We currently live in a world that’s controlled by data. Knowledge of data analytics is useful for interpreting data and deriving meaningful patterns. This is applicable in almost any field which is why data analysts are in high demand.
It’s expected that data analytics services will have the fastest growth rate in the coming years.
If you’re interested in learning data analytics, there are many online courses, free and paid, that you can take. However, to increase your chances of employment, you need a certificate course.
In this article, I’ll be listing the 15 best data analytics certifications in 2021.
Best Data Analytics Certifications
1. Datacamp
At number one, we have Datacamp. Datacamp is a popular platform for learning data science and they offer a data analytics certification course – Data Analyst with Python. You can join Datacamp and start learning immediately; no prior coding experience is needed.
The Datacamp data analyst course comprises 16 sub-courses and takes about 62 hours to complete. You learn courses like data manipulation with Pandas, data visualization with Matplotlib, and data visualization with Seaborn amongst others. However, the majority of the courses focus on Python.
Whether you're a business or a professional, DataCamp helps you grow by sharpening your data skills. Its carefully designed video tutorials, real-life projects, and assessments make learning easier & faster. Try it today!
Datacamp instructors are professional data scientists working at Datacamp and other companies. Employees of top companies like Google, PayPal, Uber, eBay, and Intel use Datacamp to learn data analytics. In total, there are over nine million learners.
Datacamp Pricing
You can learn data analytics with Datacamp free of charge. However, you’ll be limited to just one course module per day. The next module will only unlock the next day.
With a subscription, you can access all of the course content at any time. You also have to pay if you need the certificate as free learners get no certificates. Below are the pricing plans:
Personal Plans
- Standard Plan: $12.42 per month
- Premium Plan: $33.25 per month
Business Plans
- Professional Plan: $25 per user per month
- Enterprise Plan: custom pricing
2. Coursera
Coursera is undoubtedly the most popular online learning platform and you’ll find hundreds of data analytics courses on the platform. You can not only get certifications with courses but also degrees including Bachelors and Masters.
Coursera courses are offered by top companies and institutions. For example, some of the most popular data analytics courses on the platform include Google Data Analytics, IBM Data Analyst, University of Pennsylvania Business Analytics, and John Hopkins University Data Science.
Furthermore, you can earn data analytics certifications for specific data analytics programs like Power BI, Tableau, MS Excel, etc. Learning via Coursera is very effective thanks to the hands-on projects. You get to practice with real-life-type projects.
Since courses are different, the number of hours and learning materials applicable differ. You’re free to learn at your pace after enrolling. As a popular platform, Coursera certifications are very valuable.
Coursera Pricing
There are some free data analytics courses on Coursera. However, the best data analytics courses are premium. You’ll either purchase a particular course or pay a general subscription fee; depending on which applies to the data analytics course you want to learn.
3. Udemy
Udemy records close to three million students for data analytics courses. The platform is another popular one and it is renowned for its low prices for certificate courses. You can sort the data analytics courses according to your level of experience.
Aside from the hundreds of data analytics courses on Udemy, there’s an exclusive course – The Data Analyst Course: Complete Data Analyst Bootcamp 2021. The course covers everything about data analytics.
It consists of 20 hours of videos, 14 articles, and 132 downloadable resources. You don’t need any prior knowledge of programming. The only requirement is that you install Anaconda.
You get to learn Python, NumPy, Pandas, data visualization, data types, and preprocessing amongst others. The course is created by 365 Careers and top companies like Apple, Netflix, and Volkswagen offer the course to their employees.
Other top data analytics courses on Udemy include Data Analyst Toolbox where you get to learn Excel, Python, Power BI, and a Complete Introduction to Business Data Analytics.
Udemy Pricing
Udemy courses have individual prices. The Data Analyst Course: Complete Data Analyst Bootcamp 2021 costs $84.99. However, as a new learner, you can learn any data analytics course on Udemy for a flat rate of $12.99.
Explore more platforms similar to Udemy.
