9 Best Data Science Courses for Beginners [+4 Data Science Learning Paths]

We here at RealToughCandy have been on a mission seeking out the best data science courses for beginners.

💰 Fun fact: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a data scientist is $94,280.

The data science career field not only pays well, but there are a TON of different career paths you can choose.

Here’s RTC’s interview she did recently with Jen from the Career Force.

Jen’s been rocking data science for nearly 20 years and knows so much about the industry.

I highly recommend you watch this interview if you’re exploring data science as a career option.

https://youtu.be/6JsIyAQH3vw

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation if you buy something. Read my disclosure for more details.

Anyway, back to the best data science courses for beginners.

After our extensive research, we selected 9 of the best data science courses for beginners.

We also found 4 top-notch data science learning paths.

That gives you 13 delicious data science options to choose from.

_number crunching intensifies_

TLDR: Best Data Science Courses for Beginners

🔥 Best Overall 🔥
Grokking Data Science – Educative.io

💥 Best for Newbies 💥
Complete Machine Learning and Data Science – Zero to Mastery

💸 Best Value 💸
Data Scientist with R Career Track – DataCamp

Best Data Science Courses for Beginners

1. Data Science for Everyone – DataCamp

💰 Price: Free course / $25 per month for all courses / $33.25 per month for all courses and projects
⏲️ Duration: 2 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Interactive learning and video
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

Maybe you’re not exactly sure what data science is.

Or maybe you are but don’t know if it’s the right career move for you.

Data Science for Everyone is a free course on DataCamp where you can get your feet wet with all things data science.

➡️ We think Data Science for Everyone is one of the best data science courses for beginners who are new to programming.

In this non-technical course, you’ll learn about the absolute basics of data science without writing any code.

Using hands-on exercises, you’ll learn about the varying roles of data scientists.

In addition you’ll learn about:

✅ A/B testing

✅ time series analysis

✅ data collection and storing

✅ experimentation and prediction

✅ machine learning

And beyond.

You’ll also learn how data scientists extract insights from real-world data.

So if you’re curious about data science and have a few hours to learn, Data Science for Everyone is a good place to start.

DataCamp is an interactive learning platform, so you’ll be doing all work inside the browser.

There are occasional videos which reinforce difficult concepts.

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2. Introduction to Data Science in Python – DataCamp

💰 Price: $25 per month for all courses / $33.25 per month for all courses and projects
⏲️ Duration: 4 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Interactive learning and video
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

Introduction to Data Science in Python is another solid data science introductory course on DataCamp.

➡️ In our opinion, Introduction to Data Science in Python is one of the best data science courses for beginners who want to learn Python.

Intended for absolute beginners, you’ll learn how the Python programming language applies to data science.

There are four chapters in the course:

Getting Started in Python

Here you’ll learn about Python syntax.

Then you’ll load Python modules and use functions to complete various exercises.

Loading Data in Pandas

Here you’ll learn about the Python library pandas.

With a series of exercises, you’ll learn to use pandas to read, modify and search tabular datasets.

Plotting Data with matplotlib

Learn how to visualize your data.

Different Types of Plots

Finally, you’ll be introduced to three new types of plots:

✅ scatter plots

✅ bar plots

✅ histograms

If you’re entirely new to data science, we recommend starting with Data Science for Everyone on DataCamp, then jumping into this course.

DataCamp is an interactive learning platform where you’ll do all work in the same browser.

But there are occasional videos to introduce new or difficult concepts.

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3. Data Science for Non-Programmers – Educative.io

💰 Price: $29 per year for course / $59 per month or $199 per year ($16.66/mo) for platform access
⏲️ Duration: 13 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Interactive learning
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

Data Science for Non-Programmers is another excellent data science starter course for students without coding experience.

➡️ Data Science for Non-Programmers is perhaps one of the best data science courses for beginners who have no prior programming experience but want to learn Python.

But in this course, you will learn how to code using the Python programming language.

Using Python, you’ll learn how to conduct data analysis on small and large datasets.

And you’ll learn concepts like data preprocessing and Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA).

