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11 Best Active Listening Courses on edX

Active listening is a core skill for effective communication in both personal and professional settings. On this page you will find a curated selection of eleven courses hosted on edX that explore different aspects of listening, from foundational techniques to specialised contexts such as healthcare, leadership and virtual environments. The courses vary in price, from a modest $30 introductory offering to more comprehensive programmes priced up to $591.30, and are delivered by a range of recognised institutions.

Each course focuses on a particular angle of active listening. Some concentrate on building general communication confidence, while others apply listening strategies to business negotiations, design thinking, or conflict management. By comparing the course titles, providers and price points, you can choose a programme that matches your current role, learning goals and budget.

Courses compared
11
Price range
$30.00 – $591.30
Providers
edX
Last updated
18 Sep 2026
How these 11 courses were chosen

Every course below is a real, currently listed course from edX, matched to "active listening" by our catalog and ordered by our CourseAsk score. Courses whose own title names the topic rank above those only tagged with it.

The grade on each entry scores how much the provider publishes about the course before you pay — the length and detail of the description, whether it lists learning outcomes and objectives — and whether a named university or institution stands behind it. A is fully documented and institution-backed; E is little more than a title and a price. Courses with almost nothing published are left ungraded rather than marked down, because an unknown course and a poor one are not the same thing.

There are no star ratings on this page — the course feeds we license do not include them, and we would rather leave a column out than fill it with a number we cannot stand behind. What we do have is price: these range from $30.00 to $591.30, as listed by the provider when we last updated the page.

  1. 1
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade C

    Active Listening: How to Be an Effective Communicator

    Offered by BoxPlay

    Explore the benefits of active listening and unlock the secret to successful communication in your professional and personal life.

    $89.00
    listed price
  2. 2
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    Business and Professional Communication for Success

    Offered by Doane University

    This course on Business and Professional Communication for Success focuses on enhancing your communication skills in professional settings. It covers essential strategies for effective interactions, presentations, and ne...

    $447.30
    listed price
  3. 3
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    Introduction to Healthcare Communication Strategies

    Offered by Stanford University

    Explore the foundations of effective health communication, including active listening and improvisation. Learn the skills required to build strong and trusting relationships from leading Stanford Medicine faculty.

    $249.00
    listed price
  4. 4
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    Leadership Strategies: Listening to Lead in Today's Workspaces

    Offered by The University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Upgrade your listening skills to meet the demands of today’s diverse, changing, challenging and often virtually connected world.

    $219.00
    listed price
  5. 5
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    Design Thinking: Empathizing to Understand the Problem

    Offered by Rochester Institute of Technology

    Learn how to identify and understand product or business problems through active listening, empathy and user-focused research.

    $337.00
    listed price
  6. 6
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade C University-backed

    English Communication Skills

    Offered by Tsinghua University

    In the English Communication Skills course, you'll enhance your ability to communicate effectively in both spoken and written contexts. This course emphasizes various aspects of communication, including clarity, structur...

    $591.30
    listed price
  7. 7
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade C

    Conflict Management & Negotiation Essentials

    Offered by State Bank of India

    Conflict Management and Negotiation Essentials is a course that equips participants with the skills to resolve disputes constructively and master negotiation techniques. It covers the principles of conflict resolution, f...

    $99.00
    listed price
  8. 8
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade C

    Having Difficult Conversations in the Virtual World

    Offered by Kelley Executive Education Programs

    Having the skills to engage in difficult conversations in the virtual world can support you in both work and personal situations.

    $99.00
    listed price
  9. 9
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade D

    Enhancing Interpersonal Skill through Emotional Intelligence and communication

    Offered by State Bank of India

    Strong interpersonal skills are essential for success in today’s interconnected world. This course helps learners strengthen communication, emotional intelligence, and relationship-building skills to connect effectively,...

    $99.00
    listed price
  10. 10
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade D Lowest price here

    Master Communication Foundations

    Offered by CodeSignal

    Build practical communication skills for everyday conversations and workplace interactions. Learn to speak and write clearly, listen actively, manage emotions, and adapt your style to different people.

    $30.00
    listed price
  11. 11
    edX MOOC / Non-credit

    Negotiation: How to Improve Your Negotiation Skills

    Offered by BoxPlay

    Learn the techniques to communicate with ease and negotiate with confidence.

    $69.00
    listed price

Best Active Listening Courses on edX compared

# Course Provider Offered by Price
1 Active Listening: How to Be an Effective Communicator edX BoxPlay $89.00 View →
2 Business and Professional Communication for Success edX Doane University $447.30 View →
3 Introduction to Healthcare Communication Strategies edX Stanford University $249.00 View →
4 Leadership Strategies: Listening to Lead in Today's Workspaces edX The University of Wisconsin-Madison $219.00 View →
5 Design Thinking: Empathizing to Understand the Problem edX Rochester Institute of Technology $337.00 View →
6 English Communication Skills edX Tsinghua University $591.30 View →
7 Conflict Management & Negotiation Essentials edX State Bank of India $99.00 View →
8 Having Difficult Conversations in the Virtual World edX Kelley Executive Education Programs $99.00 View →
9 Enhancing Interpersonal Skill through Emotional Intelligence and commu... edX State Bank of India $99.00 View →
10 Master Communication Foundations edX CodeSignal $30.00 View →
11 Negotiation: How to Improve Your Negotiation Skills edX BoxPlay $69.00 View →

Prices shown are the provider's listed price when we last updated this page. Confirm on their site before enrolling.

What the prices here tell you

The 11 priced courses on this page run from $30.00 to $591.30, with the middle of the range around $99.00 — a spread of $561.30. That is a wide gap for one subject. A higher price on this page usually reflects who is behind the course rather than how much material it contains, so it is worth opening two or three at different price points and comparing their syllabus before deciding.

Who is behind these courses

These courses come from edX. Everything on this page is sold on the one platform, so the buying experience is the same whichever you pick. 5 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including Doane University, Stanford University and The University of Wisconsin-Madison — which usually means a fixed syllabus and a recognised certificate, rather than an individual instructor’s own course.

Before you enrol

Open the provider’s own page and check three things this comparison cannot tell you: when the course was last updated, what the syllabus actually covers in its later sections, and what recent learners say. Prices shown here are the provider’s listed price when we last rebuilt this page on 18 September 2026 — they change often, and a promotion can move them substantially. We earn a commission if you enrol through our links, which costs you nothing and never affects the order courses appear in.

Frequently asked questions

What topics are covered across the active listening courses?
The courses address a spectrum of subjects including basic listening techniques, professional communication, healthcare dialogue, leadership listening, design thinking empathy, conflict resolution and virtual conversation skills.
Who would benefit most from the lower‑priced courses?
Learners seeking an affordable introduction to active listening or those who need specific skills like handling difficult virtual conversations may find the $30 to $99 courses suitable.
Are any of the courses aimed at specific industries?
Yes, the healthcare communication course is offered by Stanford University and targets health‑related contexts, while the leadership and business communication courses focus on workplace environments.
How do I decide which course is right for me?
Consider your current role, the communication challenges you face, and your budget. If you need a broad foundation, the introductory courses work well; for deeper, industry‑specific training, look at the higher‑priced offerings from the named universities.

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