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Online training provider Coursera offers a wide range of data analytics courses that can teach you the skills you need to start or advance your career. Coursera’s data analytics certifications can also demonstrate a baseline level of proficiency to employers or customers or ensure your expertise in a particular tool or area of specialization.
To help you choose the best course for your own career, we evaluated the different options to see how they compare on skills acquired, prerequisites, duration, and cost. Here are our picks for the top Coursera data analytics certification courses for 2024:
- Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate: Best for Those New to Tableau
- Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate: Best for Building Python Expertise
- IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate: Best for Mastering SQL
- IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R Professional Certificate: Best for Beginners in R Programming
- Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate: Best for Aspiring BI Professionals
Table of Contents
Featured Partners: Data Analysis Software
Coursera Data Analytics Certification Course Comparison
The table below gives an overview of how the top Coursera data analytics programs on our list compare on the skills you can expect to acquire, the prerequisites, and their duration and cost.
| Certification | Skills Acquired | Requirements | Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate |
• Data cleaning • Data ethics • Data visualization • SQL • Tableau • R Programming |
None | 6 months at 10 hours a week | $174 ($29 per month) |
| Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate |
• Data science • Predictive modeling • Statistical analysis • Machine learning • Jupyter Notebook • Python • Tableau • Kaggle |
Basic knowledge of analytical principles, skills, and tools | 6 months at 10 hours a week | $294 ($49 per month) |
| IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate |
• Data science • Data analysis • Data visualization • Data wrangling • SQL • Microsoft Excel • Python • Jupyter Notebooks |
None | 4 months at 10 hours a week | $156 ($39 per month) |
| IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R Professional Certificate |
• Data science • Data analysis • R Programming • Microsoft Excel • IBM Cognos Analytics • Relational databases (RDBMS) |
None | 3 months at 10 hours a week | $117 ($39 per month) |
| Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate |
• Data analysis • Report building • Data visualization • Data modeling • Power BI • Microsoft Excel • SQL • Power Query |
None | 5 months at 10 hours a week | $245 ($49 per month) plus $165 for the exam |
Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
Best for Those New to Tableau
Offered through Coursera, Google’s Data Analytics Professional Certificate is designed for beginners. This comprehensive program equips you with in-demand data analytics skills in less than six months, at a pace of less than 10 hours per week. Over eight courses, you will gain fundamental skills—including data cleaning, analysis, and visualization—and become adept in key data analytics tools like spreadsheets, SQL, R programming, and Tableau.
Why We Picked It
Google’s Data Analytics Professional Certificate provides beginners with a solid foundation in data analytics, making it an invaluable resource if you’re looking to enter the field. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, including core Tableau functionalities, and the course’s flexibility lets you progress at your own pace, making it possible to balance learning with other commitments.
Skills Acquired
- Data cleaning, data ethics, and data visualization
- SQL, Tableau, R Programming
Requirements
- No degree or prior experience required
Duration, Mode, and Cost
- Six months at 10 hours a week
- Self-paced
- $174 ($29 per month for 6 months)
Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate
Best for Building Python Expertise
Google’s Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate is suitable for anyone with basic data analytics skills who wants to expand their knowledge and build expertise in the Python programming language. These seven courses cover statistical analysis, Python, regression models, and machine learning with a hands-on curriculum that includes practical projects featuring Jupyter Notebook, Python, and Tableau. The program will take you six months to complete, with a study time of about 10 hours per week.
Why We Picked It
Google’s Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate earned a place on our list because of its robust curriculum, which includes more than 200 hours of instruction and hundreds of practice-based assessments that simulate real-world advanced data analytics scenarios, a critical aspect for workplace success. The program’s content is not only highly interactive but also exclusively developed by Google experts with decades of experience in advanced data analytics and data science.
Skills Acquired
- Data science and predictive modeling
- Statistical analysis
- Machine learning
- Jupyter Notebook, Tableau, Python, Kaggle
Requirements
- None
- Knowledge of analytical principles and tools recommended
- Basic data analytics skills recommended
Duration, Mode, and Cost
- Six months at 10 hours a week
- Self-paced
- $294 ($49 per month for 6 months)
IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate
Best for Mastering SQL
IBM’s Data Analyst Professional Certificate offered through Coursera will help you build in-demand skills in Python, Excel, and SQL in just four months. The program teaches data collection, storage, modeling, and analysis and develops core data skills in data science, artificial intelligence (AI), deep learning, and data engineering. It includes hands-on projects and labs and a real-world capstone project for showcasing your newly acquired data analyst skills.
Why We Picked It
IBM’s Data Analyst Professional Certificate offers a structured path for mastering essential skills in data analysis, including SQL. This program will teach you how to use the tools employed by professional data analysts—like manipulating data in Excel or scripting and automation in Python—and you’ll gain or expand your skills in Pandas, Numpy, Jupyter Notebooks, and Cognos Analytics.
