Best online Python courses (December 2020)

So, you want to start coding? There’s never been a better time, and there’s never been a better language (arguably) than Python!

Whether you’re new to the coding game or a career programmer looking for Python certification, the internet has your back. Gone are the days when expertise required an expensive degree and four years of your life. Now you can dive in and start coding today for less than the cost of a video game.

Learn more: What is Python and how do you get started?

So what makes a good Python Course? Read on to find the best match for your budget and skill level!

Editor’s note: We will update this list periodically as new courses are studied or made available. Some of these are available elsewhere online, but if you snag them from the Android Authority store, you’ll save money and help support our writers!

Coding with Python: Training for Aspiring Developers

Highlights

• Coding with Python: Training for Aspiring Developers is a bundle of interrelated courses that lets you move through content at your own pace.
• Instructor Rob Percival is a renowned online teacher in a variety of programming languages, including Android app development.

The tricky thing about online courses, is that they’re not one-size-fits-all. You might fork over hard-earned cash only to discover that the course is either too advanced or too remedial for you.

That’s why we tend to lean toward course bundles that let you enroll in multiple courses for a significantly reduced price. The Coding with Python: Training for Aspiring Developers bundle is a perfect fit if you’re a complete coding scrub looking to cut their teeth on Python.

As an added benefit, these courses include instruction by Rob Percival, the founder of Codestars and a highly regarded name in the online learning community.

These courses start with the very basics of coding and walk you through using services like GitHub and APIs. By the end, you’ll be designing simple programs with real-world applications from scratch.

Python for Everybody

Highlights

• Python for Everybody is offered by the University of Michigan, so you’ll be getting college-level education from college-level instructors.
• 4.8 star rating from nearly 200,000 students means you’re guaranteed a quality experience.

Another excellent offering for beginners. Python for Everybody is a University of Michigan offering from Coursera. It’s essentially a freshman-level college course that is completely accessible online.

Since this is formal academic training, it’s expected that you at least have a passing familiarity with basic concepts and math. The suggested pace is eight hours per week stretched over a four-month period, but you can work at whatever pace is comfortable for you.

This course comes with free enrollment for the first seven days. If you decide it’s not right for you, just don’t forget to unenroll before the monthly charges begin!

The Python Data Science Bundle

Highlights

• The Complete Python Data Science Bundle combines 12 courses into a single reduced price.
• Accelerated pace makes it an excellent fit for those already familiar with the basics of programming concepts. A good choice for general “tech guys.”
• Machine Learning focus 

Here we begin to get a little more specialized. One of the reasons that Python skills are in such high demand is that the language is extremely adept at managing and interpreting large amounts of data. It’s no wonder that Data Scientists are in such high demand (and are able to command such high salaries).

The Complete Python Data Science Bundle is an excellent introduction to Python for users who have at least a rudimentary understanding of programming. Although you’ll be walked through the very basics of Python, it’s clear that the course creators had a tech-savvy audience in mind as they were designing it.

This bundle includes 12 courses that are combined for less than the price of one, and it includes such popular courses as An Easy Introduction to Python and An Easy Introduction to AI and Deep Learning.

If your end-goal is machine learning or big data, then this course is your ideal first step.

2020 Python Programming Certification Bundle

Highlights

• Best bang-for-your-buck option.
• Certification training for people interested in using their new Python skills to upgrade their career.

Organizing a “best” list for online courses is difficult, because there’s always the question “best for whom?” It makes sense to put courses that cater to beginners at the beginning, but what about the all-around best bang for your buck option?

Well, that’s where we’ve arrived with the Complete 2020 Python Programming Certification Bundle. This 12-in-1 combo walks you through all the basics of Python, through data visualization, and then – as icing on the cake – prepares you for professional Python certification.

This set of courses is likely your best option all around if you want comprehensive Python skills that you want to be able to use in a professional setting. Although it does cover the basics, it doesn’t belabor them, so it might be best-suited for those who at least tinkered around with the TI-83’s programming language rather than someone who doesn’t know an IF-THEN statement from a hole in the ground.

Python Programmer & Data Certification Bundle

Highlights

• A relatively new offering that is still gaining a reputation, so prices are currently reduced.
• Big Data focus with certification training.

Much like the previous offering, the Ultimate Python Programmer & Data Certification Bundle is a high-value, low-cost bundle that includes professional certification training. The only reason this one ranks a little bit lower is that it’s newer, so there’s not as much feedback on the course instructors.

However, this is something of a rising star in recent weeks, and we felt we’d be remiss not to include it.

The Ultimate Python Programmer & Data Certification Bundle also starts with the very basics of Python, but it is designed with Big Data in the back of the instructor’s mind. If you’re specifically looking into working with Neural Networks and Deep Learning and you want the end-to-end experience – from noob to certified expert – then this definitely merits investigation.