Are you ready to jump into the exciting world of Data Science? Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced programmer, this guide is here to help you find the top online courses to get you started. Data Science is a rapidly growing field that combines statistics, programming, and domain expertise to extract insights from data. With the right skills and knowledge, you can unlock the power of big data and make a real impact in your career. So, buckle up, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s start exploring Data Science together! What are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

Here are my top picks. Click on one to skip to the course details:

What is Data Science?

Data science is a field that utilizes scientific induction to extract general principles from specific observations. With the vast amount of data generated daily in the digital age, it would be impossible for humans to sift through them all to discover trends. This is where data scientists come in, offloading the difficult computational work to machines through machine learning or deep learning.

However, data scientists are needed to ensure that the data fed to the machines is clean and the right machine is chosen, and to communicate the findings to those who may not be as technically inclined. This challenging and rewarding field has been gaining popularity, being hailed as the sexiest job of the 21st century by Harvard and paying a median salary of $120k per year in the United States.

Data analytics, a subset of data science, has also been gaining traction, and Python and R are the most popular programming languages used in the field. With data galore and new technologies emerging every day, data science is set to become an increasingly important and exciting field for years to come.

My Experience with Data Science

I built this ranking in collaboration with my friend and colleague @manoel.

We both come from computer science backgrounds and are prolific online learners, having completed about 45 MOOCs between us. Additionally, Manoel has an online bachelor’s in computer science, while I am currently completing my foundation in computer science. In fact, data science is the primary reason I’m interested in CS!

Course Ranking Methodology

I built this ranking following the now tried-and-tested methodology used in previous Best Courses Guides (you can find them all here). It involves a three-step process:

1. Research: I started by leveraging Class Central’s database with 100K online courses and 200K+ reviews. Then, I made a preliminary selection of 2,900+ Data Science courses by rating, reviews, and bookmarks.
2. Evaluate: I read through reviews on Class Central, Reddit, and course providers to understand what other learners thought about each course and combined it with my own experience as a learner.
3. Select: Well-made courses were picked if they presented valuable and engaging content and they have to fit in a set of criteria and be ranked accordingly: comprehensive curriculum, affordability, release date, ratings and enrollments.

After going through this process — combining Class Central data, our experience as lifelong learners, and a lot of editing — we arrived at our final ranking. So far, we’ve spent more than 21 hours building this ranking, and we intend to continue updating it in the future.

One note about this ranking. Although data science is typically considered a superset of data analytics, data analytics has been getting a lot of traction in its own right, so I’ve also included picks that explicitly focus on data analytics in this ranking. We’ve also made sure to include Python and R as they are the most popular programming languages used for data science.

Course Ranking Statistics

Here are some aggregate stats about the ranking:

• The number of enrollments for each course combines to a total of 6.4 million enrollments, with the highest enrolled course having 1.6 million enrollments.
• Seven of the courses are free or free-to-audit, while three courses are paid.
• Seven courses are beginner level, with the rest at an intermediate level.
• This course has a diverse list of 6 providers, with the most-represented provider being Coursera.
• Three of the courses in this ranking uses Python, two uses R, and the rest does not involve coding.
• Around 348k people are following Data Science Courses on Class Central.

Without further ado, let’s get to the top picks.

1. Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

My #1 pick for the best data science course is for Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science, offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on edX.

This free-to-audit course is designed to teach you with a wide variety of concepts and methods to excel in computational thinking and data science, and does so very rigorously, as you’d expect from an MIT course. This course has by far the highest workload in the ranking!

This course is a continuation of Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python, although if you have prior Python programming experience and some knowledge of algorithms and complexity, you should be ready to take this course. If you need, check out one of the courses in my Python ranking.

Be aware that since this course is a one-to-one reflection of what students at MIT learn and do on campus, you may find some of the course material and assignments challenging. Remember, challenge brings effort, and effort brings success!

What You’ll Learn

The major topics discussed in this course are optimization problems, stochastic thinking, modeling aspects of the world, and advanced features and libraries of Python.

The course starts with an introduction to optimization models, which are mathematical models designed to identify the best possible solution for a problem under a set of constraints. Problems are typically formulated as a function with a specific goal, such as maximizing or minimizing the results of the function. For example,  an optimization model could be used to find the shortest distance from one city to another. However, solving for multiple parameters can be challenging and time-consuming. Therefore, the course will cover various techniques and algorithms used to efficiently solve optimization problems.

Introducing efficient algorithms. You’ll gain knowledge of the most common and useful algorithms and models used in computer science — to name a few: greedy algorithms, breadth-first search, and depth-first search. You’ll use these to tackle optimization problems, like the knapsack problem, curve fitting on graphs, and clustering.

Next, the course explores stochastic thinking — that is, thinking in terms of probabilities. Randomness is an incredibly powerful tool for building computations that model the world. You’ll use randomness to simulate solutions to problems, like what’s the probability that two people in a group share the same birthday, or even solve problems that do not involve randomness, like estimating the area under a curve.

To analyze the answers to the problems you’ve simulated, the course covers a couple of important statistical techniques. These include plotting probability density functions with PyLab and their types of distribution, confidence intervals, sampling and standard error, and much more.

The course also introduces machine learning. You’ll distinguish between supervised and unsupervised learning, and deep dive into the theory behind machine learning applications, like linear regression and clustering. While we’re on the subject, if you’re interested in machine learning, you may want to have a look at this ranking.

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

The final section of the course ends by discussing the limitations and pitfalls of statistics, and then explaining how to avoid some of the common statistical sins used to mislead people.

How You’ll Learn

The course is 9 weeks long, with an expected 14 to 16 hours of study time each week. You’ll learn through video lectures and you’ll spend time applying what you’ve been taught in the problem sets provided.

Regarding assessments, the problem sets and exams can be taken for free, although you’ll need to be a verified learner to earn a certificate.

Fun Facts

• This course has 8.3k bookmarks on Class Central.
• The course is based on the book Introduction to Computation and Programming Using Python, Second Edition.
• It’s the second and last course of the edX XSeries Program, Computational Thinking using Python.
• Prof. Eric Grimson, the lead course instructor, has a 79 h-index on Google Scholar — if you’re wondering, yes, that’s a lot!

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

2. Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere (Google)

My second pick for the best data science course is Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere, offered by Google on Coursera. If you’re looking for a program that’ll prepare you for a data analytics career, this free-to-audit course might be what you need because it’s very hands-on and job-oriented.

Taught by Google’s own data analysts, this course provides you with the skills and mindset necessary to become a successful junior data analyst. You’ll understand what it means to be a data analyst and learn what tools and processes data analysts use in their day-to-day workflow.

You won’t need any prior experience in order to take this course.

What You’ll Learn

The course covers the roles and responsibilities of a junior data analyst, how businesses transform data into actionable insights, spreadsheet basics, database and query basics, and data visualization basics.

The course begins with an introduction to data and data analytics. Data is a collection of raw information, while data analysis is the process of piecing together data to draw conclusions, form predictions, and make decisions. You’ll learn the role data analysts play in informing smarter business decisions.

The next section hammers down five essential skills of data analysts, and five key aspects of analytical thinking. You’ll see how having these abilities turns you into a better data-driven decision-maker.

Afterwards, you’ll explore the six stages of the data life cycle, like capturing, analyzing, and destroying data. With this knowledge, you’ll understand how to approach the data analysis process, which consists of six phases. Yes, there are a lot of stages to take into account, but remember that following these phases ensures that you don’t accidentally overlook an important matter — say sanitizing or standardizing your data!

You’ll open up and peek into the data analyst’s toolbox. The course will discuss two ways we can store data: in spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets; or in databases that we can interact with using query languages like SQL. You’ll understand when to use one over the other. Additionally, the course will cover how to visualize data patterns and trends with tools like Tableau, Looker, and R.

Lastly, you’ll look into the various kinds of job opportunities available for data analysts, the best practices in the job search, and what companies expect from your work. The course ends with a reminder of the importance of fairness and avoiding bias when analyzing data for business tasks.

How You’ll Learn

The course is 5 weeks long with an average workload of 4 hours per week. The primary medium of instruction is video lectures and reading materials, both of which are excellent in terms of production quality.

Regarding assessments, there’ll be 5 weekly challenges plus a final course challenge that you’ll have to complete to earn a grade if you’re paying for the certificate. Not only that, the course provides multiple short quizzes and flashcards that you can use to revise what you’ve learned.

Fun Facts

• This course is the first course of the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate. It helps prepare you for applying to entry-level data analyst jobs. 
• The professional certificate uses the R programming language. No Python here!
• As one of the largest companies in the world when it comes to data collection and storage, Google employs a huge number of data scientists, making them an excellent source for learning data science.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

3. Data Science: R Basics (Harvard University)

My third pick for the best data science course is Data Science: R Basics, offered by Harvard University on edX. 

What sets this free-to-audit course apart from others is its unique pedagogy. Through a case study focusing on crime in the United States, you’ll analyze and use a dataset to answer questions like ‘What is the smallest state?’,  ‘What is the most dangerous state?’, and ‘What is the average murder rate in the entirety of the US?’ — without googling of course!

Although no programming experience is required, the course assumes you are comfortable with basic math and algebra.

What You’ll Learn

The course is split into four sections: R Basics, Vectors and Sorting, Wrangling and Visualizing Data, and Programming Basics.

Beginning with the fundamentals of R and RStudio, you’ll understand what makes R a popular language for data analysis. You’ll study what objects are, how to define and perform basic arithmetic and logical operations with them. The course covers a couple of important pre-defined functions in R. You’ll also be able to distinguish between the various data types in R (3 and ‘3’ are two different things!).

Next, you’ll come across another important feature of R — vectors. Vectors are powerful as they form the building blocks of big datasets. You’ll create vectors and use them to build lists of cities or sequences of numbers which you can then sort or sum. The course guides you on the basics of vector arithmetics, like how to add two vectors together or what it means to scale a vector. Additionally, you’ll use indexing and subsetting methods to find the most dangerous state in America.

Lastly, you’ll be taught the basics of plotting in R, to help communicate your insights to a wider audience. You’ll learn four different kinds of plots you can use to visualize patterns and trends in the data: line plot, histogram, boxplot, and heatmap.

How You’ll Learn

This course is 8 weeks long, with each week taking 1 to 2 hours to complete. The course contains a series of many video lectures and reading materials.

Regarding assessments, some of the exercises in the course involve writing code and submitting it directly through DataCamp’s browser-based programming environment, although major assessments must be completed using RStudio.

Fun Facts

• Data Science: R Basics has 7.8k bookmarks on Class Central.
• It is the first course out of nine from Harvard’s intensive Data Science Professional Certificate.
• The Professional Certificates comes with a companion book written by Rafael Irizarry, the course instructor.
• We mentioned it earlier, but it bears repeating: you’ll complete some of the assignments via DataCamp’s convenient browser-based code editor. If you enjoy DataCamp, you may want to check our fifth pick below.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

4. Python for Data Science – Course for Beginners (Learn Python, Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib)

If you want to learn data science with Python but have no programming experience, this course is for you.

This beginner-friendly, free course on freeCodeCamp’s YouTube channel will guide you from the ground up to help you acquire the fundamentals of both Python and data science. The course not only covers Python and data science from a conceptual standpoint, it also covers the tools and libraries data scientists use, like Anaconda, NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib, so you get plenty of practical experience as well.

What You’ll Learn

The course covers four main topics: Problem Solving, Python’s strength, Python fundamentals, and Data Science.

The course starts off with a tutorial on problem solving with programming, the most essential skill any programmer should have. You’ll learn how to approach complex problems and break them down into simpler parts, along with simple algorithms. You’ll then install and run Python with Anaconda, a popular distribution of Python used for data science.

Once you have set up your Jupyter Notebook coding environment, you’ll move on to the basics of Python programming. This includes learning about variables and operators, booleans and comparisons, control flow and functions, and much much more. 

The course then instructs you on some more advanced Python topics, like importing and using Python modules, modifying and parsing text, as well as key data structures like lists, tuples, sets and dictionaries, and when to use one over the other. 

All of these combined will make you an excellent Python programmer capable of writing small programs. But that is not all the course will teach you.

You’ll be introduced to three of the most popular Python libraries used in data science. Starting with NumPy, you’ll write fast and efficient code with NumPy arrays that are 5–100 times faster than regular Python lists. 

Afterwards you’ll move on to NumPy’s big brother, Pandas. Pandas is used to represent and compute rows and columns of data (put differently tables) which you’ll be dealing with a lot of as a data scientist. Finally, you’ll learn about Matplotlib, a highly-configurable data visualization library that allows you to plot and reveal the patterns hiding within data.

How You’ll Learn

The course is 12 hours long and presented in a lecture-and-slide-s format, with frequent coding demonstrations. You are expected to code along with the instructor in order to apply and retain the concepts taught.

Fun Facts

• freeCodeCamp’s Youtube channel has over 1000 videos and lectures on various computer science and programming topics — all for free!
• The course instructor, Maxwell Armi, has his own YouTube channel filled with data science videos. Check him out!

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

5. Understanding Data Science (Datacamp)

Similar to Google’s Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere but much shorter, DataCamp’s Understanding Data Science teaches data science with no coding involved. If you’re not sure about what data science actually is and what its applications are, this course will enlighten you.

Data Science for Everyone introduces you to the world of data science, the different roles and responsibilities a data scientist may have, as well as the kind of work data scientists do as part of their career.

You do not need any prior experience in order to take this course.

What You’ll Learn

Data science simply defined is the set of methodologies for taking in data at scale and using them to draw meaningful conclusions. You’ll uncover the first four steps of the data science workflow: data collection & storage, data preparation, exploration & visualization, and experimentation & prediction. The course then describes the four common jobs of data science — data engineer, data analyst, data scientist, and machine learning scientist — and where they fit in the data science workflow. 

The course unpacks the first step of the data science workflow: data collection & storage. You’ll learn where data scientists extract their data from, what data looks like and how to efficiently store them, and how a data pipeline can automate the process.

Next, you’ll learn about step two and three of the workflow: data preparation, exploration and visualization. Data preparation is the most important part of the data science workflow. Data scientists spend 80% of their time sanitizing their data because of Garbage In, Garbage Out principle — if you give a model garbage, then the predictions you get will be garbage. You’ll learn how to explore your dataset and deal with common problems such as missing values and outliers. Once you have cleaned up your data, you’ll learn about the common tools data scientists use to create beautiful visualizations.

Finally, you’ll learn about the experimentation and prediction step of the data science workflow. The course focuses on a variety of statistical techniques like A/B testing, testing for statistical significance, and time series forecasting. The course ends with a section on the differences between supervised and unsupervised machine learning and when to use them.

How You’ll Learn

The course in its entirety is 2 hours long and consists of 4 parts, with each section containing video lectures and exercises. 

One thing I like about DataCamp is that the course gives you many opportunities to retain what you’ve learned from the video material through interactive exercises.

Fun Facts

• Hadrien Lacroix, one of the course instructors, has taught more than 30 courses ranging from machine learning to data engineering. He’s also currently enrolled in a Masters of Analytics at Georgia Tech.
• Sara Billen and Lis Sulmont, who co-instruct the course with Hadrien,  teach more than 10 other courses and projects on DataCamp.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

6. A Crash Course in Data Science (Johns Hopkins University)

A Crash Course in Data Science by John Hopkins University is a short but intensive overview of data science — no coding involved. What makes it different from the previous listing is that it’s geared towards non-technical people who’ll manage and/or work with data scientists.

The goal of this free-to-audit course is to get you up to speed as fast as possible so that you can get to work reaping the benefits of practical data science. The course is taught from a high-level perspective, hence it will only cover the essentials without getting into the technical aspects.

There are no prerequisites required prior to taking this course.

What You’ll Learn

The course starts off by emphasizing the science in data science. Science begins with the scientific hypothesis and then tries to confirm its validity by performing experiments, with the ultimate goal of  achieving useful results. Likewise, data science should start with a series of questions. What is the question you’re trying to answer with data? Do you have the data to actually answer that question? How would the answer be useful?

You’ll learn how statistics, machine learning, and software engineering play a huge role in data science. For example, what is cross validation? What’s the difference between supervised and unsupervised learning? What programming languages do data scientists use? You’ll understand these key terms and tools so that you can communicate effectively with data scientists.

