Whether you’re aiming for the “data analyst” job title or want to master data analysis to help your current career, getting to grips with data is a smart move—and the right training will set you up for success.
We’ve rounded up nine of the best data analytics courses available on the market right now, if you’re thinking of taking one. We’ve divided our list into two categories: comprehensive career-change courses, introductory courses, and upskilling courses. If you’d like to start learning data from scratch, try CareerFoundry’s free 5-day short course to see if it’s for you.
- Why take a data analytics course?
- The top data analytics courses on the market right now
- The best data analytics courses for professional development
- Next steps
If you’re at the very beginning of your journey, be sure to check out CareerFoundry’s free data short course which takes you through the data analytics process. First, though, let’s consider the benefits of taking a data analytics course, as well as some things to bear in mind before you sign up.
Why take a data analytics course?
Data skills are in high demand. The World Economic Forum reports that jobs for data analysts and data scientists are facing the highest growth, followed by AI, machine learning engineers, and big data specialists. In fact, no matter where you look, you’ll see that data skills feature consistently across the most in-demand tech jobs.
Essentially, anyone with data skills is a huge asset—and this is not just a fleeting trend. As technology advances and companies scramble to leverage data, those with data expertise will play an increasingly crucial role across all industries and sectors. So, if you’re thinking about adding data analytics to your repertoire, you’re certainly on to a good thing.
A good data analytics course will teach you the processes, skills, and tools you need to confidently handle large volumes of data—no matter what industry you work in. Given the growth of the field and the high demand for skilled analysts, a course is a great investment.
However, when choosing a data analytics course, it’s important to remember that not all offerings are created equal. Think about your goals: Should the course prepare you for a complete career change, or simply equip you with some fundamental skills? You’ll also want to consider your budget, how much time you can commit to the course, and your starting point—are you a beginner starting from scratch, or do you already have some knowledge or experience you can draw from?
Keep these things in mind as you browse our list. Hopefully by the end, you’ll have a few clear frontrunners! So, without further ado: What are the best data analytics courses in 2024? Let’s take a look.
The top data analytics courses on the market right now
In this section, we’ll introduce our top picks for data analytics courses, based on extensive market research. We’ve included a mixture of complete career-change courses and less intensive introductory courses, so there’s something for everyone. Let’s jump in!
1. The CareerFoundry Data Analytics Program
The CareerFoundry data analytics course at a glance:
- Format: Fully online, flexibly paced, with the support of a mentor and a tutor
- Cost: $7,505—7,900 USD
- Duration: 5 months full-time (30-40 hours per week) or 8 months part-time (15-20 hours per week)
If you’re looking for a comprehensive course that will take you from beginner to job-ready in a matter of months, consider the CareerFoundry Data Analytics Program.
This fully online, flexibly-paced course will take you through all the key steps in the data analysis process—from data cleaning and analysis, all the way through to visualization and storytelling. You’ll also learn Python, one of the most in-demand languages, and data ethics.
The real USPs of this particular course are the level of human support offered, the project-based curriculum, and the job guarantee. Although you’re studying online, you’ll be paired with a mentor and a tutor (both industry experts) and, further down the line, a career specialist.
The curriculum is heavily task and project-based, so you’ll practice what you learn and graduate with a fully-fledged data analytics portfolio. And, if you don’t find a job within six months of completing the course, you could be eligible to get your money back as per the terms of the job guarantee.
CareerFoundry’s offering comes in at $7,505 for the entire program, but the cost of the tuition is dependent on your location and is competitively priced.
A range of flexible payment options include paying upfront, or getting a small course discount. Contact one of their program advisors to find out your local pricing and if there are any partial scholarships available.
Useful links and next steps
If you like the sound of the CareerFoundry Data Analytics Program and want to explore it further:
- Try out the free introductory data analytics short course
- Take a look at the course curriculum
- How the Job Guarantee works
2. The Springboard Data Analytics Bootcamp
The Springboard data analytics course at a glance:
- Format: Online
- Cost: $11,300 USD
- Duration: 6 months (15-20 hours per week)
Similar to CareerFoundry but pricier, the Springboard data analytics course offers a comprehensive career-change package for aspiring analysts. The curriculum comprises videos, articles, and coursework, covering topics such as framing and analyzing business problems, connecting data using SQL, data visualization, and presenting your findings. You’ll work with a mentor and a career coach to refine your skills and prepare for the job search, and if you don’t get a job within six months of completing the course, you’ll get your money back.
