Best Data Analytics Courses Online 2023

16 Best data analytics courses online to become a data analyst

Data analysis is now the leading pathway to business optimization. By reviewing raw data, businesses can make informed decisions about critical operations and uncover information valuable to business continuity. This makes data analysts some of the most desired professionals in the world of tech operations.

With the demand for data analysts running acute and the number of professionals sufficiently equipped with the required skillset surprisingly low, the former can command excellent salaries and incentives even at the entry or intermediate level. This post gives you a tour of the best data analytics courses online to start a career in this field.

Data Analytics Courses Online – Overview 

Business operations are driven by multiple initiatives to drive revenue, support decision-making, or reach conclusions. These initiatives in turn depend on a process of analyzing, categorizing, refining, and modeling raw information collected in huge data pools.

Skills – This process of inspecting raw information to reach profitable conclusions is what we call data analytics. The skillset for a successful data analyst includes problem-solving ability, a methodical and analytic aptitude, and familiarity with key programming languages such as SQL, Python, and Oracle.

Most of these are covered in entry-level and intermediate data analytics courses online. Keep in mind that data analytics is different from data sciences. While there is a tendency to use the terms interchangeably, the two are vastly different in their scope.

Analytics vs Science – Data Analytics is aimed at uncovering trends within a data set. Data scientists (browse courses), on the other hand, focus on predictive modeling and machine learning. A data scientist works out which questions to be asked next, while data analysts occupy themselves with answering the questions already at hand. 

Best Data Analytics Courses Online 2023 – Top Picks

Udacity	GetSmarter	Pluralsight	DataCamp
Data Analyst	Data Analysis Management	Data Analytics Literacy	Data Analyst Python
Nanodegree	LSE CPD Certification	Learning Path	Career Track
$349/month	$1,900	$29/month.	$25/month
View Course	View Course	View Course	View Course

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Read the full disclosure at the end of this post.

To help you reach a more informed decision about the programs for your current learning level, we have prepared a comprehensive list of the best data analytics courses online. 

1. Become A Data Analyst – Udacity

Udacity’s Become a Data Analyst (visit website) drills aspiring analysts in SQL, Python, and statistics to uncover key insights and yield data-driven solutions. With Python and SQL being course prerequisites, students should bring prior experience managing Python standard libraries, specifically importing Pandas and NumPy into the data set. 

The nanodegree enables learners to advance their skillset in manipulating datasets, creating visualizations, and exploring data for critical solutions. Key areas of focus include wrangling data to detect weather trends, applying inferential statistics to real-world cases, and data visualization to help create gripping stories. 

At $249/month, it’s an intermediate-level course that will help you refine your ability at inspecting, transforming, and modeling complex and messy data. All of this comes with the platform’s support to help launch your career. With access granted to resume support, LinkedIn optimization, and Github portfolio review, you set yourself for an intense career.

For those with an ambitious career plan, this is one of the best data analytics courses online. You will learn from the best, get excellent support and a job is almost guaranteed.

Instructors: Josh Bernhard, Sebastian Thrun, Derek Steer, and others
Data Analytics Courses: 6 | Prerequisites: Python & SQL
Info: View Course on Udacity. From $349/month. Try with a discount.

2. Data Analysis for Management – London School of Economics

The London School of Economics and Political Science has authorized this 8-week online data analysis course (visit website) for managers and data analysts tasked with making informed data-driven decisions to secure a competitive advantage in any industry. 

There are no prerequisites for this class although some numerical literacy will help complete the program with ease. This class is primarily directed at future-focused leaders who wish to expand their set of qualitative skills to inform corporate decision-making. 

You will begin your management shaping journey with an introductory course on decision-making under uncertainty before moving on to the more complex concepts of data visualization and descriptive statistics. Students will next learn about quantifying risk through probability, data integrity, and statistical interference.

The final modules deal with evidence-based decision-making and causal understating followed by in-depth coverage of time series forecasting and delivering insights through storytelling. By the end, you will have developed a sound understanding of how to interpret data and communicate findings using data analytics, visualization software, and Tableau.