Then you’ll work on more complex concepts like predictive and inferential analysis using statistical techniques.

That’s a mouthful, but it will make sense as you progress through the course.

There are only 8 modules in this course and they cover:

✅ Python basics

✅ data cleaning

✅ statistical inference

✅ predictive models

✅ machine learning

And beyond.

This hands-on course is loaded with 143 coding playgrounds, 59 illustrations and 8 quizzes.

Educative is an interactive learning platform.

So that means you’ll be doing all work in the same browser while working on exercises and quizzes.

Read our full review of Data Science for Non-Programmers.

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4. Grokking Data Science – Educative.io

💰 Price: $79 per year for course / $59 per month or $199 per year ($16.66/mo) for platform access
⏲️ Duration: 10 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Interactive learning
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

Because it is so Python-heavy, Grokking Data Science is for students who already have a beginner-level understanding of Python programming.

➡️ We believe Grokking Data Science is one of the best data science courses for beginners with some prior Python programming experience.

First you’ll learn Python fundamentals as they apply to data science such as:

✅ learning NumPy arrays, concatenation, and computations

✅ Python libraries

✅ pandas components

And data visualization techniques.

Then you’ll learn about the fundamentals of statistics such as probability and types of distributions.

Next you’ll learn about machine learning fundamentals and machine learning algorithms.

Finally you’ll work on a Kaggle challenge, an end-to-end machine learning project.

At the end of the course, you’ll receive job hunting tips and recommendations for overcoming imposter syndrome.

Grokking Data Science is intense but is still one of the best data science courses for beginners.

Educative is a hands-on learning platform.

So you’ll do all your work in the same browser with interactive learning using exercises, challenges and quizzes.

Read on to learn if Grokking Data Science is worth it.

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5. Complete Machine Learning and Data Science – Zero to Mastery

💰 Price: $29 per month / $264 per year ($22/mo)
⏲️ Duration: 42 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Video
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

Complete Machine Learning and Data Science clocks in at a whopping 42 hours of video.

But don’t let that intimidate you.

The idea behind the Zero to Mastery platform is to take you from absolute beginner to a master of a specific discipline.

In this case: data science and machine learning.

➡️ Machine Learning and Data Science is maybe one of the best data science courses for beginners who want to level up to job-ready status.

You’ll go from knowing nothing about data science to possibly being able to apply for an entry-level data science position at the completion of this course.

First, you’ll learn how to set up your dev environment.

Then you’ll learn the difference between supervised and unsupervised learning.

Also, you’ll learn about data engineering and using tools such as Hadoop and Spark.

In addition, you’ll explore data sets using data visualization tools.

You’ll then build a portfolio of the projects you’ve worked on throughout the course.

Finally, there are two massive modules on learning Python 3, which you’ll use throughout your data science career.

While much of the course is focused on data science, it is intermingled with machine learning. So you will learn both together.

In addition, there are over 60 bonus articles and resources in the course.

Zero to Mastery is a video-based learning platform. So you’ll do all work outside of the browser.

However, you will learn how to set up everything you’ll need outside of the platform.

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6. Learn Python 3 – Codecademy Pro

💰 Price: $39.99 per month / $239.88 per year ($19.99/mo)
⏲️ Duration: 30 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Interactive learning
🎖️ Codecademy Certificate: Yes

In data science, you’re going to use one of 2 programming languages: Python or R.

And Python is the more popular of the two. Plus, Python is more versatile in its usage.

➡️ We believe Learn Python 3 is one of the best data science courses for beginners who choose learning Python over R programming.

So if you want to pursue Python as your data science language of choice, we recommend Learn Python 3 by Codecademy Pro.

This would be an ideal course to take before taking Grokking Data Science by Educative.io.

You’ll learn the absolute fundamentals of Python 3, starting with a simple “Hello, World” program.

Then with 11 modules, you’ll learn other Python concepts such as:

✅ control flow

✅ functions

✅ loops

✅ strings

✅ modules

✅ function arguments

And more.

If you need to get the fundamentals of Python down before pursuing data science, we strongly recommend Learn Python 3.

