16 Best+FREE Data Engineering Courses Online & Certifications- [Bestseller- 2024]

Are you looking for the Best Data Engineering Courses Online or Certifications? If yes, then you are in the right place. In this article, you will find the 16 Best Data Engineering Courses Online(including Free courses) and Data Engineering Certifications. So, give your few minutes to this article and find out the Best Data Engineering Courses Online.

Courses List-

Before we dive into the courses, let’s understand who is a Data Engineer.

A Data Engineer is a person who collects, moves, stores, and pre-processes the data for Data Scientists and Data Analysts. More and more jobs in data engineering are popping up because companies need people who can handle and understand the growing amount of data. Being good at programming languages, knowing about cloud platforms, and connecting with machine learning are important skills.

So, it is clear that Data Engineer is a profitable, secure, and most demanding career. Before moving to the courses, let me tell you, by what criteria these courses are “Best Data Engineering Courses Online ”-

Criteria-

1. Rating of these Courses.
2. Coverage of Topics.
3. Engaging trainer and Interesting lectures.
4. Number of Students Benefitted.
5. Good Reviews from various aggregators and forums.

Now, without further ado, let’s start finding Best Data Engineering Courses Online and Certifications.

Best Data Engineering Courses Online and Certifications

1. Become a Data Engineer– Udacity

Rating-	4.5/5
Provider-	Udacity
Time to Complete-	5 Months
Pros-	• You will get a chance to work on real-world projects from industry experts. • You will get Project feedback from experienced reviewers. • You will also get Technical mentor support.
Cons-	• This Nanodegree Program is expensive compared to other courses. • You will not get lifetime access to the course material.

This Become a Data Engineer Nanodegree is one of the best courses for data engineers. Throughout this Nanodegree Program, there are 4 courses and 6 projects. This Nanodegree focuses on hands-on practices.

You need to submit these projects after completing the course. And the contractor hired by Udacity reviews your projects. This is the unique feature of Udacity.

Due to its practical approach, you will learn various new things. Because when you implement it by yourself, your understanding becomes stronger.

In this Nanodegree Program, you will learn Data Modeling, Data Warehouses, Spark, Data Pipelines, and Data Lakes.

Courses list-

• Data Modeling
• Cloud Data Warehouses
• Spark and Data Lakes
• Automate Data Pipelines
• Capstone Project

Best For-

• Those who have Intermediate level knowledge of Python & SQL.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check it out here- Become a Data Engineer

2. Data Engineering, Big Data, and Machine Learning on GCP Specialization– Coursera

Rating-	4.6/5
Provider-	Google Cloud
Time to Complete-	3 months (5 hours/week)
Pros-	• You will get a Shareable Certificate and Course Certificates upon completion. • This program is good for understanding Data Engineering fundamentals from scratch.
Cons-	• The Lab is not good and has issues with loading.

In this Data Engineering, Big Data, and Machine Learning on GCP Specialization program, you will learn how to design and build data pipelines on the Google Cloud Platform. The instructors of this Nanodegree Program explain the topics in a super easy manner.

Throughout this Nanodegree Program, you will learn Machine Learning, Big data fundamentals, Data Lakes, Data Warehouses, Data Pipelines, etc.

This specialization program is a 5 Course Series. Let’s see the course details-

Courses list-

1. Google Cloud Platform Big Data and Machine Learning Fundamentals
2. Modernizing Data Lakes and Data Warehouses with GCP
3. Building Batch Data Pipelines on GCP
4. Building Resilient Streaming Analytics Systems on GCP
5. Smart Analytics, Machine Learning, and AI on GCP

Best For-

• Those who have one or more years of experience in Data modeling, Python Programming, Statistics, and Machine Learning.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here-Data Engineering, Big Data, and Machine Learning on GCP Specialization

3. Become a Data Engineer– Coursera

Pros-	• You will receive Course Certificates after completing the courses. • You can talk with your peers in the forums and share ideas and doubts. • You will work on Hands-on projects. You can these projects to your portfolio. • You can access these courses on any device and anytime.
Cons-	• This career path is a collection of different specialization programs that’s why you might feel bored.

This “Become a Data Engineer” is not a single course or program. This is a complete roadmap to learning Data Engineering. If you are looking for guidance and a complete step-by-step path to begin your data engineer journey, then this step-by-step guide is one of the best career paths available online.

This career path is best for beginners, intermediate, and advanced data engineers. You can start learning based on your experience level.