Subject: Analysis, Business | Duration: 8 weeks | Certificate: CPD Certified.
Level: Professionals | Pace: Instructor-lead | Price: $1,900
Info: Visit course website. Get free prospectus. Browse all courses on GetSmarter.

3. Data Analysis and Visualization Foundations – Coursera 

Coursera offers a popular specialization in data analysis (visit website) authorized by IBM. Subscribing to the specialization provides access to all data analytics courses within the program. Students will begin with a gentle introduction to the core concepts in data analysis, including data eco-systems, data analytic tools, and other fundamentals. 

Concepts complicate gradually. Following courses cover excel spreadsheets in data analytics that involve filtering and creating pivot tables along with basics in using spreadsheets for data visualizations. 

Coursera does not mandate prior experience for students. Both entry-level learners hoping to choose a career in data analysis as well as learners who simply wish to master Excel spreadsheets in their respective fields can apply.

With courses rated at 4.7 and beyond, students are equipped with important skillsets in creating and communicating data visualizations using Cognos and Excel. Once you complete a course, you can earn a certificate to display on your resume, profile, or Github portfolio inflating your chances to land as an entry-level data analyst.

Data Analytics Courses: 3 | Duration: 4 months | Certificate: Coursera Plus
Info: View course on Coursera. Browse: Search all data analytics courses.

4. Data Analysis – University of Cape Town 

Data Analysis (visit website) authorized by the University of Cape Town is another 8-week program aimed at data analysts and individuals to help them advance their careers in data science. Some of the key skills that you will pick up in this course include manipulating, analyzing, and interpreting data with Microsoft Excel.

Most of the class is designed to assist learners to understand the various ways analysts can derive meaningful insights from data through statistical analysis. With the skills acquired in this course, learners would be able to distinguish between effective and ineffective practices, eventually solving key problems for business.

Towards the end, participants will be able to apply their data analytical skills across a wider spectrum in the industry, acquire greater familiarity with various practices in data analysis, and better understand databases. This is among the best data analysis courses online to learn to interpret data to inform business strategy.

Subject: Data Analysis | Duration: 8 weeks | Certificate: CPD Certified.
Level: Professionals | Pace: Instructor-lead | Price: $968
Info: Visit course website. Get free prospectus. Browse all courses on GetSmarter.

5. Data Analytics Literacy – Pluralsight

Pluralsight offers some of the best data analytics courses online This path (visit website) is suitable for all three learning levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. To help learners opt for the right level of difficulty, the platform offers a skill test and a free trial.

At the beginner level, you will familiarize yourself with the typical analytics workflow, differentiating data types, and using appropriate tools for analysis. As an intermediate, you will encounter descriptive analytics and its application to data sets under inspection. You will also learn how to design experiments to expand your ability in data analysis. 

Advanced level aims at applying statistical models to business operations. Learners will work with various analytic systems such as RDBMS (Relational Database Management System), OLAP ( Online Analytical Processing), NoSQL, and others. 

One great perk of the class is its low cost with ample value. With program pre-requisites being basic Math, familiarity with primary data tools, such as spreadsheets, and basic computer literacy, almost anyone can apply for these data analytics courses online.

Data Analytics Courses: 6 | Instructors: Janani Ravi, Axel Sirota
Info: View Course. $29/month. Includes certificate. Get a 7-day free trial here.

6. Data Analyst with Python – DataCamp 

DataCamp’s Data Analyst with Python (visit website) is for learners looking to acquire career-building skills without prior coding experience. The program offers a compact Python-based module and aspiring data professionals can hone integral skills that can prepare them for success in the practical realm. You are opting for a hands-on approach towards importing, cleaning and visualizing data. 

Working with standard popular libraries including Matplotlib, Numpy, Pandas, you can get the experience of managing real-world databases from the Titanic and Twitter’s streaming API. The goal is to enable learners’ exploratory, data manipulation, and analytic skills before prepping them for SQL queries and data tables. 

All in all, it offers a systematic learning path with five modules that do not require any prior experience curve for learners to understand and excel. In the free trial, you can view the first modules of all data analytics courses. The subscription rate starts at $25/month. This is one of the best data analytics courses online for Python based programming.

