careerfoundry.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
44.205.149.241
Public Scan
URL:
https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/data-analytics/free-data-analytics-courses/
Submission: On May 09 via manual from US — Scanned from DE
Submission: On May 09 via manual from US — Scanned from DE
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
/en/contacts/footer_contact_form
<form id="cfFooterContact" class="cf-footer__form" action="/en/contacts/footer_contact_form">
<input type="hidden" name="viewed_course" id="viewed_course" value="">
<input type="hidden" name="form_id" value="36aa83d8-5ac9-4db4-b9b7-7378d0508312">
<input type="hidden" name="pageTitle" id="hubspot_pageTitle" value="The Best Free Online Data Analytics Courses [2023 Guide]">
<input type="hidden" name="ft_form_utm_campaign">
<input type="hidden" name="ft_form_utm_source">
<input type="hidden" name="ft_form_utm_medium">
<input type="hidden" name="ft_form_utm_content">
<input type="hidden" name="ft_form_utm_term">
<input type="hidden" name="popup_tracking">
<input type="hidden" name="landing_page" value="/en/blog/data-analytics/free-data-analytics-courses/">
<input type="hidden" id="g-recaptcha-response" name="g-recaptcha-response">
<textarea name="notes" required="" placeholder="Hi Olivia, I have a question regarding CareerFoundry courses"></textarea>
<footer>
<input name="first_name" required="" type="text" placeholder="First Name">
<input name="email" required="" type="email" placeholder="Email Address">
</footer>
<div class="cf-form__checkbox checkbox-gdpr-consent cf-form__group--gdpr">
<input type="checkbox" id="checkbox_gdpr_consent" class="cf-form__input" name="gdpr_consent" value="gdpr_consent_checked" required="required">
<label for="checkbox_gdpr_consent" class="editable"> I agree that CareerFoundry can send me educational emails and course offers — but I can unsubscribe anytime. To learn how we process your data, please check our
<a href="https://careerfoundry.com/en/privacy/" target="_blank">Privacy Policy</a>. </label>
</div>
<button type="submit" class="cf-form__submit ds-btn__primary--inverse">Ask Olivia</button>
</form>Text Content
* Courses
* Learn with us
* Our graduates
* Online Events
* Blog
Login
COURSES
✕
PROGRAMS TO CHANGE YOUR CAREER
* UX Design
* UI Design
* Full-Stack Web Development
* Data Analytics
* Digital Marketing
new
* Product Management
new
AGENTUR FÜR ARBEIT PROGRAMS
* UX Design
AfA
* UI Design
AfA
* Full-Stack Web Development
AfA
* Data Analytics
AfA new
* Digital Marketing
AfA new
* Product Management
AfA coming soon
INCOME SHARE AGREEMENT COURSES
* Full-Stack Web Development
ISA
INTRODUCTORY COURSES
* Intro to UX Design
* Intro to UI Design
* Intro to Frontend Development
* Intro to Data Analytics
* Intro to Digital Marketing
new
* Intro to Product Management
new
ADVANCED COURSES
* Voice User Interface Design
* UI for UX Designers
* Frontend Development for Designers
* UI Animation for Designers
new
* Python for Web Developers
new
* Cloud Computing for Web Devs
new
LEARN WITH CAREERFOUNDRY
✕
LEARN ONLINE, NOT ALONE
Our career-change programs are designed to take you from beginner to pro in your
tech career—with personalized support every step of the way.
How it works
INDIVIDUALIZED MENTORSHIP
Nurture your inner tech pro with personalized guidance from not one, but two
industry experts. They’ll provide feedback, support, and advice as you build
your new career.
Meet our mentors
JOB GUARANTEE
We back our programs with a job guarantee: Follow our career advice, and you’ll
land a job within 6 months of graduation, or you’ll get your money back.
Get the details
PERSONAL CAREER COACHING
Build a career you love with 1:1 help from a career specialist who knows the job
market in your area! Identify your skills, refine your portfolio, and attract
the right employers.
