Top 10 Data Science Courses To Get Started in 2024

Time to kick some meaningful data in 2024 with top data science courses. In this article, you can find the best place to start a course designed for all levels of expertise, from beginner to advanced.

The world is becoming more digital. The more the world becomes connected, the more data and information for any imaginable project becomes available. Data is often presented in an incoherent fashion that must be mined in order for it to make any sense. The tool that enables the conversion of data into information is data science. And data science is a tool for Good. 

What is Data Science (Really)?

Data science is a tool to make the world a little bit better. A tool to have fun with data while bringing value to the world and its visitors.

Applications of data science are relevant to every profession and enable critical business decisions to be made. Data Science incorporates elements of mathematics, statistics, information technology, and computer science, and applies a set of algorithms in order to draw relevant conclusions. There are a series of steps that are often incorporated into data science practices. These include: 

• Data preparation 
• Formulation of data system algorithms
• Data analysis
• Formulation of data-driven solutions 
• Presentation of solutions for appropriate decision making 

Data science is an application of statistical principles and is a digital phenomenon that deals with both quantitative and qualitative data. 

How Do You Choose the Right Data Science Certification Program? 

The world is increasingly digital, and the applications of data science will continue to increase. By applying data science skills, it is possible to make meaningful career transitions or even start a new business. There are a variety of data science certifications that enable you to gain the knowledge that will boost your relevance in the field. Choosing a data science course online or in-house will enable you to add value to your organization or business. 

Choosing the right data science course requires a few decision-making points:

• Identify your area of focus. Data scientists provide value to organizations at different stages of the value chain. Other important roles close to a data scientist are data engineers and data analysts. Having clear intentions for your career will determine which course will be best for you to pursue. Trying out different courses will help to choosing the right technical domain among Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Remote Sensing, and more. 
• Determine your best learning style: Can you take the course online via your local university and learn with peers, or via online courses such as those provided by Coursera? Do you prefer self-paced or live courses where you can chat with other learners? Should you take a certificate course or a full degree? If you are committed, you can opt for a full specialization such as a degree. If you want to utilize the skills for a project, then just taking a course will be adequate. 
• Determine the cost/ benefit ratio: Free or paid? There are plenty of free great courses out there, which will help you build the necessary skills. However, Psychology experiments have shown that the more people pay for something, the more they value it. People given a placebo pill were twice as likely to have their pain disappear when they were told that the pill was expensive. People who paid more for tickets were more likely to attend the performance. Oftentimes investing money in yourself will pay off. 

Decision-making often requires a series of criteria. By taking the time to actually conduct your due diligence, and factor in cost, the intention of the project as well as the time frame to conduct the project, you will be able to identify the path that will work best for you. 

A Comprehensive List of Top 10 Data Science Courses Online (Updated 2024)

Online learning enables you to learn at your own pace and within a reasonable budget. Recommended online data science courses include: 

Coursera: Data Science Specialization 

This Specialization covers the concepts and tools you’ll need throughout the entire data science pipeline, from asking the right kinds of questions to making inferences and publishing results. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll apply the skills learned by building a data product using real-world data. At completion, students will have a portfolio demonstrating their mastery of the material. 

Price: Professional Certificate program costs range from $39-$99 USD per month. You can start with a 7 day free trial. The MasterTrack Certificate program costs typically range from $2,000-$5,000.

Udemy: Complete Data Science Bootcamp 

The course provides the entire toolbox you need to become a data scientist.

This course includes:

• 29.5 hours on-demand video
• 90 articles
• 501 downloadable resources
• Full lifetime access
• Access on mobile and TV
• Certificate of completion

Price: $139-$199 / Currently discounted! 

Dataquest

Their Data Science Learning Paths and Courses are expertly designed and organized to teach you new skills and to help you reach your data career goals. 

Price: Currently You Can Try Dataquest for Free 

Omdena Academy – AI and Data Science Education Rooted in the Real World

OmdenaAcademy’s mission is to empower learners with quality education in application areas of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence while removing the financial and geographic barriers. 

OmdenaAcademy provides an instructor-led and code-first environment with a better user experience using real-world case studies. The learners can learn theories, models, and applications to understand the usefulness of applications in advancing AI for the betterment of humanity. 

Price: The school is run by donations given by students.

Check out the full course offerings here

Simplilearn: Data Science Course 

Ranked #1 Data Science Course by IndiaToday. This Data Scientist course in collaboration with IBM features exclusive IBM hackathons, masterclass, and Ask-me-anything sessions. Get hands-on with technologies like R, Python, Machine Learning, Tableau, Hadoop, and Spark through our data science certification. Enhance your learning with our data science course online and luxuriate live interaction with practitioners, practical labs, and projects

Price: $999 or $83 per month 

Datacamp: Data Science For Everyone 

Through hands-on exercises, you’ll learn about the different data scientist roles, foundational topics like A/B testing, time series analysis, and machine learning, and how data scientists extract knowledge and insights from real-world data. 

Course: 2 hours, 15 videos, 48 Exercises

Price: FREE 

Coursera: Data-Driven Decision Making

Also from Coursera, this course is provided by PwC so unsurprisingly focuses more on business applications than theory. It covers the spectrum of tools and techniques which are being adopted by businesses today to tackle data challenges and the different roles that data specialists can fill in modern organisations. Students are also tutored in selecting the best tools and frameworks for solving problems with data. The four-week course concludes with a task involving deploying a data solution in a simulated business environment.

Udacity: Intro to Machine Learning

Machine learning is undoubtedly one of the hot topics in data science right now, and this course aims to give a full overview, from theory to practical application. As well as an introduction to selecting data sources and choosing which algorithms best fit a particular problem the course also forms a part of Udacity’s paid-for “nanodegree” in data analysis.

IBM: Data Science Fundamentals

IBM provides a number of free online courses through its portal formerly known as Big Data University and now rebranded as Cognitive Class. This program covers data science 101, methodology, hands-on applications, programming in R, and open-source tools. Collectively they should take around 20 hours to complete although those with prior experience in computer science will probably progress more quickly, whereas complete beginners may take a little bit longer.

California Institute of Technology: Learning from Data

This course focuses on machine learning and is delivered as a series of video lectures along with homework assignments and a final exam. As well as an overview of how computers “learn”, it goes into depth with mathematics (students are expected to have a working knowledge of matrices and calculus, so this one isn’t for complete maths newbies).

Let´s make Data Science fun

The exciting world of data science can only be explored with the appropriate educational foundation. Nurture your potential, by expanding your horizons and allowing yourself to be certified in Data Science. At the baseline, you can try one or two online courses, and as you become more committed, you can solidify your expertise with a degree in Data Science. You are responsible for your own success.