Arduino coding opens up a brand new world. Millions of people worldwide use it to create amazing devices, from remotely controlled locks to remotely controlled lawnmowers. The best Arduino courses can help you learn Arduino coding online to create electronics projects and smart devices.
So today we've rounded up a few of our favorites from the best course for absolute beginners to the best free Arduino course. We based our selections on student reviews and learning platforms that have won awards. Let's jump right in!
Discover the best Arduino courses online
Get one of the best Arduino kits to use and check out the top online Arduino courses.
1. Arduino course for absolute beginners: Circuit Intro
Circuit Intro for Kids is the best Arduino course for beginners. This live online class designed by Google, Stanford, and MIT professionals is led by an expert and held in a small group of just five students. So you can ask questions and get answers right away. In this class, you'll enjoy a quick introduction to electronic circuits that make smart devices. You'll create your first circuit in a virtual environment controlled by block coding.
This class uses an Arduino simulator and does not require a physical device. However, if you prefer, an Arduino starter kits can be purchased online. The same code you create in class will work on the device without any changes.
Pre-requisites: Requires a computer with Chrome Browser installed and a mouse. Touchpads and Tablets do not work well. Arduino is not required.
Level: Beginner for grades 4-9 (even younger beginners will find Micro:bit classes a better fit)
Cost: $15
Length: 1 50-minute session
2. Best Arduino course online: Circuit Wizards
Circuit Wizards is the best Arduino course online because of the material and real-world applications rated 5-stars by students. In this small group live online class designed by experts from Google, Stanford, and MIT, students learn how to create circuits, use resistors, and get introduced to Ohm's law, while building a series of interesting projects and experiments.
This class shows you how to code Arduino to start building smart devices that can sense their environment and respond accordingly. And you'll even master more advanced electronic concepts such as digital vs. analog and control servos and sensors. Plus you'll make three projects from end-to end: Home Automations, Light Show, and Smart Cars, from circuit creation to coding.
Pre-requisites: Requires a computer with Chrome Browser installed and a mouse. Touchpads and Tablets do not work well. Arduino is not required.
Level: Beginner for grades 4-9
Cost: $252
Length: 12 sessions of 55 minutes each
3. Best Arduino course with a certificate
More than 19,000 students have enrolled in the online course Arduino Step by Step Getting Serious, which has a 4.7 rating. With these self-guided videos, you'll learn how to create Arduino gadgets that can communicate, move, interact, measure and detect. The instructor is Dr. Peter Dalmaris, a Chief Tech Explorer at Tech Explorations and published author.
In the class you'll see how to use communication technologies like Wifi, BLE, and radio. And you'll learn awesome ways to create motion with various kinds of motors and controllers. Plus find out how to store data in external storage like SD Cards and EEPROM, and control large loads like relays and lights. The class comes with a certificate of completion.
After taking this course, or any other that builds your Arduino skills, you can try the Arduino Certification online exam. This exam provides official certification on your knowledge of Arduino related electronics, programming and physical computing. It's web-based and can be completed from any computer with access to the internet. It consists of 36 questions with 75 minute time limit to complete them. Plus, you'll get your results immediately after you submit, and passing the exam will grant you the Arduino Certification certificate.
Pre-requisites: This course is not appropriate for students new to the Arduino. It will not teach you about the basics of the Arduino, like how to use the Arduino IDE, blink an LED or create a simple sketch and circuit.
Level: Advanced and designed for college-level students
Cost: $129.99
Length: 34 hours of on-demand video
4. Best free Arduino course
In An Introduction to Programming the Internet of Things (IOT) Specialization on Coursera, which has been rated a 4.7 and has more than 11 thousand students enrolled, you'll learn how to design, create, and deploy a fun IoT device using Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
This self-guided course pathway covers embedded systems, the Raspberry Pi Platform, and the Arduino environment for building devices that can control the physical world.
Find out how the Arduino platform works in terms of the physical board and libraries and the IDE (integrated development environment). You will also learn about shields, which are smaller boards that plug into the main Arduino board to perform other functions such as sensing light, heat, GPS tracking, or providing a user interface display. The course will also cover programming the Arduino using C code and accessing the pins on the board via the software to control external devices.
In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills you learned by designing, building, and testing a microcontroller-based embedded system, producing a unique final project suitable for showcasing to future employers.
Pre-requisites: This is an introductory program and has no specific prerequisites. An interest in computer hardware, software, and the internet of things (IoT) is all that is required.
Level: Beginner level for older students
Cost: Free
Length: Approximately 6 months to complete
5. Best Arduino projects course
In the Skillshare class Introduction to Arduino: Creating Interactive Projects, Mark Frauenfelder, founder of Boing Boing and MAKE magazine, shows students how to get started with a few simple Arduino projects. With these video lessons, you'll get step-by-step guidance to set up five simple Arduino experiments using light, motion, and sound outputs. 7,590 students have enrolled in this popular class.
As you watch class videos you'll follow a clear, step-by-step demonstration to install, connect, and configure your Arduino device. And you'll learn how to experiment with motion and sound outputs using a servo motor and tiny simple speaker, and much more. One reviewer best summed up the class as, "Short videos with very clear objectives and steps to start with!"
Pre-requisites: No knowledge of programming, engineering, or electronics is necessary, and everyone is welcome. The class focuses on hardware to get you using the board right away.
Level: Beginner adult
Cost: $32/month
Length: 10 video lessons
Is Arduino hard to learn?
Arduino is not hard to learn. It's great for beginners looking to get started with electronics for the first time. It features a combination of circuits, coding, DIY, problem-solving, and creativity, that marries together thinking across disciplines.
- Arduino is easier to learn as a programming language as it is a simplified version of the C++ programming language.
- Arduino is cross-platform which makes it easy to run on any sort of device compared to other microcontrollers which can only run on Windows.
Building Arduino projects is one popular way to learn. This method is more free-form, where students can learn by trial and error. The other popular way to learn Arduino is by taking classes there are even some that guide you through projects. This method is more structured and provides an expert's help if you have questions.
What are the best Arduino tutorials?
The best Arduino tutorials include some of the easiest do-it-yourself Arduino Uno projects for beginners from blinking an LED light to automating a street lamp. Here are a few additional ideas.