Data Analysis Courses: 16 | Time: 62 hours | Certificate: Yes
Info: View course. Standard $25/month. Premium $33/month. Discount available.

7. Data Analyst with R – DataCamp

DataCamp’s Data Analyst with R (visit website) is a similar career path to its Python-based module above in that learners do not require any experience with coding.

Comprising of five modules, the path begins with an easy introduction to R. From here, the modules progress to integral language functions related to conditional statements, loops, and vectors. By mastering data visualization tools, data tables, and dplyr, you can command database queries with expertise. 

Data Analyst with R spans over five modules at $25 a month. It gradually increases their level of complexity. Progressing systematically from simpler to more expert-level concepts makes it easier for novice learners to grasp the subject. 

One great perk of the program is its hands-on approach to real-world data sets acquired from Australian population figures to Netflix films. By mastering R and SQL, data analysts can jump with confidence into real-life analytics. This is one of the best data analytics courses online based on the R programming language.

Data Analysis Courses: 19 | Time: 77 hours | Certificate: Yes
Info: View course. Standard $25/month. Premium $33/month. Discount available.

Tip: To explore learning opportunities, you may browse our lists of the best Udacity courses, DataCamp Courses, or Pluralsight courses, or Coursera courses.

8. Python for Data Analysts – Pluralsight

Just as before, Python for Data Analysts (visit website) comes with a three-tiered video training course for learners with different levels of expertise. Pluralsight draws on the most compelling use of Python for data analysts: data treatment and analysis.

Through 11 online data analytics courses, learners can equip themselves with skills in common Python environments, such as Jupyter notebooks and IDEs. Mastering numbers and strings, learners will proceed to define functions and use standard Python libraries like Numpy, Matplotlib, Pandas, and Scipy. 

The course is aimed at learners with entry-level data analytics literacy and charges an affordable $19/month. You can start with a beginner’s introduction to creating a Python analytics solution and move your way up to the application of Python to databases at the more advanced levels. One of the best data analytics courses online with Python.

Data Analysis Courses: 11 | Instructors: Janani Ravi, Xavier Morera
info: View Course. From $29/month. Includes certificate. Get a 7-day free trial here.

9. IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate – Coursera 

By enrolling for this professional certificate (visit website), learners can come out of the specialization with job-ready and in-demand skills in data analysis. 

Despite being a professional program, applicants are not required any prior experience and the program charges an affordable $39 a month. According to statistics on Coursera’s own website, 38% of all learners managed to make a career switch to an entry-level data analyst at the end of the specialization. 

Through the program, students can advance their skills in Python using Numpy and Pandas. You will pick up proficiency in using Excel for data mining and wrangling, building dashboards with IBM Cognos Analytics, visualizing data with Matplotlib, and creating queries to analyze data in the cloud. 

Upon completing, learners will earn a sharable entry-level professional certificate authorized by IBM and access to career support. Except for one, all data analytics courses are rated at 4.5 and beyond, making it a reliable learning path for absolute beginners. The availability of financial aid makes it extremely accessible for learners from low-income backgrounds.

Data Analytics Courses: 9 | Duration: 11 months to complete | Instructor: Rav Ahuja
Info: View course on Coursera. Browse: Search all data analytics courses.

10. Data Analytics Master’s Program – Edureka! 

Edureka’s Master’s program (visit website) comes with 250+ hours of interactive learning spanned over four compulsory courses and several elective modules to supplement the learning path. It focuses on building analytic proficiency amongst learners that can equip them with the competence and confidence of professional analysts.

Its course topics are claimed to be curated from extensive research of 5000+ job descriptions across the world. Eudreka boasts a successful Alumni profile that lends credibility to the course’s effectiveness. 

Core topics include statistical training, Data Analytics with R, SAS, and Tableau. Several learner-centered benefits make it easier for students to become certified data analysts. Course study is self-paced and comes with the bonus of batch and time-switching depending upon availability. 

Data Analytics Master’s Program does not require specific pre-requisites and students from various professional and scholastic backgrounds can opt for entry-level training. Professional support is ensured for each enrolled student which makes it one of the best data analytics courses online for those seeking an individual learning experience.