4. Udacity
Udacity nanodegrees are among the best certifications on the internet today. The platform features an abundance of data science and data analytics courses. Two notable courses include the Data Analyst nanodegree program and the Business Analytics nanodegree program.
The Business Analytics nanodegree program is the best data analytics certification on Udacity. The course covers foundational data skills, how to analyze data and how to interpret data using Excel, Tableau, and SQL.
It takes about three months to finish this course if you study for 10 hours every week. You’re free to learn at your own pace once you enroll. Also, there are no prerequisites. The course is offered in collaboration with Mode and Tableau.
With the Data Analyst nanodegree program, the focus is mainly on Python and SQL. As you study, you take on real-world projects from industry experts.
Udacity Pricing
With Udacity, you have the option to pay as you go per month. Alternatively, you can pay upfront for four-month access and get a discount.
- Pay As You Go/Per Month: $399
- 4-Month Access: $1356
The plan to go for depends on how fast you plan to learn.
Check out the best alternatives to Udacity here.
5. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning features a Become a Data Analytics Specialist career path. It consists of nine sub-courses after which you get your certificate. There are several other courses relating to data analytics but the nine courses in the career path are all you need.
Following the data analytics career path on LinkedIn Learning, you get to learn statistics foundation, big data forecasting, predictive analytics & data mining, predictive customer analytics, Excel, and meta-analysis. There are also other data analytics learning paths too.
LinkedIn has a relatively short data analytics certification course – Learning Data Analytics. It’s a beginner course and runs for just one hour and 39 minutes.
There are other courses such as the Data Analytics for Business Professionals course, Amazon Web Services Data Analytics, Excel, R, and Tableau Data Analytics. All of these courses feature a LinkedIn Learning Certificate.
LinkedIn Learning Pricing
You must pay to learn and earn data analytics certification on the LinkedIn Learning platform. However, you can register and try the certification courses for free for one month before subscribing.
The pricing plans include:
- Monthly Plan: $29.99 per month
- Annual Plan: $19.99 per month (charged at $239.88)
6. edX
If you need data analytics certifications from the world’s best institutions, you should be a student on edX. edX courses are from renowned institutions like Harvard University, Berkeley University, and the University of Texas to name a few.
Currently, over 550,000 students learn on edX. There are more than 3000 certification courses on edX out of which 73 relate to data analytics. All courses come with a professional certificate from the institution offering them.
There are two popular data analytics courses on edX, Data Analytics Basics for Everyone and Data Analytics for Business. These certification courses take about 16 weeks to complete if you learn for 10 to 12 hours per week.
Other recommended data analytics certification courses on edX include Predictive Analysis using Python, Transforming Your Company’s Data Analytics: Championing the Digital Enterprise, and IBM Data Science.
edX Pricing
Many courses on edX are free to audit but you won’t get a certificate upon completion. You only get a certificate if you pay and the certificate cost for most courses on edX costs $300.
Nevertheless, there are exclusive edX courses with individual prices. You can’t audit these courses and some cost up to $800.
Discover more platforms similar to edX.
7. DataQuest
The DataQuest learning platform is all about data science. It features several career paths relating to data analytics and each of the courses comes with a professional certificate.
The career paths include Data analysts in R, Data Analysts in Python, Data scientists in Python, and Data Engineering. All these courses are beginner-friendly.
Aside from career paths, DataQuest also features Skills Paths where you can acquire handy data analytics skills in addition to your professional certificate.
Learning with DataQuest is very interactive as you’ll be practicing with real-time problems. There’s a guided project at the end of each course in the career path. These add weight to your certificate.
Some of DataQuest certificate holders currently work in top companies like Facebook, Uber, Spotify, Cltl, and Amazon.
DataQuest Pricing
You have two main pricing options with DataQuest. Although the platform has a free option, you can only get a certification if you pay. The premium plans include:
- Premium Annual: $24.50 per month (charged $294.00 per year)
- Premium Monthly: $49.00 per month
There are group plans for teams with discounts.