Afterwards, you’ll explore the structure of a data science project.  You’ll study the stages of the data science workflow and how they contribute to the overall result, like exploratory data analysis and formal modeling. Lastly, you’ll learn how data scientists communicate their insights to others, and how to determine if a data science project is successful.

How You’ll Learn

This course is 1 week long with 7 to 8 hours of material. It supplies you with various video and reading materials to learn from, along with several assignments to consolidate your learning. However, you can only access the assignments if you have paid for the certification or the whole specialization.

Fun Facts

• A Crash Course in Data Science is the first course out of five in the Executive Data Science Specialization. The next course after this is Data Science in Real Life.
• The free textbook, Executive Data Science, is based on the contents of the specialization and provides additional examples on data science project management.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

7. Process Mining: Data Science in Action (Eindhoven University of Technology)

This free-to-audit course, Process Mining: Data science in Action is quite different from the other courses in this ranking in terms of contents. For starters, this course won’t teach you coding. What it does teach you is the key theoretical tools and analytical skills needed to perform process mining — not “just” data mining, we are higher in the ladder of abstraction here, and we’re entering specialized territory.

This course asserts that processes should be considered first-class citizens, to the same extent as data, and therefore, that they should be put through the same scrutiny.

The course provides easy-to-use software, real-life data sets, and practical skills for you to directly apply the theory in a variety of application domains.

More on process mining: process mining is a technique used to analyze and track processes. Its goal is to help organizations turn event data into actionable insight. Example applications include: analyzing treatment processes in hospitals, understanding the browsing behavior of customers using booking sites, analyzing failures of a baggage handling system, and improving the user interface of an X-ray machine.

After taking this course, you’ll be able to run process mining projects and have a good understanding of the Business Process Intelligence field. You’ll also benefit from practical data science knowledge that can be applied directly to analyze and improve processes in a variety of domains. So this course has well defined scope within data science that may be suitable for learners that already have a background in the field and would like to explore an additional facet.

The course assumes a basic understanding of logic, sets, and statistics at the undergraduate level prior to taking this course.

What You’ll Learn

This course starts with an overview of approaches and technologies that use event data to support decision making and business process (re)design. 

The first type of process mining is discovery. A discovery technique takes an event log and produces a process model without using any a-priori information. You’ll be given an example of an algorithm taking an event log to produce a process model  explaining the behavior recorded in the log. The course then shows you other ways of discovering a process model from event data.

The second type of process mining is conformance. Here, an existing process model is compared with an event log of the same process. You’ll learn how to perform conformance checking to determine if reality, as recorded in the log, conforms to the model and vice versa.

Lastly, you’ll find how process mining can be applied on running processes, which is the third type of process mining called enhancement. The idea is to extend or improve an existing process model using information about the actual process recorded in some event log. The course also addresses how to get the right event data, process mining software, and how to get from data to results.

How You’ll Learn

The course spans 6 weeks, with each week taking 3 to 6 hours to complete. Every module consists of a series of short lecture videos of 8–15 minutes each, with handouts for each video lecture available to be downloaded.

Regarding assessments, there will be weekly quizzes to test your understanding of the lecture videos, and a final exam. There’s also an optional peer assignment in which you apply the tools and techniques on real data and make a short report.

Fun Facts

• According to Google Scholar, Wil van der Aalst, the course instructor, is among the highest-ranked computer scientists in the world in terms of h-index: it’s 163!
• In fact, many of the technologies and tools taught in this course are pioneered by him.
• He also wrote the first book on process mining.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

8. Data Science Math Skills (Duke University)

Data science courses contain math — there’s no avoiding that!

The aim of this free-to-audit course is to teach fledgling data scientists the core mathematical concepts data science is built upon, introducing unfamiliar ideas and math symbols one at a time. By the end of this course, you’ll be ready to tackle almost any in-depth data science course out there.

To take this course, you’ll only need basic math skills. No algebra or pre-calculus needed.

What You’ll Learn

Beginning with basic set theory, you’ll learn about unions, intersections, and cardinality, and how to represent them with Venn diagrams. A real-world application of set theory is in medical testing, where false positives and false negatives exist. Then, you’ll study the properties of the real number line and how to represent inequalities with interval notation. The course then teaches you how to represent sums with the Sigma notation.

The next part of the course touches on functions and graphs. The Cartesian plane is the most common way to plot data. You’ll learn how to find the equation of a line given two points. After that, you’ll approach a function as an input-output machine, and see how to graph on the Cartesian plane, as well as its inverse.

You’ll be given a gentle introduction to calculus. You’ll learn about the concept of instantaneous rate of change and how it relates to finding a tangent line to a curve, as well as its applications in the real-world problem of optimization. You’ll learn about continuous growth, and the special constant known as Euler’s number. You’ll also explore exponents, logarithms, and the natural log function.

The course ends with probability theory — the study of uncertain but predictable outcomes — and its vocabulary and notation. You’ll study permutations and combinations which are the ways in which a set of things can be arranged, leading to the well-known Binomial and Bayes theorems. You’ll see how these theorems are able to predict the probability of a process given data that we have observed.

How You’ll Learn

The course is 4 weeks long with an estimated 13 hours worth of material. You’ll primarily learn through video lectures and supplemental readings, and of course, quizzes to test your knowledge.

Fun Facts

• Daniel Egger, the course co-instructor, has more than seventeen years of experience creating new software products and services.
• Meanwhile, Paul Bendich directs the Data+ program which explores new data-driven approaches to interdisciplinary challenges.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

9. 2022 Python for Machine Learning & Data Science Masterclass (Udemy)

If you are already familiar with Python programming and want to start straight away with practical data science (especially machine learning), this course is for you. This Udemy course is the most comprehensive all-in-one package in this ranking — at least, in terms of breadth; in terms of workload, our first pick remains the king.

What I like the most about this course is that it goes through the history, theory and intuition behind each machine learning algorithm before you start applying it, unlike some courses out there. This unfortunately (or fortunately for nerds like us) means the course will expose you to math and statistics, but nothing too overwhelming. Knowing some highschool mathematics and statistics should be enough to be comfortable taking this course.

What You’ll Learn

This course covers NumPy, Pandas, Seaborn, Matplotlib, Plotly, Scikit-Learn, and supervised and unsupervised machine learning.

After setting up your Anaconda environment (a distribution of Python popular with data scientists) and a quick crash course on Python, the course begins with an introduction to NumPy and Pandas. These two libraries are arguably the backbone of Python data science as they speed up the data-centric programming process greatly. The power of modifying tables of huge datasets will be in your hands now.

Then, you’ll want to visualize whatever data you have. The course shows you two plotting libraries you’ll most often use in your data science career: Matplotlib, complex but highly configurable, and Seaborn, simple but less configurable. You’ll then learn the different kinds of plots these libraries have to offer, like the line plot, scatter plot, box plot, bar plot, and a whole bunch more. You’ll learn the strengths and weaknesses of each of these plots and when to use them.

Next, you’ll move on to the appetizing core of the course — machine learning. After cleaning and sanitizing your dataset, you’ll begin by learning the different types of machine learning models like supervised or unsupervised, and regression and classification. You’ll also discuss the limitations of machine learning —  you’ll need to keep these in mind to avoid biased and unfair predictions.

You’ll start with the simplest of supervised machine learning models — linear regression. The course builds on and expands on linear regression by bringing in regularization, lasso regression, ridge regression and Elastic Net. Then, the course moves to supervised classification models, like Support Vector Machines, Decision Trees and Random Forests. A small section on Natural Language Processing is included.

We then switch gears to unsupervised machine learning models. K-Nearest Neighbors, K-Means Clustering, DBSCAN, and Principal Component Analysis will be some of the popular models that you’ll discover. Throughout your studies, you’ll learn the history and intuition behind each and every model — a full course meal!

Lastly, you’ll learn how to deploy your model to the web as an API, along with a few other considerations, like how often you should retrain and revisit your model and so on.

How You’ll Learn

The course is split up into 26 different sections, with a grand total of 44 hours of lecture material. The course will provide you with the Jupyter notebooks used in the video demonstrations, which are excellent notes to refer to.

There are many exercises that you’ll have to complete that’ll help strengthen your knowledge, and don’t worry — there are solutions walkthrough. On top of that, there are two capstone projects that you’ll complete to test your ability to work independently as a data scientist.

Fun Facts

• Jose Portilla is a prolific online instructor with over 3.2 million students and 50+ courses taught on Udemy.
• The courses he teaches range from basic Python programming to web development to deep learning.
• If you’re curious as to where he got the mathematics behind the machine learning algorithms, he took them from the free book An Introduction to Statistical Learning. It’s an especially good read for beginners.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

10. Data Science with R (Pluralsight)

This course from Pluralsight aims to teach data science — the act of transforming data into actionable insights — using the R programming language. By the end of this course, you’ll have the skills necessary to use R to perform data analysis and deploy your own web-based interactive machine learning models.

There are no prerequisites for this course, although having some basic knowledge of programming and statistics would be helpful.

What You’ll Learn

The course covers three main topics: data science and R, data analysis, and machine learning.

The course begins with an introduction to data science with the R programming language. You’ll learn what features of R make it an awesome tool for data analytics, and how you can use R to create actionable insight from data.

Afterwards, you’ll understand how and why you should clean up your data before analyzing it. You’ll learn how to interpret descriptive statistics like mean and median, visualize data to make it easy for your audience to understand the trends and patterns involved, and build statistical models to form simple predictions with your data.

Lastly, you’ll deal with big data — datasets that are too large and complex to effectively process with traditional statistical models and methods. This type of dataset is an ideal use case for machine learning. You’ll understand how machine learning algorithms work in order to make predictions with big data. Finally, you’ll deploy your interactive machine learning application on the web.

How You’ll Learn

The course consists of 10 sections containing video lectures, demonstrations of the lecture, and summaries. All in all, the course has around 2.5 hours of learning materials.

Fun Facts

• The course instructor, Matthew Renze, is a data scientist consultant with over 17 years of professional experience working with tech startups to Fortune 500 companies.
• He’s also the president of Serenze Global, a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve access to technology education for under-represented individuals in the IT industry.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

The post 10 Best Data Science Courses to Take in 2023 appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

A good user experience can keep your users hooked to your product, but with technology evolving everyday, it’s important to keep up with the competition. Your website, for example, needs to make your users feel good about it so that they don’t run away!

In this guide, I’ve selected the 10 best free and paid User Experience online courses for you from the 440+ User Experience courses on our catalog by following a well-defined methodology that you can find below.

But if you want to jump straight to the results, here are my top 10 picks. You can click on a course to jump to the corresponding section:

What is User Experience (UX)?

User experience (or UX) refers to how people interact with a product. In the digital design world, it encompasses everything that affects a user’s interaction with a digital product such as its value, function, usability and overall impression.

The term “user experience” was coined by Don Norman in the 1990s and refers to all aspects of the end-user’s interaction with a company, its services, and its products. UX is about what users both think and feel, and it depends on the context in which the product is used. However, a user’s experience with a product may change over time, which means the ongoing evaluation and improvement is necessary.

User Experience (UX) vs. User Interface (UI)

User experience (UX) is different from user interface (UI). While UI focuses on the visual and interactive elements of a product, UX encompasses the overall experience a user has with a product, including how easy it is to use, how it makes the user feel, and whether it provides value to the user. UI is just one component of UX, and an effective UX design involves much more than just creating an attractive interface.

Why are User Experience Skills Important?

UX skills are essential because they help businesses create products that users find valuable and enjoyable to use. When a product is well-designed with a good user experience, it can help businesses retain customers, increase sales, and build a positive brand reputation. Additionally, as more and more business is conducted online, having strong UX skills can give designers and developers a competitive edge in the job market.

The future of UX designers is bright, as the demand for user experience skills is constantly increasing. With the world becoming more digital, companies are increasingly realizing the importance of creating positive user experiences for their products and services. The job market for UX designers is expected to grow 14% from 2019 to 2029, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.

As for salaries, the average pay for UX designers varies greatly depending on location and experience level. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for UX designers in the United States is around $97,000 per year. In the United Kingdom, the average salary is around £53,000 per year. In Australia, the average salary is around AU$100,000 per year, and in India, it is around INR 8 lakh per year. These are just averages, and salaries can range from around $50,000 to over $150,000 depending on experience, location, and other factors.

Course Ranking Methodology

I built this ranking following the now tried-and-tested methodology I used in previous rankings (you can find them all here). It involves a three-step process:

1. Research: I started by leveraging Class Central’s database with 100K online courses and 200K+ reviews. Then, I made a preliminary selection of 440+ User Experience courses by rating, reviews, and bookmarks.
2. Evaluate: I read through reviews on Class Central, Reddit, and course providers to understand what other learners thought about each course and combined it with my own experience as a learner.
3. Select: Well-made courses were picked if they presented valuable and engaging content and they have to fit in a set of criteria and be ranked accordingly: comprehensive curriculum, release date, affordability, ratings and enrollments.

The end result is a unique selection of courses that combines a decade of Class Central data and my own experience as an online learner to try to get the best of both worlds. So far, I’ve spent more than 12 hours building this list, and I’ll continue to update it.

Course Ranking Statistics

Here are some statistics regarding this course ranking:

• Combined, these courses have accrued over 1M enrollments.
• 9 courses are free or free-to-audit and 1 course is paid.
• The most-represented course provider in the ranking is Coursera, with 7 courses.
• All 10 courses are in English.
• The User Experience subject is followed by over 7.6K learners on Class Central, and accounts for over 440 courses in Class Central catalog.

So without further ado, let’s get to my picks for the best User Experience online courses.

1. Google UX Design (Google)

My first pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit Google UX Design professional certificate, offered by Google on Coursera.

This professional certificate consists of the following 7 courses:

1. Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design
2. Start the UX Design Process: Empathize, Define, and Ideate
3. Build Wireframes and Low-Fidelity Prototypes
4. Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts
5. Create High-Fidelity Designs and Prototypes in Figma
6. Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD
7. Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs

In this professional certificate, you’ll learn to create designs on paper and digital design tools like Figma and Adobe XD. You’ll gain in-demand skills and create three end-to-end projects that will make up your professional UX portfolio, so you’re ready to apply for jobs upon completion.

What You’ll Learn

Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design

In this course, you’ll learn about UX fundamentals, job responsibilities of entry-level UX designers, career paths in UX, design sprints, and UX research methods while accounting for biases.

Start the UX Design Process: Empathize, Define, and Ideate

In this course, you’ll learn to empathize with users, create empathy maps, personas, user stories, and user journey maps, develop problem statements, generate ideas for solutions, conduct competitive audits, and design a mobile app, to add to your professional UX portfolio.

Build Wireframes and Low-Fidelity Prototypes

In this course, you’ll learn to develop a goal statement, create storyboards, wireframes and prototypes for a mobile app design, apply principles of information architecture and recognize implicit bias and deceptive patterns in design.

Conduct UX Research and Test Early Concepts

In this course, you’ll learn to plan and conduct UX research studies, respect privacy, take notes, analyze data, develop persuasive presentation skills, and modify designs based on research insights to improve your professional portfolio mobile app.

Create High-Fidelity Designs and Prototypes in Figma

In this course, you’ll be able to design and build high-fidelity prototypes, apply design principles, create design systems, and collaborate with engineering teams to complete mobile app designs for your professional portfolio.

Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD

In this course, you will learn how to create a responsive website using the UX design process, Adobe XD, and design systems. You will also learn to plan and conduct usability studies, iterate on designs, and add a new project to your portfolio. Optional lessons include creating a UX-focused resume and finding introductory-level jobs in UX.

Design a User Experience for Social Good & Prepare for Jobs

In this course, you will be able to design for social good, create wireframes and prototypes, add a new design project to your portfolio, and interview for entry-level UX design jobs or freelance work.

How You’ll Learn

The professional certificate is broken down into 7 courses. Each course involves about 20 to 70 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• The first course, Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design, has been featured in The 250 Most Popular Online Courses of All Time.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

2. UI / UX Design (California Institute of the Arts)

My second pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit UI / UX Design specialization, offered by California Institute of the Arts on Coursera.

This specialization consists of the following 4 courses:

1. Visual Elements of User Interface Design
2. UX Design Fundamentals
3. Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture
4. Web Design: Wireframes to Prototypes

You’ll learn all stages of the development process, from user research to wireframes, and apply best practices to create effective screen-based experiences. What’s more – by enrolling into this course, you’ll also be eligible for a one-month free trial of UX tools from Optimal Workshop.