The Springboard course is geared towards career-changers, but it’s not accessible for absolute beginners. To qualify for the course, you’ll need to demonstrate certain prerequisites, including strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, together with two years of professional work experience using office, design, or programming tools. The admissions team will review your application and determine your eligibility.
Useful links and next steps
Learn more about the Springboard data analytics course:
3. The Thinkful Data Analytics Bootcamp
The Thinkful data analytics course at a glance:
- Format: Online
- Cost: $8,240 USD (part-time option) or $13,475 USD (full-time option)
- Duration: 4 months full-time or 6 months part-time
As one of the more expensive—and intensive—options on our list, the Thinkful Data Analytics Bootcamp is another course that will set you up for a career in the field. The curriculum is geared towards job-ready skills, but you’ll need to enter your email address in order to see the exact topics covered.
Thinkful offers two options: the full-time accelerated route or the more flexible part-time pathway. If you choose the full-time route, you’ll study five days a week from 10am to 5pm for four months, and you’ll need to complete a four week self-paced prep course beforehand.
The part-time route allows you to study independently at a pace of 20-30 hours per week, over the course of six months. There are no prerequisites for the part-time route, so you can get started right away. Aside from the pacing, a key difference between the full-time and part-time pathways lies in the level of support you’ll get; the former comes with dedicated learning assistants, while the latter will give you access to optional office hours. Whichever route you choose, the Thinkful course is one of the most comprehensive and immersive routes into the field.
Useful links and next steps
If you’d like to learn more about the Thinkful data analytics course, check out the following:
4. The CodeOp Data Analytics Course
The CodeOp course at a glance:
- Format: Online live classes or in-person bootcamp (Barcelona or Kuala Lumpur)
- Cost: 6,500€ online (approx. $7,160 USD) or 7,200€ in-person (approx. $8,550 USD)
- Duration: 550 hours spread over 6 months part-time (evenings) or 10 weeks full-time (Monday-Friday)
CodeOp is on a mission to help solve the diversity and inclusion problem in tech, offering bootcamps exclusively to women, trans, and gender non-conforming people.
The data analytics course is available online, delivered via live classes, or as an in-person bootcamp. Whichever route you choose, you’ll cover 550 hours of lectures and activities spanning core topics such as programming for data analytics, infrastructure and SQL, statistics, and machine learning.
With a career prep module to finish, the CodeOp course will prepare you for the job search in your new field—but note that, unlike some of the other options on our list, this course doesn’t come with a job guarantee.
There are no prerequisites for the CodeOp course, making it a great option for beginners, and the focus on hands-on skills will leave you feeling confident as you embark on your new career path.
Useful links and next steps
If you like the sound of the CodeOp data analytics course, check out the following:
The best data analytics courses for professional development
1. The SF Data School Beginner’s Guide to Data and Data Analytics
The Beginner’s Guide to Data & Data Analytics at a glance:
- Format: Fully online via Udemy, self-paced
- Cost: $70 USD (Approx.)
- Duration: 1.5 hours of on-demand video
If you’re looking for a gentle introduction to data analytics, this short, budget-friendly course provides an excellent starting point.
Hosted on Udemy and offered by the San Francisco Data School, it will give you a high-level overview of the data field, covering topics such as the difference between data analytics and data science, the most popular data analytics tools, and the technical processes used by practitioners.
Finally, the course sets out a roadmap for the path you can take if you’re thinking about becoming a data analyst. The curriculum is divided into nine short lectures, ranging from 8 to 18 minutes each, taught by data experts Colby Schrauth and Serge LeBlanc.
Bear in mind that this course will teach you about data analytics as a discipline, but it won’t equip you with any hands-on skills that you can practice and apply. As mentioned in the course description, it’s all about understanding the bigger picture and putting data into context. From there, you can delve deeper with one of the other courses on our list.
Useful links and next steps
If you’re curious about this course, check out the official course trailer.
2. The Simplilearn Introduction to Data Analytics Course for Beginners
The Simplilearn data analytics course at a glance:
- Format: Fully online
- Cost: $2,750 USD (Approx.)
