We recommend the best products through an independent review process, and advertisers do not influence our picks. We may receive compensation if you visit partners we recommend. Read our advertiser disclosure for more info.
Python is a computer programming language that’s useful for a wide range of tasks and projects. A Python course can help you develop skills that can boost your website design, development, or data analysis career or open new doors in a high-tech or data-heavy field.
Some classes are quick introductions for beginners while others offer in-depth lessons with hands-on projects that take weeks or months to complete. We focused on content, outcomes, duration, difficulty, and cost to help you find the best Python courses for your career goals.
The Best Python Courses of 2022
- Best Overall: 2022 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python
- Best In-Depth Option: Python for Everybody Specialization
- Best for Beginners: Crash Course on Python
- Best for Advanced Training: Pluralsight
- Best Online Bootcamp: CodingNomads Python Bootcamp Online
- Best for Data Analysis: Applied Data Science with Python Specialization
- Best for Finance: Introduction to Python for Finance
- Best for Software Developers: The Python Tutorial
Best Overall : 2022 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Udemy_Logo_TM_Pos_RGB_Lcopy-089222a35b294dc0ad5fb2f2f9e2e509.jpg)
Udemy
Why We Chose It: We picked this class as best overall because it covers everything you need to get started with Python at a reasonable cost and earns very high ratings from past students.
Self-paced
High ratings from 1.2 million students
Lifetime access
30-day money-back guarantee
More expensive than similar courses
Accredited certificates not available
If you want an all-in-one Python education for a flat price, Udemy’s 2022 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python holds a 4.6-star average rating with more than 350,000 ratings and 1.2 million past students.
The course costs $159.99, though there may be discounts or coupons available depending on when you sign up. It covers Python 3 over 155 lectures that take about 22 hours to complete with 19 coding exercises included.
You can preview the course introduction for free to decide if you like the teacher and curriculum. If you sign up and change your mind, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re serious about learning Python and stick with this course to completion, you will likely find the price tag to be a worthwhile investment in your career.
Best In-Depth Option : Python for Everybody Specialization
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/BusinessandFinancialModelingSpecializationfromCoursera-be06cccbc3db4c54b6c8324ad80db083.jpg)
Business and Financial Modeling Specialization from Coursera
Why We Chose It: We chose the Python for Everybody Specialization because it’s a robust series of university-taught courses that shows you how to use Python in common scenarios.
A course from the University of Michigan
Option to audit individual classes for free
Teaches beginners to use
Python for various uses
Past students went on to new careers or pay increases
Takes eight months to complete
Must pay for completion certificate
Doesn’t offer university credit
The Python for Everybody Specialization from the University of Michigan is a series of four courses on the Coursera platform. The sections teach you Python basics and data structures before diving into using Python on the web and with databases. You can audit the entire series for free, which gives you access to course documentation and files. A fee is required for certification on completion.
This course is appropriate for beginners with no Python knowledge and moderate computer skills. If you already know the basics, you may want to jump ahead into the sections on using Python to access web data and databases, including an introduction to the SQL database query language.
A university professor teaches the course, but you can go at your own pace online. If you follow the suggested pace of three hours per week, it will take eight months to complete. But if you work hard, you can get through it faster. According to Coursera, nearly one million students have enrolled, and of those who completed the course, 37% started a new career and 19% got a pay increase or promotion.
Best for Beginners : Crash Course on Python
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/BusinessandFinancialModelingSpecializationfromCoursera-be06cccbc3db4c54b6c8324ad80db083.jpg)
Business and Financial Modeling Specialization from Coursera
Why We Chose It: We picked this course taught by Google on the Coursera platform because it teaches beginners everything they need to know to start with Python and no prior coding or programming knowledge is required.
Requires no programming or coding knowledge
Self-paced
Taught by Google
High ratings from past enrollees
Takes 32 hours to complete
Certificate not available unless you complete the entire series
There’s arguably no company that knows the Internet better than Google, which offers this Python course free if audited on the Coursera platform. This is the first in a series of six courses on Python and perfect for anyone new to Python or programming and coding in general.
The Crash Course on Python holds a 4.8-star rating and has over 300,000 past enrollees. The course is at your own pace, taking roughly 32 hours to complete, and shows students how to create basic scripts and objects to automate small tasks. If you like what you learn, you can continue through the eight-month series titled Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate.
Even if you don’t want to go into an IT career, this course could be valuable for managers and workers across many industries, including finance, accounting, and marketing. If you’re really into it and complete the extended course series, you will have the knowledge to start a new career or put Python to use in your day-to-day work.
