Coursera is an online-learning platform founded on April 18, 2012 by Stanford professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, both AI and computer-science researchers; Ng led Google Brain's founding deep-learning work, and Koller taught computer science at Stanford for 18 years. The company went public on the NYSE in 2021 and reported around 197 million registered learners as of the end of 2025.
The platform hosts courses, Professional Certificates, and full online degrees from universities and companies, and has layered in AI features including Coursera Coach, an AI tutor that answers questions about course material, plus AI-assisted translation that opens courses to learners outside their original language. Content ranges from single-skill courses to complete bachelor's and master's degree programs delivered entirely online.
Coursera serves individual learners, students pursuing credentials, and enterprise teams doing workforce training. Individual course access runs $49 to $79 for time-limited single-course access, Coursera Plus gives unlimited access to most content for $399 a year, and full online degrees range from $15,000 to $30,000, with free audit access to numerous courses through financial aid applications.
