Introduction
To become a good Data Analyst or Data Scientist, you need to have access to premium training materials and courses. Many of these will often cost money. To get behind this challenge, and to filter the good training materials from the “noise” materials online, this article will discuss the top 5 platforms, from which you can access free data analytics/Science courses.
Note that the primary focus of this blogpost is for you to learn Data Analysis and Data Science (and other Data-related field), there are no standard certifications offered at the end of these trainings. You may need to pay for additional access to graded exam material, unlimited access to course materials, shareable certificates on LinkedIn and Resume, etc.
Top Platforms For Data Analytics and Data Science
Below are the top platforms for learning everything you need to learn Data Analytics/Science skills for free.
Platform 1: Freecodecamp.org
Freecodecamp.org is one of the largest collections of free training courses, especially for software and web applications. It also boasts an array of excellent courses for Data Analytics/Science. Some of these courses are;
- Data Analysis with Python
- Unlock the Power of Data Analytics with Free Google Services
- Data Analysis with Python for Excel Users Course
- What is Data Analysis? How to Visualize Data with Python, Numpy, Pandas, Matplotlib and Seaborn Tutorial
You can access other Data-related courses by using the search button option.
At freecodecamp.org, you learn by doing projects. the bulk is hands-on practice, which makes it an ideal platform for building a solid data analytics career. It doesn’t require you to sign up, but it will help you save your learning history/progress if you do so.
Platform 2: Exercism.org (For Learning Programming Languages)
Python and R are two of the most common Data Analytics/Science programming languages. The Exercism platform is a great place to learn both. The Python course has over 140 exercises across 17 core concepts to help you gain hands-on experience. Similarly, the R course has 47 useful exercises for your day-to-day skills as a Data Analytics.
You can learn other relevant Programming languages on the platform: SQL, JavaScript, and Scala.
Platform 3: Microsoft Learn
Microsoft Learn is a platform that features an array of free courses and learning tools. There are several career paths, all you need to do is sign up for a free account and navigate to the career of your choice. The options range from Data Analytics, Data Science, Data Engineering, Database Administrator and Developers etc.
You can access the training materials either through the Online option (which is free) or the Instructor-led option (this is a paid option). Choose the Online option for free access.
Each career path has a large collection of courses and training modules. Examples of courses you will find in the Data Analyst career include;
- Microsoft Certified: Power BI Analyst Associate-Certification (Self-paced option)
- Azure Enterprise Data Analyst Asso. Certification
- Designing and Implementing Enterprise-Scale Analytics Solutions Using Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Power BI
For the Data Science career path, some of the courses include;
- Azure Data Scientist Associate Certificate
- Designing and implementing a data science solution on Azure
- Course DP-090T00–A: Implementing a Machine Learning Solution with Microsoft Azure Databricks – Training
Platform 4: edx.org
Edx is host to over 2000 free courses across multiple disciplines. It was designed to give users across the globe access to top-grade learning materials at a lower cost (compared to universities and colleges). You can navigate the search option to access Data Science, Data Analysis (and related fields) course materials. Although the platform courses are for a fee, you can use the “audit” option on each course to access the training materials for free.
The Edx platform has Data Science/Analytics training materials from top universities and Organisations like MIT, UCL, Havard, Georgia Technology, IBM, Microsoft, Google, etc. Some examples of the courses include:
- IBM: Machine Learning with Python: A Practical Introduction
- IBM: Data Analytics Basics for Everyone
- GTx: Introduction to Analytics Modeling
- HarvardX: Introduction to Data Science with Python
- Microsoft: Introduction to Data Analysis using Excel
Edx.org has one of the largest collections of free training materials online which you can access for free using the course “audit” button. This free option however does not allow you access to the certificate and graded exams.
Platform 5: Coursera
Coursera is one of the largest online collections of online courses for a subscription fee. However, like the Edx.org platform, many courses are accessible freely through the Course Audit option. Search the Data Science/Analytics courses, and click the audit button to access it. This button is often hidden at different places on the Coursera site ( available for individual courses rather than for a complete career pathway).
Some examples of Coursera Data Analytics, Data Science, and related courses include
- Excel Skills for Business: Essentials
- Data Visualization with Tableau
- Python for Data Science
- Introduction to Data Analysis using Microsoft Excel
Note that not all the Courses have the audit option, you will need to search individually for the ones you can take for free.
Conclusions
Getting the skills and knowledge to become a Data Analyst need not be expensive, you can learn it for free. Some of the best platforms to learn Data Analytics, Data Science, Data Engineering, Database administration, etc for free include Coursera, Freecodecamp.org, Exercism.com, Microsoft Learn, and Edx.com. No certifications are awarded for these free courses, but they provide excellent learning opportunities and resources to advance a career in Data Analytics.
Read: DATA ANALYTICS CAREER OPPORTUNITIES; WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