What You’ll Learn

Visual Elements of User Interface Design

In this course, you’ll learn to design clear, consistent and intuitive UI by learning to articulate meaning with color, type and imagery. The course focuses on individual elements and components of an interface designer’s skillset, and offers practical instruction for designing a static screen-based interface.

UX Design Fundamentals
In this course, you’ll learn to describe and apply best practices in UX design and understand how UX design shapes audience experience of content, with an emphasis on a design-centric approach to UX/UI design with practical, skill-based instruction.

Web Design: Strategy and Information Architecture

In this course, you’ll learn job descriptions within the industry and where UX and UI skills fit in, differences between native apps and websites, distinctions between agile and waterfall approaches, importance of user and site personas in web design, and user testing.

Web Design: Wireframes to Prototypes

In this course, you’ll learn responsive web design and the challenges of designing for mobile devices, importance of a mobile-first approach, web typography, relationship between design and programming, and different web technologies like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, server-side coding and databases.

How You’ll Learn

The specialization is broken down into 4 courses. Each course involves about 12 to 40 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Another of Worthington’s is also featured on our Graphic Design BCG.
• Worthington is the founding partner of Counterspace (Los Angeles), a graphic design studio specializing in editorial and identity work for cultural clients.
• Jaster is a graphic designer working in Los Angeles and the co-founder of the design studio Yay Brigade.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

3. User Experience Research and Design (University of Michigan)

My third pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit User Experience Research and Design specialization, offered by University of Michigan on Coursera.

This specialization consists of the following 6 courses:

1. Introduction to User Experience Principles and Processes
2. Understanding User Needs
3. Evaluating Designs with Users
4. UX Design: From Concept to Prototype
5. UX Research at Scale: Surveys, Analytics, Online Testing
6. UX (User Experience) Capstone

This specialization will teach you how to understand user needs, rapidly generate prototypes, and evaluate design concepts while gaining hands-on experience taking a product from initial concept to user research, ideation, refinement, formal analysis, prototyping, and user testing.

What You’ll Learn

Introduction to User Experience Principles and Processes

This course covers UX research and design skills, including discovering user needs and conducting micro-usability tests. It teaches how to use sketching and prototyping to develop design concepts and incorporate a user-centered focus into the design process, and human behavior and techniques for designing interactive systems based on it.

Understanding User Needs

This course teaches how to conduct qualitative research to understand user needs. It covers semi-structured interviews, in-situ observation, affinity walls, and how to conduct these research methods and gain experience using them.

Evaluating Designs with Users

In this course, you’ll learn various user testing approaches and when to use them, designing effective user tests, running successful user tests, and analyzing and reporting user testing results.

UX Design: From Concept to Prototype

This course teaches how to define the design problem, create user stories, sketch and brainstorm design ideas, develop wireframes and mockups, conduct user testing, and create prototypes for complex interactions and non-screen-based systems.

UX Research at Scale: Surveys, Analytics, Online Testing

This course covers web analytics and A/B testing, remote unmoderated testing, and analyzing large-scale user experience studies. You’ll learn about the different types and uses of surveys in UX research, including developing a survey instrument, analyzing and reporting on surveys, and critiquing user surveys.

UX (User Experience) Capstone

In this course, you’ll learn how to design and execute a user experience research and design project. You will gain real-world experience by working on a realistic UX design project and learn how to effectively communicate your design concepts and research findings.

How You’ll Learn

The specialization is broken down into 6 courses. Each course involves about 10 to 20 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Newman earned his Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and his B.A. in Philosophy from Macalester College.
• Klasnja received a Ph.D. in Information Science at the Information School at the University of Washington
• Hogan is a graduate of the University of Michigan (MSI), The University of Chicago (MLA), and the University of Pennsylvania (BA).
• Toyama graduated from Yale with a PhD in Computer Science and from Harvard with a bachelor’s degree in Physics.
• Lampe received his PhD in Information in 2006 from the University of Michigan.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

4. UX Design (HEC Montréal)

My fourth pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit UX Design, offered by HEC Montréal on edX.

Whether you’re making minor changes or major digital overhauls, you’ll also learn convergent ideation methods to anchor new concepts within your business context and seek win-win innovation for everyone involved. No prior knowledge is necessary in order to take this course.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn about the user-centered design approach and how to integrate UX research into the UX design process. You’ll explore the concepts of incremental, radical, and disruptive innovation, and how to apply design thinking theory and practice. Finally, you’ll understand divergent and convergent ideation methods, as well as how to analyze ideation results.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 6 modules. Each module involves about 6 to 9 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Lesage has a PhD in planning (Technology and Innovation).
• She has several years of professional experience in Canada and the United States as a UX researcher and designer as well as a lecturer and an academic researcher.
• She is a member of HEC Montréal’s Tech3Lab.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

5. Interaction Design (University of California, San Diego)

My fifth pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit Interaction Design specialization, offered by University of California, San Diego on Coursera.

This specialization consists of the following 7 courses:

1. Human-Centered Design: an Introduction
2. Design Principles: an Introduction
3. Input and Interaction
4. User Experience: Research & Prototyping
5. Information Design
6. Designing, Running, and Analyzing Experiments
7. Interaction Design Capstone Project

You’ll learn how to come up with design ideas and rapidly prototype them, using feedback from stakeholders like team members, clients and users. You’ll also explore principles of visual design, perception and cognition that are key to effective interaction design.

What You’ll Learn

Human-Centered Design: an Introduction

This course teaches you how to design enjoyable technologies and use techniques like rapid prototyping and comparative evaluation. You’ll learn to conduct fieldwork, make interactive paper prototypes and use them to gather feedback.

Design Principles: an Introduction

This course covers fundamental design principles, including visual design, interaction design, and perception and cognition. You will also learn how to evaluate your work with users through controlled online experiments.

Input and Interaction

This course will teach you the fundamentals of human motor performance, perception, and cognition that inform effective interaction design. You’ll be able to design more effective input and interaction techniques for both traditional graphic and gestural interfaces.

User Experience: Research & Prototyping

This course covers the core process of experience design and methods of design research to understand people and their context. You’ll learn to generate and refine ideas to create meaningful actionable insights and opportunities for design in different industries.

Information Design

This course covers visual design principles and concrete strategies for creating effective user interfaces, including typography, information architecture, layout, and color. It addresses specific design issues and how to apply design principles across diverse form factors.

Designing, Running, and Analyzing Experiments

This course teaches you how to design and analyze user-centered experiments to evaluate and validate user experiences. You’ll learn through real-world examples from UX, IxD, and HCI fields, and analyze data using the R programming language.

Interaction Design Capstone Project

In this course, you’ll apply the skills learned from the course sequence to redesign a new interface, service, or product for your Interaction Design Capstone Project. You’ll develop real-world design challenges for this final project which can be shared in your design portfolio.

How You’ll Learn

The specialization is broken down into 8 courses. Each course involves about 10 to 35 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Klemmer is a Professor of Cognitive Science and Computer Science & Engineering at UC San Diego, where he is a co-founder and Associate Director of the Design Lab.
• Wobbrock is a Professor in The Information School and in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington.
• Gerber holds the Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering and a M.S. in Product Design from Stanford University.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

6. Extended Reality for Everybody (University of Michigan)

My sixth pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit Extended Reality for Everybody specialization, offered by University of Michigan on Coursera.

This specialization consists of the following 3 courses:

1. Intro to AR/VR/MR/XR: Technologies, Applications & Issues
2. User Experience & Interaction Design for AR/VR/MR/XR
3. Developing AR/VR/MR/XR Apps with WebXR, Unity & Unreal

These courses cover the basic concepts of XR, application development and design, emerging key issues in the XR landscape, and bringing XR into instructional settings. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, this program is open to everyone, just as the name suggests.

What You’ll Learn

Intro to AR/VR/MR/XR: Technologies, Applications & Issues

This course covers the basics of XR (AR, VR, MR, and XR) and provides an overview of the XR landscape, including current and future devices and platforms. It also addresses social and ethical issues, accessibility, and security concerns in XR.

User Experience & Interaction Design for AR/VR/MR/XR

This course covers the XR design process, design thinking, critiques, ethics, and user-centered techniques like design jams. The course also introduces various physical and digital prototyping methods and tools, including immersive authoring on XR devices.

Developing AR/VR/MR/XR Apps with WebXR, Unity & Unreal

This course provides a broad overview of the XR landscape, design thinking principles, prototyping techniques, and development platforms and tools. You’ll gain a foundational understanding of XR technologies as well as the skills to create and evaluate XR applications.

How You’ll Learn

The specialization is broken down into 3 courses. Each course involves about 28 to 33 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Nebeling is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information, where he leads the Information Interaction Lab.
• Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer at the HCI Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

7. User Interface Design (University of Minnesota)

My seventh pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit User Interface Design specialization, offered by University of Minnesota on Coursera.

This specialization consists of the following 4 courses:

1. Introduction to UI Design
2. User Research and Design
3. Prototyping and Design
4. Evaluating User Interfaces

This specialization teaches you how to create successful user interfaces by covering user research, prototyping, and evaluation techniques. You’ll gain experience with structured approaches for understanding user needs, prototyping and design methods, and evaluation techniques to make informed design choices.

What You’ll Learn

Introduction to UI Design

This course teaches the importance of user interface design and provides industry-standard methods for designing interfaces. You’ll learn about the design process for improving existing designs and starting new ones. The course also covers core UI design theories and concepts to avoid reinventing the wheel.

User Research and Design

This course covers user research and UI design exploration techniques. You’ll learn various research methods, analyze and deliver research findings, and practice ideation techniques to generate design ideas.

Prototyping and Design

In this course, you’ll learn and practice paper and low-fidelity prototyping techniques, apply graphic design principles and design patterns, write design rationales, and create accessible designs for specific populations and situations through lectures and exercises.

Evaluating User Interfaces

This course teaches techniques for evaluating user interfaces, including action analysis, heuristic evaluation, and user testing. It covers how to set and measure usability goals and determine when a design is ready for release.

How You’ll Learn

The specialization is broken down into 4 courses. Each course involves about 10 to 15 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Terveen received his PhD in Computer Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin
• Yarosh has two Bachelors of Science from University of Maryland (in Computer Science and Psychology), a Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing from Georgia Institute of Technology.
• Konstan is Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Distinguished University Teaching Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota.
• Zhu received a B.S in Computer Science from Tsinghua University and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University.
• Hecht received a Ph.D. in computer science from Northwestern University, a Master’s degree in geography from UC Santa Barbara, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in computer science and geography from Macalester College.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

8. User Experience for Web Design (LinkedIn Learning)

My eighth pick for the best User Experience online course is User Experience for Web Design on LinkedIn Learning.

Gain insights into creating interactive content and how to view your site from your users’ perspective in order to better meet their needs. This course with a 1-month free trial will teach you how people search for information online, how to structure your content, and how to use graphics and media effectively.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn how to create a good web user experience by defining your visitors, focusing on information, and designing simple and consistent pages. You’ll also learn how to create good content that determines your design, how people read on the web, formatting for information exchange and using media.

After that, you’ll understand how to balance adverts and content, choose menu placement, create mobile menus, provide good information scent, use Fitts’ law, and create landing pages from ad campaigns, create detailed and product pages, handle errors in forms, and apply good design practice.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 11 modules. Each module involves about 10 to 20 minutes of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Nodder is a user experience specialist with knowledge of the core usability issues in many industries including financial, healthcare, software development, B2B service delivery and e-commerce.
• He is the author of the user experience book “Evil By Design – Interaction Design to Lead Us Into Temptation“.
• He is also the creator of the self-guided UX training course uxsyllab.us.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

9. Principles of UI/UX Design (Meta)

My ninth pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit Principles of UI/UX Design, offered by Meta on Coursera.

This course teaches you the basics of UX research and design, including how to identify problems, empathize with users, and create user personas. You’ll also learn the UI design process and how to create wireframes and MVP prototypes using Figma, as well as the key design principles.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of UX and UI design and what constitutes a successful UI. You’ll understand how to evaluate and improve interactive design using best practices and develop your UI design by creating, sharing, and testing it. The course ends with a summary of the skills learned and a final assessment.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 5 modules. Each module involves about 4 to 6 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Completing this course will count towards your learning in any of the following programs:
  • Meta Front-End Developer Professional Certificate
  • Meta iOS Developer Professional Certificate
  • Meta Android Developer Professional Certificate
  • Meta React Native Specialization

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

10. UX Design for Mobile Developers (Google)

My tenth pick for the best User Experience online course is the free-to-audit UX Design for Mobile Developers, offered by Google on Udacity.

This course is a good option for developers who want to quickly improve their UX design skills in a mobile/Android context. By focusing on important design techniques, the course aims to teach developers how to plan and prototype effective apps before writing any code.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn about User Experience (UX) and how it differs from User Interface (UI), as well as the importance of high-level planning and low-fi wireframing and prototyping. The course also covers User-Centered Design and how to create effective personas and use cases using low-cost user research.

You’ll also learn about designing for mobile constraints, including limited data, finite battery, hand-held usage, divided user attention, and small screens. The course concludes with designing for Android delight, including Android sensors, contextual apps and Android APIs such as Google Play Services.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 4 lessons and involves about 4 weeks of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos and quizzes.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

The post 10 Best User Experience (UX) Courses to Take in 2023 appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

This year, the IEEE conference Learning with MOOCs (LWMOOCs) will be hosted at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, on October 11–13. This marks a return to origins for the event: its first edition took place at MIT, back in 2014.

The conference, which primarily focuses on massive open online courses, welcomes submissions from a broad range of participants, including researchers, educators, decision-makers, and practitioners.

In 2023, besides its usual themes centered around MOOCs, the event is formally broadening its scope to encompass blended learning and open education at large. Furthermore, this edition is particularly interested in contributions that seek to refine the notion of “success” within the context of open-education projects.

Registrations will open soon; the call for papers is already available here. The deadline for submitting an abstract is April 3rd, while full papers are due a month later. Get your submissions ready!

Conference Program

Since the conference is half a year away, the detailed conference program and speaker list haven’t been released yet. But having taken part in several past editions, the event usually features a balance of short- and long-form talks from experts. This edition will be no exception. The three-day program will include:

• Keynotes, by leading experts — the occasion for deep dives into specific topics.
• Full paper presentations, exploring at length comprehensive submissions.
• Lightning rounds, with authors taking turns, concisely presenting their work.
• Workshops, taking a hands-on, interactive approach to the subject at hand.
• Poster sessions, facilitating one-on-one discussion with paper authors.

In addition, you can expect the conference to offer optional social activities — opportunities for networking, collaboration, less formal communication, and perhaps, for discovering the city of Cambridge and all it has to offer.

You can find more details on the conference program here.

Call for Papers

The conference welcomes submissions on a wide variety of topics pertaining to MOOCs — spanning MOOC development, delivery, and analytics — as well as blended learning, and open education initiatives.

Specific topics of interest include:

• Free or affordable degrees, including MOOC-based programs
• The role and potential of MOOCs in the professional world
• Inclusivity and accessibility in open education
• International cooperation in MOOC projects
• Machine learning and AI in online learning
• Course and curriculum design
• Learning analytics

You can find a more complete list of example topics here.

Submissions will undergo a two-step, double-blind review process. A structured abstract (up to 2 pages) will be submitted first. Upon acceptance, authors will submit their full paper (up to 6 pages) for second review and full acceptance.

The first deadline is fast approaching. Here’s the submission process timeline:

• April 3: Abstract upload deadline.
• April 14: Abstract acceptance notification.
• May 12: Full paper upload deadline.
• June 30: Full paper acceptance notification.

Registration

If you’d like to attend the conference, you can find the registration page here. Registrations haven’t opened yet, but you’ll find information there regarding registration fees, including the early bird rates.

Class Central is a media partner of LWMOOCs 2023.

The post Learning with MOOCs 2023: Abstracts Due April 3rd appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

Crystal is an object-oriented programming language that combines the speed and power of C with the expressiveness and readability of Ruby, making it easy to write and easy to understand.

With Crystal, you can write less code and get more done. With a built-in type inference system that eliminates the need for explicit type annotations, if your code compiles, your code is guaranteed to be type error-free at compile time.

But don’t let its ease of use and high levels of abstraction fool you into thinking that it’ll be sluggish — nay, Crystal is extremely fast! It is built on top of the LLVM compiler infrastructure, giving it performance on par with C and C++. This means that your Crystal code can run faster and use less memory than code written in other languages.

