The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is to put all its course material on the Internet for free. MIT wants everyone to have access to knowledge, a represebtative said.
Other US colleges are venturing online to establish subscription-based distance learning courses.
MIT, in partnership with the Government, has set up an institute in Dublin called MediaLab Europe. Students will begin studying there this September.
In Massachusetts MIT OpenCourseWare will offer lecture notes, course outlines, reading lists and assignments for each course.
The project, expected to cost about £70 million, is not intended to mimic the student experience, said Mr Hal Abelson, a professor of computer science and engineering.
MIT students currently pay about $26,000 a year or around £18,000 in tuition fees.
PA