8. HBS Online
Harvard Business School (HBS) offers one of the best data analytics certifications. With HBS Online, you enjoy real-world, case-based learning, and global peer collaboration.
The course, Business Analytics, will teach you how to apply fundamental data analyses to real business problems. There’s a lot to learn including data interpretation, how to recognize trends and summarize data sets, and data relationships.
Notably, the course teaches you MS Excel analytical techniques. The course runs for eight weeks and has a fixed duration. Nevertheless, you can learn at your own pace following a weekly deadline.
The HBS Online Business Analytics course is suitable for college students, recent graduates, those considering graduate school, and mid-career professionals. To earn the certification, you must complete all five modules of the course and also pass all associated quizzes.
Other data analytics courses on HBS Online include Big Data For Social Good Form, Data Privacy, Data Science Principles, and Data Science for Business. Harvard is a globally renowned academic institution so their certifications are very valuable.
HBS Online Pricing
The HBS Online Business Analytics certification course costs $1,600. Other data analytics courses on HBS online also have different pricing.
9. FutureLearn
With FutureLearn, you can find short online courses and professional courses from world-class universities. Some of these universities include Monash University, The Open University, University of Michigan, and Johns Hopkins University.
There are over 100 data science certification courses on FutureLearn. Hence, you have a variety of paths to take. Some of the best courses available include Introduction to Data Analytics with Python, Business Analytics using Forecasting, and the Google Analytics course.
Most of these courses are offered in collaboration with top data software companies like Tableau. Learning with FutureLearn is very flexible. The courses mainly run for weeks and you can learn at your own pace.
The Google Analytics course for example runs for just four weeks and you just need two hours per week of study. You need to complete at least 90 percent of the course steps to earn your certificate and you get a printed certificate.
FutureLearn Pricing
You can learn on FutureLearn by paying for an annual subscription. This subscription earns you a digital certificate. You’ll have to upgrade the course if you want a printed certificate.
The pricing plans include:
- Future Learn Unlimited: $15.83 per month (billed at $189.99 per year)
- Course Upgrade: varies depending on the course
10. 365DataScience
A data analytics certification means you’re interested in a career in data science and that’s what 365DataScience is all about. Courses on 365DataScience are handled by industry experts so the certification is valuable.
Although there are different courses related to data analytics on 365DataScience, a course of interest is the Customer Analytics in Python course. This course mainly teaches you how to analyze data and make future predictions using Python.
The course features 60 high-quality lessons including five hours of video, five practical tests, and a certificate upon completion.
Another ideal data analytics certification course on 365DataScience is the Introduction to Data and Data Science course. It covers not just data analytics but also big data and machine learning among others.
It’s a more broad course as it features 17 practical tasks which you must pass before you get your certification. You can get a certificate of completion or certificate of achievement from 365DataScience.
365DataScience Pricing
With the 365DataScience free plan, you get no certificate. You get a certificate with the premium plan which is charged at $36 per month if you pay monthly and $29 per month if you pay annually.
11. PluralSight
You can earn a data analytics certification from PluralSight by following the Data Analytics Literacy path. This is a very broad path with 35+ learning objectives. Courses in the path are grouped according to difficulty. You can start from the beginner courses and work your way up.
The only prerequisites for following this career path are that you know basic mathematics, basic computer use, and have a basic knowledge of spreadsheet packages like Excel.
You’ll learn how to represent, process, and prepare data, how to combine and shape data, summarize data and deduce probabilities, interpret data with statistical models, and communicate data insights.
FutureLearn also features certification in business data analytics and AWS certified data analytics – these are specialty courses.
Pluralsight’s Pricing
Pluralsight has different pricing options for individuals and teams. They include:
Individuals
- Standard Plan: $19 per month; $159 per year with annual payment
- Premium Plan: $29 per month; $239 per year with annual payment
Teams
- Starter Plan: $399 per user per year
- Premium Plan: $579 per user per year
You can only get certification with the premium plans.
12. BitDegree
BitDegree is an online learning platform that’s powered by blockchain. The platform offers free certifications but most of their data analytics certifications are premium. A popular data analytics certification on the platform is the Marketing Analytics course.