Explore our career services
OUR GRADUATES
✕
GRADUATE OUTCOMES
Our graduates come from all walks of life. Whether they’re starting from scratch
or upskilling, they have one thing in common: They go on to forge careers they
love.
Meet our grads
LOOKING FOR TECH TALENT?
If you want easy recruiting from a global pool of skilled candidates, we’re here
to help. Our graduates are highly skilled, motivated, and prepared for impactful
careers in tech.
Hire our grads
✕
* Courses
* Programs to change your career
* UX Design
* UI Design
* Full-Stack Web Development
* Data Analytics
* Digital Marketing new
* Product Management new
* Agentur für Arbeit programs
* UX Design AfA
* UI Design AfA
* Full-Stack Web Development AfA
* Data Analytics AfA new
* Digital Marketing AfA new
* Product Management AfA coming soon
* Income Share Agreement courses
* Full-Stack Web Development ISA
* Introductory courses
* Intro to UX Design
* Intro to UI Design
* Intro to Frontend Development
* Intro to Data Analytics
* Intro to Digital Marketing new
* Intro to Product Management new
* Advanced courses
* Voice User Interface Design
* UI for UX Designers
* Frontend Development for Designers
* UI Animation for Designers new
* Python for Web Developers new
* Cloud Computing for Web Devs new
* Learn with us
* How it works
* Meet our mentors
* Job guarantee
* Career services
* Our graduates
* Graduate outcomes
* Hire our grads
* Online Events
* Blog
* Login
UX Design UI Design Web Development Data Analytics Digital Marketing
More Categories
Product Management Career Change
UX Design UI Design
More Categories
Web Development Data Analytics Digital Marketing Product Management Career
Change
See our blog categories
UX Design UI Design Web Development Data Analytics Digital Marketing Product
Management Career Change
Start your free data analytics course
Start your free data analytics course
7 FREE ONLINE DATA ANALYTICS COURSES FOR BEGINNERS
BY WILL HILLIER, UPDATED ON DECEMBER 19, 2022 12 mins read
Want to try your hand at data analytics? Here’s our hand-picked selection of the
best free online data analytics courses available right now.
Ask any employer and they’ll tell you the same thing: there’s a huge digital
skills shortage. Data analytics, in particular, is one of the most sought-after
skills that employers are currently seeking. While traditional data scientists,
with their in-depth expertise, are still much-needed, there’s now a growing
requirement for employees with a broad understanding of data analytics
principles, regardless of the role they work in.
In short, data analytics is becoming a must-have, 21st-century skill. Whether
you’re hoping to specialize in data analytics or simply future-proof your
career, a free online short course is a great way to get started.
This post covers everything you need to consider when choosing a free data
analytics course, before rounding up the best options available. If you want to
jump straight to our selection of free data analytics courses, just use the
clickable menu to head to section four.
1. What is data analytics?
2. What’s the difference between a free data analytics course and a paid
program?
3. What should I look for in a free data analytics course?
4. The best free data analytics courses online
5. Wrap-up and further reading
1. WHAT IS DATA ANALYTICS?
Data analytics. It seems like everybody’s talking about it, right? But what
exactly is it? You’ll find a great introduction in the following video, or just
keep reading!
Put simply, data analytics is a scientific approach to decision-making. Sounds
simple enough! Truth is, ‘scientific approach’ means understanding a great many
nuances relating to data collection, cleaning, and analysis. Meanwhile,
‘decision making’ covers many areas, too, from predicting health outcomes to
assigning budgets. All this requires careful planning.
Learn more: Data Analytics for Beginners
WHAT DOES DATA ANALYTICS ACTUALLY INVOLVE?
Typically, the data analytics process involves many tasks. These usually include
defining a problem, deciding which data to collect to solve that problem,
collecting and cleaning those data, transforming and modeling them, and finally,
using all this to extract useful information to support making a decision! We’ll
grant you, this is a longer definition than our first one, but it’s an honest
one!
Learn more about the data analytics process in this post.
WHY IS DATA ANALYTICS SO HOT RIGHT NOW?