Codecademy is an interactive learning platform, meaning you’ll do all work inside the browser.

You’ll do this with interactive exercises, mini projects and quizzes.

Learn more about Learn Python 3 and other Python courses on Codecademy Pro.

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7. Programming with R – Pluralsight

💰 Price: $29 per month / $299 per year ($24.91/mo)
⏲️ Duration: 2 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Video
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

R is the other programming language of data science.

Though not as prevalent as Python, it is heavily used and not at all a bad choice.

➡️ Programming with R is perhaps one of the best data science courses for beginners with a short attention span.

Clocking in at just 2 hours, Programming with R starts by teaching you the basic syntax of R.

Then you’ll explore data types and data structures in R.

With 7 modules, you’ll learn about:

✅ exploring vectors and factors

✅ using matrices, arrays and lists

✅ working with data frames

✅ managing control statements

And beyond.

By the end of the course, you’ll learn how to write your own functions while using control flow statements.

Programming with R is a good starting point for anyone interested in learning data science using R programming.

Pluralsight is a video-based platform.

So while you’ll do all work outside the browser, there are instructions for setting up your own dev environment.

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8. Data Science Math Skills – Coursera

💰 Price: $49
⏲️ Duration: 13 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Video and readings
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

If you want to become a data scientist, you must be proficient in mathematics.

I’ll say it again: If you want to be a data scientist, you have to know math.

We’re talking algebra and pre-calculus.

➡️ We believe Data Science Math Skills is one of the best data science courses for beginners who need to build up their math abilities.

So you’ll start by learning some basic math concepts before moving onto more advanced material.

The course is divided into four, week-long modules:

• Welcome to Data Science Math Skills
• Building Blocks for Problem Solving
• Measuring Rates of Change
• Introduction to Probability Theory

Some concepts covered include:

✅ set theory

✅ properties of the real number line

✅ uses for summations

✅ graphing and describing functions

✅ exponents, logarithms, and the natural log function

✅ probability theory

And much, much more.

Data Science Math Skills is ideal for students who have struggled with math.

Or who need more formal math education as it relates to data science.

Coursera is a video-based platform, so all work will be done outside of the browser.

There are also ample readings throughout the course.

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9. What is Data Science? – Coursera

💰 Price: $39 per month
⏲️ Duration: 10 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Video and readings
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

What is Data Science? is part of of the Introduction to Data Science Specialization on Coursera, which we’ll discuss more below.

➡️ In our opinion, What is Data Science? is one of the best data science courses for beginners who need a deeper understanding of the role of a data scientist.

The course is separated into three, week-long modules:

Defining Data Science and What Data Scientists Do

First you’ll learn what data science is from data science professionals.

You’ll also learn about what tools and algorithms data scientists use regularly.

Data Science Topics

Here you’ll learn about the skills required for anyone interested in pursuing a career in data science.

Then you’ll complete a series of reading assignments.

Data Science in Business

Finally, you’ll learn about approaches companies take when utilizing data science.

Then you’ll answer a series of open-ended questions based on what you’ve learned.

Coursera is a video-based platform. So work is typically done outside of the browser.

However, there are ample readings and quizzes which you’ll use on the platform.

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Data Science Learning Paths for Beginners

Learning paths are different from courses.

Rather, they’re a curated list of multiple courses that align with a particular skill or career.

i. Data Scientist with R Career Track – DataCamp

💰 Price: $25 per month for all courses / $33.25 per month for all courses and projects
⏲️ Duration: 100 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Interactive learning and video
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

Data Scientist with R is a 22-course track on DataCamp.

Clocking in at 88 hours, it will take you from learning the basics of data science all the way to advanced concepts like cluster analysis in R.

Using a combination of videos, tutorials and hands-on exercises, you’ll learn data science, data visualization and machine learning.

Some courses include:

• Introduction to R
• Data Manipulation with dplyr
• Cleaning Data in R
• Exploratory Data Analysis in R
• Cluster Analysis in R

And beyond.

This career track is intended to serve as a path towards a career in data science.

So after taking these courses, you may be ready to start applying for data science jobs.

