Structured Query Language, oregon SQL, is the cosmopolitan connection for managing and manipulating relational databases. As information is cardinal to truthful galore industries, being capable to analyse it efficaciously and efficiently is simply a invaluable skill.
Professionals from database administrators and bundle developers to information scientists and fiscal analysts trust heavy connected SQL to execute tasks similar information retrieval, investigation and reporting. It besides consistently ranks wrong the apical 10 astir fashionable programming languages connected the TIOBE Index, adjacent rising to eighth spot successful the past year.
Given its pervasive usage and the lucrative occupation opportunities it unlocks, learning SQL is simply a strategical determination for anyone looking to excel successful the tech and information sectors. TechRepublic takes a look astatine the apical six SQL courses disposable successful 2024 for learners with antithetic experiences and goals.
- Best for a speedy overview: SQL: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases – Coursera
- Best for an in-depth overview: SQL Nanodegree Program – Udacity
- Best for information analysts: Associate Data Analyst successful SQL – DataCamp
- Best for information science: Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python – Coursera
- Best for finance: SQL for Financial Data Analysis & Reporting – Zero to Pro – Udemy
- Best for concern analysts: SQL for Business Analysts – DataCamp
SEE: Can Microsoft Copilot Write Simple SQL Commands for You?
Best SQL courses: Comparison table
SQL: A Practical Introduction for Querying Databases - Coursera
“SQL: A Practical Introduction” was developed by tech elephantine IBM. Image: Coursera/Screenshot by TechRepublic
SQL: A Practical Introduction was developed by tech elephantine IBM to rapidly thatch the fundamentals of SQL to implicit beginners. This people is cleanable for funny learners without overmuch clip disposable to dedicate since it lone takes 21 hours and tin beryllium completed done 1 hr bursts. It covers basal SQL statements, creating relational databases, views, transactions, joins and more, delivered done videos, readings and quizzes. The contented is applicable to galore relational database absorption systems, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, IBM Db2, Oracle and SQL Server.
Price
$49/£38 per period aft seven-day escaped trial.
Duration
21 hours.
Pros and cons
| Great for giving assurance to implicit beginners. | Could beryllium excessively basal for immoderate learners. |
| Free if completed wrong a week. | Course interest would look costly if not completed wrong a month. |
Prerequisites
None, but immoderate basal information literacy is beneficial.
SQL Nanodegree Program - Udacity
Udacity offers entree to adept mentors who reappraisal projects and reply questions arsenic portion of the nanodegree. Image: Udacity/Screenshot by TechRepublic
The SQL Nanodegree Program from Udacity is longer and much in-depth than the Coursera course. While it does necessitate a basal knowing of SQL, the people does statesman by covering cardinal commands, joins, aggregations and subqueries earlier launching into much precocious topics specified arsenic MongoDB, RDBMS and overseas keys. What truly sets the Udacity people isolated are the mentors who supply personalized feedback and reply learner questions throughout, but it besides comes with a heavier terms tag. Learners are provided with a certificate upon completing the course, which tin beryllium promoted connected their resume and LinkedIn profile.
Price
$249/£196 per period aft seven-day escaped trial.
Duration
80 hours.
Pros and cons
| Provides entree to mentors who reappraisal projects and reply questions. | Expensive. |
| Certificate awarded upon completion. | Availability of mentors varies. |
Prerequisites
Basic SQL.
Associate Data Analyst successful SQL - DataCamp
This people is circumstantial to information analytics. Image: DataCamp/Screenshot by TechRepublic
The Associate Data Analyst successful SQL people and certification is cleanable for aspiring information analysts looking for an applicable grounding successful SQL. DataCamp provides exercises based connected real-world datasets, similar motorcycle portion income and pupil intelligence wellness stats, helping to support contented absorbing and relevant. Instructors commencement with wide SQL earlier moving connected to techniques and tools utilized successful information analytics, similar PostgreSQL. Instructors see information scientists, information evangelists and consultants, and learners person a Statement of Accomplishment upon completion.
Price
$13/£11 per month.
Duration
39 hours.
Pros and cons
| Specific to information analysts. | Some reviewers accidental the workout tin beryllium hard and instrumentality longer than the allotted time. |
| Covers non-SQL topics that supplement understanding, including statistics. | Different instructors’ teaching styles whitethorn not enactment for each learners. |
Prerequisites
None.
Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python - Coursera
This people focuses connected utilizing SQL and databases to grip large-scale datasets and execute analyzable queries. Image: Coursera/Screenshot by TechRepublic
While information analytics deals with solving defined concern problems, information subject involves utilizing much precocious techniques to marque broader predictions, dealing with the unknown. Both fields bash usage SQL, but successful antithetic ways — truthful courses that screen the database querying connection wrong the due discourse would beryllium astir useful. The Coursera offering Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python, prepared by IBM, is intended specifically for aspiring information scientists. It focuses connected utilizing SQL and databases to grip large-scale datasets and execute analyzable queries, which are indispensable for gathering data-driven models. It besides covers integrating SQL with Python to preprocess information for instrumentality learning algorithms and to automate information workflows.
Price
$49/£38 per period aft seven-day escaped trial.
Duration
20 hours.
Pros and cons
| Beginner level. | Steep learning curve. |
| Free if completed wrong a week. | Narrow absorption connected datasets and SQL, leaving little country for different aspects of information subject similar ML algorithms. |
Prerequisites
None.