Data analytics has been around in one form or another since humans first started
scratching figures onto wax tablets. However, data analytics in its modern sense
has only really gained traction with the dawn of digital. In large part, this is
thanks to the huge amounts of data that we now produce every day—whether we’re
catching an Uber, making a bank transfer, or simply sending an email. This
explosion of data has coincided with strides forward in technologies that
automate much of the data analytics process. This includes machine learning
algorithms and complex data storage architectures that allow us to manipulate
big data with (relatively speaking) incredible ease.
2. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FREE DATA ANALYTICS COURSE AND A PAID
PROGRAM?
OK, so we know what data analytics is. How can you learn more? Trying out a free
data analytics course is a great way of dipping a toe in the water to see if you
want to dive deeper. But there are several important differences between free
courses and paid programs that you should know about.
DEPTH OF DETAIL
The intention of a free course is usually to provide a high-level introduction
to see if a full program is worth forking out for. Short courses are perfect for
getting an all-around taste of the subject. Meanwhile, a full program (at least,
a good one!) will equip you with all the tools you need to pursue a data
analytics career.
COURSE LENGTH
Again, being designed as more of a ‘teaser trailer,’ free online data analytics
courses are (generally, though not always) much shorter. They usually last
anywhere from a few hours to a few days of learning time. Anything longer than
that and you’re moving into paid program territory. In this case, courses may
take anywhere from a week to several months to complete, depending on the
content’s complexity.
LEVEL OF SUPPORT
Free courses rely on self-guided learning. Meanwhile, full data analytics
programs will generally offer guided support, usually in the form of a tutor or
mentor, plus help with job seeking—for example, help writing your data analyst
resume and building your data portfolio. Some paid courses and bootcamps even
provide a job guarantee.
KNOWLEDGE LEVEL
Free data analytics courses are usually aimed at those with absolutely no
experience. This is ideal for learning the basics. Once you’re ready to upskill,
though, you’ll need to do a bit more homework! Paid programs can be more
challenging, but once you’ve completed one you’ll have all the skills (and
certifications) you need to call yourself a qualified data analyst…and that’s
not something you can get from a free course.
3. WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR IN A FREE DATA ANALYTICS COURSE?
Many paid data analytics programs tend to provide similar incentives and
benefits, as well as covering much of the same core material. That’s because
they’re competing with other similar programs.
Free data analytics courses, on the other hand, can differ much more widely.
Because they’re not competing for your cash, they can cater to learners’
different requirements. What you look for in a free online course, then, will
depend on what you’re hoping to get out of it. Here are a few things worth
thinking about:
* Does it cover the subject matter you want to learn about? Short courses are
sometimes focused on very specific topics. Try to find one that interests
you.
* Does it combine theory with practice? Hands-on activities always stick in the
mind better than simply reading theory. Find a course with rich, engaging
material.
* Does it balance simplicity with useful content? While you don’t want a course
that’s too complex for beginners, nor should it be so generic that it’s no
use to you.
* Does it set you up to progress? Ultimately, a short or free data analytics
course should build your confidence to take your learning further.
Before getting started, why not find out what a typical day in the life of a
data analyst looks like?
4. THE BEST FREE DATA ANALYTICS COURSES AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW
OK, time to choose a course! We’ve selected a broad cross-section of options to
give you an idea of the various types of free data analytics courses available:
1. CareerFoundry
2. Datacamp
3. OpenLearn
4. Harvard
5. Coursera
6. Udemy
7. Dataquest
1. DATA ANALYTICS SHORT COURSE (CAREERFOUNDRY)
CareerFoundry’s free, five-tutorial data analytics short course is ideal if you
want a light-touch introduction to data analytics. Sign up and you’ll get access
to five hands-on, 15-minute lessons, each focused on a separate step of the data
analytics process. The course provides a broad view of data analytics, setting
you up to explore the topic further if you choose. View the following video to
get an idea of how the short course fares.
Unlike many of the courses on our list, there are no hidden costs, making this
an ideal, no-pressure option for complete beginners. The course covers
everything from the different types of data analytics roles to a summary of
tools and skills you’ll need to develop if you pursue a career in the field, and
you can expect to get hands-on with the basics of data analysis.
