Learning Python is one of the wisest career decisions you can make. This programming language is used across multiple industries and companies of all sizes. So, where and how do you get started?
If you’re having trouble deciding between the many online Python courses, we have a few that we suggest you start with.
Table of Contents
Top Online Python Courses to Sign Up For
To create this list of Python courses, we looked at aspects such as user experience, reviews, price, and accessibility. Here they are in no particular order.
1. Python For Everybody – Coursera
- Cost: 7-day free trial; $49 per month
- Duration: +-8 months
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
Python for Everybody has attracted over 1,300,000 learners to date and has a rating of 4.8/5. Students will learn how to install and write their first program in Python, use variables to store, calculate, and retrieve data, describe Python’s basics, and use functions and loops.
This specialization consists of five courses that cover web data, databases, visualizing data, and much more. At the end of the course, learners will work on a final hands-on project to help them gain a certificate from the University of Michigan and unlock new doors to a Python career. The modules consist of video recordings, reading materials, hands-on practice, quizzes, homework, and communication with peers.
2. CS50’s Introduction to Programming With Python – edX
- Cost: Free (Optional Premium upgrade)
- Duration: 10 weeks
- Qualification:None
edX is home to one of the best free Python online courses out there. The CS50’s Introduction to Programming with Python from HarvardX is designed to help learners grasp the basics of this in-demand programming language in no more than ten weeks.
The course is self-paced and starts almost every day of the week. This introduction program tackles functions, return values, arguments, types, variables, conditionals, and all the other elements required to master Python.
The course is pre-recorded and is available in the form of video lectures. Video transcripts are available in English, as are plenty of reading materials and resources for independent learning. The program comes with an optional upgrade to receive a verified certificate.
3. Google IT Automation With Python Professional Certificate – Coursera
- Cost: 7-day free trial; $49 per month
- Duration: +-6 months
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
If you’re looking to get a head start in a Python-oriented career, why not do so while obtaining an official certificate from Google?
This Coursera Professional Certificate track, in cooperation with Google, teaches the most in-demand skills related to IT automation. Learn how to automate tasks, analyze real-world IT issues, and apply different strategies to solve those problems with this Coursera program that already has more than 430,000 students.
The program prepares learners for IT roles like Systems Administrator, IT Support Specialist, and others. Modules consist of pre-recorded video lessons, hands-on projects, plenty of assignments, and a final real-world challenge in Qwicklabs.
4. Automate the Boring Stuff With Python Programming – Udemy
- Cost: $50
- Duration: +-10 hours
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is one of Udemy’s most popular Python courses, with more than a million students and a 4.7/5 rating.
This practical course is perfect for administrators, office workers, and academics who wish to be more productive and learn the basics of this robust programming language. The course teaches how to automate computer tasks using simple Python programs, manage Excel spreadsheets, crawl websites, write programs, and much more.
The course consists of 16 sections and 51 lectures that take 9 hours and 30 minutes to go over. The content progresses gradually, it doesn’t require any programming experience and mostly consists of on-demand video lessons. You’ll have to install Python on your computer manually, but this section is covered at the beginning of the course.
5. Applied Data Science With Python Specialization – Coursera
- Cost: 7-day free trial; $49 per month
- Duration: 5 months
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
If you wish to learn Python to help you start a career as a data scientist, the University of Michigan has another excellent specialization on Coursera.
This program focuses on skills needed for data scientists, such as text mining, data cleansing, data virtualization, machine learning, and others. You’ll be conducting inferential statistical analysis, applying machine learning, working with data visualization, and much more.
This is an intermediate-level specialization that requires some related experience. The modules consist of pre-recorded instructor-led video lectures. Expect assignments and reading materials to reinforce your learning throughout the course. Note that you need to complete all graded assignments to get a certificate of completion in the end.
6. Learn Pro Advanced Python Programming – Udemy
- Cost: $95
- Duration: 26 hours
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
If you are an experienced Python programmer, you may want to finetune your skills with this advanced course by Udemy.
The course teaches learners how to create machine learning models, explores the math behind machine learning models, and shows you how to create real-time applications.
The overall course duration is more than 26 hours, so the program can be completed in less than one month following the one-hour-per-day learning pace. All learning content remains available to the student for an unlimited amount of time, and there’s also a certificate of completion available at the end. To follow this course, you need at least basic Python knowledge.
7. Introduction to Python Programming – Udacity
- Cost: Free
- Duration: +-5 weeks
- Qualification: Certificate of completion
Udacity’s awesome Nanodegree program for data analysts has a separate course that teaches an intro to Python, and it’s perfect for those who already have some programming knowledge.
The course teaches how to solve problems using Python, represent and store data in Python, use types and variables, loops and conditionals, and much more.
This rich,-in-content course mostly consists of pre-recorded video lectures and interactive quizzes. Learners are also encouraged to work in Python independently. The learning is self-paced, and the classes are all taught by leading industry experts. After the introductory course, Udacity offers various nanodegrees to build upon the basics.
What Python Is Good For?
Python is one of the most widely used programming languages for website and software development, data analysis, task automation, machine learning, and data visualization.
Python is super popular because of its ease of use, simple syntax, versatility, and thriving community.
Here is why you should consider learning Python:
- High demand. There is currently a high demand for Python developers in almost any industry. If you plan to land a software or web developer job, you’ll almost certainly have to learn Python sooner or later.
- Prospective salaries. Learning Python pays off. You can expect to earn from $81,000 to $110,000 per year as a Python developer, according to Salary.com.
- Plenty of job offers. Given Python’s versatility and wide use, you can find a job with this skill in most industries. If you want to future-proof your career, then Python is undoubtedly a way to go.
Conclusion
Python is one of the most in-demand programming languages and will remain so for years. If you’re still undecisive about whether you should start learning, our advice is to jump right into it. We have provided just enough learning options whether you’re a complete beginner or already have some experience.
The final expert tip when learning Python independently is to never stop at a single learning source – you can only master Python when you’re open to different ideas and resources. That’s why you should sign up for two or more Python courses one after another to consolidate your knowledge and get more insight from industry experts.