If you’re diving into the world of UI/UX design but don’t want to commit to a paid course just yet, you’re in luck. A surprising number of high-quality courses are available for free—taught by professionals, backed by institutions like Google and CalArts, and hosted on reputable platforms like Coursera, FutureLearn, and Udacity. We curated this list to help you level up your design skills at zero cost.
Here are 14 free UI/UX courses worth exploring in 2025:
Coursera –– A 7-course series created by Google covering UX fundamentals, design thinking, research, wireframing, prototyping (in Figma), and usability testing. Auditing gives access to all video lessons and readings.
Price: Free to audit
Link: Google UX Design Certificate
Coursera –– A visually rich, four-course series taught by CalArts faculty. Learn UI design principles, UX research, wireframing, and prototyping techniques from a graphic design perspective.
Price: Free to audit
Link: CalArts UI/UX Specialization
Coursera (University of Michigan) –– Learn core UX methodologies and practices like personas, prototyping, and usability testing. A strong intro course with structured lectures and real-world case examples.
Price: Free to audit
Link: UX Principles and Processes
edX (Georgia Tech) –– Dive into the theory behind human-computer interaction and learn how to build usable, accessible interfaces. Heavier on HCI theory, ideal for academically inclined learners.
Price: Free to audit
Link: HCI on edX
CareerFoundry –– A 6-lesson email-based crash course introducing the fundamentals of UX. Designed for people exploring a career change into UX.
Price: Free
Link: CareerFoundry Free UX Course
FutureLearn –– A three-week intro to UX design that walks through user research, design thinking, prototyping, and testing. Created by Accenture for beginners and professionals alike.
Price: Free
Link: FutureLearn UX Course
Aquent Gymnasium –– A practical overview of user-centered design. You’ll learn to create personas, wireframes, and test interfaces, all in short, well-structured video lessons.
Price: Free
Link: UX Fundamentals
Udacity –– A complete course covering UX research, rapid prototyping, and design validation. Strong focus on applying UX thinking to real product development.
Price: Free
Link: Google Product Design
Udacity –– Tailored to developers, this course teaches essential UX concepts for designing mobile apps with intuitive user flows and interface layouts.
Price: Free
Link: UX for Mobile Developers
Figma Learn –– Learn Figma by designing a responsive portfolio site. Covers shapes, typography, auto layout, components, and prototyping.
Price: Free
Link: Figma for Beginners
Alison –– Offers a strong practical foundation in UI/UX design using Adobe XD, covering layout, interactivity, and usability principles.
Price: Free
Link: Adobe XD Course
YouTube (freeCodeCamp) –– A 4-hour full walkthrough on YouTube where you learn how to build a complete UI/UX project in Figma from wireframe to interactive prototype.
Price: Free
Link: freeCodeCamp Figma Course
Interaction Design Foundation –– A detailed 9-chapter eBook covering UX principles, usability, accessibility, and more. Not a course, but a great self-study companion.
Price: Free
Link: IxDF UX eBook
Springboard –– A curated path of 40+ articles and videos organized into a 17-unit curriculum. Covers everything from design thinking to usability testing.
Price: Free
Link: Springboard Free UX Path
Free doesn’t mean low-quality. These courses offer some of the best foundations in UX/UI you can get—with zero cost. Whether you’re building your first wireframe or exploring a new career path, this list is your starting point.
Take advantage of what’s out there, follow a structure that works for your learning style, and move at your own pace. If you eventually decide to go deeper, you’ll have the knowledge to pick a paid course that fits your goals.
