Free Data Analytics Certification Courses

14 free certifications
6 providers

Verified 20 Oct 2026

Free data analytics certifications cover the working skills of an analyst: spreadsheets and pivot tables, SQL, descriptive statistics, data cleaning, visualisation and business intelligence tools, with some paths extending into Python and introductory machine learning. The issuers listed here are IBM, whose Cognitive Class courses in Python, SQL, visualisation and machine learning issue a certificate of completion; Harvard, whose CS50 courses in SQL, R and web programming issue a free certificate at a unique URL; freeCodeCamp, whose data analysis, machine learning and database certifications are published at a public address; Google and HubSpot, whose analytics and measurement certifications are earned by exam; and Alison, through one legacy Excel course with a free digital certificate. All are free to study and earn. The Harvard, freeCodeCamp, Google and HubSpot credentials can be checked from a link; the IBM and Alison certificates are documents you show. On this site, free certification means a free course with a free certificate, distinct from a free-to-audit course whose certificate is paid; university statistics and data courses on edX fall into that second group and are listed on the data science and mathematics subject pages.

It is also distinct from the subscription-based analytics certificate programmes on commercial platforms, which have a trial period but charge for the certificate; those are not listed here. Data analytics is a field where the free credentials line up well with what entry-level job adverts ask for, since employers look for tool skills and evidence of having analysed real data. The page suits office staff moving into analyst roles, graduates in non-quantitative subjects, small-business owners who want to understand their own numbers, and career changers who want a portfolio of assessed work before committing to a paid programme. When choosing, favour credentials that involve an assessment or a hands-on lab, cover a tool your target employers use, and leave you with a project you can show. The AI page covers the next step for many analysts, and the Excel and data science subject pages list the wider set of courses.

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Free Data Analytics Certification Courses
#	Course	Provider	Cost	Certificate	Level	Duration
1	CS50's Introduction to Computer Science CS50x is Harvard's entry-level course in computer science and programming, open to people with or without prior codin… Harvard · Beginner · 11 weeks	Harvard	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Beginner	11 weeks
2	CS50's Introduction to Databases with SQL CS50's Introduction to Databases with SQL teaches relational databases from the ground up. Harvard · Beginner · 7 weeks	Harvard	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Beginner	7 weeks
3	CS50's Introduction to Programming with R CS50's Introduction to Programming with R teaches programming through R, the language widely used for statistical com… Harvard · 7 weeks	Harvard	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	7 weeks
4	CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript continues from CS50x into building and deploying web applications. Harvard · Intermediate · 9 weeks	Harvard	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Intermediate	9 weeks
5	Data Analysis with Python Certification freeCodeCamp's data analysis certification teaches the open-source Python toolkit that has replaced expensive proprie… freeCodeCamp	freeCodeCamp	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	—
6	Data Science 101 Data Science 101, course code DS0101EN, is an orientation course rather than a technical one. IBM · Beginner · 11 hours	IBM	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Beginner	11 hours
7	Deep Learning Fundamentals Deep Learning Fundamentals, course code ML0115EN, is a concept-only crash course produced by DeepLearning.TV and host… IBM · 3 hours	IBM	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	3 hours
8	Google Ads Measurement Certification The Google Ads Measurement Certification tests whether you can measure and optimise digital ad performance with Googl… Google · Intermediate · 2 h 40 min	Google	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Intermediate	2 h 40 min
9	Google Analytics Certification (2026) The 2026 edition of the Google Analytics Certification validates the ability to go beyond basic setup and pull action… Google · Intermediate	Google	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Intermediate	—
10	Inbound Marketing Optimization Course The Inbound Marketing Optimization Course follows on from HubSpot Academy's Inbound Marketing certification and is ai… HubSpot Academy · 4 h 34 min	HubSpot Academy	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	4 h 34 min
11	Machine Learning with Python Certification This certification uses the TensorFlow framework to build several neural networks and to explore more advanced techni… freeCodeCamp	freeCodeCamp	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	—
12	Microsoft Excel 2010 An older but still-listed Alison course on Excel 2010, and one of the few on the platform whose digital certificate i… Alison · Beginner	Alison	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Beginner	—
13	Relational Databases Certification The fundamentals of relational databases, taught alongside the command-line tools developers use with them. freeCodeCamp	freeCodeCamp	Free	IncludedCertificate included	—	—
14	SQL and Relational Databases 101 SQL and Relational Databases 101, course code DB0101EN, is a short introduction to querying data with SQL and to the… IBM · Beginner · 5 hours	IBM	Free	IncludedCertificate included	Beginner	5 hours

Free data analytics courses with certificates: how each credential is earned

All 14 courses in the table give a free data analytics certificate, but they are issued by four kinds of source and earned in different ways: Harvard and freeCodeCamp publish a free certificate at a public URL, IBM's Cognitive Class issues a certificate of completion, Google and HubSpot award a certification for passing an exam, and Alison's legacy course is one of the few on its platform whose digital certificate is free.