- Duration: 3 hours of self-paced learning
This is another good option if you’re looking for an introduction to the field without necessarily committing to a comprehensive course.
Over three hours of self-paced learning, you’ll explore the fundamentals of data analytics through real-world case studies and examples. Topics covered include project lifecycles, the difference between data analytics, data science, and machine learning, what it takes to build an analytics framework, and how analytics tools can be used to draw useful business insights. T
he curriculum is divided into eight lessons, which you can preview on the course website.
Included in the course price, you’ll get lifetime access to the learning materials, access to simulation test papers for self-assessment, and 24/7 learner assistance and support. At the end of the course, you can complete a final assessment to unlock your certificate (as long as you pass with 80% or more!)
This course won’t necessarily prepare you for a career as a data analyst, but it does offer time-efficient first step.
Useful links and next steps
Check out the following to learn more about the Simplilearn data analytics course:
3. The General Assembly Data Analytics Course
The General Assembly data analytics course at a glance:
- Format: Online
- Cost: $3,950 USD
- Duration: 10 weeks (evenings, part-time) or 1 week intensive
If you’re less focused on career-change and rather want to learn data analysis skills for your current job, General Assembly’s entry-level course is ideal.
The curriculum focuses on Excel, SQL, and Tableau, and you’ll work on a capstone project to apply what you’ve learned. You can fit the course around your job, but it’s not as flexible as some of the other options on our list—lessons take place at set times via the Remote classroom. Still, you can attend evening classes for ten weeks, or opt for the week-long intensive option.
In terms of financing the course, General Assembly offers a range of options, including employer sponsorship (where your company reimburses some or all of the cost), interest-free loans and monthly payment plans, or lump installments.
Useful links and next steps
If you’re interested in the General Assembly Data Analytics Course, explore further with the following:
4. The BrainStation Data Analytics Course
The BrainStation course at a glance:
- Format: Online or on campus (United States, Canada, and UK)
- Cost: $3,950 USD
- Duration: 10 weeks part-time
The BrainStation data analytics course offers a comprehensive yet manageable entry into the field of data analytics, spanning ten weeks on a part-time basis.
Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to organize and analyze data, how to recognize patterns and trends, and how to build visualizations in Tableau to present your insights. You’ll also complete a project, applying what you’ve learned to a dataset of your choosing.
The course is offered online via live lectures, or, for a more immersive experience, on campus in London, New York, Miami, Toronto, and Vancouver. The course doesn’t offer any kind of mentorship or career coaching, but it will equip you with key data analysis skills you can apply in the real world.
Useful links and next steps
Learn more about the BrainStation data analytics course:
5. The IBM Introduction to Data Analytics Course
The IBM data analytics course at a glance:
- Format: Online via Coursera
- Cost: $39 USD per month (Coursera subscription fee)
- Duration: 11 hours, flexibly-paced
Spanning just eleven hours of flexible learning, the IBM data analytics course is another gentle introduction to the field.
Through the Coursera learning platform, you’ll learn about the data analyst role and the tools they use, together with the fundamentals of data analysis, such as data mining. As stated in the course description, by the end, you’ll be able to visualize the daily life of a data analyst and understand the different career paths that are available.
As such, the course offers a high-level overview of the field without focusing too much on hands-on skills.
As you’d expect from an introductory course, there are no prerequisites—but high school-level math will stand you in good stead. Completion of the course can count towards a more extensive program, like the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate or the Data Analysis and Visualization Foundations Specialization.
Useful links and next steps
If you’re curious about the IBM course, explore further with the following:
Choosing a data analytics course—next steps
So there you have it: nine of the best data analytics courses on the market right now.
Some will prepare you for a career in the field, taking you from beginner to job-ready in a matter of months, while others will serve as a solid starting point for further learning.
Hopefully, as you moved through this list, you were able to pull out one or two courses that speak to your needs, goals, and budget. If so, we recommend looking into these courses in more detail: check reviews, see what their graduates are doing now, and find out as much as you can about the course content.
If you’re still looking for the right option, browse this list of the best data analytics bootcamps, or this round-up of the best data analytics certification programs.
Keen to learn more about what it takes to get started with data? Check out the following: