Free Data Science Bootcamps, Courses, and Resources

Gaining the right education and hands-on skills is an essential first step for anyone eager to launch a career in data science. Enrolling in a free data science bootcamp or free data science courses is a great way to learn more about the field and master introductory skills without having to make a financial commitment.

If you are interested in data science, free online courses and bootcamp programs make the perfect first step on your educational path because they are generally designed for beginners and can be completed at your own pace. This article provides details about all the best free data science resources available so that you can find the one that best fits your needs. 

Best Free Data Science Bootcamps

Free data science bootcamps and similar programs are generally longer and more comprehensive than individual courses. They may take several weeks to complete and are likely to cover a wide range of introductory skills, which is beneficial for students who are ready to commit more time towards preparing for a career in the data science field. 

Data Science Bootcamp | AI Planet 

• Length: 5 weeks
• Skills covered: Python, data analysis, data preprocessing, machine learning models

This online data science bootcamp from AI Planet (formerly DPhi) is the perfect resource for complete beginners who are eager to learn how to approach data science problems. If you have no previous experience with coding or data science, you can complete the optional Week 0 pre-materials. 

With the help of recordings of previous live lectures and numerous quizzes and worksheets, students progress at their own pace through a detailed curriculum covering data visualization, advanced exploratory data analysis, and how to build and optimize machine learning models.  

Data Science Bootcamp | GeeksforGeeks

• Length: Self-paced
• Skills covered: Python, Tableau, machine learning, artificial intelligence 

This free data science bootcamp begins with Python basics before walking students through introductory data science topics and technologies like Tableau and web scraping. All you need to do to access the course content is create an account on the GeeksforGeeks website. 

This bootcamp has 11 modules, all designed to provide students with a stable foundation for a future data science career. If you complete the free bootcamp and are looking for more comprehensive and hands-on training, you can sign up for GeekforGeeks’ live online full program. 

Data Science for All Fellowship | Correlation One

• Length: 7 weeks
• Requirements: 1-3 years of relevant work experience or a relevant degree, proficiency in Python and SQL

Correlation One provides a free data science fellowship for women with the goal of eliminating the gender imbalance in tech. Accepted fellows receive seven weeks of online skill training, mentorship, and professional development workshops from industry experts. After you complete the program, you will be introduced to employer partners. 

Because of the high-quality training and advanced curriculum, applicants must complete and pass a skills assessment and participate in a live interview. While it is unsuitable for beginners, this program can be the perfect way to advance your career in data engineering, data science, or business analytics. 

Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp | Fellowship.AI

• Length: 12 weeks
• Skills covered: Python, Agile, NumPy, pandas, data visualization, statistical analysis, machine learning, SQL, self-supervised learning

This remote data science bootcamp is completely free if you are accepted as a fellow. The curriculum is comprehensive and students learn by working on real-world portfolio projects.  You will graduate industry-ready with a free data science certificate to put on your resume. 

To apply for this data science bootcamp, you will need to create an account, solve a coding challenge, and explain why you are interested in the fellowship. To be accepted, make sure you have some experience with Python and a foundational understanding of machine learning theory. 

Research Data Science Summer School | Microsoft 

• Length: 4 weeks
• Skills covered: Python, R, applied statistics, machine learning

Microsoft’s free data science summer school program is aimed at undergraduate students in the New York City area. It takes place in person and students receive full-time training on the tools and techniques required to clean, prepare, and utilize real-world data. 

The final portion of the course includes an original research project where students work in groups with guidance from Microsoft research scientists. If you don’t live in the New York City area, you can access previous years’ course content on GitHub and learn independently. 

Best Free Data Science Courses

Free data science courses are similar to free data science bootcamps, but they tend to focus on fewer skills and can generally be completed in a few hours or days. Below, we detail some of the best free data science courses offered by platforms like Coursera and edX, as well as some provided by the best coding bootcamps and coding schools. 

Data Science Prep Course | Flatiron School

• Length: N/A
• Skills covered: How to interpret and manipulate data
• Level: Beginner

Flatiron School, a leading coding bootcamp, provides various free prep courses designed to help prepare incoming students, or to be used as resources for anyone considering a tech career. This free data science course will discuss how data science skills and technologies can be used to help organizations and businesses. It is self-paced and you can access the content at any time by setting up an account. 

