7 Free Online Accounting Courses 2025

Whether you want to learn accounting basics for your small business or ultimately want to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), online accounting courses are a great way to get started. Several platforms offer free online accounting certificates and courses to beginners.

These courses can teach you accounting fundamentals, and some, more advanced options, focus on specific branches of accounting like management accounting or forensic accounting. Keep reading to discover some of the top free online accounting courses.

Free Online Accounting Courses

Multiple online learning platforms offer accounting courses that are either completely free, are free to audit, or offer financial aid options. We've highlighted some of these online classes below.

1. Accounting 101: Financial Accounting

Study.com offers a few accounting courses, but one popular one to consider is Accounting 101: Financial Accounting. This self-paced program allows students to learn the fundamentals of accounting, covering topics like:

• cash flow statements
• cost accounting
• financial statement analysis
• receivables in accounting

While most courses on Study.com aren't free, the site offers several subscription and membership options so students can choose the one that best fits their budget. Additionally, scholarships are available to help online learners cover their costs.

2. Business Accounting Basics

The online learning site edX hosts courses on various topics from top schools and corporations around the U.S. The Business Accounting Basics course is offered through edX by Purdue Global.

This instructor-paced course takes five weeks and teaches basic accounting concepts. Students can audit the course for free but must pay $49 for unlimited access to course materials, graded assignments and quizzes, and a certificate of completion.

3. Financial Accounting Foundations

Coursera is another popular online learning platform that offers courses from colleges and other institutions. It offers the Financial Accounting: Foundations program from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The program covers accounting fundamentals through five modules that students can complete at their own pace. This finance course is also part of several professional certificate programs on the site. Students can audit this accounting class for free, and financial aid is available for students who choose to purchase full access.

4. Financial Accounting in Excel

Udemy is an online learning site like edX and Coursera; however, it offers courses from individual experts and professors rather than institutions. The Financial Accounting in Excel course is for those launching small businesses who want to use Microsoft Excel for:

• balance sheets
• financial records
• financial reporting
• income statements

This course is completely free and provides an overview of basic accounting principles, such as debits and credits. The class provides nearly two hours of online video content and offers a free tutorial.

5. Introduction to Bookkeeping and Accounting

Introduction to Bookkeeping and Accounting is one of many free classes that The Open University offers. The program covers math skills for tracking financial information, double-entry, and valuation.

The course is geared toward beginners and takes about eight hours total to complete. When students have finished, they'll receive a free Statement of Participation.

6. Introduction to Finance and Accounting

The University of Pennsylvania offers the Introduction to Finance and Accounting series through Coursera. This learning experience covers corporate finance, decision-making, cash flow analysis, and financial statements.

The series includes a total of four courses that students complete at their own pace. As with other Coursera classes, students can audit for free or receive financial aid if they want the full learning experience.

7. QuickBooks Level 1

QuickBooks is one of the most commonly used types of accounting software. It can be used for basic bookkeeping or financial modeling to help drive financial decisions. Intuit offers courses on QuickBooks through edX.

It's free to audit this class, but the certificate course version is $100. Students who are auditing the class get free access to QuickBooks for one month, while those in the paid version get a year of access.

Our Selection Criteria

There are numerous accounting courses offered on sites like Coursera and edX that students can audit for free. To choose the ones for the list above, we focused on courses that:

• offered either an introduction to accounting or focused on specific accounting software for beginners
• are hosted through reputable sites
• have a free option or financial aid available

We also tried to offer courses from a selection of different sites so students could browse through and find additional options they may want to pursue.

FAQs About Free Online Courses To Learn Accounting Basics

Below, we've answered a few frequently asked questions about free online courses that teach accounting fundamentals.

Who Is Eligible To Take Free Online Accounting Courses?

Free online accounting courses are generally open to anyone. Most courses listed on the sites above are in English, though many have additional language options as well.

The courses we featured are for beginners, but there are many advanced options. Typically, you can find out more about the course level and the recommended experience needed on the course page.

How Long Does It Take To Complete Free Online Accounting Courses?

Online accounting courses range in length. Some take a few hours, while others take a few weeks of study, depending on how long you study each week. The estimated course length is usually listed on the course page as well.

What Are the Prerequisites for Enrolling in a Free Online Accounting Course?

For the courses listed above, there are no prerequisites since they are for beginners. More advanced courses may require prior real-world experience or education in accounting.

Explore Free Courses and Enroll Online Today

Start learning all about accounting today and browse other free online course programs featured on Learn.org. Visit program websites for more details about course options, cost, and financial aid.