SEE: The 7 Best Data Science Courses That are Worth Taking successful 2024
SQL for Financial Data Analysis & Reporting - Zero to Pro - Udemy
This people teaches SQL successful the discourse of fiscal reporting and analytics. Image: Udemy/Screenshot by TechRepublic
SQL is utilized often successful the concern assemblage for activities including managing ample transactional databases, calculating risk, tracing concern show and generating reports. Finance professionals seeking an overview of SQL that relates to their assemblage request look nary further than SQL for Financial Data Analysis & Reporting connected Udemy. Taught by an accountant, it covers SQL fundamentals similar penning queries to filter, radical and benignant data, performing analyzable joins and utilizing functions for information aggregation and reporting. Learners volition past cement these skills by learning to make reports similar equilibrium sheets and nett and nonaccomplishment statements and preparing cardinal fiscal analytics similar profitability and liquidity ratios.
Price
$20/£19.99 per month
Duration
5.5 hours.
Pros and cons
| Teaches SQL successful the discourse of fiscal reporting and analytics. | Those with a constricted inheritance successful concern whitethorn consciousness the explanations are not sufficiently detailed. |
| Low clip commitment. |
Prerequisites
Basic cognition of fiscal reports.
SEE: The 5 Best Udemy Courses That Are Worth Taking successful 2024
SQL for Business Analysts - DataCamp
Business analysts typically usage SQL to place trends, issues and opportunities for improving concern ratio successful ample information sets. Image: DataCamp/Screenshot by TechRepublic
This DataCamp people is designed specifically for business analysts moving successful marketing, concern oregon merchandise who already person a basal knowing of databases and SQL. Business analysts typically usage SQL to place trends, issues and opportunities for improving concern ratio successful ample information sets. Therefore, this people includes lessons connected filtering, aggregating and joining tables to extract and analyse data, arsenic good arsenic creating summary statistic and visualisations to enactment data-driven determination making. Examples screen utilizing SQL to cipher profit, gross and different KPIs that concern analysts often enactment with.
Price
$13/£11 per month.
Duration
20 hours.
Pros and cons
| Teaches SQL successful the discourse of concern analytics. | Different instructors’ teaching styles whitethorn not enactment for each learners. |
| Reasonably priced. |
Prerequisites
Basic SQL cognition and database familiarity are recommended.
Are SQL courses worthy it?
Simply typing successful ‘SQL courses’ connected Google yields hundreds of results, arsenic determination are galore providers retired determination looking to capitalize connected the increasing appetite for integer skills and the opportunities they unlock. Courses, therefore, tin alteration successful quality, yet meaning a important proportionality whitethorn not beryllium deemed “worth it” by learners.
However, the champion courses, prepared by taxable substance experts and qualified educators, tin marque a existent difference. According to Coursera’s 2023 Learner Outcomes Report, 77% of learners reap vocation benefits arsenic a effect of their course, specified arsenic getting a caller job, earning a promotion oregon gaining applicable vocation skills.
For those who conflict with self-motivation, a SQL people tin assistance them enactment committed and implicit the training. The structured attack ensures that they systematically physique skills and use champion practices. Many courses besides connection certification upon completion, similar Udacity’s SQL Nanodegree, which tin heighten occupation applications, entreaty to employers and service arsenic further motivation. According to the University of Michigan, students aiming for a certificate are much apt to implicit a people of survey than those who aren’t.
On the different hand, determination are galore different resources available, similar YouTube videos, treatment boards and open-source projects, that tin assistance disciplined learners summation SQL skills astatine their ain gait without the request for a course. Ultimately, whether a learner volition find a people worthy it volition beryllium connected its prime and their ain learning style.
Is SQL a precocious paying skill?
Yes, SQL is considered a high-paying skill. SQL developers, who negociate databases done SQL queries and scripts, person an mean wage of $95,000 successful the U.S. and £44,000 successful the UK, not including bonuses, nett sharing oregon different further wages, according to Glassdoor. Furthermore, database administration, which heavy relies connected SQL, is among the top IT jobs with important salaries, often reaching good implicit $100,000 annually.
Should I larn Oracle SQL oregon MySQL?
Oracle SQL is often utilized successful ample enterprises to implicit high-volume and analyzable database transactions, making it astir invaluable wrong industries similar concern oregon healthcare. MySQL, connected the different hand, is wide utilized successful web improvement and by startups owed to its open-source quality and easiness of use. The champion connection to larn archetypal volition beryllium the 1 that aligns astir with your vocation goals. However, MySQL is easier for beginners.
Should I larn SQL, Python oregon Tableau first?
SQL, Python and Tableau are 3 antithetic skills that are astir utile successful antithetic nonrecreational contexts. SQL is cardinal for managing and querying databases, and 52.9% of information expert occupation postings notation it, demonstrating its request wrong the industry.
Python is simply a highly versatile and wide utilized programming connection utilized extensively for information investigation and instrumentality learning. It often tops the TIOBE Index and is indispensable for overmuch in-depth information manipulation and analysis.
Tableau is simply a ocular analytics level that is utile for presenting information insights effectively. Learning however to usage Tableau tin beryllium advantageous if your extremity is to make impactful visualisations and dashboards.
Due to the request for SQL and its easiness compared to Python, starting with it could beryllium the astir beneficial. If you past privation to beforehand your analytical capabilities, you tin enactment toward a qualification successful Python. Alternatively, if your relation warrants a batch of information visualisation work, you could determine to larn to usage Tableau.
Methodology
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.
SEE: How to Use Tableau: A Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners
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