Harvard CS50 and freeCodeCamp: graded projects, then a public certificate

Harvard's CS50 courses are free on the OpenCourseWare site, with a free edX account to submit work. Score at least 70% on every problem set and the final project and a free CS50 Certificate is issued at a unique URL; the verified edX certificate is a separate paid option, for example $219 for CS50's Introduction to Computer Science. The analytics-relevant courses are CS50's Introduction to Databases with SQL, seven weeks at 6 to 12 hours a week, and CS50's Introduction to Programming with R, seven weeks on data frames, the tidyverse and the grammar of graphics; CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript is here for its database design and SQL-from-Python content.

freeCodeCamp's certificates are published at a public freecodecamp.org address. The Relational Databases Certification requires its five projects before a certification exam, which freeCodeCamp says is free of charge. The Data Analysis with Python Certification and Machine Learning with Python Certification are claimed after completing their certification projects; both are now listed as archived coursework that is no longer updated but still available.

IBM Cognitive Class: certificates of completion after a final exam

Each listed Cognitive Class course states on its page that a certificate is offered, and IBM's FAQ says learning on the platform is free of charge. Grading in most courses splits the mark between review questions and a timed final exam, with 70% to pass. The courses, with the estimated effort from their pages, are:

Python for Data Science, 18 hours, beginner, basic maths the only prerequisite
SQL and Relational Databases 101, 5 hours, beginner, no prior skills listed
Data Science 101, 11 hours, beginner, an orientation course with no coding
Data Visualization with Python, 10 hours, requires Python 101 and Data Analysis with Python
Machine Learning with Python, 20 hours, requires Python for Data Science
Deep Learning Fundamentals, 3 hours, concept videos with no prerequisites

Google, HubSpot and Alison: exam-based certifications and a legacy certificate

The Google Analytics Certification and Google Ads Measurement Certification are awarded only by passing the assessment on Skillshop; the study sections are recommended but optional, and each certification comes with a unique link you can share. HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Optimization Course, 4 hours 34 minutes with a lesson on marketing analytics, ends in a certification exam and is labelled a free certification course. Alison's Microsoft Excel 2010 is different: Alison sells most of its certificates, but its help centre lists this course among the few whose digital certificate is free.

How to get a free data analyst certification in a sensible order

Start with data handling rather than modelling. SQL and Relational Databases 101 and CS50's SQL course both begin from the relational model with no programming assumed; the Harvard course adds views, indexes and connecting SQL to Python. For spreadsheets, the Alison Excel course covers formulas, VLOOKUP, tables, conditional formatting and charts at beginner level. Python for Data Science is IBM's entry point to Python and leads, by its own prerequisites, to Data Visualization with Python and then Machine Learning with Python. Data Science 101 suits someone deciding whether the field is for them before committing hours to code.

None of the listed courses is built around a dedicated business intelligence product; the closest to tool-specific analytics are the Google Analytics and Ads Measurement certifications, which Google rates intermediate and which cover event data, conversions, attribution and audiences in Google's own products. Employers who ask for a BI tool will need to see that skill shown elsewhere.

Can an employer check these certificates, and do they expire

CS50 certificates and freeCodeCamp certifications are each issued at a URL that anyone can open, and Google and HubSpot give a shareable link per certification. Cognitive Class certificates and the Alison certificate are recorded here as free certificates of completion without a public verification link in the records, so treat them as documents you show rather than links you send. Skillshop certifications are valid for one year from the date issued unless the certificate says otherwise, and HubSpot lists the Inbound Marketing Optimization certification as valid for one year, after which you retake the course and exam. The Harvard, freeCodeCamp, IBM and Alison records carry no expiry statement.

The machine learning courses here also appear on the free AI certifications page, which explains the AWS and Harvard AI credentials. The IBM and Google certification pages show each vendor's full set. Courses whose certificate is paid, including university statistics and data courses on edX, are listed on the data science and Excel subject pages.

Questions about free Data Analytics certification courses

Are there free data analytics certifications?

Yes. Vendors issue free credentials and badges for their data tools, and non-profit curricula issue free certificates for analysis projects. Subscription-based analytics certificate programmes with a paid certificate are not listed here.

Which tools should a free data analytics credential cover?

Spreadsheets and SQL first, since almost every analyst role uses them, then a BI tool your target employers use. Python and statistics credentials come after.

Can free credentials replace a paid analytics certificate programme?

They cover similar tools and content. The Harvard, freeCodeCamp, Google and HubSpot credentials can be checked from a link; the IBM and Alison certificates are documents you show. The paid programmes add a branded credential and sometimes career services. Employers weigh a portfolio of real analysis at least as heavily as either.

Skill AI 14 free certifications Free AI and machine learning certification courses from AWS, IBM, Harvard and freeCodeCamp, from literacy courses to model building. Provider IBM 8 free certifications Free IBM certification courses from SkillsBuild and Cognitive Class: a free Credly badge and free certificates of completion, and where IBM’s paid professional certificates differ. Skill IT 25 free certifications Free IT certification courses from AWS, IBM, Harvard and freeCodeCamp: badges and certificates you can earn at no cost, most of them verifiable by link. Audience Free Certifications for Jobs 57 free certifications Free, verifiable certifications that help with job applications, with a plain account of what employers can and cannot check.