Learning electronics gives you the ability to design, build, repair, and troubleshoot the devices around you. That starts with the fundamentals: Ohm’s Law, circuit analysis, and components like resistors, capacitors, and transistors. Get those right, and everything else follows.
From over 1,300 electronics courses on Class Central, I picked 7 for this Best Courses Guide. They cover the full arc, from complete-beginner introductions through PCB design, so you can find the right entry point for your level.
Which Electronics Course Is Right for You?
Courses Overview
- 5 of the 7 picks are free or free to audit; 2 require payment for full access
- The Electronics subject is followed by 979 learners on Class Central
- The three tracked courses in this guide have more than 400,000 combined enrollments
How We Chose These Courses
Electronics isn’t one course, it’s a ladder, and starting on the wrong rung wastes months. I set out to find courses that fit together as a sequence, not individual courses that just score well on their own, because the gap between a circuits course and a PCB design course can swallow a beginner whole. Georgia Tech’s course, for instance, explicitly expects you to arrive with a linear-circuits foundation, the kind MIT and Khan Academy lay down first. Khan Academy’s Introduction to Electrical Engineering is the right first rung: it needs only algebra and basic trigonometry, costs nothing, and gets you building a simple robot before the theory gets heavy.
- The math entry point is stated clearly, so you know exactly where you stand before enrolling
- Theory connects to something physical: a breadboard, a schematic, a component you can hold
- The course fits a specific rung: foundational, component-level, or applied hardware
- The course states what background it assumes, so you can confirm you are ready before enrolling rather than discovering a gap midway through
- Platform requirements or lab equipment needs are disclosed, not buried
Rankings lean on learner reviews on Class Central, ratings on the hosting platforms, and what learners say on Reddit. Class Central has tracked online courses since 2011, and our team has completed 400+ courses across disciplines. I hold a professional certificate in electronics and spend weekends on DIY repairs and projects, so I know where the gaps between courses tend to bite.
Udemy’s Crash Course Electronics and PCB Design earned its place because it has learners build and route an actual PCB from scratch without a university prerequisite, though it does require a Windows PC and lab equipment, worth knowing before you enroll. Start with Khan Academy, work through the first unit, and the rest of the ladder will make sense.
Best Foundational Electronics Course (MIT)
Circuits and Electronics is MIT’s core first course for all EECS undergraduates, taught by Prof. Anant Agarwal and available free through OpenCourseWare. It covers the lumped circuit abstraction, resistive networks, MOS transistors, digital abstraction, amplifiers, energy storage, and first- and second-order dynamics, covering a full undergraduate semester in 23 recorded lectures.
What makes it worth choosing over lighter introductions is the completeness of the package. Lecture notes, problem sets, labs, and exams are all included. Agarwal breaks down genuinely difficult concepts without softening them, and the real-world examples keep the theory grounded. The problem sets are challenging in the right way: they push understanding rather than pattern-matching.
You’ll want comfort with calculus and basic physics before starting. No certificate is offered on OCW, but the same material runs on edX as a three-part series, Circuits and Electronics 1, 2, and 3, with interactive labs and a paid certificate option if you need credentials.
| Provider | MIT OpenCourseWare |
| Institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Instructor | Prof. Anant Agarwal |
| Duration | 21 hours |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Rating | 4.5/5.0 (66 ratings) |
| Cost | Free |
| Certificate | No (paid certificate available via the edX version) |
Best Intermediate Electronics Course (Georgia Institute of Technology)
Introduction to Electronics from Georgia Tech covers the three workhorses of nonlinear electronics: op amps, diodes, and transistors (both MOSFETs and BJTs). It assumes you already know linear circuit theory. Module 1 offers a refresher, but learners without a solid prior foundation have found the pace challenging. Those looking to build that foundation first can do so with Circuits and Electronics, which covers the missing prerequisite.
Dr. Ferri and Dr. Robinson deliver clear, direct lectures across seven modules and 70 graded assignments. The structure moves logically from op amp fundamentals through semiconductor devices, giving each topic enough room to cover both operation and common applications.
With over 272,000 enrollments and a 4.7/5.0 rating from more than 2,500 Coursera learners, the course has a strong track record. A few early lessons have drawn criticism for minor errors and unclear explanations, but those are isolated complaints in an otherwise well-regarded course. Note that this course is currently paid-only with no free audit option.
| Provider | Coursera |
| Institution | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Instructors | Dr. Bonnie H. Ferri, Dr. Robert Allen Robinson, Jr. |
| Duration | 46 hours |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Rating | 4.7/5.0 (2,563 ratings, via Coursera) |
| Cost | Paid |
| Certificate | Yes, included with paid enrollment |
Best Semiconductor-Focused Electronics Course (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)
Introduction to Semiconductors, PN Junctions and Bipolar Junction Transistors from HKUST goes well below the surface. Rather than treating diodes and transistors as black boxes, it builds understanding from the physics up: energy band diagrams, carrier drift and diffusion, doping, and the mechanisms that govern how current actually flows through a junction.
The eight weeks move methodically from intrinsic semiconductor materials through PN junction formation and its current-voltage behavior, then extend that theory to photodiodes, solar cells, LEDs, and metal-semiconductor contacts before arriving at bipolar junction transistors. The BJT coverage is thorough: all four operating modes, gain, amplifying mechanism, switching characteristics, and circuit models. Animations help visualize what’s happening inside the device at each stage.