Not only is Crystal a great choice for building web applications and servers, thanks to its growing ecosystem of community libraries and frameworks such as Amber that replaces Ruby on Rails or Kemal that replaces Sinatra, you can go even beyond.

Are you ready to dive into the world of Crystal programming? Read on to see my top picks for the best course to learn Crystal.

Here are my top picks. Click on one to skip to the course details:

What is Crystal?

Crystal is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language designed for high performance and readability. Developed in 2014 by Ary Borenszweig, Juan Wajnerman, Brian Cardiff, and a team of over 300 contributors, Crystal has a seductive tagline: “Fast as C, slick as Ruby”.

• Fast as C: Crystal is about 10% slower than C. This is quite impressive considering that C is a low-level language with no garbage collection while Crystal is a high-level language with garbage collection. In comparison, Ruby is about 8 times slower than Crystal. Crystal’s blazingly fast performance can be attributed to its LLVM compiler infrastructure, the same compiler technology used by C and C++ itself, as well as other famously fast languages such as Fortran, Rust, and Julia. Crystal also prides itself on its C interoperability, making it easy to call native C libraries. And if you want to see how Crystal fares in real-world usage, just compare the Kemal framework (Crystal) to Sinatra (Ruby) and Ruby on Rails (Ruby) in the barchart below.

• Slick as Ruby: Crystal’s syntax is heavily inspired by Ruby — if you’re a Ruby veteran, you’ll feel right at home. But if you have not touched Ruby in your life, you’ll still find yourself picking up the language quite fast due to its simple, human-readable syntax. Additionally, Crystal has a built-in package manager called Shards (similar to Ruby’s gems) which makes it easy to install and manage dependencies.

But unlike Ruby, Crystal is statically type-checked, which means type errors will be caught early by the compiler rather than fail on runtime. Don’t worry though, you don’t need to explicitly define types as the compiler can intelligently infer types. Crystal also supports many modern features such as a macro system for powerful metaprogramming capabilities as well as support for concurrency, making it well-suited for high-performance and concurrent systems.

Crystal has a wide range of applications, including web development, systems programming, and data processing. It is often used by companies such as 84codes, Invidious, and Protel for building web servers, web APIs, and web scraping tools, due to its performance and expressiveness. And since it is concurrent, Crystal is also suitable for building command-line tools, distributed systems, and data processing pipelines. Though Crystal is relatively niche even compared to other niche languages out there, Crystal programmers are one of the most highly paid developers according to the 2022 Stack Overflow Developer survey, with a median yearly salary of $84,690.

Best Courses Guides Methodology

I built this ranking following the now tried-and-tested methodology used in previous Best Courses Guides (you can find them all here). It involves a three-step process:

1. Research: I started by leveraging Class Central’s database with 100K online courses and 200K+ reviews. Then, I made a preliminary selection of Crystal courses by rating, reviews, and bookmarks.
2. Evaluate: I read through reviews on Class Central, Reddit, and course providers to understand what other learners thought about each course and combined it with my own experience as a learner.
3. Select: Well-made courses were picked if they presented valuable and engaging content and they have to fit in a set of criteria and be ranked accordingly: comprehensive curriculum, affordability, release date, ratings and enrollments.

Course Ranking Statistics

Here are some aggregate stats about the ranking:

• All of the courses are suitable for beginners to Crystal, while two courses are friendly towards complete newbies to programming.
• All of the courses require you to run MacOs, Linux, or if you’re on Windows, WSL2. This is because Crystal is not yet fully supported on Windows at the time of writing.
• All of the courses except for two are free.

Without further ado, let’s go through the top picks.

1. Crystal For Rubyists (Serdar Dogruyol)

My number one pick for the best Crystal course is Crystal For Rubyists written by Serdar Dogruyol.

This short yet comprehensive guide that aims to help developers learn and understand the Crystal programming language by contrasting Ruby with Crystal. Though the course name may sound like it’s only aimed towards Ruby developers, it actually means that it assumes no knowledge of types, pointers, concurrency, or other similar things. Non-ruby developers are welcomed!

You’ll cover the basics of writing your first Crystal program, types, concurrency, metaprogramming, and more. By the end, you’ll have enough knowledge of Crystal to start exploring Crystal’s frameworks and libraries.

Prior experience with programming is required to take this course.

What You’ll Learn

After understanding the advantages of Crystal over Ruby and installing Crystal on your PC, you’ll get right into writing your first Crystal program. You’ll learn the basics of a Crystal project — implementing FizzBuzz in the language — which will help you grasp Crystal’s syntax and structure, as well as learn how to run Crystal programs.

Rubyists love testing. You’ll quickly discover that Crystal makes it easy to write and run tests using its built-in framework.

Rubyists love dynamic typing; Crystal is statically typed. Though most of the time. Crystal doesn’t feel like it’s statically typed anyways because you rarely need to specify the type thanks to intelligent type inference. And because of static types, you’ll find out about method overloading, where you have different methods with the same name and different number of arguments.

Crystal offers first-class support for concurrent programming through Channels. You’ll learn how to spawn multiple messages at the same time. You’ll also discover how Crystal’s metaprogramming capabilities can rival those of Ruby (even though Ruby is interpreted whereas Crystal is compiled), along with how to interoperate with C libraries using C bindings. Because why write something that has already been written?

How You’ll Learn

This course consists of 10 chapters. You’ll learn by reading through the course chapters and looking at the code examples provided.

Fun Facts

• Serdar Dogruyol is the author of Kemal (the blazingly fast web framework you saw in What is Crystal?), a curator of Crystal Weekly, and a Crystal Core Member. He’s a Crystalian who has extensive experience working with a variety of languages, including Ruby, Java, PHP, Crystal, and Elixir.
• As this course does not provide any exercises, you should try doing some which are offered in the 6th and 7th ranking of this article.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

2. Tutorials – Crystal (crystal-lang.org)

My second pick for the best Crystal course are the open-source tutorials hosted on the official Crystal language website.

Targeted at novice Crystal programmers and people with no experience with programming, you’ll learn the basics of the Crystal language in a very short amount of time.

The content is sufficient but limited. I recommend that you supplement your learning with the 6th and 7th practical courses in this ranking.

Prior programming experience is recommended, but not required.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll begin this course with the famous first message every programmer has ingrained into their brains — ”Hello World!”. Although it’s simple, you’ll get to know the structure of a Crystal program this way, that is top-level scope is treated as part of the main program.

Next, you’ll learn about variables and data types. One thing to note is that variables can be reassigned to different values and even different data types, which may feel a lot like dynamic types in Ruby. Then, you’ll also learn how to do arithmetic and string operations in Crystal, which are very much painless to perform.

Every programming language needs to have control constructs as well as methods. You’ll learn how to use conditionals and loops to have your program make or repeat decisions. Methods, on the other hand, allow you to avoid duplicating the same chunk of code. You’ll learn how to create methods with arguments and type restrictions to ensure correctness of your program.

Finally, you’ll be given two examples of simple programs for you to explore. One of them is a command line application where you’ll learn how to deal with getting user input and producing an output, whereas the other will open your eyes to server processing with HTTP servers.

How You’ll Learn

This course is made up of multiple tutorials focusing on different aspects of the language. You’ll learn by reading through them as well as by studying the example applications provided.

Fun Facts

• The Crystal website also contains guides to other aspects of Crystal programming such as concurrency or performance, along with manuals for the compiler and the shards command.
• Also, the entire website is open-sourced including the tutorials and guides. Anyone can contribute towards helping new Crystallians learn and adopt the language!

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

3. Crystal Course (Groxio)

My third pick for the best course is a bit peculiar.

Groxio’s paid Crystal Course combines a course book, videos (informational and instructional), community resources, and coding projects all in one package.

By following the Dreyfus learning model, Groxio provides the necessary step-by-step instructions for beginners to start Crystal, and perhaps more crucially, exercises and projects that intermediates need to follow up with in order to break from their newbie status.

If you’re willing to shell out a little bit of cash for a multimodal learning experience, this course wouldn’t disappoint!

You should have some experience with programming prior to taking this course.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll begin with an elucidation of the fundamental principles and philosophy behind Crystal to help you appreciate the language. Afterward, you’ll engross yourself in the basic details of Crystal, such as installation and syntax. By creating a simple “Hello, World!” program, you’ll help crystallize the structure of a typical project into your mindspace, before diving deeper in the details.

Next, you’ll explore decision-making with cases and if statements, and learn how to group and manipulate data with arrays, tuples, and hashes. You’ll also discover the power of procs and blocks for creating reusable code.

Moving on, you’ll get a test of the object-oriented side of Crystal with classes and modules. You’ll learn how to organize and structure code in larger projects, and grasp key OOP concepts like instantiation, inheritance, and polymorphism. These concepts will help you write complex and scalable software, making it easier to maintain and upgrade in the future.

Crystal is a statically typed language. You’ll learn and master types by first understanding their importance — to ensure code correctness at compile time. You’ll also learn how to create and wield your own custom types to protect your code from potential errors too. Finally, you’ll bring everything together by planning, building, and deploying Crystal projects, including managing dependencies and concurrency, through actual hands-on projects.

How You’ll Learn

This course consists of a course book, video tutorials, community resources, and projects. You’ll learn by reading through the book chapters, watching videos about the Crystal language as well as videos by the instructor where they code hands-on, checking out the handy community resources, and most importantly, working on the larger coding projects.

Fun Facts

• Bruce A. Tate is a programmer and CEO of Groxio where he is helping to redefine how computer languages are taught and learned. He’s the author of Seven Languages in Seven Weeks and Programming Phoenix, among other titles, and has been involved with Elixir from the very beginning.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

4. Learn Programming in Crystal Lang course (Gábor Szabó)

Gábor Szabó has an excellent introductory course to Crystal programming.

I like this free course particularly because it’s easy to let the video play, sitback, and learn. This is because Gábor Szabó is an excellent teacher who can explain in detail what is happening on screen with his well-crafted slides and examples. Though of course, it’d be a much more effective learning experience if you were to follow along writing down code examples at home.

The video series covers most but not all of the slides in the link, so by the end of the course, you’ll have learned the basics of the Crystal language, including its syntax, type system, and how to run code. You should check out the slides, as they also give you exercises to try and complete.

If you have an hour to spare to see what Crystal is all about, and also have some prior programming experience, this is a great course for you.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn the basics of the Crystal language. After some brief set up (running Crystal in a Docker container and exploring third party libraries called ‘shards’), you’ll begin learning how variables and data types work in Crystal. Indeed, you’ll be amazed by Crystal’s static but versatile types, from primitive to compound types, and concatenating strings to doing mathematical operations on numbers. You’ll be able to write a command line program that takes arguments passed into the standard input (STDIN) and prints a result to the screen.

You’ll also learn about early exit in Crystal, create basic shapes like rectangles, discover the concept of interactive environments, and also how to write Crystal one-liners. Last but not least, you’ll learn how to generate random numbers in Crystal.

How You’ll Learn

This course is 3–4 hours long. You’ll learn by watching the videos in the series and following along with the instructor. Additionally, you can complete the exercises given to strengthen your understanding of the Crystal programming concepts.

Fun Facts

• Gábor Szabó is a programmer with almost 40 years of experience in programming languages such as Perl and Python. He runs the Code Maven YouTube channel and website.
• He also has other courses written for beginners such as a free Perl tutorial as well as a Perl, Python, and Go courses bundle.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

5. Learn Crystal Programming (Timnan Sheni)

Learn Crystal Programming is another great project-based introductory course to the Crystal programming language. Unlike the third course in this ranking however, this paid course by Timnan Sheni is friendly towards absolute beginners.

You’ll learn how to write powerful, efficient, and concise programs in Crystal through four hands-on projects: a name guessing game; a rock, paper, scissors game; a simple calculator application; and lastly, an automatic file organizer.

No prior programming experience is required to take this course!

What You’ll Learn

You’ll start off this course by installing Crystal as well as its relevant extensions on VSCode to get the tooling out of the way.

Next, you’ll explore Crystal’s data types, which are very much similar to Ruby’s with types such as Strings, Numbers, Floats, and data structures like Arrays and Hashes. You’ll focus on handling user input and then making decisions based on that by using control flow.

“What is control flow?”, I hear you ask. Control flow consists of conditional statements such as if statements and loops such as while and unless loops that help the program choose between code paths or repeat blocks of code respectively. Armed with these concepts, you’ll create a name guessing game (similar to hangman) and use nested logic to play rock, paper, scissors.

The kind of programming you’ve just done is called imperative programming, where instructions are written step-by-step to perform a task. But there’s a more powerful programming paradigm called object-oriented programming, where instead of giving step-by-step instructions, you create “objects” that represent things or ideas in your program. Each object has its own properties (like name or color), can perform actions (like move or change color), and can even interact with each other. You’ll make great use of these concepts when you develop a calculator app, before finally ending the course with a IO-intensive app that organizes files into folders based on their file format.

How You’ll Learn

This course is 3 hours long. You’ll learn by watching the lecture videos and gaining hands-on experience by building various projects.

Fun Facts

• Timnan Sheni is a software developer and tutor specializing in Ruby on Rails. He runs a YouTube channel as well as a blog where he posts educational content on Ruby on Rails and Javascript.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

6. Crystal (Exercism)

Exercism is an open-source, online platform for learning and practicing programming. They provide a collection of free coding exercises in difficulties, from easy to hard, in various programming languages (including Crystal!).

When I want to learn a programming language, I use Exercism to complement my learning experience. Not only does it allow me to practice what I’ve learned, but it also gives me the opportunity to compare my solutions with others. And that’s not all — the best part about Exercism is that it offers free mentoring.

I can submit my lousy code for any exercise, and after some time, receive constructive feedback from an experienced developer. This helps me improve my coding skills and write less lousier code. And so can you!

What You’ll Learn

Exercism offers Crystal exercises of varying difficulty levels, of which there are easy and medium exercises.

Examples of easy exercises include reporting leap years, converting binary numbers to their denary equivalent, and encrypting/decrypting ciphers such as Atbash, Caesar, or rational.

Some medium difficulty tasks are as follows: determining if a number is mathematically perfect, abundant, or deficient, calculating a person’s allergy score, and generating proverbs from a list of words.

How You’ll Learn

This course is self-paced, so you can take all the time you need to complete the 55+ hands-on programming exercises. Each exercise comes with automatic feedback of your code as well as personal mentoring to help you understand your code’s strengths and flaws.

Fun Facts

• Exercism provides exercises on 50+ programming languages like Python, Kotlin, F#, and even WebAssembly.
• Their mission is to help everyone get really good at programming, regardless of their background, share the love of programming, and help people upskill as part of their upward social mobility.
• Around 40 people have contributed towards the Crystal syllabus and exercises, with over 60 mentors available at the time of writing.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

7. Crystal Koans (Andrea Manzini)

The Crystal Language Koans are a set of free exercises aimed at teaching you the basics (and more!) of Crystal. It’s an interactive learning tool that’ll guide you through a series of challenges through trial-and-error unit testing, incrementally building your Crystal programming skills.

This course is much more structured than the previous course, dealing with a much wider variety of Crystal topics, including syntax, data structures, control structures, object-oriented programming, web programming, and more. The goal is to provide an engaging and hands-on way of learning the language while also reinforcing key concepts.

You should have some prior experience with Crystal in order to take this course.

What You’ll Learn

The sub-bullets (in italic) in the list show what exercises are part of that topic.

• Data types and data structures: The building blocks of every program, you’ll need them for correctness and efficiency.
  • booleans, numbers, strings, symbols, nil, enums, arrays, tuples, named_tuples, sets, hashes, ranges.
• Control structure and functions: These allow the program to make and repeat decisions, promoting code reuse.
  • loops, blocks, functions, splat.
• Object-Oriented Programming: Learn how to organize software around object, which have data and behavior.
  • structs, classes, chaining_methods
• Type System: Explore Crystal’s robust type system in detail.
  • generics, type_reflection
• Error Handling: Errors are bound to happen in run-time. Learn how to deal with them.
  • exceptions
• Concurrency: Crystal is built for concurrency, with constructs such as channels.
  • concurrency.
• Macros: Just like Ruby, Crystal has macros. Unlike Ruby though, they expand at compile time.
  • macros, macro_hooks
• Interoperability: Crystal prides itself on C interoperability.
  • c_interop, low_level_primitives
• Specialized Data Types: Sometimes regular data types don’t cut it. Fortunately, Crystal is more than regular.
  • bitarray, bigint, bigdecimal, static_array, complex_numbers, random
• Text Processing: Text can be hard. Learn how Crystal makes string operations easy.
  • regular_expressions, levenshtein, semantic_version
• Environment & Paths: Need to access files on the system? No worries!
  • require_path, env, dir, path
• Data Formats: There perhaps may be as many data formats as there are trees on Earth. Learn how to read the most common ones.
  • html, json_plain, json_custom, csv, xml, yaml
• HTTP & Networking: Experience what Crystal is built for — efficient server processing.
  • http_server, ecr

How You’ll Learn

This course consists of 51 Koans or exercises. You’ll learn through iterative testing — see the tests fail, and fill in the codes until all of the tests pass. Then, you’ll do it again until you finish all sets of exercises.

