Hi, I’m Olga! I have years of experience in data science, most recently at eBay and now I work as an industry mentor at Pathrise, helping data scientists land a great role through technical workshops and 1-on-1s. Check out this article with the best resources to learn Python for data science.
Python has become one of the most important tools used by data scientists in tech. The language is known for its simple syntax and ease of use. But, aspiring data scientists still need to put in the work to learn the basics and advance their current skills.
To help you get started, we have created a list of Python courses from well known online resources so you can find the program that best matches your learning goals.
- Codecademy
- Coursera
- Udacity
- Udemy
- edX
- SoloLearn
- Google’s Python Class
- Springboard
- Metis
- DataCamp
- Dataquest
- General Assembly
1. Codecademy
Offering free and paid resources, Codecademy has courses for people who are looking to advance their Python skills. Besides their fundamentals course, Codecademy has more advanced offerings in Python. These cover topics such as syntax, functions, control flow, loops, and more. Pro membership, which provides access to a wide range of Python and data science courses, costs $20-$40 per month.
2. Coursera
Coursera is an online learning platform with beginner and intermediate Python courses. In addition to teaching the basics, Coursera offers programs in more specific topics, such as Google IT automation with Python, applied data science with Python, and Python for data science and AI. The courses are free to audit. Students can also pay to earn a certificate, which they can add to their LinkedIn profile.
3. Udacity
A tech education tool, Udacity has free and paid courses in a variety of topics under the data science umbrella and beyond. For Python, they offer courses in the fundamentals as well as more advanced topics. Some examples are machine learning, data structures and algorithms, AI programming, and data analysis. They also have an in-depth nanodegree program in programming for data science with Python. The program focuses on Python fundamentals, SQL, command line, Git, and more. Learn more about Udacity in our review.
4. Udemy
Udemy is an online platform with course offerings in Python as well as thousands of other topics. In addition to their Python fundamentals courses, they offer a complete bootcamp that teaches students how to create games and use advanced features such as the collections module. With over 185 lectures that cover topics such as object oriented programming and decorators, the Python bootcamp comes with reading materials, coding exercises, lifetime access, and a certificate of completion. Udemy also has courses in more specific topics, such as Python for machine learning and Python for data analysis and visualization.
5. edX
A massive online open course (MOOC), edX is a tech education tool with free and paid courses in some of the most in-demand fields, including data science and Python programming. They offer a number of self-paced Python courses, ranging in experience level. For example, students can take Python for absolute beginners, as well as courses on more advanced topics such as data structures, visualization, objects & algorithms, machine learning, and more.
6. SoloLearn
For those who are looking to learn the basics, SoloLearn offers free exercises and lessons in Python programming, as well as other languages. Their lessons, which focus on key Python concepts, can be accessed on their mobile application, so users can learn the fundamentals on the go. To keep track of their progress, users earn points for correct answers and badges for completing lessons. The questions are multiple choice, so users do not need to write their own solutions to answer the problems. Because of this, beginners should consider using SoloLearn alongside a more hands-on learning platform.
7. Google’s Python Class
People with programming experience in another language can check out Google’s Python Class. The free course, which is adapted from an intensive 2-day Python bootcamp for Google employees, includes recorded lectures, readings, and coding exercises that teach basic Python concepts such as strings and lists, as well as more advanced topics, such as text files and processes.
8. Springboard
Springboard is an online education platform that aims to that aims to bridge the world’s skills gap. They are most well known for their data science courses, which include a job guarantee in their career track. Students can take the career track prep course to learn the basics of Python and other data science skills and then cover the Python data science stack in the full career track. Learn more about Springboard in our review.
9. Metis
Beginners looking to learn the basics of data science and Python should check out the introductory courses offered by Metis. These can lead students into their full-time immersive bootcamps or can teach the necessary skills for job-seekers to find roles in data analytics or entry level data positions. Learn more about Metis in our review.
10. DataCamp
DataCamp is a data science learning platform with individual courses that cover topics such as Python fundamentals and deep learning with Python. Those who enroll in their in-depth tracks learn how to use Python in the context of data engineering, data science, or machine learning. The tracks take between 43-100 hours to complete and prepare students for a career in data science.
11. Dataquest
Another data science bootcamp, Dataquest offers 2 free fundamentals-based courses in Python, as well as paid courses that teach intermediate and advanced topics in data science. They also offer paid in-depth tracks in Python for beginner and intermediate data scientists. Known as Dataquest paths, these in-depth tracks are 24-week project-based courses that prepare students for their next data science role.
12. General Assembly
One of the most well known bootcamps, General Assembly has full-time, part-time, and 1 day courses in a variety of topics under the data science umbrella. Their data science immersive teaches the fundamentals all the way through advanced machine learning topics and their short-form classes teach data analytics and more early topics for people with less time. Learn more about General Assembly in our review.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that provides 1-on-1 support to students and professionals on every component of the job search, including resume and portfolio building, technical and behavioral interview prep, salary negotiation, and more.
If you are looking to work with a mentor to optimize your job search and help you land a job in data science, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
