, data visualization, file organization, version control, and reproducible document preparation using a crime dataset in the United States. This course will give you a strong foundation for future coursework in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course, does not require any prerequisites and is suitable for high school students

Application Deadline: No deadline

Course Dates: Available year-round


This course will give you insights into financial planning, budgeting, and understanding financial statements, which are necessary skills for managing funds in nonprofit sectors. It will introduce you to basic nonprofit accounting concepts and financial statements, which can help you eventually pursue a career in nonprofit stewardship. Understanding financial stewardship and accounting basics is critical not only in fields like social work and public health but also in the larger business landscape.




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course, open to all

Application Deadline: No deadline

Course Dates/Duration: 5 weeks


This introductory course is developed in collaboration with the Laboratory for Innovation Science and will delve into how entrepreneurs match promising technology with customer needs to launch successful new businesses. The curriculum includes learning the venture creation process from founders, funders, and industry experts using real-world case studies and is ideal for students interested in taking innovative ideas from research and development to the marketplace. 




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course without prerequisites

Application Deadline: Archives available till December 16, 2024

Course Dates/Duration: 6 weeks


This course is valuable if you are interested in economics, international relations, and development studies. It takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and solving complex social problems. You will learn the basics of financing, scaling up operations, branding, managing property rights, and creating appropriate metrics for assessing progress in diverse sectors and geographies. Understanding entrepreneurship within the context of emerging economies will help you understand the challenges and opportunities of global markets and the innovative ideas required to thrive in them. 




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course without prerequisites

Application Deadline: No deadline specified, course materials will be archived once the sessions end

Course Dates/Duration: 12 weeks


Knowledge of Computer Science is beneficial not only for tech careers but also for fields like bioinformatics, finance, and research, where computational skills are in high demand. CS50 is one of the most well-regarded introductory courses in computer science. In this course, you will learn how to think algorithmically and solve programming problems efficiently. The module will introduce you to concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development. You will learn a number of languages, including C, Python, SQL, JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. By the end of the course, you will also develop and present a final programming project to your peers.




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course, open to all

Application Deadline: Archives available till January 12, 2025

Course Dates: 10 weeks


This course is eligible for American Institute of Architects (AIA) continuing education units (CEUs). You will learn how architecture shapes societies and influences culture and develop spatial reasoning, creative thinking, and cultural awareness, which are valuable skills in disciplines such as environmental design and urban studies. The course also includes understanding different forms of architectural representation and the social and historical contexts behind them. If you have a keen interest in architecture, urban planning, and art history, this course can be a valuable first step in exploring those interests.




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course, open to all

Application Deadline: Archives available till January 12, 2025

Course Dates/Duration: 14 weeks


If you are interested in microbiology, nutrition, or environmental science, you will benefit from this course which will introduce you to the biological and chemical process of food fermentation. The syllabus includes an introduction to fermentation basics, focusing on simple carbohydrate-based fermentations, fermentation with lactic acid, the complexity of microbial communities, and fermentations involving mixed cultures. The course also includes a module on flavor production and advanced topics such as the aging processes for meat and cheese. 




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course, open to all

Application Deadline: Archives available till December 2, 2024

Course Dates/Duration: 4 weeks


This course is particularly beneficial if you are interested in subjects such as political science, law, or public administration. It explores how policy decisions are made and how they impact society. The course will cover areas such as social welfare, economic strategy, and foreign relations by taking a broad view of public policy in America, using examples such as the 2008 economic downturn and climate change. You will explore the nature of U.S. fiscal, welfare, regulatory and monetary policy and their wide-ranging impact at the intersection of religion and politics.




Cost: Free

Eligibility: Introductory course, open to all

Application Deadline: Dates to be announced

Course Dates/Duration: 9 weeks


This course explores the intersection of climate science, energy policy, and sustainability, one of the most crucial subjects of discussion of our times. It’s an ideal choice if you are interested in environmental science, public policy, or engineering to help you understand the science behind climate change and the innovative solutions that can address it. This course will take you through the process of measuring ancient temperature and carbon dioxide levels and explore the basic physics and chemistry that control climate. It also includes reviewing climate change predictions and working around the larger impact of climate change on humanity.


One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program


If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.


Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!


Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.


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