Best for Advanced Training : Pluralsight
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Pluralsight-04e6d58e20b64a078b15ceaf73b7e5eb.jpg)
Pluralsight
Why We Chose It: We picked Pluralsight because it offers multiple Python-related courses for advanced users with unlimited access for a monthly subscription.
Learn Python basics and advanced topics
Choose the topics you want
10-day free trial
Membership required to access all courses
Certification not available upon completion
Pluralsight is a course platform where a single membership price gives you access to a large library of courses. While beginners may enjoy the Core Python Path, advanced users can skip ahead to specific courses and topics they want to learn. Additional learning paths include Python for Data Analysts, Interpreting Data with Python, and Provisioning Infrastructure with the AWS CDK Using Python.
Examples of courses for more advanced Python users include Python Best Practices for Code Quality, which takes just over an hour to complete, and Build Your Own CLI Planner App Using Python Abstract Base Classes, which takes about three hours.
Individual memberships cost $29 per month for the standard plan, which includes over 2,500 courses plus skill assessments. If you’d like access to even more classes, certification practice exams, and other features, you can opt for the $45 per month premium plan. You can also save with annual memberships for $299 per year or $449 per year, depending on the membership level you choose. Before committing, you can try Pluralsight free for 10 days.
Best Online Bootcamp : CodingNomads Python Bootcamp Online
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/CodingNomadsPythonBootcampOnline-633df5c46a8b4636bd48800656a5cb09.jpg)
CodingNomads Python Bootcamp Online
Why We Chose It: We like CodingNomads Python Bootcamp Online because it offers three pricing tiers with multiple learning levels for individual timeframes and budgets.
Monthly content and intensive bootcamp options
Comprehensive curriculum
Dedicated mentor and member forum
Somewhat high cost for intensive programs
Can take several months to complete on your own
The Python bootcamp from CodingNomads is a great online bootcamp that takes you from beginner to expert over a three-month intensive course for $2,100. You can also opt for a month-to-month intensive program for $750 per month or get access to the online content and forum for just $9 per month.
CodingNomads’ intensive programs pair you with a dedicated mentor, weekly one-on-one screen share meetings, and custom code reviews. The three-month program typically requires 10 to 25 hours per week and includes 24/7 mentor access on Slack. You can start for free or schedule a free mentor advisory call before committing to the full price.
CodingNomads’ bootcamp teaches how to use Python for databases and the web, Python APIs, and in various programming environments. The capstone project requires pulling everything you learned together and could jumpstart your own side hustle or show potential employers that you have the skills they’re looking for.
Best for Data Analysis : Applied Data Science with Python Specialization
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/BusinessandFinancialModelingSpecializationfromCoursera-be06cccbc3db4c54b6c8324ad80db083.jpg)
Business and Financial Modeling Specialization from Coursera
Why We Chose It: We picked this course series on Coursera because it includes an in-depth education on using Python with large data sets, machine learning, and other in-demand uses from a reputable university at no cost.
Teaches data visualization, machine learning, and text mining
Taught by University of Michigan instructors
Free and paid options
Commitment of five months and seven hour per week
Doesn’t carry university credit
If you already know the basics and want to move on to higher-level data projects with Python, consider this course series on Coursera from the University of Michigan. The course sections focus on data science, applied visual data representations, applied machine learning, applied text mining, and applied social network analysis. Applied means you will likely find real-world uses for this knowledge in your career.
As with most Coursera classes, this course is free to audit and requires a modest fee for a certificate proving completion, which may not be necessary. It is taught by a team of four instructors and professors from the University of Michigan School of Information, the same source as the Python for Everybody Specialization we picked as best for beginners.
More than 275,000 students have enrolled in this course. According to Coursera, 34% of participants who completed the course started a new career and 23% said they got a pay increase. Some Python learners may jump in and just take one or two of the courses, but the full specialization offers an excellent foundation for future data scientists.
Best for Finance : Introduction to Python for Finance
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/IntroductiontoPythonforFinance-c28e3054b8894ce382fa4baea9502773.jpg)
Introduction to Python for Finance
Why We Chose It: We chose Introduction to Python for Finance because it covers finance-specific needs in a compressed four-hour video course that includes 55 different exercises to build the specific skills you need.
Python fundamentals for finance professionals
Hands-on project using live stock market data
No-cost preview available
Subscription membership required
Doesn’t provide more advanced training
Datacamp is a membership website that teaches a wide range of topics. If you’re in finance and want to learn to use Python for data collection and analysis, the Introduction to Python for Finance course is a great pick. Memberships to Datacamp cost $25 per month or $300 per year and include more than 300 different courses focused on coding and IT skills for business.
