Best Online IT Certificate Programs and IT Certifications in 2024

One of the best ways to launch a career in the tech industry is through IT certificate programs or IT certification programs. If you have a college degree, an IT certification or a graduate IT certificate could be the one credential standing between you and your dream job. Some tech certification programs or undergraduate IT certificates could even help you get a job in tech without a degree.

But time is money, and the last thing anyone wants is to put their career on hold by spending more time in school than they bargained for. In this article, we break down the best online IT certificate programs and the top entry-level IT certifications for people with no time to waste. But first, let’s get a basic grip on the difference between IT certificates and IT certifications. 

What Is an IT Certificate Program?

An IT certificate program is a non-degree form of higher education that covers skills relevant to a wide variety of careers in information technology, including IT support, software development, data science, and cyber security. The presence of an IT certificate on your resume serves as proof of a specific skill set. The best online IT certificate programs are as follows:

• Cybersecurity Boot Camp at UCLA Extension
• DeVry University Undergraduate Certificate in Information Technology Essentials
• Google IT Support Essentials
• Microsoft BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate
• MIT xPRO Professional Certificate in Coding

What Are IT Certifications?

IT certifications are a form of professional licensing that demonstrate that a candidate’s knowledge and skills meet the industry standards for certain highly skilled information technology jobs. Unlike IT certificate programs, IT certification programs are regulated and maintained by the industry itself. As such, they are often a requirement for breaking into specific career paths. Here are the best entry-level certifications for IT careers: 

• Amazon AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
• Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST)
• CompTIA A+
• ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)
• Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

Best Online IT Certificate Programs

Information technology certificate programs come in all shapes and sizes. Some are run by universities, some are offered by coding bootcamps, and some are hosted on online course platforms like Coursera. Many tech certificate programs also have flexible part-time schedules, ideal for adult learners. Here are five of the best IT certificate programs that you can take online.

Cybersecurity Boot Camp at UCLA Extension

• Cost: $13,495
• Length and Schedule: 24 weeks, part-time
• Type of IT Certificate Program: Coding bootcamp
• Skills Learned: Systems administration, offensive and defensive security, network architecture, virtualization, cryptography

A part-time bootcamp is one of the most efficient types of tech certificate program you can find, and UCLA Extension’s live online classroom brings an extra dose of flexibility and convenience to its career accelerator. Suitable for beginners and culminating in an IT certificate, this bootcamp program also helps get students ready for the Security+ and CEH certifications. 

DeVry University Certificate in Information Technology Essentials

• Cost: $11,822
• Length and Schedule: 8 months, full-time
• Type of IT Certificate Program: Undergraduate Certificate 
• Skills Learned: Operating systems, networking, programming, cloud computing

DeVry University’s IT certificate program is in some ways the most conventional university program on our list, insofar as it requires students to amass college credits in order to graduate. But this program’s eight courses are fully online, and they cover a range of tech topics, ensuring that students graduate with a broad array of basic skills for any number of careers in technology. 

Google IT Support Certificate

• Cost: $49 per month after 7-day free trial
• Length and Schedule: 6 months, part-time
• Type of IT Certificate Program: Vendor-specific professional certificate
• Skills Learned: Network protocols, debugging, encryption, cloud computing, customer service

One of the things that makes this one of the best online IT certificate programs is the fact that it comes with Google’s official stamp of approval. It is also one of the most flexible IT training programs in existence since its five courses can all be completed at your own pace. You will graduate with portfolio-ready projects, which you can use to ace your job interviews. 

Microsoft BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate

• Cost: $49 per month after 7-day free trial
• Length and Schedule: 5 months, part-time
• Type of IT Certificate Program: Vendor-specific professional certificate
• Skills Learned: Data analysis, Excel, Power BI, Power Query, SQL

Another tech certificate program from Coursera, this one can be completed in less time than the Google certificate, and it is geared toward students with an interest in data analysis careers that use Microsoft tools and services. The market for BI data analysts, or operational research analysts, is still growing at a fast rate according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

MIT xPRO Professional Certificate in Coding

• Cost: $7,650
• Length and Schedule: 8 months, part-time
• Type of Certificate Program: Vendor-neutral professional certificate
• Skills Learned: Full stack software development, MERN stack, APIs, CI CD pipeline

This is the best online IT certificate program for full stack development careers. Not only was it created by the prestigious MIT, but it focuses on the MERN stack, which is one of the most in-demand toolkits in the field of software engineering. If you want a GitHub portfolio full of impressive coding projects, then you should try to secure this MIT credential for your resume.

Best IT Certifications for Early-Career Professionals

There are IT certifications for jobs at every stage of your tech career, from entry-level to experienced. Most of the highest-paying IT certifications are for mid-career and late-career professionals, but there are a few essential beginner IT certification programs that anyone, regardless of their background, could use to launch a career. See below for more details. 

Amazon AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

• Prerequisites: None
• Cost: $100
• Valid For: 3 years
• Average Salary: $85,866

This vendor-specific certification equips recipients with a foundational knowledge of Amazon Web Services, the largest cloud platform in the world by market share. If you’re new to IT and are looking to launch a cloud career, this certification is a great place to start. AWS offers two online IT certification programs to help you prepare for the 90-minute, 65-question exam. 

Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST)

• Prerequisites: None
• Cost: $125
• Valid For: Life
• Average Salary: $56,085

Another vendor-specific certification, CCST is designed to validate skills related to technical support roles within the Cisco family of products and services. For training, you can attend Cisco’s IT certification programs online through Skills for All, the remote training arm of Cisco Networking Academy. The exam itself is 50 questions, and you can retake it until you pass. 

CompTIA A+

• Prerequisites: None
• Cost: $492
• Valid For: 3 years
• Average Salary: $70,000

The A+ certification from CompTIA is arguably the most popular beginner IT certification in the industry. A vendor-neutral certification, A+ serves as the launching pad for a wide range of help desk, IT support, data support, and field technician roles. For the best chance of passing the exam, you should consider the instructor-led online IT certification program, which costs $3,999.

ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)

• Prerequisites: None
• Cost: $50 per year
• Valid For: 3 years
• Average Salary: $18,000 higher than previous position

This entry-level certification from CompTIA’s rival organization ISC2 is more focused on the cyber security aspects of the information technology realm. It covers incident response, network security, security operations, and more. The training options for the CC certification that ISC2 offers include a self-paced, live online, and in-person IT certification program.

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

• Prerequisites: None
• Cost: $99
• Valid For: 1 year
• Average Salary: $123,409

Microsoft offers this vendor-specific, entry-level certification for aspiring cloud professionals who want to work with Azure, the main rival to Amazon Web Services. The exam covers fundamental concepts of cloud technology, Azure architecture and services, and Azure management and governance. A one-day instructor-led training and a self-paced guidebook are the two training options that Microsoft offers.

How to Get an IT Certification, Step by Step

1. Choose a career path. Whether you want to work in cloud computing, cyber security, or IT support will determine the certification options available to you.
2. Research entry-level IT certifications in your chosen field. For any given career path, there are several beginner certifications you could choose. Once you pick your preferred vendor-neutral or vendor-specific certification, you’ll have to crunch some numbers to figure out which one will yield the largest return on your investment. 
3. Study for the certification exam. Almost all certification-conferring organizations offer proprietary training materials and classes. These usually aren’t free, but they will help you stay focused as you work towards preparing for the exam. 
4. Pass the test. Most exams last between 90 minutes and three hours. The score required to pass a certification exam varies, but to get certified, you’ll probably need to score in the top third or top quarter of all test takers. 
5. Meet the renewal requirements. To renew a certification, you’ll usually need to do some combination of taking another test, amassing a specified number of continuing education credits, and paying a membership fee. 

Top Entry-Level IT Jobs for IT Certificate and Certification Holders

With the right IT certifications and tech certificate programs under your belt, you will meet the minimum requirements for one or more high-paying entry-level tech jobs. You’ll likely need to get more certifications as you climb the career ladder, but the five early-career tech roles below could be within your reach once you have one of the IT certificates or certifications on our list. 

Cloud Support Engineer

• Average Salary: $132,478
• IT Certificate or Certification?: Certification
• Best Certification Option: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner or Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

A cloud support engineer is someone who assists the network administrator in troubleshooting problems as they arise and implementing solutions. The role requires comprehensive knowledge of whichever cloud platform the client is using. The best training options are tech certification programs that cover AWS or Azure, which are the most popular cloud platforms.

IT Desk Analyst

• Average Salary: $49,152
• IT Certificate or Certification?: Certification
• Best Certification Option: CompTIA A+

IT desk analysts, also known as help desk analysts and IT desk technicians, have in-depth knowledge of relevant computer systems and networks. Because this entry-level position is a customer-facing role, candidates who have solid customer service skills have a competitive advantage over those who don’t. CompTIA A+ is the industry-standard certification here.

IT Security Specialist

• Average Salary: $94,742
• IT Certificate or Certification?: Certification
• Best Certification Option: ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)

An IT security or cyber security specialist is a tech professional with specialized skills in protecting sensitive data from malicious attacks. They also know how to run diagnostic tests to evaluate the strength of a system’s security protocols. A certification is usually required for this role, and cyber security bootcamps are one way to prepare for your certification exam. 

Junior Data Analyst

• Average Salary: $79,352
• IT Certificate or Certification?: Certificate
• Best Certificate Option: Microsoft BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate

A junior data analyst is equipped with the technical skills to extract insights from complex data sets, usually for the purpose of helping a company make business decisions. To become a data analyst, you can attend an IT certificate program online, which might take the form of a series of online courses, an undergraduate program, or a data analytics bootcamp. 

Junior Software Developer

• Average Salary: $75,718
• IT Certificate or Certification?: Certificate
• Best Certificate Option: MIT xPRO Professional Certificate in Coding

A junior software developer is an expert programmer who works with senior engineers, project managers, and tech salespeople to build and maintain applications. Anyone uninterested in a computer science degree program can opt for a certificate program instead. The best online IT certificate programs include the one offered by MIT and several coding bootcamp programs. 

Are IT Certificate Programs and IT Certifications Worth It?

IT certificate programs and IT certifications are worthwhile for anyone with a clear idea of where they want to work in the information technology field. The right IT certificate or certification could be the ticket to a high-paying career in tech support, cloud computing, cyber security, and more.

Keep in mind that some careers are not good matches for certificates and certifications. If you’re interested in a career in software engineering, web development, web design, or data science, a coding bootcamp may be a better fast-paced option to consider. While certificates and certifications in these domains do exist, they are not the standard way to access these jobs. 

IT Certificates and IT Certifications FAQ