You just need to follow a step-by-step plan based on the relevant recommendations provided to you. This career path is combined with courses as well as hands-on projects to enhance your skills.

Best For-

• This is best for beginners, intermediate, and advanced learners.

Interested to Begin?

If yes, then check out all details here- Become a Data Engineer

4. Data Engineer with Python– Datacamp

Time to Complete-	95 hours
Pros-	• You will learn from experienced instructors who work in Top Companies. • DataCamp has an inbuilt console, where you can code and practice. This is the best thing.
Cons-	• Less content in Free Plan • No Accredited Certificate • Datacamp offers only the first chapter of each course for free.

This Data Engineer with Python is a career track offered by Datacamp. Career Track is a combination of different courses. The career track begins with the Data Engineering fundamentals, and then you will learn Python Programming, Shell, PySpark, Relation Databases in SQL, Scala, Data Cleaning using PySpark, etc.

In this career track, there are 19 courses and after completing all courses, you will have a good understanding of Data Engineering concepts. DataCamp is one of the popular platforms for learning Data Science.

Best for-

• Those who have some previous fundamental knowledge of Python and SQL.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out the course details here- Data Engineer with Python

5. Big Data Specialization– Coursera

Rating-	4.5/5
Provider-	University of California San Diego
Time to Complete-	8 months ( 3 hours/week)
Pros-	• You will get a Shareable Certificate and Course Certificates upon completion. • The instructor explains Big Data in a step-by-step manner, that’s why learning becomes easier for students.
Cons-	• Less Hands-on practices. • More theoretical than practical.

This Big Data Specialization is another Specialization Program offered by Coursera. In this program, there are 6 courses. As the name sound, this specialization program teaches Big Data fundamentals.

Throughout this program, you will learn Big Data tools such as Hadoop with MapReduce, Spark, Pig, and Hive. At the end of this program, there is one Capstone project where you have to build a big data ecosystem by using these tools.

This specialization course is a 6 Course Series.

Courses list-

1. Introduction to Big Data
2. Big Data Modeling and Management Systems
3. Big Data Integration and Processing
4. Machine Learning With Big Data
5. Graph Analytics for Big Data
6. Big Data – Capstone Project

NOTE- You can also enroll for any single course within these 6 courses. And after completing the course and hands-on project, you will get a certificate. But completing the full program is beneficial for you.

Best For-

• Anyone who is new to data science. No prior programming knowledge is required.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Big Data Specialization

6. Data Engineering with Google Cloud Professional Certificate– Coursera

Rating-	4.6/5
Provider-	Google Cloud
Time to Complete-	4 months (4 hours/week)
Pros-	• You will get a Shareable Certificate and Course Certificates upon completion. • The content of this program is well-structured. • This is the perfect balance between theory and practical exercises.
Cons-	• There are no subtitles in the quiz section which is difficult for students who don’t know the Japanese language.

This Data Engineering with Google Cloud Professional Certificate is a Professional Certificate program, where you will learn Data Engineering with GCP (Google Cloud Platform).

You will learn about Google Cloud Platform infrastructure and services in this program. There are various presentations, demos, and labs in this program. Along with that, you will work on real-world projects on Qwiklabs.

This specialization program is a 6-course series. Let’s see the course list-

Courses List-

1. Google Cloud Platform Big Data and Machine Learning Fundamentals
2. Modernizing Data Lakes and Data Warehouses with GCP
3. Building Batch Data Pipelines on GCP
4. Building Resilient Streaming Analytics Systems on GCP
5. Smart Analytics, Machine Learning, and AI on GCP
6. Preparing for the Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Exam

Best For-

• Those who have basic knowledge of SQL, and Python, and know data modeling, extraction, transformation, and load activities.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Data Engineering with Google Cloud Professional Certificate

7. Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence Specialization– Coursera

Rating-	4.5/5
Provider-	University of Colorado System
Time to Complete-	7 months (5 hours/week)
Pros-	• You will get a Shareable Certificate and Course Certificates upon completion. • Throughout this program, you will work on Practice Quizzes, Graded Assignments with Peer Feedback, etc. • This Program is good for learning Database and SQL concepts. • The third course is perfect for learning advanced SQL concepts.
Cons-	• The first course is very basic that’s why you might feel bored in the first course.

This Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence Specialization specialization is for Advanced level Data Engineers. In this program, you will learn the advanced concepts of Data Warehousing.

There are 5 courses in this program. In the first course, you will learn about Databases and SQL. After that, you will understand the concept of Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence.