The Python for Finance course is made up of five sections. Useful skills you’ll pick up include using arrays, lists, and data visualizations. The final section is a case study that requires bringing course concepts together in a project that calculates financial ratios and data summaries for S&P 100 companies.
Finance professionals are busy and likely don’t need to know everything under the sun about Python. Instead of choosing a course for IT professionals, this course is made just for finance and puts you on track to maximize profits in any industry.
Best for Software Developers : The Python Tutorial
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/ThePythonTutorial-0646f49f2de24488acf11097d9e7e12e.jpg)
The Python Tutorial
Why We Chose It: We chose this course because it comes from Python’s makers and includes the information you need to start or improve a Python project quickly.
Offered by the Python Software Foundation
Teaches Python abilities and coding rules
Integrates with other Python help documentation
Not a traditional teacher-led course
No certificate upon completion
If you’re already a software developer, you may want to jump right into the Python Tutorial, a Python course that’s more of a user manual than a series of lessons. You’ll likely find everything you need to get started working in Python with a minimal time commitment and no cost.
The Python Tutorial is updated for the latest Python version. It hyperlinks to additional resources and documentation from the Python Standard Library and shows you how to extend and use Python for various use cases.
The course starts by teaching you where Python got its name and ends with practical knowledge you can use for applying Python to your career. That’s a plan most experienced developers should find success with, and it doesn’t cost more than the time spent learning new Python skills.
Final Verdict
Python is a useful programming language that will likely remain around for decades to come. If you want to learn Python to improve or change your career path, any of these courses could be a good fit for your needs.
If you have trouble deciding, we recommend Udemy’s 2022 Complete Python Bootcamp since it teaches you the basics of Python in an easy-to-use and relatively affordable online program you can access anywhere and anytime.
Compare Providers
Best Python Courses | |||
---|---|---|---|
Course | Cost | Course Length | Why We Picked It |
2022 Complete Python Bootcamp From Zero to Hero in Python
Best Overall |
$159.99 | 22 hours | Affordable beginner course for practical Python skills |
Python for Everybody Specialization
Best In-Depth Option |
$0 if audited or $49 per month | 8 months | Free course series from the University of Michigan |
Crash Course on Python
Best for Beginners |
$0 if audited or $39 per month | 32 hours | Free course taught by Google |
Pluralsight
Best for Advanced Training |
$29 or $49 per month | Varies by course | Multiple courses with one subscription for advanced Python skills |
CodingNomads Python Bootcamp Online
Best Online Bootcamp |
$9 to $750 per month or $2,100 for 3-month intensive | 3 months | Three-month intensive bootcamp or self-paced learning options |
Applied Data Science with Python Specialization
Best for Data Analysis |
$0 if audited or $49 per month | 5 months | Teaches essential skills for data analysts |
Introduction to Python for Finance
Best for Finance |
$25 per month or $300 per year | 4 hours | Python skills focused on financial data and analysis |
The Python Tutorial
Best for Software Developers |
Free | Self-paced | Free tutorial from The Python Foundation |
What Is Python?
Python is an object-oriented programming language used for a wide range of uses relating to data and the web. It’s considered relatively easy to learn compared to other computer programming languages that require more in-depth coding experience.
What Is Python Used For?
Python is commonly used for data collection, analysis, and website development. Python code can take on diverse projects such as scraping data from websites, analyzing stock market investment data, or generating dynamic and interactive websites.
How Much Do Python Courses Cost?
Python courses range in price from free to over $10,000 for expensive in-person coding bootcamps. Depending on your background, goals, and budget, there is likely a course that meets your Python education needs.
Is Python Hard to Learn?
Python is an easier programming language because it uses simple syntax, a computer term for inputs. Thanks to a large community of users, Python is well supported with many course options, resources, code banks, and examples freely available online.
Why Should I Learn Python?
Python is useful for many personal projects, but the best reason to learn Python may be career gains. Many careers in analysis, data management, and development require Python knowledge or would benefit from Python coding skills. If you learn Python, you could find yourself in a new and exciting job or with a pay increase from a career you already enjoy.
Do You Need to Take a Class to Learn Python?
You don’t need a class to learn Python. Computer savvy students may be able to pick up Python through a combination of articles, videos, and other free online content. If you want everything in one place already laid out in an order that makes sense, a class or course is the best way to go.
How We Chose the Best Python Courses
To pick the best Python courses, we looked at a dozen providers focusing on course content, skills covered, content types, the length of the course, teacher reputation, and cost. Our best Python course selections give you everything you need to start a new hobby or career with a foundation of Python code.