If you need a data analytics certification for business purposes, this is one of the best courses to go for. This course already records over 5,000 students and it’s ideal if you’re a beginner in the data science industry. You get to learn analytics basics and analytics suggestions.
Another BitDegree certification that can help boost your value in the data analytics industry is the Learn Data Science Online From the Ground Up course. Mainly, you’ll learn how to pre-process data and carry out cluster and factor analysis.
Top companies like Forbes, Markets Insider, Yahoo Finance, and MarketWatch confirm that BitDegree certifications are reliable.
BitDegree Pricing
As mentioned earlier, BitDegree offers free certifications. If such applies to the analytics course you choose, you won’t have to pay. Otherwise, you’ll have to buy the course/certification and the price differs for different courses.
13. Alison
Alison is popular as a free online learning platform. However, while you don’t have to pay to learn, you must pay to get a certificate. There are many data analytics certification courses available. A popular one is the Introduction to Data Analytics with Python.
It’s a relatively short course as it runs for a maximum of three hours. You get to learn the fundamentals of data analytics using Python. It’s a Continuing Professional Development (CPD UK) accredited course that gives the certificate value.
Another ideal data analytics course on Alison is the Diploma in Data Analytics with Python course. This is a more in-depth course than the introductory one and runs for up to 10 hours. You learn how to make business decisions in industries from data.
You can also earn certifications for data analytics using MS Power BI amongst others.
Alison Pricing
The cost for Alison certificates depends on the certificate and course type. They include:
Certificate Courses
- Digital Certificate: €21.00
- Printed Certificate: €27.00
- Framed Certificate: €37.00
Diploma Courses
- Digital Certificate: €65.00
- Printed Certificate: €96.00
- Framed Certificate: €115.00
14. Intellipaat
On Intellipaat, you’ll find world-class data analytics certification and degree programs. The platform boasts more than 1.2 million learners. Intellipaat certifications are recommended if you need advanced certifications.
A popular data analytics certification course on the platform is the Advanced Certification in Big Data Analytics course offered by Electronics & ICT Academy in collaboration with IBM.
It’s a nine-month-long certification course with live lessons. After completing this course, you’re guaranteed three job interviews which increases your chances of employment.
If you need a more general certification, then you can go for the Data Analytics Course. It features 50 live sessions and takes about seven months to complete. You get to learn about every skill necessary for data analytics.
Intellipaat Pricing
The prices for certification courses on Intellipaat vary. The Advanced Certification in Big Data Analytics course, for example, costs $2,983 for the full program. On the other hand, the Data Analytics Course costs $1,737.
Intellipaat pricing plans are relatively expensive which is why they’re only recommended if you need advanced data analytics certifications.
15. Harvard Extension School
Last here is the Data Analytics Graduate Certificate course by Harvard Extension School. This is another advanced course that teaches you how to choose, implement, and understand relevant statistical and data mining tools for real-world data challenges.
You also learn programming for business analytics, how to use information management tools and cloud databases to store, analyze, and extract data for business. You have to complete four courses before earning your certificate.
This is a graduate certificate course so it takes a relatively long time to complete – 1.5 years. This course isn’t recommended if you’re a beginner. You must have knowledge of basic statistics, some algebra, and calculus.
Furthermore, you must follow the academic calendar to learn. You have three options to enroll depending on the year; you can enroll during spring, summer, or fall.
Aside from this Data Analytics Graduate Certificate, you can search the Harvard Extension School online platform for other data analytics certifications.
Harvard Extension School Pricing
The Data Analytics Graduate Certificate course by Harvard Extension School costs $2,980.
Bottom Line
There you go! The 15 best data analytics certifications that you can earn.
All above-mentioned platforms require that you pass a final exam, test, or complete a project before you get certified.
Scott L. Macarthur is a marketing consultant and an online author. He is mostly engaged in providing his expertise to startups and SMBs. He is also an author on TheNextWeb.