Last updated on January 31st, 2023
You know that deliciously smug feeling you get after you listen to an educational podcast? You spend 45 minutes learning about the history of La Sagrada Família and suddenly you think you’ve just earned yourself an architecture degree? And so what if you obtained this education while lying in bed at 3 in the afternoon in a food-stained t-shirt? Or while elbow-deep in the sink as you wash a week’s worth of dishes? That’s not the point! The point is that you feel smarter and it feels really, really good. I personally found it felt so good, that I decided to scour the internet for some of the best educational podcasts around.
I’ve included a few well-loved classics but in some cases have also (gently) pushed the boundaries of what we might consider a traditional educational podcast. I’ve tried to include enough variety to suit different tastes: design, climate change, LGBTQ+ history. And while the content of these shows varies drastically, I like to think that all are united in their ability to teach listeners something new in an engaging and accessible way.
The best educational podcasts need to push the listener’s mental envelope a bit while remaining engaging. There’s no need to ram an idea into the listener’s ear. The idea is they adopt new ways of thinking.
I’ve done the heavy lifting on this list of the best educational podcasts, now all you have to do is sit back, press play and bask in that glorious glow of smugness.
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I would be remiss if I didn’t include Malcom Gladwell’s Revisionist History on my list. It’s one of the best educational podcasts available. Listen to the man himself.
In his own words, Gladwell describes it as a podcast about “things overlooked and misunderstood.” I continually find myself surprised by each episode’s topic. One week he might be turning the story of the Boston Tea Party on its head, and the next, deep-diving into the infamous hug between Richard Nixon and Sammy Davis Jr.
In each episode Gladwell skillfully weaves seemingly disparate threads together to produce a unique, compelling thesis. He has the uncanny ability to take a specific historical moment and use it as an opportunity to teach listeners so much more about the human experience.
Prepare for the niche and the obscure, but prepare to be captivated.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Stuff You Should Know (SYSK) has been running for over a decade and it continues to dominate the charts. One of the most popular educational podcasts in the world, SYSK covers, well, everything. It doesn’t matter what your areas of interests are: science, pop culture, history, they’ve probably got an episode on it.
The show is co-hosted by Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark, two men who are by no means experts in these fields, and never claim to be. The episodes are undoubtedly informative, but there are some stumbles along the way: ham-fisted remarks in moments that perhaps required delicacy, factually inaccurate (albeit hilarious) statements expressed with utter conviction.
Blunders aside, the sheer breadth of topics they address makes the show undeniably interesting and their accessible approach to explaining topics makes for easy listening. Bryant and Clark have a comfortable, endearing rapport, no doubt established after creating over one thousand episodes together. It’s like listening in on the conversation of your close friends – not always accurate, but entertaining just the same.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Encyclopedia Wommanica is a series of vignettes about remarkable women throughout history. Cutting across different cultures, countries and centuries, the show shines a spotlight on women whose stories have often been eclipsed by dominant historical narratives.
It covers the trials, triumphs and contributions of incredible women from all different walks of life, including mathematicians, poets and civil rights activists, to name a few. While each episode features a different woman, each month is attributed a new theme ranging from dreamers and pioneers to villainesses and STEMinists.
New episodes are published every weekday and are only 5 minutes long, but trust me when I say that these bite-size episodes pack a punch and will no doubt leave you feeling inspired.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Minnesota Public Radio’s (MPR) Climate Cast is a great way to learn more about climate change and its widespread impacts. The show is hosted by MPR’s Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner, who is often accompanied by knowledgeable and impressive guests, including political figures such as Al Gore as well as experienced researchers and academics.
While episodes can cover anything from the nuts and bolts of Hurricane Dorian to the lessons Indigenous communities can teach about tackling climate change, Huttner sticks to the science of it all and approaches each topic in a clear, factual manner.
With episodes varying from brief 4 minute breakdowns to lengthier 40-minute discussions, Climate Cast suits any schedule (and attention span). The show is precise, timely and a great way to keep abreast of climate change research and developments.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
This is not your typical educational podcast, but let me explain. Ear Hustle is a show that addresses the daily realities of the people inside California’s San Quentin State Prison. For many, prisons are a mystery, with any knowledge of them limited to sensationalized movies and TV shows.
The best educational podcasts are myth dispelling machines. And Ear Hustle delivers in this regard.
By teaching listeners about what life is like for the people incarcerated in San Quentin, you begin to feel some empathy that you may not have known was there. It’s not about the particulars of any one crime, it’s about life. About the complexities of parenting while incarcerated, of the frustrations and tensions of sharing a cell, of finding a job once on the outside.