Fun Facts

• Andrea Manzini is a Unix System Administrator and an open-source contributor. He works for SUSE as a QE Automation Engineer, where he does automated test development and quality assurance for SUSE product release.
• If you’ve read my other guides, you’ll know that other programming languages have their own Koans out there. In fact, this Koan is inspired by RubyKoans, CppKoans, GoKoans.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

The post 7 Best Crystal Programming Courses to Take in 2023 appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

Coursera started out as a noble experiment: offering free courses from top universities to anyone with an internet connection. But free courses don’t pay the bills, so Coursera had to figure out how to make money from its millions of learners.

The company tried various things over the years: limiting free access, charging for certificates, selling subscriptions, partnering with companies and governments, creating degrees and credentials…

Now, Coursera is a big business with more than half a billion in annual revenue. I’ve previously written about how Coursera got to this point.

But where does its money come from? How much does it earn? How profitable is it? I have dug into Coursera’s financials, using its public filings and earnings calls. Read on to learn more.

You can find Class Central’s entire coverage of Coursera on The Report here.

Quick Coursera Statistics

Before going in depth, here are some quick stats about Coursera.

• $524M in revenue in 2022, at a loss of $175.4M.
• 47% of revenue came from learners outside of the U.S.
• 60% of the 2022 Consumer segment revenue came from individual learners who were registered on Coursera as of December 31, 2021.
• 118M total registered learners.
• At the end of 2022, in spite of layoffs, Coursera grew to 1,401 full-time employees from 1,138 the previous year.
• Before the pandemic, Coursera Consumer’s growth rate was 12.6%, down from 25.4% a year earlier. In 2020, during the pandemic, it grew by 59.5%.
• 30% of revenue comes from the content and credentialing programs of five partners. In 2022, this amounts to $157M.
• Class Central estimates that Google’s content generates $100M in revenues for Coursera.

How Coursera Makes Money: A Product at Every Price

Coursera’s investor presentation includes a nice little image to showcase their catalog of products — with tiers ranging from $10 project to $45k online degrees. In 2020, Coursera introduced a catalog subscription called Coursera Plus which gives access to a majority of the provider’s middle tiers (courses and some microcredentials) for $399 a year or $59 per month.

Five years ago, I described this strategy in Six Tiers of MOOC Monetization as follows:

Now we can see it fully played out. Coursera calls it the “freemium flywheel”. 

Learners can audit most of Coursera’s courses for free, but they usually need to upgrade to get certificates and graded assignments. They can buy a single course, subscribe to a specialization, or subscribe to almost the whole catalog. The options depend on the course.

Guided Projects are the result of Coursera’s 2019 $10-million acquisition of Rhyme, an edtech startup based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Guided Projects are created by “subject matter experts” and cost $9.99. 

Coursera’s divides its business into three different segments:

• The Consumer segment targets individual learners.
• The Enterprise segment is focused on serving businesses, governmental organizations, and academic institutions.
• The Degrees segment partners with universities to deliver fully online bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The Consumer segment generates most of Coursera’s revenue (56% of the total), but the Enterprise segment is growing faster. In the Enterprise segment, organizations and governments can buy access to most of Coursera’s catalog for their employees.

In my report for Class Central, I described how these segments started and evolved during Coursera’s monetization journey.

Coursera Revenues 

In 2022, Coursera’s revenues increased by 26% year-over-year from $415.3 million to $524 million, while losses grew from $145.2 million to $175.4 million.

For 2023, the company projects revenues in the range of $595 million to $605 million, which represents an increase of approximately 15% over 2022.

In 2022, almost 47% of Coursera’s revenue came from outside the United States, compared to 49% in 2021. And no individual country outside the US accounted for more than 10% of Coursera’s revenue.

Coursera’s Revenue Growth Rates By Segment

The Consumer segment accounted for 56% of total revenues, down from 59% in 2022. As Coursera grows, the Enterprise segment is expected to account for a larger share of total revenue. This trend is similar to that seen with Udemy, where B2B revenues exceeded B2C revenues.

The impact of the pandemic on Coursera’s Consumer segment is evident. In 2019, Coursera’s Consumer growth rate was only 12.6%, down from 25.4% the previous year. However, in 2020, due to the pandemic, the growth rate shot up to 59.5%.

Over the past two years, the Enterprise segment has been Coursera’s fastest-growing segment. Additionally, in 2022, the Enterprise segment grew at a rate of 50.6%, compared to 20% for the Consumer segment and -3.7% for the Degrees segment. 

Coursera projects its lowest growth rate for 2023. The enterprise segment will grow by 20-25%, and the consumer and degrees segments by 10%. Overall growth rate may be 15%.

Coursera’s Segment Margin and Gross Margin

Here’s how Coursera defines Segment (Consumer, Enterprise, and Degrees) Gross Margin:

Over the years, Coursera’s gross and individual segment margins have been increasing. In particular, the Consumer segment experienced a significant jump in 2021 but is expected to drop again in 2023. 

The reason for this is due to Coursera’s largest industry partner, Google, renegotiating their agreement as part of a “multi-year contract extension.” Previously, Google had been sharing a higher percentage of revenues earned from their content and certificates with Coursera. However, in 2023, Google and Coursera will switch to a “standard revenue share,” which is impacting Coursera’s margins.

Google’s first Professional Certificate on Coursera, the Google IT Support Certificate, was announced back in 2018. But it was only in March 2021 that Google introduced three new certificates on the platform. As shown above, Coursera’s Consumer margin jumped to 66% in 2021 from 55% the prior year.

During the earnings call, Coursera’s CFO referred to a “geography shift within the P&L” of the company. According to my analysis, Google’s share of Coursera’s revenue could be in the proximity of $100 million.

If you find this type of information interesting, you may want to read my in-depth analysis on how Coursera’s new deal with Google could cost the company millions.

Consumer Segment

Coursera’s consumer segments account for the majority of its revenues. In just three years, Coursera’s consumer segment revenue has grown from $32.1 million a quarter to almost $80 million a quarter. But the freemium-model also attracts learners who may later enroll in its Degrees and Enterprise segments.

In 2022 Q2, Coursera suffered a slight setback in its Consumer segment which was partially responsible for a 20% stock price drop. According to the company’s CFO Kenneth Hahn, one of the reasons for slower than anticipated growth is: “several pricing and payment-related-tests in markets around the globe that negatively impacted consumer revenue”.

In a Class Central exclusive, we reported about Coursera’s pricing experiment. Due to changes in credit card rules in India, the company introduced a one-time payment option for subscriptions. In our research, we found that besides India, this payment option had also been made available in Brazil.

But according to coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda, when these experiments were expanded to Europe, they resulted in a revenue decline, prompting a roll back. Moving forward, Coursera will be “ensuring a few new sign offs as we look at future experiments.”

For 2023, Coursera expects the Consumer Segment to grow by 20%.

Enterprise Segment

Overall, Enterprise was where Coursera showed strongest growth: a 51% year-over-year increase. The segment revenue grew from $120.4 in 2021 to $181.3 million in 2022.

Its Enterprise business consists of three segments:

• Coursera for Campus
• Coursera for Business
• Coursera for Governments

For 2023, Coursera expects a growth rate of 20-25%.

Degrees Segment

Overall, Coursera’s degrees segment is its slowest growing segment and in 2022 it declined by 4% from $48.7 million in 2021 to $46.9 million in 2022. 

Coursera attributed this to “lower-than-expected student enrollments, particularly in mature U.S. and European degree programs where our revenue is concentrated today.”

In 2022, we saw 2 quarters of declining revenue while enrollments increased (as shown below). The reason is lower student activity — that is, students are taking fewer credit hours per semester, which effectively results in lower revenue.

At the end of 2022, the total number of degree enrollments crossed 18,000 across its 40+ Masters and Bachelors programs.

DeepLearning.AI Revenues

In their S-1 prospectus, Coursera shared how much it paid Deeplearning.AI — the company of Coursera’s co-founder and Board Member Andrew Ng — which offers courses on the platform.

In the 10–K, it refers to Deeplearning.AI as a “related party”:

These numbers are a bit different from the ones Coursera disclosed in their S-1. 

The “standard terms” can be found in the ONLINE COURSE HOSTING AND PLATFORM SERVICES AGREEMENT between Coursera and DeepLearning.AI. To summarize, the revenue is shared 50-50.

Back in 2017, almost six years after he introduced his Machine Learning class, Andrew Ng announced that he would launch a Deep Learning Specialization. Since then, DeepLearning.AI has expanded to 80+ courses and specializations.

Most notably, Deeplearning.AI courses are not part of the Coursera Plus subscription. This probably means that they get a higher percentage of the revenue share.

The post The Business of Online Education: A Deep Dive Into Coursera’s Financials appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

Editor’s note: This is an in-depth review of From Waste to Value: How to Tackle Food Waste. This course is currently offering a free upgrade sponsored by EIT Food (for one year from 6 Feb 2023). Upon completion, participants will receive a CPD accredited Learning Certificate.

I am a PhD candidate in Food Science, and I have always been driven by an obsession to comprehend and address food-related problems in a sustainable manner. However, it is obvious that the entire society must participate in order to bring the transformation that would allow future generations to live happily on our one and only home planet.

Food waste is one of the biggest problems that gives me the willies. Did you know that 14% of the food produced is lost before it reaches the consumers? An estimated 1.3 billion tons of food are lost or wasted annually, according to a 2011 estimate by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

On the other hand, more than a billion people worldwide are overweight or obese, while about 820 million people are undernourished. One of the biggest paradoxes of our day is the existence of food waste and malnutrition simultaneously. Food that is wasted is a chance lost to feed the expanding global population.

Food waste leads to the loss of not only the food itself but also all the resources used to produce it, including land, water, labour, energy, fuel, and packaging. Additionally, methane, which is more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, is released when food waste is dumped in a landfill.

About the course

Those enormous current food waste challenges were the main reason I took the course called From Waste to Value: How to Tackle Food Waste by EIT Food to see the current development. Additionally, I was looking forward to understanding a deeper cause of food waste, its effects on climate change, and different ways to prevent it in the first place.

I can honestly point out that course covered it all! Even more! They mention the Food Use Hierarchy, why it is necessary to shift the focus towards keeping food in the food chain for as long as possible, and using circular economy to tackle the solution was a nice systematic approach. I was thrilled to see new technological ideas to contribute to the solution of food waste, especially through smart packaging. I really value the fact that this online course is creating a huge awareness of the problem and providing simple solutions to avoid them as individuals. Simple steps such as making a grocery list to amazing unique recipes to diminish food waste.

Time commitment

The best part about the course is that it is only 3 weeks long and doesn’t require more of your time daily. You are free to follow the course according to your own schedule, and all the course materials can easily be downloaded. With less patience and huge curiosity, I finished the course in a week and successfully passed the quiz.

Conclusion

It is always nice to see small achievements when they are compemented with a certificate, which, in this case, it was. If you are looking forward to widening your knowledge of the importance of food waste issues, this course is your call!

What’s next

Well, it wasn’t the end. I have taken several courses produced by EIT Food and am currently following Future Food: Sustainable Food Systems for the 21st Century and How Food is Made: Understanding Food Processing Technologies. They are also impressive!

The post EIT Food’s Course Review: From Waste to Value – How to Tackle Food Waste appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

Whether you’re starting your own business, working in finance or seeking career advancement, bookkeeping is a valuable skill to have. Bookkeeping is nothing but keeping a record of your finances. If this is what you’re looking to learn, keep reading!

In this guide, I’ve selected the 10 best free and paid bookkeeping online courses for you from the 145+ bookkeeping courses on our catalog by following a well-defined methodology that you can find below.

But if you want to jump straight to the results, here are my top 10 picks. You can click on a course to jump to the corresponding section:

What is Bookkeeping?

Bookkeeping is the practice of recording the financial information of an individual or a business, and is part of the accounting process. Day-to-day financial transactions such as revenue, taxes, interest, loans and others can be recorded and stored, and the accuracy and efficiency of documentation determines the overall financial health of the organization.

Bookkeeper is the person designated by an organization to perform bookkeeping functions. Research shows that methods of keeping accounts have existed as far back in history as 2600 BCE when Babylonians used to write records on clay slabs. However, most businesses today use computer-based methods for bookkeeping such as a simple spreadsheet or more advanced software.

Why are Bookkeeping Skills Important?

The job market for bookkeepers is expected to grow with the rise of small businesses and the increasing importance of financial management. Bookkeepers with strong technical skills, including cloud computing and automation, are in high demand and can offer additional value through data analysis.

Bookkeeper salaries vary greatly by country, location, and company size. In the US, the median hourly wage is $20.66, and in the UK, the average salary is £25,000. In Canada, the average salary ranges from $40,000 to $60,000, while in Australia, it ranges from $50,000 to $70,000. In New Zealand, the average salary is NZD 50,000. Salaries may vary based on job responsibilities, experience and location.

What is My Experience with Bookkeeping?

I am a Guided Project Instructor and a Beta Tester at Coursera, having tested many courses before they’re officially launched. I have taken over 50 online courses in various subjects.

My experience as an online learner and teacher has given me some perspective on what to look for in an online course. I used my experience to evaluate each course in this list.

Course Ranking Methodology

I built this ranking following the now tried-and-tested methodology I used in previous rankings (you can find them all here). It involves a three-step process:

1. Research: I started by leveraging Class Central’s database with 100K online courses and 200K+ reviews. Then, I made a preliminary selection of 145+ bookkeeping courses by rating, reviews, and bookmarks.
2. Evaluate: I read through reviews on Class Central, Reddit, and course providers to understand what other learners thought about each course and combined it with my own experience as a learner.
3. Select: Well-made courses were picked if they presented valuable and engaging content and they have to fit in a set of criteria and be ranked accordingly: comprehensive curriculum, release date, affordability, ratings and enrollments.

The end result is a unique selection of courses that combines a decade of Class Central data and my own experience as an online learner to try to get the best of both worlds. So far, I’ve spent more than 12 hours building this list, and I’ll continue to update it.

Course Ranking Statistics

Here are some statistics regarding this course ranking:

• Combined, these courses have accrued over 466.8K enrollments.
• 2 courses are free or free-to-audit and 8 courses are paid.
• The most-represented course provider in the ranking is Udemy, with 6 courses.
• All 10 courses are in English.
• The bookkeeping subject accounts for over 145 courses in Class Central catalog.

So without further ado, let’s get to my picks for the best bookkeeping online courses.

1. Bookkeeping Foundations and Advanced Techniques (LinkedIn Learning)

My first pick for the best bookkeeping online course is a collection of two courses offered by Jim Stice and Kay Stice on LinkedIn Learning.

The two courses you’ll be taking are:

1. Accounting Foundations: Bookkeeping
2. Advanced Bookkeeping Techniques

The first course teaches the basics of bookkeeping and financial statement creation while the second course focuses on advanced accounting strategies for managing financial entries. After completing both the courses, you’ll have developed the essential skills and knowledge needed to effectively manage the financial records of a business or organization.

What You’ll Learn

Accounting Foundations: Bookkeeping

In the course, you’ll learn about financial statements, which includes the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. You’ll also learn about the four steps in the bookkeeping process: routine bookkeeping, analyzing transactions, using accounts to categorize transactions, and exercising caution with revenues, expenses, and dividends.

Advanced Bookkeeping Techniques

This course covers debits and credits, journal entries, adjusting entries, closing entries, and correcting errors. You’ll explore journal entries for receiving financing, buying assets, and recording revenues and expenses. Finally, you’ll learn about closing entries and correcting errors.

