17 free or affordable online courses to learn Python, taught by schools like MIT, Harvard, and the University of Michigan
If you buy through our links, we may earn money from affiliate partners. Learn more.
Codecademy; iStock; Gilbert Espinoza/Insider
- Python is a popular programming language used in everything from AI to data analysis.
- Below are 14 online courses and programs you can take to learn how to code in Python.
- The online classes are offered by schools like MIT and Harvard and companies like Google and IBM.
It's no secret that coding-related jobs are on the rise and that careers in data science and software development are among the ones with the highest average job satisfaction, according to Glassdoor.
For that reason, you may have heard of Python, one of the most popular programming languages in the world. Its uses range from data analysis to AI and machine learning, and its code is employed by companies like Google, Reddit, Wikipedia, Amazon, Instagram, Spotify, and more.
Luckily, there are many online resources to get started in learning about Python, from relatively short, free introductions to months-long intensive (yet comparatively affordable) certificate programs. Many are offered by prestigious universities like MIT, Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Michigan, or by top companies like Google or IBM, giving online students access to lessons and projects that can help them work towards a future career in Python development.
17 online courses and programs to learn Python:
DaniloAndjust/Getty Images
Length: 7 weeks (2-4 hours per week)
Cost: Free; $49 for a certificate
As the name suggests, this University of Michigan course is designed for anyone with a grasp of the simplest math skills and moderate computer experience. Students learn what a program is, how to use variables in programs, and how to create loops, so they can move on to more complex Python training.
10'000 Hours/Getty Images
Length: 30 hours
Cost: Free
Codecademy is one of our favorite e-learning platforms to learn coding skills, and its Python 3 course takes you through 11 lessons to learn the fundamentals, including loops, strings, dictionaries, and more. You can also take paid specialized Python courses through Codecademy, like building chatbots or using Python for financial analysis.
Artem Podrez/Pexels
Length: 11 weeks
Cost: Free; $147 for certificate
Run by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and supported by Google, this free three-part program walks students through the very basics of Python programming, from structuring data to debugging programs.
MediaNews Group / Reading Eagle via Getty Images
Length: 2 hours and 27 minutes
Cost: Free with 1-month trial; $19.99 or $29.99 per month after trial ends
The introductory course to LinkedIn Learning's Master Python for Data Science path, Learning Python offers quick, digestible video lessons to cover everything from installing Python all the way through parsing and processing HTML.
Djordje Petrovic/Pexels
Length: 5 months (9-10 hours per week)
Cost: $536.40; Individual courses can be audited for free
Led by Georgia Tech, this three-course edX program starts with the fundamentals of computing in Python and ends with learning about object-oriented programming, recursion, and search and sort algorithms.
SOPA Images / Getty Images
Length: 5 weeks (2-5 hours per week)
Cost: Free; $99 for a certificate
Part of IBM's Python Data Science professional certificate program, this introductory course teaches total programming and data science beginners how to write Python scripts and perform some basic data analysis.
Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels
Length: 17 weeks
Cost: Free with 7-day trial; $39 per month to keep learning after trial ends
Created by CloudSwyft and officially accredited by Microsoft, this certificate program teaches you the basics of machine learning and AI engineering, with a focus on using Python programming for data science and research.
KONTROLAB / Getty images
Length: 5 months (14-16 hours per week)
Cost: $135; Individual courses can be audited for free
One of MIT's free online offerings, this two-course program is designed for users who have zero experience in computer science or programming to leave with the ability to start writing programs using Python and some simple algorithms.
Leon Neal / Staff / Getty Images
Length: 12 weeks
Cost: Free; $169 for certificate
Intended for those with some knowledge of Python 3 basics, this Harvard course shows students how to apply Python to research projects, making it a great primer for anyone pursuing a career involving statistics.
Ute Grabowsky / Getty Images
Length: 6 months (6-14 hours per week)
Cost: $358.20; Individual courses can be audited for free
Harvard's two-course computer science program teaches new users how to start building their own web apps using Python as well as other coding languages like JavaScript and SQL. The program offers hands-on projects so students can start to get comfortable with computer programming relatively quickly.
Cliff Booth/Pexels
Length: 6 weeks (32 hours)
Cost: Free with 7-day trial; $49 per month to continue after trial ends
The first part of Google's professional certificate in IT Automation with Python, this crash course is perfect for those who know nothing about Python going in. Students go from a broad Python overview and its importance to writing Python scripts and creating short Python objects.
AWAD AWAD / Contributor / Getty Images
Length: 5 months (7 hours per week)
Cost: Free with 7-day trial; $49 per month to continue after trial ends
Ideal for students who've completed the University of Michigan's Python for Everybody or who have some knowledge of Python, this five-course program teaches the fundamentals of Python 3, from understanding APIs to using the Python imaging library.
Boston Globe / Contributor / Getty Images
Length: 6 months (4 hours per week)
Cost: Free with 7-day trial; $39 per month to continue after trial ends
IBM's four-course program walks students through a data science overview before diving into Python. By the end, students should have a firmer grasp of Python, SQL, open-source tools, relational databases, and statistical analysis.
Christina Morillo/Pexels
Length: 4 months (6 hours per week)
Cost: Free with 7-day trial; $39 per month to continue after trial ends
For those interested in the University of Pennsylvania's online Master of Computer Information Technology (MCIT) program, this course is a good way to sample some of the learning materials before applying. It starts off with Python basics and moves through object-oriented programming and data structures in Java.
picture alliance/Getty
Length: 3 months (4 hours per week)
Cost: Free with 7-day trial; $49 per month to continue after trial ends
If you're looking to learn Python for statistical analysis, the University of Michigan offers this three-course program to teach you the basics of Python as well as statistical modeling techniques like linear and logistic regression; linear models; multilevel models, and Bayesian inference techniques.
cottonbro/Pexels
Length: 22 hours
Cost: $20.99 (Note: Udemy often has big sales, so it can be worth it to check back in a few days).
This popular, up-to-date Udemy bootcamp covers Python 2 and 3, teaches you how to create GUIs in the Jupyter Notebook system, and even has you build fun games like Tic Tac Toe and Blackjack using Python.
Udemy
Length: 44 hours
Cost: $11.99 (Note: Udemy often has big sales, so it can be worth it to check back in a few days).
One of Udemy's best-selling courses, Machine Learning A-Z covers Python skills in the context of data preprocessing, classification, deep learning, and other important aspects of machine learning for students who wish to pursue a career in this subsection of data science.