Where to Find the Best Online Data Science Courses in 2021
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a 15 percent growth in data science jobs by 2029, so it is no surprise that many people are searching for the best online data science courses in 2021. Since it can be hard to find the best online courses for your career goals, we have compiled a list of the top 10 online data science courses currently available.
Whether you want to study the basics of data science, learn artificial intelligence, or even explore data analytics, there is an online course out there for you. These online data science courses will not only provide you with the education to jumpstart your career, but also give you the freedom to do so on your terms. Read on to see which online course is best for you.
What Is Data Science?
Data science is the study of various structured and unstructured sets of data. Those who work in the data science field may perform a number of tasks, but the end goal is always to use data analysis and perform studies that lead to real-world applications of conclusions drawn from sets of data.
If you decide to become a data scientist, you will likely work with big data, various programming languages, and complex database systems. The goal of this career is to use the study of data for practical purposes, such as determining the best ways to find, manage, and securely store large sets of data or sensitive information.
What Will You Learn in a Data Science Course?
The course you enroll in will likely have an emphasis on data science and machine learning. Many data science courses teach important programming languages, such as Python and JavaScript. You will also study the basic components of the data science process.
More niche topics you may learn in an online data science course include data visualization, open-source software, the basics of artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML). Though you can take specific AI or ML courses, these subjects often appear in the more generalized data science courses, allowing you to have a broader education.
Top Online Data Science Courses in 2021 at a Glance
Enrolling in one of the top online data science courses of 2021 is a great way to get your data science career started. Below are 10 of the best courses you can choose from, all varying in cost and duration.
Provider and Course | Price | Length | Certificate |
---|---|---|---|
Coursera Applied Data Science with Python Specialization |
Free | 5 months | Yes |
Coursera IBM Data Science Professional Certificate |
Free | 11 months | Yes |
Codecademy Data Scientist Career Path |
$19.99 per month | 35 weeks | Yes |
edX Data Science Professional Certificate |
$792.80 | 17 months | Yes |
edX Data Science MicroMasters Program |
$1,260 | 10 months | Yes |
Udacity Data Visualization |
$1,356 | 4 months | No |
Udacity Intro to Data Science |
Free | 2 months | No |
Udemy Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp |
$94.99 | 25 hours | Yes |
Udemy Machine Learning A-Z: Hands-On Python and R in Data Science |
$94.99 | 44 hours | Yes |
Udemy The Data Science Course 2021 |
$99.99 | 29 hours | Yes |
Best Data Science Courses of 2021
Below are 10 of the best online data science courses you can take in 2021. With courses lasting anywhere from a couple of days to over a year and prices varying from free to $1,356, it is safe to say there is a course for everyone on this list. Take some time to explore our top picks and determine which of them is best for you.
Applied Data Science with Python Specialization by Coursera
This applied data science course is offered by Coursera in conjunction with the University of Michigan. For those who want to both study data science and learn Python, this is the course for you.
In this free five-month-long course, you will study inferential statistical analyses, machine learning, and data visualization. The course is taught using real-world scenarios and hands-on learning activities to help students thrive. Upon completing the course, students are rewarded with a certificate to show off their success.
IBM Data Science Professional Certificate by Coursera
This IBM Data Science Professional Certificate is a course offered on Coursera by IBM. This course is totally free to enroll in, takes approximately 11 months to complete, and is designed for beginners. You don’t need to have any experience to enroll in this course, and you’ll walk away with a professional certificate at the end.
Since this course is designed for beginners, you will start by learning about what data science is and covering the basics of the field. You’ll also learn about importing and cleaning sets of data, basic data analysis skills, and programming languages such as Python and SQL.
Data Scientist Career Path by Codecademy
At Codecademy, you can sign up for a Pro membership for $19.99 per month and enroll in the data scientist career path. Signing up for Codecademy Pro also gives you access to other career paths, so the price may be worth it for you. The course takes around 35 weeks to complete and is described as being similar to a self-guided Bootcamp.
While enrolled in this course, you will learn everything you need to know to become a successful data scientist. You will learn SQL for databases, Python for statistical analysis, and even the basics of becoming a machine learning engineer.
Data Science Professional Certificate by edX
This Data Science Professional Certificate is offered by edX with Harvard University and contains course content developed by Harvard professionals. The course costs $792.80 and is totally self-paced. The average student completes the course in around 17 months with two to three hours of work per week.