Modules: 10 | Time: 5-6 weeks | Interactive Hours: 250 hours | Certificate: Yes
Type: Master’s | Capstone: Yes | Price: $1,099. | Info: View course.

Reading tip: See our lists of best Python courses, business analytics courses, machine learning courses, or AI courses to learn specific skills.

11. Data Analyst Professional Certificate – edX

The professional certificate in Data Analytics brings the opportunity to work with IBM Cognos Analytics to build dashboards. Learners must prepare themselves for around 10 months of 2-4 hours of study per week.

Beginning with the basics of Data Analytics, the program gradually scales up to descriptions of data ecosystems, generating queries in SQL and Python, analyzing data with standard Python libraries, and data visualizations. 

The data analytics courses and modules are authorized by university-backed credits and offer self-paced learning. Finishing the program with a professional certificate will prepare students as entry-level data analyst professionals.

With a 20% labor growth expected for data analysts in the market, certified candidates can confidently position themselves as an associate or junior data analysts. No experience is required, and learners with and without college degrees can apply with a one-time fee.

Data Analysis Courses: 8 | Duration: 10 months | Certificate: Yes. IBM
Price: from $699.

12. Data Analytics for Business – FutureLearn

FutureLearn’s Online Expert Track is aimed at developing core analytic skills to manage, wrangle and analyze data with Excel and SQLite. At $39 per month, learners can brace themselves for a 14-week tenure of self-paced learning. Certificates are awarded at the end of completing each class and there are three online data analytics courses in total. 

Data Analytics for Business is offered at an introductory level without requiring any prior experience. The program is suited for early professionals looking to enhance their skills and expertise, business professionals looking for a role switch, or business graduates looking to add qualitative skills to their resumes. 

Since this is a business analytic program, much of it is focused on building skills that can bridge the demand and supply. Core skills and learning outcomes include data analysis, interpretation, and management with SQL and spreadsheets, basic statistics, and fundamental data analytic techniques and database tools.

Data Analysis Courses: 3 | Duration: 12 weeks | Certificate: Yes.
Level: Introductory | Price: from $39/month. 

13. Data Analytics Bootcamp: Data Analyst – Springboard 

The Bootcamp is directed at supplementing hiring potential with career support. Course modules span over six months of self-paced learning. With unlimited 1:1 mentorship, students can make as many calls as needed to advisors and career coaches every week.

Springboard encourages beginners looking to land a job as business or data analysts o apply for the course. The price ($1,100) comes with a money-back guarantee if learners fail to land a job within six months of completing the course. 

Bootcamp’s syllabus revolves around building problem-solving, technical thinking, and communication skills. To enable students to graduate with an “analytical mindset”, the program incorporates insights from McKinsey experts and case studies from Harvard Business School. 

Springboard’s career track covers a total of five modules distributed over a 400+ hour curriculum. In the first module, core exercises such as HDEIP Framework, Issue Trees, Hypotheses Trees, and Value Driver Trees will help learners develop structured thinking. While financial concepts, data analysis with SQL, visualization with Python, and data communication follow soon after.

Although the program is aimed at beginners, learners are required around two years of professional experience with office-based data and programming before enrolment.

Duration: 6 months | Certificate: Yes. | Info: Hands-on experience. Career support.
1:1 Mentoring: Yes | Job Guarantee: Yes | Price: from $1,099/month.

14. Analyze Data with Python – Codecademy

Analyze Data with Python is a beginner’s course aimed at learners without any substantial experience with data. By signing up with Codecademy Pro, you can subscribe to the skill path and earn a certificate of completion. The monthly subscription is $12.

In this learning path, students can move beyond basic Excel skills to use Python for visualizing data, interpreting and managing larger datasets, and running A/B tests for further evaluation. For this purpose, learners will practice in Numpy as the standard Python library to sort and organize giant-sized data and perform statistical operations. 

Since it’s a skill path, students will have the advantage of leveraging hands-on experience with real-world data sets obtained from popular brands, such as ShoeFly and the food startup Nosh Mish Mosh.