After learning these concepts, you have to work on one Capstone project in the last course. In this project, you have to design a data warehouse for business intelligence.

These are the 5 courses-

Courses List-

1. Database Management Essentials
2. Data Warehouse Concepts, Design, and Data Integration
3. Relational Database Support for Data Warehouses
4. Business Intelligence Concepts, Tools, and Applications
5. Design and Build a Data Warehouse for Business Intelligence Implementation

Best For-

• Those who have some prior experience with software engineering and business intelligence.
• This specialization is especially for software engineering professionals seeking to enter the fields of data engineering, architecture, or big data analytics.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence Specialization

8. Modern Big Data Analysis with SQL Specialization– Coursera

Rating-	4.8/5
Provider-	Cloudera
Time to Complete-	4 months (3 hours/week)
Pros-	• You will get a Shareable Certificate and Course Certificates upon completion. • This is the best program for absolute beginners who want to learn RDBMS and Big Data. • All the courses cover relevant topics related to Big Data. • The quizzes help you to test your understanding.
Cons-	• The last course of this program requires more reading than video tutorials.

This Modern Big Data Analysis with SQL Specialization is another Specialization program to learn big data with modern distributed SQL engines. This program will cover the distributed query engines Hive, Impala, Presto, and Drill.

There are 3 courses in this program. The first course covers Relational Databases, SQL, and SQL tools for Big Data Analysis. The instructor of this course explains the concepts clearly with the help of various examples.

After that, you will learn about Cloud storage and how to manage datasets in cloud storage.

These are the 3 courses-

Courses list–

1. Foundations for Big Data Analysis with SQL
2. Analyzing Big Data with SQL
3. Managing Big Data in Clusters and Cloud Storage

Best For-

• Anyone willing to learn Big Data Concepts can enroll in this specialization program. No prior experience is required for enrolling in this program.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Modern Big Data Analysis with SQL Specialization

9. From Data to Insights with Google Cloud Platform Specialization– Coursera

Rating-	4.7/5
Provider-	Google Cloud
Time to Complete-	2 Months (5 hours/week)
Pros-	• You will get a Shareable Certificate and Course Certificates upon completion. • The instructor’s teaching pace is perfect for understanding the concepts. • This course is best for understanding BigQuery.
Cons-	• In course 2, there are some issues with Lab.

In From Data to Insights with Google Cloud Platform Specialization, there are 4 courses in this specialization program. In the first course, you will learn the big data tools on Google Cloud. This course also covers BigQuery concepts.

The next two courses focus on BIgQuery advanced concepts such as Advanced Functions and Clauses, Schema Design and Nested Data Structures, etc.

In the last course, you will learn Machine Learning fundamentals and learn how to ​create Machine learning Datasets in BigQuery.

These are the 4 courses-

Courses list–

1. Exploring ​and ​Preparing ​your ​Data with BigQuery.
2. Creating New BigQuery Datasets and Visualizing Insights
3. Achieving Advanced Insights with BigQuery
4. Applying Machine Learning to Your Data with GCP

Best For-

• Those who have some proficiency with ANSI SQL.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- From Data to Insights with Google Cloud Platform Specialization

10. Data Engineer Certification– DataCamp

Rating-	4.8/5
Provider-	DataCamp
Time to Complete-	NA
Pros-	• The certification is widely known in tech, making you stand out to employers. • It shows you’ve mastered important skills in data, SQL, and Python. • The practical test reflects what you’d do in a real data job, proving your abilities.
Cons-	• It mainly covers entry-level skills, and more advanced roles might need extra certifications or languages.

In this certification program, you’re about to learn skills for an awesome job in data engineering through. In this course, you’ll get ready for the fastest-growing tech job, as spotted in the 2020 DICE Tech Job Report.

You’ll discover how to collect, organize, and make data useful for companies. This certification ensures you’re skilled in handling data using SQL and programming with Python—super important for success in this tech field.

You’ll prove your skills through two timed exams covering data management, using SQL, and Python programming. There’s also a practical test mimicking real job situations, like in interviews.

This certification covers essential areas such as exploring data, managing data, using SQL, using Python for data, and programming for data engineering. It’s a recognition of your expertise in the industry.

Finishing this certification not only shows you’re good at the job but also makes you stand out to employers. They’ll see you’re all set for a great career in data engineering.

