The 7 Best Online Python Courses of 2023

Best Introductory Course: Codecademy

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If you’re looking for a course to get started with Python, then Codecademy is your best bet. Although the newest version of their introductory Python course requires a subscription to Pro, the previous version is free to use. The course will take you through the basics of Python step by step, starting by teaching you the syntax and then moving through strings, conditionals, and functions.

If you decide to go with a Codecademy Pro subscription, then you’ll have an even larger selection of courses. Once you’ve finished the introductory course, you’ll be able to deepen your knowledge with courses on sorting algorithms, recursion, and complex data structures, and even try out challenges to test your skills, such as creating a Pokémon simulator, creating data visualizations based on roller coasters, or censoring sensitive parts of texts.

Best Short Course: Programming with Python: Hands-On Introduction for Beginners on Udemy

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This course is a great introduction to Python for anyone who doesn’t have much time on their hands. The total course length, until you get to the final project, is about three and a half hours, although if you follow every step (including the helpful guide to installing an IDE for those who have never done so before) it might take a bit longer. This makes it a great introduction for anyone who has never programmed before and wants to try Python. 

Once you’ve watched the main bulk of the course, you can try your hand at the final project (in which you sort a list of students based on their marks, with special additions for especially high scores), and if you get stuck at any point in the project, you can just watch parts of the teacher’s video on how to solve it. 

Runner-Up, Best Short Course: Introduction to Python Programming on Udemy

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Some people don’t want a full introduction to every little detail Python has to offer but instead just want a short run-through of the basics. This course is perfect for anyone like that.

This course gives you a run-down on strings, variables, and a greater look at data types. It also covers everything from file manipulations and functions to loops and conditions — it's easy, concise, and a one-stop-shop for the basic foundations of Python. This course is great for anyone who wants a glimpse at what this programming language can do.

Best Structure: Python for Everybody Specialization on Coursera

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This is probably the most extensive course on the list. The University of Michigan created this specialization, a series of five courses, to teach programming and data science in Python, and you can do it all at your own speed. You will have to sink time into this course, as it is suggested that you put three hours a week into it, and they say it takes approximately eight months to complete. However, if you want a thorough course that goes beyond just an introduction to Python, then this is exactly what you’re looking for. 

After the introductory course, you’ll go over data structures, accessing web data, accessing databases (including SQL basics), and a capstone project that puts all of this knowledge together.

Best University Level Course: Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python on edX

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Although a lot of courses focus purely on programming and what to do, this course, which was created by MIT to have an online course that is on par with their on-campus course, also tries to teach you how it works.

The exercises that come with each of the nine weeks of content are a lot more challenging, though they’re never intended to turn someone off from the course. If you’re ever stuck, you can discuss the problems with other students or even the professors on Discord and Facebook. 

Although the bulk of the course content is free, if you choose to buy a verified certificate for the course (for $75), you can even take the midterm and final exams as well.

Best Splurge: Pluralsight

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Pluralsight has a wide variety of courses and isn’t quite as focused on one specific area like DataCamp is, for example. Its Python Fundamentals course takes you through a whole series of important Python basics (and more) in just five hours, and follow-up courses Python—Beyond the Basics and Advanced Python are also fairly short, detailing a variety of more complex topics in Python. 

However, those are just some of the available teachers’ courses. In fact, there are five different Python skill paths to be found on Pluralsight, each of which offers several different courses, some of which are even interactive. These other courses cover a wide range of Python-related topics, from game development to machine learning and function programming.