Python continues to reign ultimate arsenic the world’s astir fashionable programming language, according to the TIOBE Index. This versatile and user-friendly language, named aft beloved British drama troupe Monty Python, has go an indispensable instrumentality for developers, information scientists and tech enthusiasts alike.
Python’s simplicity and readability marque the programming connection an perfect prime for beginners, portion its robust libraries and frameworks enactment precocious applications successful web development, instrumentality learning and information analysis. TechRepublic takes a look astatine the apical 10 Python courses disposable successful 2024 for developers with antithetic experiences and goals.
When assessing online courses, we examined the reliability and popularity of the provider, the extent and assortment of topics offered, the practicality of the information, the outgo and the duration. The courses and certification programs alteration considerably, truthful beryllium definite to take the enactment that is close for your goals and learning style.
- Best for beginners connected a budget: Python Programming MOOC 2024 - University of Helsinki
- Best for aspiring information analysts: Python for Everybody Specialization - University of Michigan - Coursera
- Best for beginners who privation regular lessons: 100 Days of Code - The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp - Udemy
- Best for beginners who privation a clang course: The Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero successful Python - Udemy
- Best for learning connected the go: futurecoder
- Best for automating real-life tasks: Automate the Boring Stuff with Python Programming - Udemy
- Best for in-depth machine science: MITx Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python - edX
- Best for instrumentality learning and information subject for beginners: Professional Certificate successful Learning Python for Data Science - Harvard University - edX
- Best for precocious information analysts: Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate - Coursera
- Best for well-known certification: PCAP- Programming Essentials successful Python - Cisco Networking Academy
SEE: Udemy Report: Which IT Skills Are Most successful Demand successful Q1 2024?
Best Python courses: Comparison table
Python Programming MOOC 2024 - University of Helsinki: Best for beginners connected a budget
Python Programming MOOC 2024 is simply a highly-regarded Python people suitable for implicit beginners and tally by the University of Helsinki. MOOC stands for Massive Online Open Course, truthful determination are nary limitations connected the fig of students who tin usage the resources passim the year.
Course contented is divided into 14 sections of notes, each of which travel with astir 30 exercises to implicit in-browser. This is simply a self-paced course, though determination are exams enactment connected by the University of Helsinki astatine acceptable dates and times. It is free, but to bash the exercises, you request to motion up for a MOOC account.
Price
Free.
Duration
12 hour-long lectures with written notes and exercises. Those who person completed the people accidental it takes astir 2 months overall.
Pros
- It’s free.
- Beginner friendly.
- There’s an progressive Discord transmission wherever people participants sermon their progress.
Cons
- Must beryllium self-motivated to complete, arsenic it is self-paced.
- Less intensive and in-depth than different listed courses.
Pre-requisites
None.
Python for Everybody Specialization - University of Michigan - Coursera: Best for aspiring information analysts
Charles Russell Severance, a Clinical Professor astatine the University of Michigan School of Information — AKA “Dr Chuck” — is the teacher for Python for Everybody Specialization connected Coursera. It covers basal programming principles, but successful the Python language, mounting up participants to beryllium capable to determination onto different languages. It covers each the fundamentals arsenic good arsenic information structures, web scraping, databases and more. It ends with a Capstone task wherever participants tin physique a programme that retrieves, processes and visualises information from the web with a JavaScript library.
Price
$59 a period aft a 7-day escaped trial.
Duration
10 hours a week for 2 months, but it tin instrumentality up to 8 months.
Pre-requisites
None.
Pros
- Experienced instructor.
- Beginner friendly.
- Teaches applicable uses of Python for entry-level information investigation role.
Cons
- Course fees.
- Requires important clip dedication.
- Career certificate itself is not well-respected.
100 Days of Code - The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp - Udemy: Best for beginners who privation regular lessons
Dr Angela Yu’s 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp is designed to crook beginners into proficient Python programmers implicit a manageable timespan. Dr. Yu is simply a starring bootcamp teacher and has been invited by companies specified arsenic Twitter, Facebook and Google to thatch their employees. Her people helps its students to really recognize the codification alternatively than conscionable churn retired elemental exercises by providing a situation with each caller concept. Topics covered see automation, game, app and web development, information subject and instrumentality learning. Reviewers praise the pacing, Dr. Yu’s teaching and the divers projects.
Price
$109.99
Duration
100 days astatine 1 hr a day, however, people contented is disposable on-demand.
Pre-requisites
None.
Pros
- Experienced instructor.
- Beginner friendly.
- Encourages you to codification each day.
Cons
- Course fee.
- Some outdated contented based connected reviewers comments.
- There are self-guided projects towards the extremity of the people that immoderate learners whitethorn find tricky without an instructor.
The Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero successful Python - Udemy: Best for beginners who privation a clang course
Engineering postgraduate and nonrecreational teacher Jose Portilla leads The Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero successful Python, different top-rated Udemy course. Through a bid of 100 lectures, the people starts by guiding learners done installing Python connected their operating strategy earlier getting into the basics and utilizing the connection to manipulate emails, PDFs, Excel files, images and more. Along with lectures, learners person entree to tests, exercises and 3 larger projects.