Best For-

• Those who have previous knowledge in data management using SQL and data management using Python.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Data Engineer Certification

11. Introduction to Data Engineering– DataCamp

Rating-	4.4/5
Provider-	DataCamp
Time to Complete-	4 Hours
Pros-	• This course is great for beginners, giving a simple introduction to data engineering. • You get to do practical activities and real tasks, making it easier to learn data engineering skills. • It’s part of a bigger learning plan, showing you the way to keep learning and become a pro data engineer.
Cons-	• The course is short (four hours), so it might not cover everything in detail. You might want more time to learn some things better.

In this four-hour course, you will learn the key things you need to understand for the job.

You will discover what makes a data engineer different from a data scientist and explore cloud and parallel computing in simple terms. By the middle of the course, you will grasp using SQL and NoSQL, DataFrames, and why parallel computing is important.

You will dive into hands-on activities to understand the core process, ETL (Extract, Transform, Load), where data gets ready for analysis. Toward the end, you will apply your new knowledge to a real-world task.

Interactive tests and exercises will help you practice and solidify your learning. Upon completion, you will receive a Statement of Accomplishment to showcase what you’ve achieved.

Best For-

• Those who have previous Python and SQL Knowledge.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Introduction to Data Engineering

12. Understanding Data Engineering– DataCamp

Rating-	4.7/5
Provider-	DataCamp
Time to Complete-	2 Hours
Pros-	• You get to do practical activities to understand and get better at data engineering. • It shows how data engineering is useful for your company, not just in general.
Cons-	• Because it’s a starter course, it might not explain everything in a lot of detail. You might want more info on some things.

In this course, you’ll learn the basics of data engineering. You’ll find out what data engineers do and how they work with data scientists to make sure data moves smoothly in a company. Using hands-on activities with Spotflix, a pretend music streaming company, you’ll see how data engineers collect, clean, and organize data in real situations.

By the end, you’ll understand the usual tasks of data engineers and how they relate to your own company. This knowledge will help you have good talks with data engineers and give you a strong start if you want to begin your journey into data engineering.

Best For-

• Those who are a beginner.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Understanding Data Engineering

13. Building Data Engineering Pipelines in Python– DataCamp

Rating-	4.6/5
Provider-	DataCamp
Time to Complete-	4 Hours
Pros-	• You get to use Python to build real data pipelines, making learning practical and useful. • Covering data platforms, PySpark, code deployment, and Apache Airflow, the course gives you a good understanding of important data engineering tools and processes.
Cons-	• Because it’s a four-hour course, it might not explain some things in detail. You might want more time for a deeper understanding of certain topics.

In this 4-hour course, you’ll learn about data engineering, specifically how to create data pipelines using Python. In companies that depend on data, understanding the job of data engineers is important because they make sure data is easy to use, and they can even use fancy models.

The course makes things easier by showing you how to get tasks done efficiently and what makes good code. You’ll explore different data pipelines and tools that data engineers use to make models work and tasks run smoothly.

Chapters cover important things like setting up data and using PySpark for changing data. You’ll also learn how to put your code into action safely, test it in different ways, and schedule tasks using Apache Airflow.

By the end of the course, you’ll know how to build data pipelines in Python and manage tasks in a smart way using Apache Airflow, including making things run automatically for a smoother process.

Best For-

• Those who have previous knowledge of shell, data importing in Python, PySpark, etc.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Building Data Engineering Pipelines in Python

So these are the 13 best data engineering courses online. Let’s see some Best Free Data Engineering Courses in the next section.

Best Free Data Engineering Courses

14. Data Engineering Basics for Everyone– edX

Provider-	IBM
Time to Complete-	4 Weeks

This Data Engineering Basics for Everyone is the completely FREE Course available on edX provided by IBM. In this course, you will learn the basic concepts of Data Engineering, the lifecycle of Data Engineering, Various Data Wrangling tools, etc.

In the free course, you will not receive a certificate after completing this course and you will not have access to the assignment and exams. But the course content will be accessible to you.

These are the 4 modules in this course-

Course Syllabus-

1. Module 1: What is Data Engineering
2. Module 2: Data Engineering Ecosystem
3. Module 3: Data Engineering Lifecycle
4. Module 4: Career Opportunities and Learning Paths

Extra Benefits-

• You will get Course Certificates upon completion if you pay otherwise the course is free to audit.

Best For-

• Those who are beginners in data engineering and looking for introductory courses.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Data Engineering Basics for Everyone

15. Big Data and Hadoop Essentials– Udemy

Rating-	4.2/5
Time to Complete-	43min

This “Big Data and Hadoop Essentials” Free course is available on Udemy. In this course, you will learn the basics of Big Data. Along with that, you will learn Hadoop and Data Engineering basics.

This course is best for beginners who want to understand Big Data and Hadoop concepts from scratch. The instructor teaches the concepts by giving examples.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Big Data and Hadoop Essentials

16. Python for Data Engineering Project– edX

Time to Complete-	1 Week
Provider-	IBM

This Python for Data Engineering Project is another Free Data engineering course. This course uses Python for teaching Data Engineering concepts. This is not a theoretical course. This is a practical course for learning Python techniques to extract data from various sources.

Throughout this course, you will learn the complete process of Data Engineering using Python Programming Language, starting from data extraction to data loading.

Best For-

• Those who have Python programming knowledge.

Interested to Enroll?

If yes, then check out all details here- Python for Data Engineering Project

That’s all! These are the 16 Best Data Engineering Courses Online and Certifications. Now, let’s see the steps to learn Data Engineering–

Steps to Learn Data Engineering

• Step 1- Start with Programming Languages
• Step 2- Get In-Depth Knowledge of SQL and NoSQL
• Step 3- Learn Big Data Tools
• Step 4- Understand and Learn ETL Tools
• Step 5- Study Cloud Computing
• Step 6- Learn the basics of the Operating System
• Step 7- Get the basics of Machine Learning and Data Visualization Tools
• Step 8- Start Practicing with Real-World Projects
• Step 9- Take your First Step as Data Engineer

You can check this complete Data Engineering Roadmap.

Comparison of Best Data Engineering Courses Online

S/N	Course Name	Free/Paid	Rating	Time to Complete
1.	Data Engineering with Google Cloud Professional Certificate– Coursera	Paid	4.6/5	4 months (4 hours/week)
2.	Become a Data Engineer– Udacity	Paid	4.5/5	5 Months
3.	Become a Data Engineer– Coursera	Paid	4.5/5	4 months
4.	Data Engineer with Python– Datacamp	Paid	NA	95 hours
5.	Big Data Specialization– Coursera	Paid	4.5/5	8 months ( 3 hours/week)
6.	Data Engineering, Big Data, and Machine Learning on GCP Specialization– Coursera	Paid	4.6/5	3 months (5 hours/week)
7.	Data Warehousing for Business Intelligence Specialization– Coursera	Paid	4.5/5	7 months (5 hours/week)
8.	Modern Big Data Analysis with SQL Specialization– Coursera	Paid	4.8/5	4 months (3 hours/week)
9.	From Data to Insights with Google Cloud Platform Specialization– Coursera	Paid	4.7/5	2 months (5 hours/week)
10.	Data Engineer Certification– DataCamp	Paid	4.8/5	NA
11.	Introduction to Data Engineering– DataCamp	Paid	4.4/5	4 Hours
12.	Understanding Data Engineering– DataCamp	Paid	4.7/5	2 Hours
13.	Building Data Engineering Pipelines in Python– DataCamp	Paid	4.6/5	4 Hours
14.	Data Engineering Basics for Everyone– edX	Free	NA	4 Weeks
15.	Big Data and Hadoop Essentials– Udemy	Free	4.2/5	43 min
16.	Python for Data Engineering Project- edX	Free	NA	1 Week

Which is the Best Data Engineering Course of all of these Courses?

I would say Becoming a Data Engineer by Udacity is the best course for Data Engineering. Because this program teaches to work on industry-level problems. Their technical mentor support is helpful. Throughout the program, you will understand Data Modeling, Cloud Data Warehouse, Spark, Data lakes, etc.

But Become a Data Engineer by Udacity is not for beginners. This program requires a previous understanding of Python and SQL.

Which is the Best Data Engineering Course for Beginners and FREE?

I would say Data Engineering Basics for Everyone by edX is the best course for beginners. Because the course content is completely FREE and this course covers the fundamentals of Data Engineering. No prerequisites are there to enroll in this course. You will learn Data Engineering Ecosystem and Data Engineering Lifecycle.

And here the blog “Best Data Engineering Courses Online” ends.

Conclusion

I hope these Best Data Engineering Courses Online and Certifications will help you to start your Data Engineering Journey. I aim to provide you with the best resources for Learning. If you have any doubts or questions, feel free to ask me in the comment section.

Tell me in the comment section, which is the best data engineering course online for you.

All the Best!

Happy Learning!

FAQ

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