How You’ll Learn

The first course is broken down into 6 modules and the second course is broken down into 7 modules. Each course involves about 1 to 2 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, practice exercises and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Jim and Kay are brothers and have been teaching accounting for decades.
• Together they have over 70 years of experience in the classroom.
• They have over 30 courses in the LinkedIn Learning library.

2. Introduction to Bookkeeping (ACCA)

My second pick for the best bookkeeping online course is a collection of two free-to-audit courses offered by ACCA on edX.

The two courses you’ll be taking are:

1. Introduction to Bookkeeping
2. Intermediate Bookkeeping

After completing both courses, you will be able to start a career in business, finance or accountancy, study business or finance, launch your own start-up, and prepare for the ACCA exams in Recording Financial Transactions (FA1) and Maintaining Financial Records (FA2).

What You’ll Learn

Introduction to Bookkeeping

In this course, you’ll learn about business transactions and documentation, including the duality of transactions and the double entry system, the banking process and transactions, payroll, ledger accounts, sales and purchases credit transactions, reconciliations, and the trial balance.

Intermediate Bookkeeping

In this course, you’ll learn about generally accepted accounting principles and concepts, the principles and process of bookkeeping, preparing journal entries, recording transactions and events, extending the trial balance, and accounting for partnerships. You’ll also cover preparing the trial balance and correcting errors.

How You’ll Learn

Both the courses are broken down into 6 weeks. Each week involves about 5 to 8 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Wroath, Patrick and Adatia are specialists in finance and accounting solutions.

3. Bookkeeping Basics in Three Parts (Udemy)

My third pick for the best bookkeeping online course is a collection of three courses offered by Ron Trucks on Udemy.

The three courses you’ll be taking are:

1. Bookkeeping Basics #1: Understand the Fundamentals
2. Bookkeeping Basics #2: Understand The Mechanics
3. Bookkeeping Basics #3: QuickBooks Desktop Fundamentals

After completing all three courses, you will have a comprehensive understanding of bookkeeping fundamentals, including debits, credits, the accounting equation, analyzing and recording transactions, as well as end-of-the-month and end-of-the-year closing entries, depreciation, prepaid items, accrued payroll, inventory and QuickBooks.

What You’ll Learn

Bookkeeping Basics #1: Understand the Fundamentals

This course will teach you the key principles of financial management, including setting financial goals, creating a budget, managing cash flow, and understanding financial statements. You’ll also learn about different sources of funding, such as loans and investors, and the importance of managing risk.

Bookkeeping Basics #2: Understand The Mechanics

In this course, you’ll learn about the Fundamental Accounting Equation, bookkeeping accounts, balancing T-accounts/ledgers, Accounting Cycle’s steps, Interim and Final financial reports, Adjusting and Closing activities. You’ll also learn how to record adjusting entries and why annual bookkeeping records are closed each year.

Bookkeeping Basics #3: QuickBooks Desktop Fundamentals

In this course, you’ll learn about QuickBooks, including how it records transactions, navigating the program, recording and printing checks, sales activities, deposits, vendor payments, account reconciliations, customizing reports, and creating a new company file. You’ll also explore the differences between QB Desktop and QB Online.

How You’ll Learn

The first course is broken down into 11 sections, the second course is broken down into 6 sections, and the third course is broken down into 9 sections. Each course involves about 3 to 5 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes. Downloadable resources are also provided.

Fun Facts

• Trucks founded his privately owned firm guiding and coaching small businesses and non-profit organizations over 25 years ago.
• He has also been a business management adjunct instructor at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, MO for over 15 years.
• He has served on various boards and in many volunteer positions including the Board of Directors of a $500 million dollar credit union.

4. Accounting & Bookkeeping Masterclass – Beginner to Advanced (Udemy)

My fourth pick for the best bookkeeping online course is Accounting & Bookkeeping Masterclass – Beginner to Advanced on Udemy.

The lessons start from the basics and move up to the preparation of financial statements and then into more complex and frequently used areas of accounting. It is suitable for beginners with no prior knowledge of accounting, and can be taken by accounting and finance students, business students, aspiring accountants, professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners, investors and startup founders.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll be introduced to Accounting and its rules and standards. You’ll learn about the different types of Accounting and the information produced by each, as well as Accounting terms. You’ll also discuss Cash and Accrual Accounting, the Double-entry concept, Bookkeeping, and the General Ledger.

Finally, you’ll cover the Trial Balance and Financial Statements, Fixed Assets and Depreciation, Inventory Accounting, Financial Statements preparation, and Accounting for leases.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 19 sections. Each section involves about 30 minutes to 2 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes. Downloadable resources are also provided.

Fun Facts

• Sharif is a chartered accountant with 12 years experience in accounting, finance, and business intelligence.
• He has a bachelor’s degree in commerce.
• He has trained 20,000+ students from 50+ countries.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

5. Quickbooks Online in 90 Mins – For Bookkeeping & Accounting (Udemy)

My fifth pick for the best bookkeeping online course is Quickbooks Online in 90 Mins – For Bookkeeping & Accounting on Udemy.

This short course is designed to teach you the basics of Quickbooks Online, one of the most popular accounting software for small businesses, step by step in just 90 minutes. It is ideal for individuals who want to learn the fundamentals of Quickbooks Online quickly and efficiently such as business owners, accounting students and accountants/bookkeepers. This course is designed for beginners, so no prior knowledge of bookkeeping or Quickbooks Online is required.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of QuickBooks Online, including setting up your file and navigating the software with ease. You’ll also learn how to record income and expenses, create customer and supplier invoices, and generate profit and loss statements and other reports. Plus, you’ll receive a bonus best practices guide to help you make the most of the software.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 7 sections. Each section involves about 10 to 20 minutes of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, quizzes and downloadable resources.

Fun Facts

• Nandlal is a qualified CA and CPA and has been responsible for a client portfolio worth over $50 million as a manager in one of the top 5 accounting firms in the world.
• She has been immersed in every aspect of accounting for the past 10 years.
• She communicates her vast knowledge through simple language, clear examples and stories.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

6. Bookkeeping Basics Explained (Bookkeeping & Accounting) (Udemy)

My sixth pick for the best bookkeeping online course is Bookkeeping Basics Explained (Bookkeeping & Accounting) on Udemy.

This course provides a thorough explanation of bookkeeping and accounting basics, covering main accounts, financial reports, and step-by-step instructions for bookkeeping and accounting. By the end of the course, you’ll have a strong understanding of the subject even if you have no prior knowledge.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn about the basics of bookkeeping such as debits and credits, basic bookkeeping vocabulary, preparing a bank reconciliation, bookkeeping practice worksheets and exercises, and common bookkeeping mistakes. You’ll also learn about accounting software such as setting up accounting software, getting started with accounting software, and how to use QuickBooks Online to record transactions.

Next, you’ll also learn about more advanced bookkeeping topics such as preparing a balance sheet and income statement, accounts receivable and accounts payable, month-end or year-end accruals, mortgage or loan amortization, recording amortization (depreciation) of tangible capital assets, and recording term deposits, investments, dividends, and interest received from investments.

Finally, you’ll learn about other topics such as recording a return of capital from an investment, adjusting an investment to fair market value, closing dividends into retained earnings, writing-off bad debts, and setting up an allowance for doubtful accounts.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 9 sections. Each section involves about 30 minutes to 1 hour of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes. Downloadable resources are also provided.

Fun Facts

• Lee, MBA, CPA, CA, CPA (Illinois) is an accountant, consultant, teacher, and author.
• He has provided accounting and consulting services to large Fortune 500 companies.
• He is a top ranked instructor at Schulich School of Business, York University.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

7. Effective Bookkeeping and Payroll (Udemy)

My seventh pick for the best bookkeeping online course is Effective Bookkeeping and Payroll on Udemy.

This course is ideal for fresh graduates and inexperienced professionals who want to boost their accounting and bookkeeping skills and enhance their career prospects. By completing the course, you’ll have the ability to handle office accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll management duties efficiently. However, a basic knowledge of accounting fundamentals is highly recommended.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn about the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and how to implement internal controls. You’ll also learn how to maintain subsidiary ledgers and special journals, reconcile accounts, and correct wrong amounts and wrong accounts by reverse entries.

Additionally, you’ll be able to perform sales tax calculations and set up a yearly budgeting plan. Other topics covered in the course include understanding accounting for merchandising, performing accounting for cash, and managing a payroll system.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 17 sections. Each section involves about 50 minutes to 2 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, quizzes and downloadable resources.

Fun Facts

• Schmidt is a certified public accountant (CPA).
• Most of her experience has been as a controller at a Fortune 500 company.
• She’s also taught in college for 5 years.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

8. Bookkeeping for Crafters (CreativeLive)

My eighth pick for the best bookkeeping online course is Bookkeeping for Crafters on CreativeLive.

This course will teach you the fundamentals of managing finances and how it can benefit your business. You’ll learn how to manage income and expenses, prepare for tax time and predict cash flow fluctuations. The instructor will guide you in developing a personalized system, even if you prefer pen and paper over spreadsheets. This course will give you the confidence and skills you need to start and maintain your own small business ledger.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn the basics of bookkeeping and how it applies to your business. The course covers why bookkeeping is important, how to set up a chart of accounts, and the difference between cash and accrual accounting. You’ll also learn how to track inventory, expenses, and receipts, and keep your business and personal finances separate.

The course covers many other topics including labor and insurance, sales tax, product profitability, budgeting, and cash flow forecasting. You’ll learn about pricing formulas, the importance of pricing, and when to reinvest or take money out of your business. The course also covers personal finance and how to calculate your sustainable wage.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 33 lessons. Each lesson involves about 10 to 20 minutes of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos and downloadable resources.

Fun Facts

• Venell is an artist, award-winning product designer and financial educator.
• She gives online classes, participates in live events and contributes to blogs such as design*sponge and craftzine.
• Her creative work has been published by imprints such as Chronicle Books, Klutz/Scholastic and Quarry, and featured in media outlets including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Everyday with Rachel Ray and on Canal+ television.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

9. QuickBooks Online-Bookkeeping Business-Easy Way (Udemy)

My ninth pick for the best bookkeeping online course is QuickBooks Online-Bookkeeping Business-Easy Way on Udemy.

This course will teach you how to create a business plan for bookkeeping using QuickBooks Online. By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid understanding of all necessary concepts, apply this knowledge to real-world situations and confidently offer bookkeeping services to clients.

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll learn about the relationship between the bookkeeper, the business, and year-end tax and financial statement preparers. You’ll practice entering data directly into the QuickBooks register from a bank statement, compare and contrast the cash basis system to a full accounting cycle system, and perform bank reconciliations.

You’ll also learn about options for entering specific accounting data into QuickBooks, and how to write down and organize financial data to quickly go back to it when questions arise. You’ll discuss and export month-end and year-end reports, and year-end adjusting entries, including common adjusting entries and different options to enter them into the QuickBooks system.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 18 sections. Each section involves about 30 minutes to 2 hours of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and downloadable resources.

Fun Facts

• Steele has experience working as a practicing Certified Public Accountant (CPA), an accounting and business instructor, and curriculum developer.
• He has a master of science in taxation from Golden Gate University, a bachelor’s degree in business economics from the University of California Santa Barbara.
• He has also helped create an accounting website at accountinginstruction, and a YouTube channel called Accounting Instruction, Help, and How Too.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

10. Bookkeeping Basics (Intuit Professional Development)

My tenth pick for the best bookkeeping online course is the free-to-audit Bookkeeping Basics, offered by Intuit Professional Development on Coursera.

This course will teach you all about the role of a bookkeeper and the essential accounting concepts needed to read and create financial statements. After completing this course, you will be able to define accounting, summarize the double entry accounting method and explain the ethical and social responsibilities of bookkeepers in maintaining financial integrity. This course is suitable for anyone interested in bookkeeping, regardless of previous experience.

What You’ll Learn

This course covers the basics of accounting, starting with an introduction to the role of a bookkeeper and the accounting equation. You’ll learn how bookkeepers use the general journal and general ledger to record and keep track of business transactions, as well as how to create trial balances and produce financial statements using accounting software.

You’ll then delve into accounting principles and practices, including key assumptions and principles and the different types of accounting methods bookkeepers use. By the end of this course, you’ll have a solid understanding of accounting concepts and measurement, the accounting cycle, and accounting principles and practices.

How You’ll Learn

The course is broken down into 4 modules. Each module involves about 30 to 50 minutes of work. Concepts are taught through a combination of videos, readings and quizzes.

Fun Facts

• Intuit is the company behind QuickBooks Online.
• Intuit was founded in 1983 by Scott Cook and Tom Proulx.

If you’re interested in this course, you can find more information about the course and how to enroll here.

The post 10 Best Bookkeeping Courses to Take in 2023 appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

FutureLearn, Europe’s main counterpart to Coursera and edX, has increased the price of Unlimited, its catalog subscription plan.

The price hike follows another monetization move by FutureLearn’s new leadership: in January, FutureLearn expanded its paywall, as exclusively reported by Class Central.

I was surprised by this price hike. The cost of FutureLearn’s subscription is now comparable to Coursera’s. But Coursera has a significantly larger (and in my view, more attractive) catalog.

This is the latest development in FutureLearn’s tumultuous year, which was punctuated by funding troubles, leadership changes, and layoffs.

Price Hike

On March 1st, we learned in an email that, effective immediately, FutureLearn would increase the cost of Unlimited, its subscription plan, which gives access to two-thirds of the courses offered on the platform.

Here are the old and new prices of FutureLearn Unlimited in different regions:

Tailing Coursera

The price increase surprised my Class Central colleagues and me, since it puts the cost of FutureLearn’s subscription in the same ballpark as that of Coursera’s — Coursera Plus costs $399 per year.

FutureLearn’s subscription predates Coursera’s, and it launched at a significantly lower price:

• FutureLearn Unlimited launched in March 2019 and cost $199 per year.
• Coursera Plus launched in February 2020 and cost $399 per year.

The issue with FutureLearn’s price increase is that Coursera’s subscription plan:

• Boasts a significantly larger catalog.
• Includes better-known partners, such as Google, Yale, and Johns Hopkins.
• Extends to microcredentials — Specializations and Professional Certificates.

Here’s a brief comparison of both subscription plans:

(For a broader comparison of FutureLearn and Coursera, read our end-of-year analysis: 2022 Year in Review: The “New Normal” that Wasn’t.)

In light of the numbers above, I would imagine most learners would rather pay an extra $50 to have access to Coursera’s catalog for a year.

Even when it comes to discounts, Coursera recently proved more competitive. Both companies started the year with sales that lasted a month or more, but Coursera discounted its subscription by 50%, while FutureLearn only discounted it by 30%, as you can see above.

Signs of Turmoil

FutureLearn’s price increase is the culmination of a difficult year at the company, as reflected by our coverage of the platform:

• Aug 2022: FutureLearn requires extra funding to survive.
• Nov 2022: FutureLearn conducts layoffs.
• Dec 2022: FutureLearn gets acquired by GUS.
• Jan 2023: FutureLearn expands paywall.

And just yesterday, we learned that FutureLearn CEO Andy Hancock would be leaving the company at the end of the month.

The price of a subscription plan is expected to increase over time. But the fact that this increase comes in the wake of a stream of signs of turmoil at FutureLearn suggests to me that the decision may stem from urgency rather from a sound pricing strategy.

The post FutureLearn’s Turbulent Year Culminates in Price Hike as CEO Departs appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

Are you struggling with centering your elements in your layout? Do the responsive layouts break as soon as you make a small change? Are you still using floats?

If the answer to all of the above questions is a yes, then it is time to upgrade your CSS Skills.

There are a lot of tutorials to get you to understand Flexbox and Grid. In this guide, I will first list Flexbox courses and tutorials since a lot of concepts such as justify-content and align-items also exist in Grid.

Once you are more familiar with Flex, Grid gets easier to understand. Then, after getting through Grid, I will also be listing a few courses here to get you acquainted with using them both together and hope that it will help you make better responsive websites.

Flexbox and Grid can do most of the heavy lifting when you are working on a project but sometimes, you would like certain elements to stick to the top (like a navbar) when you are scrolling the page or you would like to place an element at a specific place. This cannot be effectively accomplished with Flexbox and Grid, and that’s when Positioning comes into play. Therefore, I will be adding some tutorials on positioning elements as well.

I have personally been using Grid more often than Flexbox, since a Grid can provide the same functionality as Flexbox but it also provides more control over the contents.

