edX vs Coursera: Which is The Best Degree Alternative in 2023

eDX vs Coursera

Are you willing to get an online degree course? Then you must be stuck between edX and Coursera, right? Both edX and Coursera are top-rated online learning platforms to offer online degree courses.

Here, in this article, I will discuss edX vs Coursera, which one will be a better online degree platform for you. After an in-depth analysis, I have picked the most important topics to compare edX vs Coursera. 

Go through the article till the end, to get a clear vision of edX vs Coursera. Here, I will compare them on the basis of course quality, pricing, instructor quality, and which platform will make you job-ready. 


edX vs Coursera: Overview

edX vs Coursera both have gained huge popularity for their beneficial courses and degree programs. Unlike other online platforms, these two platforms offer you to earn a degree from the world’s top universities. Here, before moving towards the in-depth analysis of edX vs Coursera, let’s have a brief overview of them.

edX Overview

edX, founded in May 2012, is a US-based online platform. For more than a decade, it has been serving learners across the world with more than 3 thousand courses and degree programs. It has served over 110 million students across the globe. Its high-quality content and degree courses sponsored by some top universities make it one of the preferred choices for learners.

Coursera Overview

Coursera, also founded in 2012, has a similar journey to edX. It has a giant library of more than 4 thousand courses. Moreover, it has partnered with more than 275 top universities in the world for their online degree courses. Since 2012, more than 113 million learners from different countries have joined this platform. 

Does the journey of edX and Coursera look similar? Well, it is because they both are among the most popular online platforms for certificate and degree courses. Well, don’t get confused. Go through the detailed analysis of edX vs Coursera to choose the right platform for you.

Differences Between edX vs Coursera:

ParametersedXCoursera
Course QualityCollab with 160 top universitiesHigher Education and science-based courses Collab with 275 top universitiesDifferent niches-based courses
InstructorsFormal education-based instructorsExpert instructors from top universitiesDifferent niches-based instructorsEstablished instructors from top universities
Support24/7 live chat support24/7 live chat support
AffordabilityFree courses are availableHigher degree courses are costlyUniversity courses from $5k onwardsFree courses are availableLess-priced courses are availableBest courses are almost similar to edX in pricing 
WebsiteedX.orgcoursera.org

edX vs Coursera: Pros and Cons

edX and Coursera come in the list of leading platforms for online course programs. While edX has partnered with nearly 175 top universities worldwide, Coursera has collaborated with nearly 275 worldwide top universities. 

If you want to level up your skills in science and higher education topics, edX is the best for you. But, if you are a connoisseur of different niches, you must opt for Coursera.

edX Pros and Cons

edX vs Coursera

edX Pros

  • edX a vast library of degree courses in different categories.
  • edX has partnered with more than 160 top universities such as Harvard University, Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, etc.
  • Degree courses are engaging, high-quality, and career-oriented.
  • Degree courses are designed and sponsored by the Universities.
  • On completion of a degree course, edX provides verified certificates from these accredited institutions.
  • Course pricing is affordable.

edX Cons

  • edX no subscription plans. 
  • You have to buy one degree course at a time.
  • Degree courses available on edX are lower than on Coursera.
  • Focused only on higher education and science topics.
  • No wide range of course streams is available.
  • No specific course structure to follow.

Coursera Pros and Cons

edX vs Coursera

Coursera Pros:

  • Coursera has a huge library of degree courses in different niches.
  • Partnership with more than 275 universities like Yale University, Duke University, etc.
  • Degree and other certificate courses are designed by instructors from top universities.
  • Accredited and varied certificates on successful completion of their degree courses.
  • Allows you to learn in various languages.
  • A subscription plan to access all the courses available.

Coursera Cons:

  • Coursera subscription plans do not include degree courses.
  • You have to buy a degree course separately.
  • You must have the prior basic knowledge to learn from many courses.
  • Slight problems are there with the pricing of courses. 

edX vs Coursera: Course Quality

edX and Coursera both have partnered with top universities in the world. The degree courses are designed by instructors from these universities. That is why both of them have high-quality courses available on their platform. However, you keep on reading edX vs Coursera to know how they differ from each other based on their degree courses.

edX Degree Courses

edX offers lots of degree courses on its platform. Degree courses include bachelor’s degrees as well as master’s degrees. Moreover, the degree courses are designed by the instructors of sponsored universities. That is why the courses are valuable, high-quality, and career-oriented.

edX vs Coursera

The Best thing about edX degree courses is that you can earn an accredited certificate from top universities like Harvard University and Boston University. No matter where you are from, you can join the degree programs offered by more than 160 universities on the platform of edX.

