For individuals who require the sort of structure and feedback that only a formal classroom setting can offer, formal education is certainly still an option. According to "U.S. News and World Report's" 2009 rankings there is a four-way tie for the best economics program. These are Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton University and the University of Chicago. For individuals who find these universities inconvenient because of the cost, location or admission requirements, nearly any university or community college will offer at least introductory courses in economics.
For students whose time or financial situations make formal, classroom education impractical, or who want the credits for completing an economics course, online education is an option. Through online classes, students can study and attend virtual classes, usually on their own schedule, when time allows for it. Online courses still allow students to ask questions and receive feedback from instructors. Dozens of schools, including traditional universities and newer schools that operate entirely online, offer courses in economics. Some even offer full Master's in Business Administration (MBA) programs.
For individuals who find listening to lectures useful but cannot afford formal education, or individuals who are interested in learning but do not require university credits, free courses are available. To share knowledge simply for the sake of sharing knowledge, many universities have put lectures and supplemental materials online for free through such outlets as iTunes University and MIT's Open Courseware project. Courses are available from prestigious universities such as MIT, Yale and the University of California at Berkeley, among others. These courses do not offer college credit or interaction with professors, but they are available free of charge.
For individuals for whom none of these solutions work, or individuals who want to supplement coursework with independent study, the self taught method is always available. Libraries and book shops will have hundreds of books available on the subject of economics, and by searching online at sites like Amazon, learners may be able to buy the same books used in university classrooms at a fraction of their original cost. The World Wide Web also offers thousands of economics resources, including basic tutorials, research studies, economics news and even full books for free.