Price
Full terms is $189.99, though Udemy has play income that spot this reduced significantly.
Duration
22 hours of on-demand video lectures positive articles and exercises.
Pre-requisites
None. It does incorporate modules astir precocious Python features that are suitable for programmers with basal experience.
Pros
- Experienced instructor.
- Good explanations of the basics.
Cons
- Limited contented connected much precocious topics and utilizing Python for real-life tasks.
- Course fee.
futurecoder: Best for learning connected the go
If you’re not into video lectures and privation to larn Python astatine your ain gait done step-by-step exercises, past futurecoder whitethorn beryllium the people for you. This has the fewest barriers to introduction of each the courses, arsenic nary relationship is required to get started (but you tin get 1 if you privation to prevention your progress), and the full happening takes spot in-browser.
Standout features see the precise gradual guidance provided with each exercise, alternatively than ample hints oregon implicit solutions. Answers are automatically graded, mistake messages are easy understandable and it provides debugging tools for other knowing of what went wrong. futurecoder is 100% escaped and has nary ads, and feels much similar Duolingo for coding than a university-style course.
Price
Free.
Duration
60 exercises, each of which instrumentality betwixt 10-30 minutes to complete.
Pre-requisites
None.
Pros
- Free with nary ads.
- Slick interface.
Cons
- No video tutorials, but this whitethorn beryllium a pro depending connected your learning style.
- It’s rather short, not taking the learner to a precise precocious level.
Automate the Boring Stuff with Python Programming - Udemy: Best for automating real-life tasks
Automate the Boring Stuff, taught by bundle technologist and tech publication writer Al Sweigart, is champion for learners who privation to dive close into real-world applications of Python. It is cleanable for bureau and administrative workers looking to amended their productivity by programmatically updating spreadsheets, parsing documents, sending email alerts and more.
While determination are a fewer quizzes, the bulk of the people is surface recordings with Sweigart’s voiceover and immoderate downloadable scripts, truthful those looking for thing much interactive whitethorn privation to take a antithetic course.
Price
Full terms is $119.99; however, Udemy has play income that spot this reduced significantly.
Duration
9.5 hours.
Pre-requisites
None.
Pros
- Focuses connected applicable uses of Python from the get-go.
- Based connected a well-reviewed publication of the aforesaid name.
- Book of mentation tin beryllium downloaded for free.
Cons
- There is not a batch astir machine subject theory, truthful this is not perfect for those looking to spell into a vocation arsenic a developer.
- Certification is not well-regarded.
- Course fee.
- Some reviewers person recovered the exercises hard without anterior Python knowledge.
MITx Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python - edX: Best for in-depth machine science
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python is the archetypal people connected this database to necessitate a basal cognition of mathematics and programming. Run by MITx, the online learning limb of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the lecture bid intends to thatch students however to deliberation computationally to hole them for a vocation successful bundle engineering. It includes lecture videos, exercises and occupation sets utilizing Python 3.5 and covers tons of antithetic areas, similar algorithms, investigating and debugging and information structures.
Price
$149 for afloat entree to people materials and certification upon completion. However, constricted entree to people materials is provided for free, but you cannot instrumentality graded assignments oregon exams.
Duration
9 weeks, 14 – 16 hours a week.
Pre-requisites
High schoolhouse algebra and a tenable aptitude for mathematics are required. Students without a anterior programming inheritance volition find determination is simply a steep learning curve.
Pros
- Expert tutoring from MIT professors.
- Course worldly is free.
Cons
- Course fee.
- Not galore real-world applications are taught that are based connected the machine subject theory.
- Reviewers accidental it is easier with the accompanying textbook, which comes astatine an further cost.
- Complicated mathematics progressive successful the second portion of course.
Professional Certificate successful Learning Python for Data Science - Harvard University - edX: Best for instrumentality learning and information subject for beginners
If you’re looking to initiate a vocation successful information science, past an acquisition from Harvard University is simply a large spot to start. The Professional Certificate successful Learning Python for Data Science, offered via edEx, consists of video lectures, programming exercises and quizzes.
Learners person entree to the Python information of the celebrated CS50: Introduction to Computer Science module, arsenic good arsenic others covering probability, information subject and instrumentality learning. While the worldly becomes in-depth similar the different courses connected this list, it does statesman with teaching however to work and constitute Python code. It besides includes applications of Python circumstantial to information science, utilising libraries similar numPy, matplotlip and Pandas.
Price
$747.
Duration
6 months, 3 to six hours a week.
Pre-requisites
None.
Pros
- Taught by Harvard University experts.
- Specific to information science.
Cons
- Course fee.
- Course duration is long.
Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate - Coursera: Best for precocious information analysts
Google’s Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate expects immoderate proficiency with information analytics anterior to starting the course, though Python fundamentals are covered arsenic due for beginners. The bid of 5 courses takes learners from connection and information investigation basics into much precocious regression investigation and instrumentality learning.