Free Data Science Crash Course | Elite Data Science

• Length: Self-paced
• Skills covered: Exploratory analysis, data cleaning, feature engineering, algorithm selection, model training
• Level: Beginner

Elite Data Science aims to help people start new careers in less time by simplifying the path into data science. It provides tutorials and courses covering only the most relevant tools and practices students need to know. This free data science primer course is made up of six tutorials that provide foundational knowledge and a bird’s eye view of data science concepts.  

Introduction to Data Science | NYC Data Science Academy 

• Length: 8 hours
• Skills covered: Python data structures, pandas, NumPy, object oriented programming
• Level: Beginner

Because you can complete this free online data science course in less than a day, it is the perfect choice for beginners looking for a brief introduction to all the most important data science and data analytics tools and concepts. It provides comprehensive background knowledge that can help you prepare for a full-time data science bootcamp. 

Introduction to Data Science | SkillUp

• Length: 7 hours
• Skills covered: Descriptive statistics, model building, supervised and unsupervised learning, natural language processing, exploratory data analysis
• Level: Beginner

SkillUp, powered by Simplilearn, hosts a variety of free data science courses at various levels. After completing all 15 lessons included in this course, you will receive a certificate of completion. The lessons were created by industry leaders with years of experience in the data science field and cover topics like Python libraries, logistic regression, and how to craft a data science resume. 

Python for Data Science | CognitiveClass.AI

• Length: 20 hours
• Skills covered: Basic Python programming, expressions and variables, Python data structures, NumPy arrays, APIs
• Level: Beginner

This self-paced course will take you through the basics of coding in Python before introducing introductory data science concepts. It includes five modules and can be completed in only 20 hours. While you can audit the course as many times as you wish, you only have one chance to pass. You don’t need any previous coding experience, though you will need basic math skills. 

Free Data Science Courses on Coursera

• Data Science Specialization. This 10-course series takes approximately 11 months to complete if you study part-time. The goal of the program is to prepare you with the skills you need to launch a data science career. You will need to complete a capstone project to receive a certificate of completion.  
• IBM Data Science Professional Certificate. This professional certificate series is another course that seeks to provide a comprehensive introduction to skills like machine learning, big data, and deep learning. It includes nine courses and takes around five months of studying three hours per week to complete. 
• What Is Data Science? This free data science course can be completed in only seven hours and acts as a basic introduction to data science concepts and how they can be used to drive business decisions. 
• Advanced Data Science With IBM Specialization. Unlike others on this list, this four-month course is designed for professionals with industry experience. After reviewing scalable data science, you will move on to advanced machine learning and deep learning before tackling an applied learning capstone project. 
• Machine Learning Specialization. If you have a basic understanding of coding concepts, you can enroll in this three-month specialization program to study topics like artificial neural networks, logistic regression, and supervised learning. This course is perfect for students looking to build a career in AI or machine learning. 

Free Data Science Courses on edX

• Data Science: R Basics. This eight-week course is offered in conjunction with Harvard and covers introductory data science and statistics topics. You’ll learn R syntax, data types, vectors, and indexing. 
• Python Basics for Data Science. This course offers a comprehensive overview of how Python is used in data science. The syllabus covers conditional statements, functions, and pandas. Most students study four to 10 hours per week and finish the course in three weeks.
• Data Science: Machine Learning. You’ll learn the basics of machine learning, including algorithms and how to build a recommendation system in this eight-week self-paced class. You do not need any previous programming experience to keep up with the course content. 
• Introduction to Data Science. Completing this free data science course can earn you a skill badge to put on your resume. In six weeks you’ll gain practice using common data science tools and algorithms while learning about different roles on a data science team. 
• SQL for Data Science. Students learn how to use SQL to extract data from databases in this four-week introductory course. You’ll also practice analyzing data using Python and creating databases in the cloud. 

Free Data Science Courses on Udemy

• Introduction to Data Science for Complete Beginners. This free tutorial includes two hours of on-demand video where students learn what data science is, how to apply it in the real world, and what careers are available in this field. 
• Basics of NumPy for Data Analysis and Data Science. This beginner-friendly tutorial instructs students on the essentials of NumPy. You’ll learn basic functionality, such as calculating means and finding minimum and maximum values. 
• Top 5 Machine Learning Libraries in Python. This is a short two-hour tutorial that is perfect for students who are new to Python programming and machine learning. You’ll learn how to create models using various Python libraries while diving deeper into the predictive modeling process. 
• Web Scraping With Python From Scratch. This free data science tutorial will walk you through how to scrape text data from a webpage. You’ll install Python web scraping libraries and save your scraped data into a CSV file with pandas. 
• Basics of Deep Learning. This two-hour tutorial is designed for all tech enthusiasts who wish to learn more about key deep learning concepts and the evolution of deep neural networks and their various applications. 