While enrolled in this certificate program, you will study R programming basics, data visualization, data wrangling, machine learning, and much more. While this is technically a program containing more than one course, each course in the program can be taken independently and, if you choose to do so, still applied toward the professional certificate.
Data Science MicroMasters Program by edX
The Data Science MicroMasters, offered by edX with the University of California at San Diego, costs $1,260 to enroll in. This program usually takes students 10 months to complete when putting in between 9 and 11 hours per week.
Though this is a program with multiple courses, it is well worth your time. Each course in the program takes you one step closer to becoming a data scientist. Everything from Python and Apache Spark skills to big data and machine learning fundamentals is covered.
Data Visualization by Udacity
If you are hoping to study a more niche area of data science, this data visualization course offered by Udacity is right up your alley. The course costs $1,356 and takes roughly four months of studying at 10 hours a week to complete. As part of one of Udacity’s nanodegree programs, it provides you with mentor support, hands-on projects, and other benefits.
While enrolled in this course, you will learn how to build on your business skills and use data to communicate. This online course teaches students how to create impactful data representations, as well as how to communicate findings from data sets to an audience in a fun and engaging way.
Intro to Data Science by Udacity
This introduction to data science course is offered by Udacity for free. The course takes roughly two months to complete, though the entire course is self-paced, so you can easily spend less or more time studying as needed.
The primary focuses of this course are data manipulation, data analysis with statistics and machine learning, data communication with visualizations, and working with big data. You will learn the topics with hands-on learning activities, interactive quizzes, and instructor videos.
Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp by Udemy
This course currently costs $94.99, though because it is an Udemy course, the price is subject to frequent change. The course consists of roughly 25 hours of on-demand video lectures and is self-paced.
While enrolled in this course, you will learn how to use technologies like NumPy, pandas, Seaborn, and Plotly. You will also study machine learning and big data analysis. Upon completing the course, you will earn a certificate of completion to show off your achievement.
Machine Learning A-Z: Hands-On Python & R in Data Science by Udemy
This course teaches hands-on Python and R skills. It currently costs $94.99 but is subject to frequent change, and it consists of 44 hours of on-demand video lectures, 73 articles, and 38 additional learning resources.
While enrolled in this course, you will learn to master machine learning using both Python and R, make powerful machine learning models, and analyze important data sets. The course is focused primarily on the use of machine learning, though you will continue to study important data science subjects prior to completing the course.
The Data Science Course 2021 by Udemy
This Udemy course offers students a complete data science training education in just under 29 hours of on-demand video lectures. Currently, the course costs $99.99, but Udemy courses are often discounted, so the price is likely to change frequently.
While enrolled in this course, you will learn the math, statistics, and programming languages considered vital to a data scientist in 2021. You will also learn big data, machine learning, and how to use deep learning frameworks.
Data Science Certifications
In addition to the certificates you can earn from completing online data science courses, there are many data science certifications you can earn. Certifications carry a bit more weight than course certificates, and these three will make you much more employable.
DASCA Associate Big Data Engineer
This certification is one of the most desired certifications by employers in the field. It is recommended to have earned an undergraduate degree prior to pursuing this certification but not required. The prep course and exam can be purchased together for $585.
Google Professional Data Engineer
This certification demonstrates your ability to design, build, and operate data processing systems and use machine learning models. The certification is earned after passing the certification exam, which costs $200 to take.
SAS Certified Data Scientist
This certification is a combination of two smaller credentials in data curation and either advanced analytics or artificial intelligence and machine learning. Though each of the three can be earned individually, it is recommended to complete at least two and become a certified data scientist.
You can enroll in preparation courses on the SAS website or skip straight to the exam.
Next Steps After Your Course
After completing a data science course, you’ll likely be wondering what the best move is. We recommend pursuing a degree, if you haven’t already, as one is typically needed to work as a data scientist.
Even if you only have an undergraduate degree, you’ll be able to begin working entry-level positions and earning around $85,283 per year, according to PayScale. If you already have an undergraduate degree, we recommend considering a graduate degree and pursuing various certifications so that you can earn an even higher annual salary.
Should You Learn Data Science?
With data science being such a rapidly growing field, we think now is one of the best times to get into this career.
Even if you aren’t sure about pursuing a data science career, it can be a useful subject to study. Whether you want to become a data scientist, work in the tech field, or simply learn about big data, we think you should register for a few online courses and start learning data science today.