Prerequisites are modest, covering basic chemistry, algebra, and introductory calculus, but the content is genuinely intermediate. This is the first course in HKUST’s Principles of Semiconductor Devices Professional Certificate, so it has a clear continuation path for those who want to go further into field-effect transistors and technology scaling.
| Provider | edX |
| Institution | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology |
| Instructor | Mansun Chan |
| Duration | 8 weeks, 2-4 hours/week |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Rating | 4.6/5.0 (27 ratings) |
| Cost | Free to audit |
| Certificate | Yes ($189) |
Best Hands-on PCB Design Electronics Course (Udemy)
Crash Course Electronics and PCB Design is a serious commitment: 112 hours of video, dense lectures, and a requirement for physical lab equipment including breadboards, power supplies, and soldering tools. Instructor Andre LaMothe, who holds degrees in mathematics, computer science, and electrical engineering, calls it university-level material, and that’s an honest description.
The course starts from atomic physics and Ohm’s Law, then works through AC/DC circuits, filters, amplifiers, transistors, and FETs before arriving at PCB design. That progression matters. By the time you open Altium CircuitMaker or Labcenter Proteus, you understand why the circuits work, not just how to draw them. You’ll design, build, and have manufactured three complete PCBs.
One real constraint: the CAD tools require a Windows PC or VM. Mac-only users will need to plan around that before enrolling. The course also includes a free PDF of LaMothe’s textbook, “Design Your Own Video Game Console,” which adds reference value beyond the lectures.
At 4.7 stars from over 19,000 ratings, learner satisfaction is high. The depth is the point, but it’s also the risk: this is not a quick survey. If you want the same theoretical territory without the hardware and PCB-building commitment, Circuits and Electronics from MIT OpenCourseWare covers the fundamentals without requiring any lab equipment.
| Provider | Udemy |
| Instructor | Andre LaMothe |
| Duration | 112 hours |
| Level | Beginner |
| Rating | 4.7/5.0 (19,210 ratings) |
| Cost | Paid (frequent discounts; check current price) |
| Certificate | Yes, included with purchase |
Best Free Reference Library for Electronics
All About Circuits is a free reference site built around “Lessons in Electric Circuits,” a six-volume textbook by Tony R. Kuphaldt covering DC, AC, semiconductors, digital circuits, an EE reference volume, and a hands-on DIY projects volume with lab exercises like building rectifiers, oscillators, and amplifier circuits.
Two more advanced textbooks sit alongside the core series: one on radio-frequency analysis and design, and “Designing Analog Chips” by Hans Camenzind, the inventor of the 555 timer. That range makes the site useful well beyond introductory study.
The wider site adds video tutorials on components like op-amps, MOSFETs, and BJTs; topic-organized worksheets for practice; industry webinars; technical articles; and a set of engineering calculators with explanations of the underlying concepts. There’s also an active community forum for troubleshooting questions.
It works best as a reference you return to rather than a structured course. If you want guided instruction with problem sets and exams, Circuits and Electronics from MIT OpenCourseWare offers that structure alongside the same foundational material.
| Provider | All About Circuits |
| Format | Free textbooks (6 volumes), video tutorials, worksheets, calculators |
| Cost | Free |
| Certificate | No |
Best Beginner Electronics Path (Khan Academy)
Khan Academy’s Introduction to Electrical Engineering is a strong choice for high schoolers and complete beginners because it requires only algebra and basic trigonometry to start. Calculus comes in later, and Khan Academy frames it as something you can pick up in parallel rather than a hard prerequisite.
The path covers current, voltage, resistor networks, KVL/KCL circuit analysis, op-amps, diodes, semiconductor devices, and signals. What sets it apart from a typical lecture series is the hands-on framing from the start: early units include building a simple robot and disassembling household electronics to see what’s inside.
It’s completely free, self-paced, and built around short videos, practice exercises, and a progress dashboard. The tradeoff is depth: advanced learners will outgrow it quickly. When you do, Introduction to Electronics from Georgia Tech is a natural next step, specifically because Georgia Tech’s course assumes prior familiarity with resistor networks and KVL/KCL circuit analysis, exactly what this Khan Academy path teaches.
| Provider | Khan Academy |
| Format | Free video lessons, practice exercises, articles, personalized dashboard |
| Cost | Free |
| Certificate | No |
Fun Intro to Electronics for Young Learners (Adafruit Industries)
Circuit Playground works through the alphabet of electronics: A is for Ampere, B is for Battery, and so on. Each short episode pairs a real demonstration with an explanation from Limor Fried (“Ladyada”), Adafruit’s founder, while Adabot, a puppet robot co-host, asks the questions a curious kid would ask.
The format keeps episodes to a few minutes each, and the whole series runs about an hour. Each short part is great: a child can watch one episode, build a lemon battery, and feel the concept before moving on. The series was planned for all 26 letters, covering everything from capacitors and diodes to Ohm’s Law and printed circuit boards.
This is a great starting point. Kids who catch the bug will eventually want something with more depth, like Introduction to Electrical Engineering on Khan Academy, which adds real projects and a structured path.
| Provider | YouTube (Adafruit Industries) |
| Hosts | Limor Fried (“Ladyada”) and Adabot |
| Duration | About 1 hour (all episodes) |
| Cost | Free |
| Certificate | No |
What’s Next
If you’re looking to dive deeper into electronics and have practical questions about component-level electronic circuits, design, repair, component buying, test gear, and tools, check out the subreddit /r/AskElectronics. They also offer a comprehensive wiki that addresses commonly asked questions and provides educational resources.
For more tutorials and projects, you can explore GreatScott! for engaging electronic tutorials and projects. Additionally, Paceworldwide offers excellent basic soldering tutorials and lessons on rework and repair.
The post 7 Best Electronics Courses for 2026: From Basics to PCB Design appeared first on The Report by Class Central.