Learn Data Science for Free: Additional Tutorials and Resources

Coding bootcamps and online courses are not the only options you have to practice your data science skills. The platforms and resources detailed below can be used for supplementary learning and project ideas, and they can keep you connected with trends and updates in the field. 

The Open Source Data Science Masters

Tech enthusiasts have been utilizing and improving this open source curriculum to study introductory through advanced data science skills for over a decade. While the program is self-guided and self-accredited, the educational materials included are of the same caliber you will find in traditional degree programs all over the country. 

This program includes four steps, beginning with foundational skills, and ending with a capstone project. You will also have the chance to choose a specialty and direct your education based on your interests and career goals. Once you complete the curriculum, you can award yourself a credential on LinkedIn. 

KD Nuggets

KD Nuggets is a popular website that covers all things related to data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data analytics. It is a useful resource regardless of where you are on your educational journey, as you can find course recommendations, information about the best certificates to help you progress in your career, and free projects to help beginners build their skills. 

KD Nuggets also provides data repositories and includes a blog run by industry experts where you can stay up to date on all the latest news in the field, receive career advice, and learn more about topics like computer vision, data engineering, and machine learning.

freeCodeCamp

freeCodeCamp is an online resource that is known for its free programming curriculum, but the website also hosts thousands of tutorials, short courses, and blog posts covering all aspects of the tech industry. The freeCodeCamp data science articles on its website cover subjects like data science ethics, how to pass your job interview, and how to get started on your first data science project. 

Kaggle

Kaggle is one of the best websites to learn data science, whether you are a complete beginner or are simply looking to build on your skills. Kaggle offers a wide range of free data sets and hosts a large repository of code that you can use to improve your own projects. You can find free courses on topics like data visualization, SQL, and deep learning, or participate in competitions to test your abilities. 

Khan Academy

If you are looking for free data science tutorials online, Khan Academy is one of the first places you should look. Khan Academy is one of the largest free educational resources available and provides numerous articles, videos, and exercises covering basic data analysis skills and technologies, as well as niche advanced topics. 

Free Data Science Bootcamps vs Free Online Courses: How Do I Choose?

Choosing the right educational resource when there are so many options available can seem daunting. Luckily, one of the major benefits of free online classes is that you can test out various platforms and formats to see which ones fit your learning style and goals best. Here are some criteria to keep in mind when you are selecting an online course:

• Curriculum. Whether or not the course covers the skills you need to learn is arguably the most important factor. If you have a specific tool or concept you want to study, you can skip courses that offer a broad overview and choose one that concentrates on what you are interested in. 
• Length. Many free data science courses can be completed in a few hours or less, which is perfect for tech enthusiasts who simply enjoy learning more about the field. Other options require multiple weeks of dedication. Make sure you have a good idea of how much time you are willing to dedicate to your studies before you enroll. 
• Proof of completion. If you are working towards a data science career, you may want to focus on courses and bootcamps that provide a certificate of completion. This will provide evidence of your skills and efforts when you start applying for jobs. 
• Level of difficulty. The majority of free data science resources are designed for beginners and cover similar introductory skills. Some longer courses, such as bootcamps, leave time for learners to progress into advanced topics. 
• Hands-on training. For many students, the best way to learn is by working on projects and practicing the skills. Look for data science courses that include projects and interactive tutorials in addition to pre-recorded lectures. 

Are Free Data Science Bootcamps and Courses Worth It? 

Yes, free data science bootcamps and courses are worth it for anyone hoping to practice new skills on the path to starting a tech career, as well as anyone interested in learning more about the field. Enrolling in a free data science bootcamp or class doesn’t come with a financial commitment and you can move through the course content at your own pace. 

Additionally, gaining data science skills can be extremely beneficial for your career outlook. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, data scientists have a projected job growth of 36 percent, which is significantly higher than average. By gaining the right skillset and improving your resume with industry certifications, you can enter the data science field even if you don’t have a traditional degree. 

Free Data Science Bootcamps, Courses, and Resources FAQ