Here are my top picks. Click on one to skip to the course details:

What is a box model in CSS?

Everything in CSS has a box around it, and understanding these boxes is key to being able to create more complex layouts with CSS, or to align items with other items. (MDN Docs)

The box model consists of several components that work together to create the final layout of an element. These components include:

• The content: the main content, such as text or an image, that is displayed within the element.
• The padding: the space between the content and the border, and it affects the overall size of the element by making it larger or smaller.
• The border: a line that surrounds the element and separates it from other elements on the page.
• The margin: the space outside the border, between the border of the element and the adjacent elements on the page. The margin affects the spacing of elements on the page by creating space around the element.

Understanding the box model is essential for building effective and well-designed web pages, as it plays a crucial role in determining the layout and spacing of elements on a page. Properly utilizing the box model, along with other CSS layout tools such as Flexbox and Grid, can result in clean and responsive web designs.

Floats are dead. What’s next?

In the early days of web design, the primary layout tool was the “float” property. Floats were originally intended for wrapping text around images, but developers quickly realized that they could also be used for layout. While floats were a huge improvement over previous methods, they had limitations and could be difficult to work with.

Flexbox was introduced as a layout mode in CSS3, offering a more modern and flexible solution. Flexbox made it easier to control the position and size of elements within a container and provided a more intuitive way of arranging items flexibly. It quickly became a popular tool for building responsive and flexible layouts.

Grid was introduced later, in CSS Grid Layout, as an even more powerful layout tool. Grid allowed developers to create complex two-dimensional layouts, making it easier to control the placement of elements in rows and columns. Grid also offered a more structured approach to layout design, which could lead to more efficient and maintainable code.

These more modern layout tools provide greater flexibility, performance, and accessibility, making it easier for developers to create complex and responsive designs for the web.

If you are not sure which layout tool to use, I would recommend this video by Kevin Powell.

A more comprehensive guide can be found in the Flexbox and Grid documentation in MDN Docs. If you would like to learn more about it with videos and interactive material continue reading.

Best Courses Guides Methodology

I built this ranking following the now tried-and-tested methodology used in previous Best Courses Guides (you can find them all here). It involves a three-step process:

1. Research: I started by leveraging Class Central’s database with 100K online courses and 200K+ reviews. Then, I made a preliminary selection of 54 courses by rating, reviews, and bookmarks.
2. Evaluate: I read through reviews on Class Central, Reddit, and course providers to understand what other learners thought about each course and combined it with my own experience as a learner.
3. Select: Well-made courses were picked if they presented valuable and engaging content and they have to fit in a set of criteria and be ranked accordingly: comprehensive curriculum, affordability, release date, ratings and enrollments.

Course Ranking Statistics

Here are some aggregate stats about the ranking:

• All of the courses in this ranking require a basic knowledge of HTML/CSS.
• All the courses listed in this article are free.
• Most of the courses are suitable for CSS-Animation beginners.

Without further ado, let’s go through the top picks.

1. Flexbox.io (Wes Bos)

My first pick is the Flexbox.io course offered for free by Wes Bos.

The “Flexbox.io” course by Wes Bos is a comprehensive guide to learning CSS Flexbox. The course covers the basics of Flexbox and teaches you how to use this powerful layout tool to build responsive and flexible web designs.

The course is organized into easy-to-follow modules, starting with an introduction to Flexbox and its key concepts. You will learn how to use Flexbox to control the position and size of elements within a container, and how to build responsive designs that adapt to different screen sizes.

What You’ll Learn

The course also covers advanced topics, such as using Flexbox with CSS Grid, creating complex nested layouts, and using Flexbox in conjunction with other layout tools such as media queries.

How You’ll Learn

Throughout the course, you will work through hands-on projects that reinforce your learning and help you apply Flexbox in real-world scenarios. You will learn how to use Flexbox for common layout patterns, such as building navigation menus, creating Grid-based layouts, and aligning elements vertically and horizontally.

Fun Facts

• He also offers a free course on learning the command line and Javascript with a lot of practicing for small projects.

2. Flexbox Froggy (codepip)

“Flexbox Froggy” by Codepip is a game-based learning platform that teaches the basics of CSS Flexbox in an interactive and fun way.

The course is suitable for beginners and experienced developers alike, and provides a gentle introduction to Flexbox without any prior knowledge required. It is also a great way to brush up on your Flexbox skills if you have used it before but would like to reinforce your understanding.

What You’ll Learn

The course is designed to help you learn the fundamental concepts of Flexbox in a way that is engaging and memorable.

How You’ll Learn

The course consists of a series of challenges that require you to use Flexbox properties to arrange frogs on a lily pad. Each challenge builds on the previous one, introducing new concepts and properties along the way. You will learn how to control the alignment and spacing of elements within a container, as well as how to create responsive designs that adjust to different screen sizes.

Fun Facts

• Codepip has unlimited Flex exercises on his pro plan. You can find more games here
• He also has a similar offering for Grids called the Grid garden

3. An interactive Guide to Flexbox (Josh W. Comeau)

The “Interactive Guide to Flexbox” by Josh W. Comeau is a comprehensive, yet accessible, introduction to CSS Flexbox. The guide provides an interactive and visual way of learning Flexbox, helping you to understand the concepts and properties through practical examples.

What You’ll Learn

The guide is organized into sections that cover the different aspects of Flexbox, starting with an overview of its key concepts and properties. You will learn about the different layout modes available in Flexbox, such as row, column, and wrap, and how to control the position and size of elements within a container.

The guide also covers advanced topics, such as using Flexbox for responsive designs, creating Grid-based layouts, and using Flexbox in conjunction with other layout tools such as media queries.

How You’ll Learn

Throughout the guide, you can experiment with the examples provided and see the results of your changes in real-time, making it an ideal resource for learning Flexbox in a hands-on and interactive way.

Fun Facts

• Josh has a blog where he covers other topics such as animation and Grid here.

4. CSS Flexbox (Scrimba)

The Flexbox tutorial playlist by Scrimba is a comprehensive video series that provides a step-by-step introduction to CSS Flexbox.

What You’ll Learn

The tutorials cover a wide range of topics, from the basics of Flexbox to advanced usage, making it an ideal resource for both beginner and advanced users.

The playlist starts by explaining the key concepts of Flexbox, such as layout modes, flex containers and flex items, and how to use Flexbox to create simple and complex layouts. You will also learn how to control the position and size of elements within a container using Flexbox, and how to create responsive designs using Flexbox.

How You’ll Learn

You can follow along with the playlist but they also have an interactive tutorial on their website.

Fun Facts

• This same tutorial was taken by freecodecamp as their Flex tutorial. You can view it here
• Scrimba also has a Grid tutorial accessible here

5. CSS Grid (Wes Bos)

The playlist to learn CSS Grid by Wes Bos is a comprehensive video series that provides a step-by-step introduction to CSS Grid. The playlist covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of CSS Grid to advanced usage, making it an ideal resource for both beginner and advanced users.

What You’ll Learn

The playlist starts by explaining the key concepts of CSS Grid, such as Grid containers, Grid items, rows and columns, and how to use CSS Grid to create simple and complex layouts. You will also learn how to position elements within a Grid, control the size and spacing of elements, and create responsive designs using CSS Grid.

How You’ll Learn

Throughout the playlist, the instructor uses clear and concise explanations, along with examples and code snippets, to help you understand the concepts and properties involved. The tutorials are designed in a way that allows you to learn at your own pace, and you can easily revisit any topic as needed.

Fun Facts

• Wes’s course for learning Grid is also accessible here

6. CSS Grid (FollowAndrew)

I am personally a very big fan of Andrew’s teaching style. He starts by making blocks to make sense of the Grid and then puts the required information, which helps in understanding how things are affecting the layout much better.

What You’ll Learn

The course starts by explaining the key concepts of CSS Grid, such as Grid containers, Grid items, rows and columns, and how to use CSS Grid to create simple and complex layouts. You will also learn how to position elements within a Grid, control the size and spacing of elements, and create responsive designs using CSS Grid.

How You’ll Learn

The course provides hands-on learning by looking at the video and working along.

Fun Facts

• I would recommend to see him use Grids for a responsive layout after finishing understanding the course
• He also explains the use of flex to create a nav bar here

7. CSS Grid (Net Ninja)

This is another tutorial from Net Ninja. The tutorial explains grids and then proceeds to explain them towards the end with examples.

What You’ll Learn

NetNinja starts by explaining why a Grid could be a useful tool when making layouts before explaining to you the basics of Grids. You will learn about the use of CSS Grid, columns, rows, grid lines, nested grids, aligning and justifying items, creating a 12-column grid, mosaic layout, grid areas, and responsive grid examples.

How You’ll Learn

The course provides videos with hands-on learning and practice.

Fun Facts

• I also recommend looking into this playlist for another responsive layout made using Grids..
• He also explains flex here.

8. Videos on CSS Grid (Layout Land)

The course gives you an overview of CSS Grid and its capabilities, making it a great starting point for those new to CSS Grid. These tutorials teach you how to use different CSS Grid units for more flexible designs. It also explains how to use white space to enhance the layout design. It also explains how you could use CSS Grid to create visually appealing designs with overlapping elements.

What You’ll Learn

You will learn the basics of CSS Grid and then expand into using flex and grid together to create layouts. It will also teach you the user of gaps, and minmax to create responsive layouts.

How You’ll Learn

You will learn by following along with the video.

9. Creating a robust Grid system using subGrid (Kevin Powell)

SubGrid is a section in Grid layouts. The Box Model is all about boxes within boxes. SubGrids allow you to nest Grids within Grids.

What You’ll Learn

You will learn the functionality of subGrids by creating a simple responsive layout using Grids and subGrids.

How You’ll Learn

This would be accomplished by working with the video.

Fun Facts

• Once you have completed this video, it would help to look at some more videos of Kevin on subGrids such as: Easy and More Consistent Layouts with SubGrid and You can’t do this without subGrid
• He has also collaborated with Alex Trost on this video to explore subGrids
• You can also check this video to create a Mosaic Layout using CSS Grids and a Masonry Layout video here

10. ​​CSS Grid Tutorial: Responsive Design Examples (learnwebcode)

The course covers various techniques for centering elements within a Grid layout, as well as how to avoid the need for extra wrapper divs.

What You’ll Learn

The course also covers manual placement of elements within a Grid layout, and teaches how to create complex and flexible Grid layouts using Grid areas. Additionally, the course shows how to create responsive Grid layouts without the need for media queries or breakpoints, and explores creative ways to use CSS Grid to create unique and engaging designs.

How You’ll Learn

You will learn by following along with the video.

Additional info

• You can find the basics covered for flex and Grids here.

11. CSS Layout (Adam Argyle)

Both Grid and Flexbox are supposed to be used together depending on the layout requirements. Here is a video playlist showing how to use them both in projects.

What You’ll Learn

You will learn to use both Flex and Grid and create some layouts. The course includes several hands-on projects such as building a timer app, a responsive dashboard with statistics, a media scroller carousel, and a mini insta-friends list.

How You’ll Learn

You will learn by following the course along with the video on YouTube.

12. CSS Positioning Tutorial – Relative vs. Absolute vs. Fixed vs. Sticky | Crash Course (FollowAndrew)

CSS Positioning Tutorial by Andrew is one of the most comprehensive tutorials to understand positioning.

What You’ll Learn

Andrew’s positioning tutorial covers various CSS positioning types and their values, including relative, absolute, fixed, and sticky position. It also explores the concepts of HTML document flow and how the position types affect it, as well as the stacking order of elements using z-index. The course includes live code samples to help users understand and practice the concepts covered in the syllabus.

How You’ll Learn

You will learn by following the course along with the video on YouTube.

13. CSS Positioning Tutorials (Net Ninja)

This CSS Positioning Tutorial is a comprehensive playlist that covers the various types of CSS positioning.

What You’ll Learn

You will learn about normal document flow, floating elements, clearing floats, floating columns, text columns, relative position, absolute position, fixed position, and Z-index stacking order. The tutorial also covers the box model review and the introduction to CSS positioning. The final part of the tutorial covers clipping content. The course provides live code samples for a better understanding of the concepts discussed.

How You’ll Learn

You will learn by following the course along with the video on YouTube.

Fun Facts:

You can also follow along this video tutorial to understand positioning by creating a Mario web page.

14. Position Absolute and relative layouts (Kevin Powell)

Once you have completed the above tutorials and want to simply understand the use of absolute positioning and relative positioning, I’d recommend looking into this video by Kevin Powell. He explains absolute positioning and relative positioning by making a layout by creating a credit card (front and back) and making sure they would be responsive as well.

What You’ll Learn

You will deepen your understanding of absolute and relative positioning with this video with a practical example.

How You’ll Learn

You will learn by following the course along with the video on YouTube.

15. Bonus Material (Quick Cheats and other things)

After completing the following material, you might want to get a cheat-sheet for Flex and Grid and this could be found here:

• Flexbox Sheet
• GridbyExample
• Grid Sheet
• LearnCSSGrid (Jonathan Suh)
• Create a landing Page with Flexbox and Grid(egghead.io)
• Test Flexbox Rules
• Test Grid Rules

If you have more links that could help, please do not hesitate to mention them in the comments.

The post 14 Best Free CSS Layout Courses to Take in 2023 appeared first on The Report by Class Central.

The best way to choose an online course is to choose one that other people have taken and enjoyed.

Class Central has been maintaining a catalog of online courses since the advent of the modern online education movement in 2012. More than a decade later, our catalog has now grown to over 100,000 online courses.

To help learners decide which course to take, Class Central publishes different course rankings, including the Best Online Courses of All Time, which is based on the tens of thousands of reviews written by Class Central users.

In some cases, the highest-rated online courses are also the courses with largest enrollments. In other cases, courses with big enrollments may have few or average reviews. This suggests that there are popular courses that Class Central’s reviews alone may miss.

So in this article, we’ve compiled the 250 most popular online courses of all time.

More Free Courses

If you don’t find what you need below, browse Class Central’s catalog of 100K courses or visit our thematic collections:

• 1700 Coursera Courses That Are Still Completely Free
• 1000+ Free Digital Marketing Certificates
• 800+ Open University Free Certificates
• 100+ FutureLearn Courses That Still Offer Free Certificates
• Harvard CS50 Guide: How to Pick the Right Course (with Free Certificate)

You can find all our free certificates articles here.

Most Popular Online Courses of All Time

Here are some stats about the course list:

• Combined, these courses have received 85K reviews on Class Central.
• Together, they account for over 117M enrollments (468K on average).
• Enrollments range from 186K to 4.5M. 19 courses have over 1M enrollments.
• All but one of the 250 courses are free or free-to-audit.
• 90% of the courses are in English, and most others are in Spanish.
• Combined, they represent over 3600 hours of learning content.
• This ranking focuses on Coursera, edX, and FutureLearn.

Without further ado, here are the 250 most popular online courses of all time.

• CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science from Harvard University ★★★★★(147)
• The Science of Well-Being from Yale University ★★★★★(29)
• Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★★(23109)
• Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) from University of Michigan ★★★★★(39351)
• English for Career Development from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★★(24)
• Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere from Google ★★★★★(4)
• Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python from Massachusetts Institute of Technology ★★★★☆(129)
• IELTS Academic Test Preparation from University of Queensland ★★★★★(5)
• Financial Markets from Yale University ★★★★☆(36)
• TOEFL® Test Preparation: The Insider’s Guide from ETS ★★★★★(6)
• COVID-19 Contact Tracing from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★★(16)
• Technical Support Fundamentals from Google ★★★☆☆(11)
• Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills from University of Michigan ★★★★★(217)
• First Step Korean from Yonsei University ★★★★★(122)
• Chinese for Beginners from Peking University ★★★★☆(59)
• Neural Networks and Deep Learning from DeepLearning.AI ★★★★★(15)
• Foundations of Project Management from Google
• Algorithms, Part I from Princeton University ★★★★★(59)
• Introduction to Psychology from Yale University ★★★★★(16)
• HTML, CSS, and Javascript for Web Developers from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★★(22)
• AI For Everyone from DeepLearning.AI ★★★★★(6)
• Analyzing and Visualizing Data with Excel from Microsoft ★★★★☆(13)
• Write Professional Emails in English from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★☆(5)
• Basic English 1: Elementary from King’s College London ★★★★☆(8)
• Foundations of User Experience (UX) Design from Google
• Introduction to Linux from Linux Foundation ★★★★☆(37)
• Stanford Introduction to Food and Health from Stanford University ★★★★☆(46)
• Data Science: R Basics from Harvard University ★★★★★(11)
• Exploring English: Language and Culture from British Council ★★★★★(840)
• Excel Skills for Business: Essentials from Macquarie University ★★★★☆(7)
• Crash Course on Python from Google ★★★★★(2)
• Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies from Harvard University ★★★★★(10)
• English Grammar and Style from University of Queensland ★★★★☆(34)
• What is Data Science? from IBM ★★★★☆(4)
• Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies from Princeton University ★★★★☆(22)
• Introduction to Data Science in Python from University of Michigan ★★☆☆☆(46)
• The Data Scientist’s Toolbox from Johns Hopkins University ★★★☆☆(166)
• Grammar and Punctuation from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(33)
• Fundamentals of Graphic Design from California Institute of the Arts ★★★★☆(22)
• Google Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure from Google ★★★★☆(8)
• Introduction to Data Analysis using Excel from Microsoft ★★★★☆(7)
• Introduction to Philosophy from University of Edinburgh ★★★★☆(75)
• Python Basics for Data Science from IBM ★★☆☆☆(3)
• Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking from Harvard University ★★★★★(5)
• Social Psychology from Wesleyan University ★★★★★(87)
• The Science of Happiness from University of California, Berkeley ★★★★★(35)
• Basic Spanish 1: Getting Started from Universitat Politècnica de València ★★★★☆(399)
• Marketing in a Digital World from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ★★★★★(467)
• Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) from University of Michigan ★★★★★(1)
• Justice from Harvard University ★★★★★(55)
• Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML and CSS from Duke University ★★★☆☆(13)
• Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract from Harvard University ★★★★★(13)
• Fundamentals of Neuroscience, Part 1: The Electrical Properties of the Neuron from Harvard University ★★★★★(20)
• Indigenous Canada from University of Alberta ★★★★☆(9)
• The Architectural Imagination from Harvard University ★★★★☆(12)
• Introduction to HTML5 from University of Michigan ★★★★☆(51)
• Finanzas personales from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
• SQL for Data Science from University of California, Davis ★★★★☆(5)
• Introduction to Negotiation: A Strategic Playbook for Becoming a Principled and Persuasive Negotiator from Yale University ★★★★★(13)
• Primeros Auxilios Psicológicos (PAP) from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Autonomous University of Barcelona) ★★★★★(1)
• Psychological First Aid from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★☆(49)
• Child Nutrition and Cooking from Stanford University ★★★★☆(32)
• Introduction to Project Management from University of Adelaide ★★★★☆(6)
• Algorithmic Toolbox from University of California, San Diego ★★★★☆(23)
• Contabilidad para no contadores from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
• Étudier en France: French Intermediate course B1-B2 from École Polytechnique ★★★★★(4)
• A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment from Indian School of Business ★★★★★(508)
• Introduction to Programming with MATLAB from Vanderbilt University ★★★★★(208)
• Work Smarter, Not Harder: Time Management for Personal & Professional Productivity from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(43)
• Game Theory from Stanford University ★★★★☆(35)
• Introduction to Psychology from University of Toronto ★★★★★(27)
• Introductory Human Physiology from Duke University ★★★★☆(29)
• Introduction to Mathematical Thinking from Stanford University ★★★★☆(53)
• English for Business and Entrepreneurship from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★★(7)
• Modern Art & Ideas from The Museum of Modern Art ★★★★★(5)
• Basic English 2: Pre-Intermediate from King’s College London ★★★★★(7)
• Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential from McMaster University ★★★★★(7383)
• Learn to Speak Korean 1 from Yonsei University ★★★★★(12)
• Cryptography I from Stanford University ★★★★★(53)
• Statistics and R from Harvard University ★★★★☆(20)
• Excel: Fundamentos y herramientas from Universitat Politècnica de València ★★★★★(569)
• Initiating and Planning Projects from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(19)
• The Strategy of Content Marketing from University of California, Davis ★★★★☆(8)
• Writing in the Sciences from Stanford University ★★★★★(14)
• HTML5 and CSS Fundamentals from World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) ★★★★☆(6)
• Design Thinking for Innovation from University of Virginia ★★★★★(5)
• Academic and Business Writing from University of California, Berkeley ★★★★☆(17)
• Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance from Monash University ★★★★★(211)
• Start Writing Fiction from The Open University ★★★★☆(21)
• English Composition I from Duke University ★★★☆☆(19)
• How to Write an Essay from University of California, Berkeley ★★★★☆(28)
• Introduction to User Experience Design from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★☆☆(3)
• Machine Learning Foundations: A Case Study Approach from University of Washington ★★★★☆(40)
• A Beginner’s Guide to Writing in English for University Study from University of Reading ★★★★☆(23)
• Competitive Strategy from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München ★★★★★(22)
• Learn to Program: The Fundamentals from University of Toronto ★★★★★(109)
• Introduction to Java Programming: Starting to code in Java from Universidad Carlos iii de Madrid ★★★★☆(8)
• Foundations of Digital Marketing and E-commerce from Google
• Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand and Behaviour from University of London International Programmes ★★★★★(2)
• Python Basics from University of Michigan ★★★★☆(1)
• Mechanical Ventilation for COVID-19 from Harvard University ★★★★★(25)
• Teaching English Online from Cambridge English Language Assessment ★★★★★(3)
• Data Science Math Skills from Duke University ★★★★☆(12)
• Conversational English Skills | 生活英语听说 from Tsinghua University ★★★★☆(12)
• Principles of Biochemistry from Harvard University ★★★★★(12)
• Gestión de proyectos de desarrollo from Inter-American Development Bank ★★★★☆(2)
• Aprendiendo a aprender: Poderosas herramientas mentales con las que podrás dominar temas difíciles (Learning How to Learn) from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★★(8)
• Introduction to Marketing from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★☆(73)
• The Science of Everyday Thinking from University of Queensland ★★★★★(47)
• Introduction to Cyber Security from The Open University ★★★★☆(22)
• Build Your First Android App (Project-Centered Course) from École Centrale Paris ★★★★☆(4)
• Mastering Data Analysis in Excel from Duke University ★★☆☆☆(26)
• Code Yourself! An Introduction to Programming from University of Edinburgh ★★★★☆(12)
• Introduction to C++ from Microsoft ★★★★☆(7)
• Using Python for Research from Harvard University ★★★★☆(12)
• Leaders of Learning from Harvard University ★★★★☆(19)
• Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★★(51)
• Introduction to TensorFlow for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning from DeepLearning.AI ★★★★★(1)
• Mathematics for Machine Learning: Linear Algebra from Imperial College London ★★★☆☆(8)
• Python for Data Science from University of California, San Diego ★★★★☆(47)
• Italian Language and Culture: Beginner (2023-2024) from Wellesley College ★★★★☆(3)
• Science of Exercise from University of Colorado Boulder ★★★★★(6)
• Marketing Analytics from University of Virginia ★★★★☆(12)
• Fundamentals of Music Theory from University of Edinburgh ★★★★☆(24)
• Introduction to Cybersecurity Tools & Cyber Attacks from IBM ★★★☆☆(2)
• Medical Neuroscience from Duke University ★★★★★(51)
• Understanding IELTS: Writing from British Council ★★★★★(481)
• Introduction to Big Data from University of California, San Diego ★★★☆☆(35)
• Introduction to the Internet of Things and Embedded Systems from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(12)
• Introduction to Social Media Marketing from Facebook
• Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments from Duke University ★★★★☆(11)
• Fundamentos de Excel para Negocios from Universidad Austral ★★★★★(1)
• Introduction to Java Programming – Part 1 from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ★★★☆☆(6)
• Guitar for Beginners from Berklee College of Music ★★★★★(22)
• Camino a la Excelencia en Gestión de Proyectos from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
• How to Succeed at: Interviews from The University of Sheffield ★★★★★(452)
• Positive Psychology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ★★★★☆(28)
• Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management from University of Virginia ★★★★☆(29)
• Introduction to Data Analytics from IBM
• Google Cloud Big Data and Machine Learning Fundamentals from Google Cloud ★★★☆☆(4)
• Probability – The Science of Uncertainty and Data from Massachusetts Institute of Technology ★★★★★(34)
• Understanding Research Methods from University of London International Programmes ★★★★☆(15)
• Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life from The University of Chicago ★★★★★(28)
• Introduction to Dutch from University of Groningen ★★★★★(288)
• Supply Chain Fundamentals from Massachusetts Institute of Technology ★★★★★(14)
• Algorithms, Part II from Princeton University ★★★★★(21)
• Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★☆(28)
• Exploring English: Shakespeare from British Council ★★★★★(505)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) from Columbia University ★★★★☆(12)
• Introduction to Personal Branding from University of Virginia ★★★★☆(15)
• Creative Thinking: Techniques and Tools for Success from Imperial College London ★★★★★(14)
• How to Succeed at: Writing Applications from The University of Sheffield ★★★★★(428)
• Digital Skills: Digital Marketing from Accenture ★★★★☆(7)
• Introduction to Public Speaking from University of Washington ★★★★☆(14)
• Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice from Harvard University ★★★★★(5)
• Inglés básico: conversacional y networking from Universidad Anáhuac ★★★★★(65)
• Basic Statistics from University of Amsterdam ★★★★☆(12)
• An Introduction to Screenwriting from University of East Anglia ★★★★★(5)
• Aprender from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★★★★(106)
• A Hands-on Introduction to Engineering Simulations from Cornell University ★★★★★(2)
• Introduction to Probability and Data with R from Duke University ★★★★☆(6)
• Introduction to Google SEO from University of California, Davis ★★★★☆(5)
• Customer Analytics from University of Pennsylvania ★★★☆☆(17)
• Introduction to Statistics from Stanford University ★★★★★(2)
• Álgebra básica from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
• Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot from Wesleyan University ★★★★☆(17)
• Programming Basics from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay ★★★☆☆(18)
• Introducción a la programación en Python I: Aprendiendo a programar con Python from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile ★★★★★(2)
• Computer Science: Programming with a Purpose from Princeton University ★★★★★(1)
• Supervised Machine Learning: Regression and Classification from DeepLearning.AI
• Cameras, Exposure, and Photography from Michigan State University ★★★★☆(6)
• Robótica from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★☆☆☆(2)
• How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics from University of Virginia ★★★★★(28)
• Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel from Rice University ★★★☆☆(2)
• Learn to Program in Java from Microsoft ★★★★★(5)
• C for Everyone: Programming Fundamentals from University of California, Santa Cruz ★★★★☆(5)
• Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health from The University of Sydney ★★★★★(21)
• Tricky American English Pronunciation from University of California, Irvine ★★★★☆(15)
• Querying Data with Transact-SQL from Microsoft ★★★★☆(4)
• English in Early Childhood: Language Learning and Development from British Council ★★★★★(1421)
• Creative Problem Solving from University of Minnesota ★★★☆☆(19)
• Food as Medicine from Monash University ★★★★★(119)
• Cómo hacer una tesis from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★★★☆(1)
• Computing in Python I: Fundamentals and Procedural Programming from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★★(229)
• Management of Fashion and Luxury Companies from Università Bocconi ★★★★★(5)
• Agile with Atlassian Jira from Atlassian
• Becoming a Successful Leader (Inclusive Leadership Training)
• Introduction to Engineering Mechanics from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★★(170)
• How to Learn Online
• Nutrition and Health: Macronutrients and Overnutrition from Wageningen University ★★★★★(313)
• Gestión Empresarial Exitosa para Pymes from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
• Introduction to Classical Music from Yale University ★★★★★(25)
• Lesson | Small Talk & Conversational Vocabulary from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★★(1)
• Greek and Roman Mythology from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★★(21)
• Introduction to Marketing from The University of British Columbia ★★★★★(6)
• Nutrición y obesidad: control de sobrepeso from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★★★★(1)
• Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analytics from Columbia University ★★☆☆☆(19)
• Introduction to Web Development from University of California, Davis ★★★★☆(3)
• Introdução à Ciência da Computação com Python Parte 1 from Universidade de São Paulo ★★★★★(1)
• Supply Chain Logistics from Rutgers University ★★★★★(7)
• Blockchain Basics from University at Buffalo ★★☆☆☆(1)
• Everyday Excel, Part 1 from University of Colorado Boulder
• Competencias digitales. Herramientas de ofimática (Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point) from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Autonomous University of Barcelona) ★★★★★(3)
• Divide and Conquer, Sorting and Searching, and Randomized Algorithms from Stanford University ★★★★★(68)
• Computer Architecture from Princeton University ★★★★☆(6)
• English for Journalism from University of Pennsylvania ★★★★☆(15)
• De-Mystifying Mindfulness from Leiden University ★★★★★(95)
• Marketing Digital from Universidade de São Paulo
• Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space from University of Arizona ★★★★★(23)
• Buddhism Through Its Scriptures from Harvard University ★★★★☆(6)
• How to Write a Resume (Project-Centered Course) from State University of New York ★★★★☆(14)
• Preparing to Manage Human Resources from University of Minnesota ★★★★★(142)
• Introducción a Data Science: Programación Estadística con R from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★★★☆(2)
• Functional Programming Principles in Scala from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne ★★★★★(66)
• Human Anatomy: Musculoskeletal Cases from Harvard University ★★★★★(8)
• Private Equity and Venture Capital from Università Bocconi ★★★★☆(6)
• An Introduction to Interactive Programming in Python (Part 1) from Rice University ★★★★★(3345)
• Java for Android from Vanderbilt University ★☆☆☆☆(1)
• Introduction to Biology – The Secret of Life from Massachusetts Institute of Technology ★★★★★(131)
• Writing in English at University from Lund University
• Forensic Psychology: Witness Investigation from The Open University ★★★★★(18)
• Spanish Vocabulary: Meeting People from University of California, Davis ★★★☆☆(1)
• Cybersecurity Fundamentals from Rochester Institute of Technology ★★★★★(25)
• Introduction to Electronics from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★☆(6)
• Visual Elements of User Interface Design from California Institute of the Arts ★★★★★(1)
• Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies from University of California, Berkeley ★★★★☆(1)
• Dog Emotion and Cognition from Duke University ★★★★☆(19)
• Data Visualization with Python from IBM
• Getting Started with AWS Machine Learning from Amazon Web Services ★★★★☆(14)
• Introduction to Logic from Stanford University ★★★☆☆(20)
• Inspiring and Motivating Individuals from University of Michigan ★★★★★(8)
• Moral Foundations of Politics from Yale University ★★★★☆(15)
• Aprendendo a aprender: ferramentas mentais poderosas para ajudá-lo a dominar assuntos difíceis (em Português) [Learning How to Learn] from Deep Teaching Solutions ★★★★☆(5)
• Finding Purpose and Meaning In Life: Living for What Matters Most from University of Michigan ★★★★★(4)
• English for Academic Study from Coventry University ★★★★★(2)
• Machine Learning with Python: from Linear Models to Deep Learning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology ★★★☆☆(25)
• Business English: Networking from University of Washington ★★★★☆(5)
• Ser más creativos from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ★★★★☆(2)
• A Crash Course in Data Science from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★☆(25)
• Fundamentals of Visualization with Tableau from University of California, Davis ★★★★☆(2)
• How To Create a Website in a Weekend! (Project-Centered Course) from State University of New York ★★★★☆(7)
• Model Thinking from University of Michigan ★★★★★(66)
• Cómo hablar bien en público from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Autonomous University of Barcelona)
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills at Work from University of Leeds ★★★★★(12)
• Programming Fundamentals from Duke University
• Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing from Yale University ★★★★★(3)
• Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science (chemistry) from Harvard University ★★★★★(14)
• Introduction to Calculus from The University of Sydney ★★★★★(5)
• The Modern World, Part One: Global History from 1760 to 1910 from University of Virginia ★★★★★(25)
• Introduction to the Biology of Cancer from Johns Hopkins University ★★★★☆(9)

In addition, every year, Class Central publishes the 100 most popular courses of the year. In these rankings, we only look at courses launched in a specific year. Here are the latest editions:

• The 100 Most Popular Free Online Courses (2023 Edition)
• The 100 Most Popular Free Online Courses (2022 Edition)
• The 100 Most Popular Free Online Courses (2021 Edition)

The post [2023] The 250 Most Popular Online Courses of All Time appeared first on The Report by Class Central.