The show is heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure, and the mix of incarcerated and non-incarcerated hosts offers a rare, unfiltered glimpse into their world – authored by the people who are living in it. It’s not only an education in the day-to-day realities of the people in this prison, but an education in America’s criminal justice system at large. Pure genius.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
99% Invisible is a hugely popular show that explores “the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.” It’s hosted by Roman Mars, whose rich, mellow voice has the inexplicable power to soothe even the most irritable of listeners. Informative, engaging and expertly produced, 99% Invisible has the kind of compelling narratives and high production value that can capture the attention of nearly anyone – design-minded or otherwise. As the best educational podcasts should.
The show sparks curiosity and reflection through the innovative topics it explores: the McMansion phenomenon, unpleasant design and the origin story of curb cuts are but a few of the niche yet nuanced subjects tackled.
Regardless of the topic, there’s always something interesting to be learned, and the quality of the show – along with Mars’ dulcet tones – will be sure to keep you listening.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
This is the perfect show for any restless souls out there eagerly awaiting their next adventure. Wonderfully random and playfully delivered, this is a show about the outlandish stories overheard from staff at National Geographic’s head office.
No one theme ties the episodes together; the randomness stretches across a variety of topics, like the truth behind Thailand’s elephant tourism industry or an underwater archaeologist’s journey scuba diving beneath a pyramid. After each episode you’ll discover new, unusual insights into topics you might never have considered.
Episodes generally hover under half an hour, making the perfect companion for those early morning commutes or Sunday afternoon chores. These stories will teach you a little bit more about this wild and complex world we live in, and will supply you with an abundance of peculiar facts to whip out at your next dinner party.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Any city lovers out there? This is my go-to recommendation for 99% Invisible lovers looking for a new fix. With Monocle editor Andrew Tuck at the helm, The Urbanist explores the subject of creating better cities. Episodes are dynamic and ever-changing, some zeroing in on topics such as Moscow’s trolleybuses, others looking at larger themes like the impacts of private development on public spaces.
As a listener, you will be transported across the globe – often multiple times in a single episode – but will always remain in the capable hands of one of Monocle’s internationally-based correspondents or local experts. Stories alternate between longer, detail-heavy episodes and brief, poetic city portraits.
It’s an informative and thoughtful show that will have you looking at cities a little bit differently.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
The best educational podcasts push you to think harder. They’re an epistemic challenge.
Making Gay History is a moving collection of stories documenting the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement through archival interviews. It’s hosted by Eric Marcus, a journalist who set out to write a book about the movement in the 1980s.
As part of his research, Marcus recorded 100 interviews with different queer activists and advocates from across the country. Three decades later, he decided to breathe new life into the cassette tapes and turn the recordings into a podcast.
Episodes feature the voices of prominent figures such as Marsha P. Johnson, as well as the lesser-known though equally powerful stories of activists like that of Wendell Sayers. These aren’t polished, scripted narratives.
The interviews take place in the intimate spaces of people’s homes, at their kitchen tables and in their living rooms. They are unfiltered, raw and imperfect, yet undeniably compelling. Hearing this history – directly from those who lived it – is both poignant and powerful.
These are not the stories you came across in your high school history textbook, but they’re ones that deserve to be heard and need to be learned.
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Well-seasoned podcast listeners might be rolling their eyes at this perhaps (painfully) obvious choice. Much like Freakonomics Radio or NPR’s Ted Radio Hour, Radiolab is one of the quintessential educational podcasts, but I thought it was important to flag for anyone new to the podcasting world (also it would be downright disrespectful not to mention it because the show is just that good).
Radiolab is a nationally syndicated radio program and podcast hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. The show investigates a range of scientific and philosophical topics in a wonderfully accessible way. The show is masterfully produced and its rhythm and style – in large part due to the strong narrative focus and creative sound design – make it entirely unique.
You’ll never be able to predict what the next episode might cover; standouts have explored how we see colour and an unpacking of the concept of blame. The quirkiness of the topics, combined with Abumrad and Krulwich’s magic touch, make for an immersive, educational and unforgettable experience.
Related reading: best Radiolab episodes
Listen: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify
Well there you have it! Some of the best educational podcast around. Hopefully at least one of the shows from this list has piqued your curiosity and has your finger hovering above the download button as we speak. I think I’ve supplied enough recommendations to last you a few months, meaning you’ll be able to ride that wave of smugness all the way into the New Year.
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