edX vs Coursera

Top 5 Bachelor’s Degree Courses on edX:

  1. BSc in Data Science and Business Analytics from London University
  2. BSc in Business and Management from London University
  3. BSc in International Relations from London University
  4. BSc in Accounting and Finance from London University
  5. BSc in Economics and Finance from London University
edX vs Coursera

Top 5 Master’s Degree Courses on edX:

  1. Online MBA Degree: Master of Business Administration from Boston University
  2. Master’s Degree in Data Science from The University of Texas at Austin
  3. Master’s Degree in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Austin
  4. Master’s Degree in Cybersecurity from Georgia Tech
  5. Master’s Degree in Nutritional Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin

Coursera Degree Course

Coursera also offers plenty of bachelor’s degree and master’s degree courses on its platform. These degree courses are categorized into various niches like data science, computer science, public health, business administration, and a lot more. 

edX vs Coursera

Like edX, Coursera has also partnered with top universities around the world to structure degree courses. More than 275 Universities offer courses on this platform. Learners from any country can earn an accredited degree certificate from the top universities.

However, comparing both platforms, Coursera has more degree courses than edX. Moreover, the courses are diversified in various niches.

edX vs Coursera

Top 5 Bachelor’s Degree Courses on Coursera:

  1. Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences from the University of North Texas
  2. BSc Computer Science from the University of London
  3. BSc Business Administration from the University of London
  4. Bachelor of Science in General Business from the University of North Texas
  5. BSc Marketing from the University of London
edX vs Coursera

Top 5 Master’s Degree Courses on Coursera:

  1. Master of Applied Data Science from the University of Michigan
  2. MSc in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from HEC Paris
  3. MSc Cyber Security from the University of London
  4. Master of Computer and Information Technology from the University of Pennsylvania
  5. Master’s of Accounting (iMSA) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

edX vs Coursera: Instructors

edX, for degree courses, has partnered with more than 160 universities around the world. These universities include top universities like Harvard University, Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, etc.

The courses have been designed by the top instructors of these universities. That is why their degree courses are really valuable and career-oriented.

On the other hand, Coursera has also partnered with more than 275 universities including the University of London, the University of Michigan, the University of North Texas, and many more. Like edX, the degree courses available on Coursera are designed by the top instructors of these universities.

Both platforms are quite similar in the course content as the instructors are from top most universities. However, in Coursera, you will find more instructors from top universities than edX offering degree courses in various niches. 


edX vs Coursera: Pricing

Pricing is another parameter of choosing the right platform. Here, we will discuss edX vs Coursera based on their pricing.

edX vs Coursera

edX Pricing:

For certificate courses, edX has no subscription plan. You have to buy the courses separately. On the other hand, Coursera offers you to buy a subscription to access all the courses available on their platform. That is why Coursera might be a cheaper option for users. edX-partnered university courses start from $5k.

edX vs Coursera

Coursera Pricing:

In the case of degree courses, the learners have to buy the course separately. You can find some cheaper degree courses on Coursera. However, the best-preferred degree courses on Coursera also have almost similar pricing to edX.

edX vs Coursera: Support

Comparing edX vs Coursera based on their customer support is quite a hard task. Well, they have a good customer support system. Both platforms offer their users 24/7 live chat support to resolve their issues immediately.


Conclusion: edX vs Coursera

edX as well as Coursera, both have partnered with top universities around the world to sponsor the courses. That is why the degree courses available are high in quality. In this article, we have curated an in-depth analysis based on different parameters. Well, which platform should you join? Here is my suggestion based on my personal experience.

Who should join edX?

edX vs Coursera

edX has various degree courses sponsored by top universities. However, this platform is best in natural science and humanities. Therefore, if you are someone willing to earn a degree in these niches, you should go with edX.

Who should Join Coursera?

edX vs Coursera

Coursera also offers various degree courses in different niches. I would suggest going with Coursera if you are willing to join the field of Data Science, Computer Science, Business Administration, and Economics.


Frequently-Asked Questions

Are the edX degree certificates accredited?

edX has partnered with the top most universities to sponsor the program. On successful completion of a degree course, you will earn an accredited certificate from the University.

Are the Coursera degree certificates accredited?

Like edX, Coursera has partnered with more than 275t universities. These universities sponsor degree programs. On successful completion of a degree course, you will earn an accredited certificate from the University.

What are some other good Coursera Competitors?

Coursera has a ton of great alternatives available. These include Udacity, Udemy, and Chegg. I’ve compiled a full list of Coursera Competitors and compared their features so you can make a better decision.

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