Specifically, it covers the manipulation of ample information sets, utilizing instrumentality learning to find patterns successful data, information visualisation, analytics tools — similar Jupyter Notebook, Tableau and more. Projects are distributed passim the people that tin adhd to the learner’s portfolio of work, and determination is simply a capstone astatine the extremity that combines each the lessons.
Price
$59 a period aft a 7-day escaped trial.
Duration
Six months astatine 10 hours a week.
Pre-requisites
Prior cognition of foundational analytical principles, skills and tools. Some programming cognition is besides useful.
Pros
- Goes beyond the theoretical to thatch however to use information analytics to real-world scenarios.
- Includes accusation astir the information expert occupation marketplace and however to hole for applications.
Cons
- Course fee.
- Requires experience. Beginners should effort the entry-level version.
- Substantial clip committedness required.
PCAP- Programming Essentials successful Python - Cisco Networking Academy: Best for well-known certification
While certifications are somewhat arguable amongst developers, with immoderate believing that acquisition is much valuable, pursuing a well-regarded accreditation is often a bully mode of ensuring you person broad cognition successful an area. The Python Institute offers the astir well-known acceptable of Python certifications, which are aimed astatine 4 progressive levels: entry-level, associate, nonrecreational 1 and nonrecreational 2.
This escaped people from Cisco Networking Academy guides learners done the contented of the archetypal 2 levels and prepares them for the Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer Certification and Certified Associate Python Programmer Certification exams. Content is delivered done signifier labs, interactive activities, videos and assessments.
Price
Free, though determination are fees associated with the exams that pb to ceremonial certification. Currently, it costs $59 to instrumentality the PCEP exam erstwhile and $295 for the PCAP.
Duration
75 hours.
Pre-requisites
None.
Pros
- Beginner friendly.
- Course contented is free.
Cons
- The exams are not free.
Is it worthy paying for a Python course?
The abbreviated reply is it depends connected your fund and what motivates you.
There is simply a wealthiness of escaped resources disposable done immoderate of the courses listed present arsenic good arsenic successful room books, connected YouTube and elsewhere online that volition alteration a motivated pupil to get to grips with Python. Many developers importune it is imaginable to maestro programming without paying a penny by moving connected tiny projects similar those connected GitHub and learning connected the go, which could beryllium a bully enactment for those connected a budget. Alternatively, cheque retired the escaped courses Python Programming MOOC 2024 and futurecoder.
However, the cardinal to learning immoderate caller accomplishment is to beryllium persistent, and it tin beryllium hard to stay motivated without a defined learning programme to follow, coursemates to link with oregon a people interest astatine hazard of going to waste. For individuals with a inclination to commencement projects but not decorativeness them, an archetypal concern successful a structured people whitethorn supply the information they need. Many paid courses besides springiness nonstop entree to qualified instructors who tin supply tailored assistance that would different not beryllium available. Therefore, a paid people similar 100 Days of Code whitethorn beryllium worthy it successful the agelong run, arsenic the interest provides information to proceed progressing.
Is Python the champion programming connection to learn?
Python is wide regarded arsenic 1 of the champion programming languages for beginners for a fig of reasons.
- It is casual to understand, arsenic its syntax is intuitive and intimately resembles earthy language.
- It is versatile, utilized successful assorted applicable domains specified arsenic web development, information science, automation, AI and technological computing.
- It has extended libraries and frameworks, similar NumPy, Pandas and TensorFlow, enabling developers to physique larger programs without starting from scratch.
- It integrates good with different commonly-used languages similar C++ and Java, technologies similar Terraform and REST APIs, and platforms similar Amazon Web Services and Raspberry Pi.
- It is utilized by galore large tech companies, including Google, Netflix and Meta.
- It has a ample and progressive assemblage of users who update tutorials, documents and open-source projects to enactment learning.
SEE: Top Python AI and Machine Learning Libraries
Do employers look astatine Python certifications?
Every leader is different, and portion immoderate whitethorn beryllium looking for circumstantial skills that are proven by well-regarded certifications, others whitethorn beryllium much funny successful task work, collaboration and different experiences. Before embarking connected a Python people to get a certificate, look astatine the requirements of vacancies that involvement you.
Certifications are somewhat arguable successful the developer assemblage for a fig of reasons. Many judge that the availability of escaped resources for learning means that paid certifications are financially exploitative. Programming languages and technologies besides germinate quickly, truthful certifications tin go outdated but stay advertised arsenic worthwhile. Some courses absorption much connected teaching theoretical cognition alternatively than however to lick real-world problems, and truthful the certification is not typical of programming ability.
On the different hand, the occupation marketplace for inferior developers is tight, with galore career-changers looking for an entry-level relation successful tech, and AI tools taking connected tasks usually fixed to little experienced employees. Therefore, it is important to differentiate your CV from others, and certifications successful circumstantial areas of bundle improvement tin beryllium a bully mode of doing so. A certificate tin besides supply information to propulsion done to the extremity of a lengthy people of study.