Data Analysis Courses: 8 | Duration: 10 weeks | Certificate: Yes.
Level: Beginners, Intermediates | Price: from $17.99/month. 

15. Python Data Analysis and Visualization – Educative 

Educative offers a learning path comprising of four modules billed at $79 annually. Module 1 begins with analytic and visualization basics in Python. Next is familiarity with the powerful assortment of standard Python libraries. Module 3 and 4 deal with vectorization operations and visualizations with Matplotlib, respectively.

Python Data Analysis and Visualization mirror a crash course that compresses years of analytic training in short, doable modules. These allow users to execute code for tasks without having to watch hour-long videos. Course materials are short and crisp and new learners can easily imbibe them.

Data Analysis Lessons: 151 | Quizzes: 24 | Challenges: 12 Duration: 12 weeks Certificate: Yes. | Level: Introductory | Price: from $14.99/month. 

16. Become a Data Analytics Specialist – LinkedIn Learning 

LinkedIn offers aspirants a comprehensive learning path spanning nine data analytics courses online for self-paced learning. Core skills taught in the program include statistics foundations, financial forecasting, data-mining, predictive, and meta-analytics. 

At the end of the program, students are awarded a badge of completion. With the first three courses revolving around foundational statistics, the program aims at enabling beginners with job-ready skills. Uncertain candidates can use the 1st month of the free trial before choosing to opt for the $22.52/month learning path.

Data Analytics Courses: 9 | Duration: 2-4 weeks | Certificate: Yes.
Level: Introductory | Info: View course. | Price: from $17.99/month. Get free trial.

How to Choose the Best Data Analytics Courses Online

The last few years have seen an exponential rise in both data analytic applications as well as training platforms. Experts believe that data analytics is still in its infancy and the potential for it is immense.

All of this combines to make the process of choosing the best data analytics courses online both difficult and momentous. It is still possible to streamline your choice in the direction best suited to your individual circumstance.

Ask yourself a set of questions related to

• your prior knowledge in data analytics 
• financial standings as well as goals for the future
• learning competency
• learning method you are best suited to

Entry – Most entry-level training familiarizes learners with level 0 or 1 of introduction to Python, Excel, SAS, and R. Progressive levels include visualization tools such as QlikView / Tableau / D3.js, Big Data Tools, and NoSQL Databases.

Intermediates – Aspirants who have some background in web development/software engineering can afford to skip the initial learning levels entirely and apply for programs offering intermediate-level data analytics courses online with Python or Java.

Advanced – From here you must proceed to advanced techniques of learning. Level-up from basic statistics and predictive modeling to the more advanced levels that teach machine learning and deep learning. 

Another point of consideration is your learning curve. How many hours can you invest and what’s your learning motivation? Learning paths and online courses are typically less expensive than onsite university courses but require a greater degree of self-motivation. 

Keeping in mind your range for financial investment and long-term goals, you should go for those online data analytics courses that can reciprocate the greatest value in terms of the skills you will need to acquire for a specific job application. 

Best Data Analytics Courses Online 2023 – Verdict

Wrapping up our tour of the best data analytics courses online. With around 400 billion gigabytes of data out in the world, the role of a data analyst is both imperative and one that is increasingly endorsed by most businesses. For analytic professionals, there never was a better time to leverage their statistical and managerial skills. 

Aspiring candidates have the incentive of commanding massive salaries and making valuable contributions toward organizational growth and personal development. Your journey commences from the point you opt for the best data analytics courses online.

In most cases, one’s financial standings and prior experience inform their decision to join a particular program. For novice learners with small financial margins, low-cost and value-based courses, such as the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate by Coursera and Python Data Analysis and Visualization by Educative, can make it easier to stand out.

What are the best data analytics courses online? What is your learning experience? If you have taken any of the courses above and have become a data analyst yourself, please share your experience below. Alternatively, feel free to suggest other career tracks missing on our list, and we will consider adding them.

Sources: What is matplotlib – 1 | what is numpy? – 2 | Pandas User Guide – 3

Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to some providers of data analytics courses online. courselounge may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. It does not add any extra costs. All reviews, opinions, descriptions and comparisons expressed here are our own.