DataCamp uses a combination of interactive exercises and tutorials to teach and reinforce fundamentals.

They occasionally feature videos to introduce new or difficult concepts.

Career tracks are intended to give a complete education in a particular career field. The idea is that you can then get hired in that specific niche.

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ii. Data Scientist Career Path – Codecademy Pro

💰 Price: $39.99 per month / $239.88 per year ($19.99/mo)
⏲️ Duration: 35 weeks
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Interactive lesson
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

Data Scientist is meant to give you a complete education in the field of data science.

By the end of this career path, you may be prepared to get hired for an entry-level data science position.

With Codecademy Pro’s Data Scientist career path, you’ll learn how to:

✅ analyze data

✅ communicate your findings

✅ draw predictions using machine learning

And much more.

Throughout the learning path, you’ll build various mini projects such as:

Honey Production – Fit a line to data about the honeybee decline.

Sublime Limes’ Line Graphs – Practicing making line graphs.

In addition to mini projects, you’ll work on quizzes and code challenges to reinforce concepts throughout the career path.

Codecademy Pro is an interactive learning platform with an embedded code editor.

So you’ll do all work in the same browser alongside exercise instructions.

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iii. Introduction to Data Science Specialization – Coursera

💰 Price: $39 per month
⏲️ Duration: 4 months
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Video and readings
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

The Introduction to Data Science Specialization is ideal for students who are completely new to data science.

But it won’t give you a complete education.

We recommend pairing it with a DataCamp or Codecademy data science career path.

There are 4 courses in Introduction to Data Science:

• What is Data Science?
• Tools for Data Science
• Data Science Methodology
• Databases and SQL for Data Science

So you’ll learn plenty of data science fundamentals.

For example, you’ll learn what data science is, its uses, and what data scientists actually do all day.

Then you’ll learn how to think like a data scientist.

In addition, you’ll become introduced to tools like R Studio, GitHub and Watson Studio.

Finally, you’ll dabble in writing SQL statements and using Jupyter notebooks.

Coursera is a video-based learning platform, so you’ll be doing all work outside the browser.

However, there are also plenty of readings and quizzes you’ll work on directly on the platform.

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iv. Beginning Data Science Track – Treehouse

💰 Price: $29.99 per month / $239.88 per year ($19.99/mo)
⏲️ Duration: 26 hours
📉 Level: Beginner
🖥️ Format: Video and interactive learning
🎖️ Certificate: Yes

Beginning Data Science is a massive track containing 15 courses, 2 workshops and 2 instructions.

You’ll start by learning the basics such as data analysis and Python programming basics.

Then you’ll move onto more advanced courses such as:

• Python Sequences
• Introducing Tuples
• Object-Oriented Python
• Introduction to Data Visualization with Matplotlib
• Scraping Data from the Web
• Machine Learning Basics

And beyond.

Workshops include an introduction to Anaconda and Jupyter notebooks.

And the instructions include learning SQL and data visualization libraries.

By the end of this Beginning Data Science track, you’ll have everything you need to apply to an entry-level data science position.

Treehouse is a video-based learning platform.

But there are occasional interactive learning sections where you’ll do all work within the same browser.

However, you’ll still be doing the majority of your work outside of the browser.

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Best Data Science Courses for Beginners: Conclusion

Today we picked the best data science courses for beginners based on these three criteria:

🔥 Best Overall 🔥
Grokking Data Science – Educative.io

💥 Best for Newbies 💥
Complete Machine Learning and Data Science – Zero to Mastery

💸 Best Value 💸
Data Scientist with R Career Track – DataCamp

So whether you’re on a budget, are a newbie, or are looking for top-of-the-line, we think there’s a data science course for every beginner.

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Looking for more data science courses? Check out these areticles:

• 4 Best Data Science Courses of 2021 [Educative, DataCamp, Zero to Mastery, Codecademy]
• Best Data Science Interview Course in 2021 [Educative vs DataCamp]
• DataCamp Career Track Review [Data Scientist Track with R]
• DataCamp Introduction to R Programming [R Basics Course Review]

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