Skills Acquired
- Data science, data analysis, data visualization
- Data wrangling
- SQL, Microsoft Excel, Python, Jupyter Notebooks
Requirements
- No degree or prior experience required
- Basic computer literacy and high school math recommended
Duration, Mode, and Cost
- Four months at 10 hours a week
- Self-paced
- $156 ($39 per month for 4 months)
IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R Professional Certificate
Best for Beginners in R Programming
IBM’s Data Analytics with Excel and R Professional Certificate will help you build high-value skills in Excel, Cognos Analytics, and the R programming language. Best-suited for beginners in R programming, it will make you job-ready for entry-level roles in just three months. The curriculum emphasizes data analysis techniques using both Excel and R, covering data preparation, statistical analysis, data visualization, predictive modeling, and the creation of interactive dashboards.
Why We Picked It
We picked the IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R Professional Certificate program because of its practical application, focus on industry-relevant tools, and efficient duration. Hands-on labs help bridge the gap between theory and practice, and the the curriculum builds knowledge of prominent industry solutions to ensure you are well-equipped for the data analytics job market. Over three months, it gives you a fast-track opportunity to learn important skills and quickly advance your career in data analytics.
Skills Acquired
- Data science, data analysis
- Microsoft Excel, relational databases (RDBMS)
- IBM Cognos Analytics
- R programming
Requirements
- No prior experience or degrees required
Duration, Mode, and Cost
- Three months at 10 hours a week
- Self-paced
- $117 ($39 per month for 3 months)
Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate
Best for Aspiring Business Intelligence Professionals
The Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate on Coursera equips you for a thriving career in data analytics and business intelligence (BI) with in-depth training that includes videos, assessments, and hands-on activities. You’ll become an expert in using Power BI to transform data into valuable insights and generate impressive reports and dashboards. The course also features a final project for which you’ll apply your acquired skills in a real-world scenario, preparing you for the industry-recognized PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst certification exam.
Why We Picked It
This course uniquely maps the core job skills required in a BI data analyst role and allows you to solidify your knowledge by completing a project that simulates a real-world data analysis scenario using Power BI. Reviewers say the program is comprehensive, well-structured, and truly worth the investment due to its up-to-date material and Microsoft’s brand.
Skills Acquired
- Data analysis and data modeling
- Data visualization and report building
- Power BI, Microsoft Excel
- SQL and Power Query
Requirements
- No prior experience or degrees required
Duration, Mode, and Cost
- Five months at 10 hours a week
- Self-paced
- $245 ($49 per month for 5 months)
- PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam costs $165
Data Analytics Job Paths
There are several career opportunities in the field of data analytics, each with unique paths for professionals to explore and excel in. All these roles are crucial, as they contribute to the diversity of the data analytics industry.
Data Scientists
They decipher complex data and big data analytics to extract insights using programming, statistics, and machine learning skills. Certification like the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate is beneficial for this role as it covers relevant topics and tools.
Data Managers
These professionals oversee data teams, requiring both technical expertise and leadership skills. They need to be well-versed in data analytics, team management, strategic decision-making, and business finance. Acquiring the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate will be an advantage for this role. Power BI is a popular tool for data visualization and reporting, which data managers use to present data findings.
Data Specialists
Experts in their fields, data scientists analyze important data relevant to their domain. Their job requires understanding the market, network, and text analytics. The IBM Data Analytics with Excel and R Professional Certificate will be useful for this job because it teaches several data specialist skills, like data wrangling, using pivot tables, data mining, and creating charts.
Data Consultants
They help clients maximize data use, conduct various analyses, and teach clients about analytical tools. Data consultants must also stay updated with advanced mathematical skills and data processing techniques. Both the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate and the Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate would help develop the in-demand basic and advanced data analytics skills needed for this role.
Bottom Line: Is a Data Analytics Certification Worth The Investment?
In my own experience, data analytics certification courses offer notable benefits by providing you with field-specific expertise, helping you gain proficiency with the tools you’ll need to work with, and familiarizing yourself with the best practices in data analytics. Investing in courses and attaining a professional certification is a strategic move that can open up a world of opportunities.
The certifications listed here also validate your expertise for employers. Other than the upfront costs to register, your only investment is the time commitment necessary to complete the course. In exchange, you acquire skills and knowledge that can generate substantial long-term returns from your career in the form of better roles and higher salaries in the competitive data analytics job market. Remember, though, that while the certification can improve your profile, the real value lies in your demonstrated ability to apply what you’ve learned to solve real-world problems.
Ready to start a career in data analytics? Read our articles on top trends in the data analytics job market for the latest updates in the job industry and our recommendations on top data analyst companies hiring in 2024 to find out the best places to build your career.
