Javiera Vega
Study Consultant at Gradehacker
Updated June, 2023
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When you register and start new classes or semesters, it’s a fact that you will get a long list of required textbooks you’ll need to get through your courses. That’s why free college textbooks can sound like a dream come true when you don’t want to spend $300 on a book that you will end up using just for a few chapters if any at all.
Free PDF textbooks are now easily found because students search for alternatives not to go broke and still get good grades. Whether you need medical, business, psychology, or literature-focused books, it is possible to find everything with just some internet magic.
According to EducationData.org, 83.8% of people attending college receive some type of financial aid to help with the mounting costs of college. The problem is that tuition does not explicitly cover the expenses of educational resources needed for classes most of the time.
Imagine how tragic it would be if you failed a class because you could not afford a book! If you cannot access the class material, you won’t know what the professor is even speaking about. There is even a chance of failing something you would’ve passed if you had the right resources.
That’s why you have to change your strategy and seriously consider digital materials as a wise choice to save both your pocket and your grade. The good news is that other students and non-profit organizations are creating networks of shared online books that will help you get through your academic journey.
Here at Gradehacker, we are the non-traditional student’s most trusted resource. We know that you are a student who sees your degree as a chance to thrive and advance in life, so we made this list for you.
Our goal is not to promote copyright but to bring more awareness about resources you can find on the Internet. If you feel you are already spending too much, we want you to learn these alternative options that will help you with the additional costs of college.
Here are the 6 Top Websites to Find Free College Textbooks in 2023.
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1) Library Genesis: Free Books For Any Kind Of College Student
This is one of Gradehacker’s favorite sites for college textbooks in a wide variety of subjects.
Library Genesis is a file-sharing website for scholarly articles, academic books, peer-reviewed journals, novels, comics, and magazines.
The catalog is enormous. It’s organized in a format similar to a standard college digital library with searches according to the author, ISBN, year, etc. The download options are easy, and you can either look for a specific title or look at what’s new.
If you want a step-by-step guide on how you can use Library Genesis to download free college textbooks, check out our YouTube video!
Library Genesis Pros
- More academically oriented and perfect for undergrad and graduate textbooks. While you can find all types of content, Library Genesis mainly focuses on academic material
- The search engine. It's more specific, and the filters are similar to the ones you can find on an online library
Library Genesis Cons
- The layout is not the most user-friendly. Its simplicity can mislead new users into thinking the site is not periodically updated (which is not true at all)
2) Mobilism: An Entire Textbook Library In a Tiny Forum
You can also watch our quick tutorial on how to use Mobilism:
Mobilism is a forum where users can share the media they already own with others. There are many categories, but this website truly shines in the ebook section. You can find novels, academic textbooks, comics; you name it.
Also, there is the option of requesting a title if it is not already available.
Mobilism Pros
- Mobilism is a fan favorite of Gradehacker's consultants. The chances of not finding what you're looking for are slim. Their catalog is impressive
- Most of the download links are periodically updated. If one is broken, you can contact the post's author to put it back
Mobilism Cons
- You have to create an account to use the search function and make requests
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3) Project Gutenburg: Free Ebooks For Everyone
This website is a volunteer effort to create and distribute ebooks for free. If you need a text in the public domain, you will find it here for sure, formatted and ready to download at your convenience.
Project Gutenberg primarily offers fiction works from western culture, but it also has an extensive collection of fiction books.
Project Gutenberg Pros
- Easy to download and search
- Humanities students will love the variety of novels and research books available on this subject
Project Gutenberg Cons
- While there are reference books in many areas, the catalog is more limited in STEM field topics such as science and mathematics
You can see how easy it is to use Project Gutenberg and what other tricks you can use in our video:
4) VK.com: College Textbooks Meet Social Media
VK.com is a Russian social media platform similar to Facebook; however, there is something different about it. While Facebook focuses on social interaction, VK has a vast community of people sharing different media types.
Ebooks are one of VK users’ main attractions, so make an account and start joining various book clubs. We recommend the Free Medical Books page and the Magazine and E-Books community.
VK Pros
- You don't need to make a VK account to download any books
- Students share books they have used themselves. You will find many common titles and also more unusual ones
VK Cons
- There is not a centralized search engine on the website. You have to find the communities and their catalog and look from there. Another option is to search on Google the title of the book you want and add 'VK,' so you get an exact result
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5) Archive.org: Sharing Your College Readings With The Internet
As its name suggests, Archive.org is an archive for all internet things. You can find deleted Youtube videos, lost documents, and any other media you cannot find anywhere else.
However, many students use this platform to back up their digital textbooks. One thing that makes this website unique is that it offers many different formats for the documents you want to download; that way, you won’t have to convert it yourself.
Archive.org Pros
- The option of downloading in many different formats is refreshing. You will start to wish all websites on this list had the same feature
- Uncommon textbooks can be found here
Archive.org Cons
- We cannot tell for sure how extensive the catalog is since this website works as an archive and not a specialized site
6) Bookboon: Science Ebooks For Overwhelmed Students
Bookboon is an online publishing company that also offers free PDF textbooks for college students. It focuses primarily on all engineering subjects, so it might not be for everyone. If you’re getting a degree in this field, this website will be perfect for you.
You can find references for the most specific topics.
Bookboon Pros
- The range of textbooks related to engineering goes from the most basic to the most specific ones. No topic is left uncovered
- It is easy to use, and the search experience is clean and straightforward
Bookboon Cons
- To access more books, you have to pay a monthly subscription of $5.99. Still, the free catalog is decent enough, and you can access it by making an account
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Free PDF textbooks: a few things to consider
No matter the age, college students like you will always try to spend their money efficiently. Here at Gradehacker, we have previously discussed other tips to improve your finances.
Still, textbooks for classes are often overlooked as an aspect of additional college costs. Before spending one more dollar on them, remember this:
- College books are necessary for completing your coursework. That is a fact. However, you can look for alternative textbook resources to spend little to no money on them by joining online sharing communities or archives.
- Websites like Project Gutenberg, Bookboon, and VK communities are perfect to look for a range of college textbooks specializing in humanities, engineering, or medical topics.
- Archive.org, and Mobilism grow thanks to the cooperation between students who want to share their textbooks that will be useful for you. You can also post what you have to give back to the community.
- Library Genesis is a powerful ebook catalog. It works like a digital college library in a way, but you don’t need to have an institutional email.
Hopefully, you can now find new ways to access your reading for free without needing to dip into your budget. Search, download, and, when you can, share so others can also have a hand when they are in the same position.
And well, if this is not enough for you, remember that Gradehacker has extensive internal resources with thousands of books we have used to help other students like you.
If you still don’t feel like writing, find out how we can help you with that essay that is driving you crazy. And if you want longer-term help, check out how we can assist you with your classes and accelerate your degree experience.
College is difficult, but together we can make it easier!
If you are looking for more tips to save money and improve your college experience, visit our related blog posts:
Javiera Vega
Javiera Vega is a Study Consultant and Content Creator for Gradehacker. She has a degree in Education and Literature and is currently working on getting a master’s degree in Linguistics. Even though words, languages, and books are her thing, science and psychology were her hidden passion for many years. Luckily, Gradehacker has allowed her to use all that knowledge by helping many clients with everything they need. Javiera considers herself a proud nerd who likes to learn and read about everything she can find. From movies and comics to microbiology and genetics, every topic is interesting for her. Her curiosity has no limits. Find her on LinkedIn