If you enjoy the short course, CareerFoundry also offers a comprehensive paid
program that will take you from beginner to job-ready data analyst, all backed
by the CareerFoundry Job Guarantee.
2. DATA SCIENCE FOR EVERYONE (DATACAMP)
Specifically offering courses for data analytics, DataCamp is a paid course
provider. However, the first module (or ‘chapter’) of their Data Science for
Everyone course is completely free. It doesn’t get into heavy technical detail
and is perfect if you’re new to the topic.
The course defines what data science is, covering a typical data science
workflow. This includes some great interactive exercises to contextualize how
data analytics is applied to real-world problem-solving. Be warned though, once
you’ve completed the first chapter, you’ll have to subscribe to access
additional content.
3. LEARN TO CODE FOR DATA ANALYSIS (OPENLEARN)
Provided by the UK’s Open University, the OpenLearn platform is jam-packed with
content covering everything from astronomy to cybersecurity and, of course, data
analytics. OpenLearn’s courses are renowned for being high quality and many are
also free. Once you’ve got the basics down, why not learn to code?
OpenLearn’s free, eight-week coding course, Learn to Code for Data Analysis,
provides a solid grasp of basic programming and data analytics concepts and
you’ll even be able to write simple analytical algorithms in a programming
environment. All this with interactive exercises and a free participation
certificate at the end. Bonus!
If you’d like to view more options more towards the developer route, check out
our guide to the best free coding courses.
4. ONLINE DATA SCIENCE COURSES (HARVARD UNIVERSITY)
Ever wanted to say that you studied at Harvard? Now’s your chance! Harvard
University has many data analytics courses that are free to access via EdX. Dive
deep into topics from data wrangling to linear regression and machine learning.
While these courses may be better suited to those with a bit of prior knowledge,
they cover numerous specialized topics and go into far more detail than most
free courses do.
The only downside is that many of them require a considerable time investment,
i.e. a few hours a week for several weeks, rather than a crash course in a few
hours or days. You’ll also have to pay if you want a completion certificate. But
if you simply want to expand your skills, this remains a great option.
5. INTRODUCTION TO DATA ANALYTICS, OFFERED BY IBM (COURSERA)
Primarily offering paid courses, Coursera partners with various universities,
companies, and training providers. Because the courses don’t come from a single
source, quality and depth do vary, but you can sign up for a free seven-day
trial. This is more than long enough to complete one of Coursera’s beginner
courses, such as IBM’s Introduction to Data Analytics (an estimated 13 hours).
The course covers what a data analyst does and the tools they use to perform
common tasks. And if you want something more detailed, there are thousands of
other options available, ranging from data analysis with Python to probability
and statistics. Do be aware, though, once your seven-day trial expires, you’ll
need to subscribe. So choose that free course wisely!
6. FREE DATA SCIENCE AND DATA ANALYTICS COURSES (UDEMY)
Like Coursera, Udemy offers thousands of data analytics and data science courses
from various uploaders. As ever, with these large platforms, some courses are
free and some are not, but Udemy’s paid courses tend to be on the more
affordable end of the spectrum. While course quality can be a bit hit or miss,
you can weed out the less popular free ones by checking user ratings.
Whether you want a broad introduction, such as an introduction to data science
using Python or something more specific like how to use the KNIME data analytics
platform, then you won’t run short of free options here. Many of the courses are
just a couple of hours long, too, meaning you can upskill fast.
7. INTRODUCTORY DATA SCIENCE COURSES (DATAQUEST)
Lastly, Dataquest. Another data-specific course provider, they offer a wide
selection of hands-on data science courses. While Dataquest has a monthly
subscription model, you can access some of their content for free, including
practice problems.
Helpfully, courses are categorized by career and skill path (and by programming
language), helping you target your training. However, you will need to pay the
subscription for ad-free access or a completion certificate.
Their catalog offers training in areas like Python for data science to
introduction to SQL and databases and data structures in R. There should be
plenty to get you started.
5. WRAP-UP AND FURTHER READING
So there we have it! Seven free data analytics courses for beginners.
