Online courses for students are often available through the university before you pay for anything yourself. Many universities provide platforms such as LinkedIn Learning or Coursera via the library, learning centre or IT department. Besides that, there are individual offers for students, which often run for a limited time. This guide shows what you can use through your university and which offers are directly available to you.
Kurz beantwortet: Last updated: October 2026, offers change often. LinkedIn Learning is free through many universities as long as you are enrolled. For Coursera we found no verified individual student offer, only campus agreements through the university. Verified individual offers include Codecademy with a 7-day trial and DataCamp with 3 months via the GitHub Student Developer Pack.
The most important points in brief
- Check first: does your university offer LinkedIn Learning, Coursera or other course platforms? Access usually runs through the university login.
- Coursera is generally available to students only through a campus agreement of the university. We did not find a verified individual student offer with a student price. According to the provider page, the regular price of Coursera Plus is 50 euros per month or 343 euros per year.
- The GitHub Student Developer Pack includes course offers such as 3 months of DataCamp, 6 months of Frontend Masters and 6 months of Educative (last updated October 2026).
- Google issues 200 credits for labs and courses. The credits expire one year after they are issued.
- Most access ends with your studies or with your university membership. Save certificates and learning progress in time.
Which online courses are available to students?
The overview shows the offers we could verify on provider pages or in official Pack information. Where a price or duration is missing, we did not add one.
| Provider | Benefit | Price for students | Duration | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Learning (via university) | Thousands of courses through your university access | free via the university | as long as the university provides access | university login or registration via the university |
| Coursera (campus) | Courses through a campus agreement of the university | only via the university, terms not verified | not verified | access via the university |
| Codecademy Pro Student | Pro courses and learning paths | price not stated, 7-day trial | 7-day trial | SheerID at checkout |
| DataCamp (GitHub Pack) | Courses on data and programming | free when you sign up for a subscription | 3 months | GitHub Education |
| Educative (GitHub Pack) | Over 70 courses | free, 30 percent discount on subscriptions | 6 months | GitHub Education |
| Frontend Masters (GitHub Pack) | All courses and workshops | free | 6 months | GitHub Education |
| Google Skills for students | 200 credits for labs, skill badges and courses | free (credits) | credits expire after 1 year | application form |
Last updated: October 2026. Sources are the provider pages, the GitHub Student Developer Pack and the Codecademy help page. Prices and durations change, so check them before you sign up.
How do you check what your university offers?
Before you take out an individual subscription, a short look at your university offers is worthwhile. The course offer is often already paid for.
- Look on the page of the library or learning centre to see whether a course platform is licensed.
- Sign in with your university login and check which courses are visible there.
- Ask IT or the learning centre whether access also applies to theses or internships.
- Note the end date of the access before you start a long course.
Is an individual subscription with a student offer worth it?
That depends on what you want to learn and how long you will study. An individual subscription is more worthwhile if you have a specific goal, such as a certification or a programming project. A fixed learning routine fits well into a trial period. If the offer is no longer useful after the trial, cancel in time, before the regular price applies.
Calculation example. Assumption: you use a course intensively for three months and the offer runs for a year. Then it is worth deciding after three months whether you renew. A comparison with the price of single courses, which we could not verify, is essential before you sign up.
What happens to courses and certificates after your studies?
Access through the university usually ends with your university access. Individual offers differ: many Pack offers apply as long as you are a student, and some are limited to six months or one year. What happens to certificates and learning progress is not stated everywhere. Therefore save certificates as files, export study notes and record completed courses in your CV in time.
For learning platforms the rule is also: do not keep your data in an account you can no longer use after your studies. Secure important materials before your university email is blocked.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use LinkedIn Learning without a university?
Free access runs through your university. We could not verify whether an individual subscription with a student price exists. Check the LinkedIn Learning page directly before you pay for anything. A subscription without university access can therefore cost more than access through your university.
Do online certificates count on a CV?
That depends on the course, the provider and the industry. What matters most is concrete knowledge that you can show in projects. Ask trainers or advisers in your field which proofs count there.
Does an online course replace a university course?
No. Your examination regulations and your examination office decide whether a course counts toward credits or modules. A platform certificate is not an automatic credit.
Do I need a university email address to register?
For many offers, yes. Verification runs through SheerID, UNiDAYS, GitHub Education or a university email address. Which proofs apply is stated on the page of the respective provider. An overview of verification is in the linked guide.
Are online courses for students in Germany always free?
No. There are free accesses through universities and individual Pack offers, but also individual subscriptions with a student price or trial periods. For each offer, check what costs money after the trial.
How do I recognise a reliable course offer?
Look for a clear provider name, an imprint and prices that are visible before you sign up. Read the conditions for automatic renewal. Reliable providers state the duration, the cancellation route and the scope of access explicitly. If these details are missing, ask the provider before you enter payment data. With trials, set a calendar reminder for the cancellation date, so a free test does not turn into an unwanted subscription.
What to do now
- First check which courses your university has already licensed.
- Then compare the verified individual offers from the table and note duration and end date.
- Start the course with a clear goal and a fixed study plan.
- Secure certificates and materials before your access ends.
Related guides
- Campus licences: which software your university provides
- Software for computer science studies: GitHub Pack, IDEs and cloud
- Student status verification explained: SheerID, UNiDAYS, Student Beans and university email
- Student discounts for software and apps 2026: the overview
- AI tools for students 2026: which offers exist with student status
Sources: GitHub: Student Developer Pack (last updated October 2026), Google Cloud: offers for students (last updated October 2026), Codecademy: help page on the Pro Student membership (last updated October 2026).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