Whether you want to pursue a career as a data analyst or scientist, or simply
keep your skills relevant, we hope our list keeps you busy. No matter what
career path you’re on, adding data analysis to your skillset can only be a good
thing. As the labor market adapts to 21st century needs, data analytics is fast
becoming a workplace skill that nobody can do without. Don’t get left behind!
If you’ve already tried some free data analytics courses and are ready for a
full program, check out this round-up of the best data analytics courses on the
market right now. Meanwhile, to learn more about data analytics, check out the
following posts:
* Data bootcamp vs data degree: Which is best for you?
* What are the key skills every data analyst needs?
* How to become a data analyst: The ultimate guide
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW
1. Get a hands-on introduction to data analytics and carry out your first
analysis with our free, self-paced Data Analytics Short Course.
2. Take part in one of our FREE live online data analytics events with industry
experts, and read about Azadeh’s journey from school teacher to data
analyst.
3. Become a qualified data analyst in just 4-8 months—complete with a job
guarantee.
4. This month, we’re offering 50 partial scholarships for career changers worth
up to $1,385 off our career-change programs To secure a spot, book your
application call today!
This article is part of:
DATA ANALYTICS
All articles
Will Hillier
Contributor to the CareerFoundry blog
A British-born writer based in Berlin, Will has spent the last 10 years writing
about education and technology, and the intersection between the two. He has a
borderline fanatical interest in STEM, and has been published in TES, the Daily
Telegraph, SecEd magazine and more. His fiction has been short- and longlisted
for over a dozen awards.
RELATED DATA ANALYTICS ARTICLES
* Data Analytics
WHAT’S THE AVERAGE DATA ANALYST SALARY IN NYC?
March 31, 2023 - 10 minutes read
* Data Analytics
HOW MUCH CAN YOU EARN ON A DATA ARCHITECT SALARY?
March 29, 2023 - 10 minutes read
* Data Analytics
WHY BECOME A DATA ANALYST?
March 28, 2023 - 9 minutes read
WHAT IS CAREERFOUNDRY?
CareerFoundry is an online school for people looking to switch to a rewarding
career in tech. Select a program, get paired with an expert mentor and tutor,
and become a job-ready designer, developer, or analyst from scratch, or your
money back.
Learn more about our programs
programs to change your career UX Design UI Design Web Development Data
Analytics Digital Marketing Product Management Introductory Courses Intro to UX
Design Intro to UI Design Intro to Frontend Development Intro to Data Analytics
Intro to Digital Marketing Intro to Product Management advanced courses Voice
User Interface Design UI for UX Designers Frontend Development for Designers
Animation for UI Designers Python for Web Developers Cloud Computing for Web
Developers
company
About Us Job Guarantee For Businesses Media Jobs at CareerFoundry Become a
Mentor CareerHub Hire our Grads Career Services
GOT QUESTIONS?
Ask Olivia
THANK YOU FOR YOUR MESSAGE. WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU SHORTLY.
I agree that CareerFoundry can send me educational emails and course offers —
but I can unsubscribe anytime. To learn how we process your data, please check
our Privacy Policy.
Ask Olivia
We'd love to hear from you! Connect with a program advisor
terms and conditions | privacy policy | imprint | security
PRIVACY PREFERENCE CENTER
* YOUR PRIVACY
* STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES
* FUNCTIONAL COOKIES
* TARGETING COOKIES
* PERFORMANCE COOKIES
YOUR PRIVACY
When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your
browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you,
your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you
expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can
give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to
privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the
different category headings to find out more and change our default settings.
However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site
and the services we are able to offer.
STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to
block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then
work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
FUNCTIONAL COOKIES
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then
some or all of these services may not function properly.
TARGETING COOKIES
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
advertising.
PERFORMANCE COOKIES
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you
do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and
will not be able to monitor its performance.
BACK BUTTON BACK
Vendor Search
Filter Button
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Confirm My Choices
Allow All
We use cookies to enhance your browsing and learning experience, analyze site
usage, and enable and improve site functionality.
Change cookies settings Accept all cookies