10 Best Python Courses to Take in 2022
Python is a versatile and beginner-friendly programming language used for everything from web development to data science. Its simple syntax and extensive ecosystem of libraries make it a great choice for new coders. Experienced developers also love Python for its productivity features.
If you‘re looking to learn Python in 2022 through an online course, it can be hard to know where to begin. There are thousands of courses out there – which are actually worth your time and money?
As a full-stack developer with years of Python experience, I‘ve taken a data-driven approach to selecting the very best Python courses available now. Drawing on Class Central‘s database of over 50,000 online courses, I started by looking at enrollment numbers, student ratings, and reviews.
But I didn‘t just rely on metrics. I also carefully evaluated each course based on:
- The depth and breadth of material covered
- How engaging and experienced the instructors are
- Opportunities for hands-on practice through projects and exercises
- Value for money and flexibility for different budgets
So whether you‘re a total beginner looking for a comprehensive introduction, or an experienced programmer seeking to dive deep into advanced Python topics, I‘m confident you‘ll find a course that meets your needs on this list.
Let‘s jump into my picks for the top 10 Python courses to take in 2022:
1. Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) (University of Michigan)
Offered by the University of Michigan on Coursera, Programming for Everybody is a beginner-level introduction to Python that requires no prior experience. Taught by the popular instructor Dr. Charles Severance (affectionately known as "Dr. Chuck"), this course will teach you Python basics through short video lessons and quizzes.
Over 2.5 million students have enrolled in Programming for Everybody, making it the most popular Python course on Coursera. Students praise Dr. Chuck‘s friendly, jargon-free approach that makes even tricky concepts easy to grasp.
By the end of the course, you‘ll know how to:
- Install Python and write your first "Hello World" program
- Work with variables, expressions, and data types
- Write functions to organize your code and avoid duplication
- Use loops and conditional logic to make decisions in your programs
- Troubleshoot common errors using debugging techniques
Programming for Everybody takes around 19 hours to complete, and it‘s free to audit – you only pay if you want a certificate. It‘s the first in Dr. Chuck‘s 5-course Python for Everybody Specialization. You can take the full specialization for free (including certificates) on freeCodeCamp‘s YouTube channel.
| Institution | University of Michigan |
| Provider | Coursera |
| Instructor | Charles Severance |
| Level | Beginner |
| Workload | 19 hours |
| Enrolled | 2,500,000+ |
| Rating | 4.8/5 (205k ratings) |
| Certificate | Paid |
Fun facts:
- Dr. Chuck‘s course is among the most reviewed and bookmarked on Class Central
- Students have praised Dr. Chuck as the "Bob Ross of Python"
- This was one of the first Coursera courses to offer subtitles in Klingon (not a joke!)
2. Computing in Python (Georgia Tech)
While not strictly a beginner course, Computing in Python from Georgia Tech is perfect for learners who want a challenging introduction to the fundamentals of computer science. Offered as part of their online Master‘s in Computer Science program, this course teaches Python programming in the context of computational problem-solving.
You‘ll learn by working on real coding problems using Python and fundamental CS techniques. The course covers:
- Coding standards, debugging, and testing
- Variables, operators and expressions
- Conditional statements and logical operators
- Loops and iterations
- Strings, lists, dictionaries, and file I/O
- Functions and recursion
- Object-oriented programming basics
Taught by an award-winning professor, Computing in Python is free to audit on edX. To get the most out of it, I recommend taking the full 5-part Introduction to Python Programming Professional Certificate. This beginner-to-intermediate series cumulates in a capstone project where you‘ll showcase your new Python skills.
| Institution | Georgia Tech |
| Provider | edX |
| Instructor | David Joyner |
| Level | Beginner-Intermediate |
| Workload | 9-10 hours/week over 5 weeks |
| Enrolled | 200,000+ |
| Rating | 4.6/5 (3.7k ratings) |
| Certificate | Paid |
Fascinating fact: This Professional Certificate won a Bronze Award at the 2020 Reimagine Education Awards
3. Complete Python Developer (Zero to Mastery Academy)
If you want to go from total Python beginner to professional developer in one course, look no further than Complete Python Developer from Zero to Mastery Academy. Over 30+ hours of video content, you‘ll learn Python from the ground up while building 12 real projects like web scrapers, chatbots, and more.
This course takes a hands-on approach from the start. Within 20 minutes of the first lesson, you‘ll already be coding along with the instructor. Other key topics covered include:
- Python fundamentals like data types, loops, and OOP
- Working with libraries like NumPy, Matplotlib, and OpenCV
- Web scraping with Beautiful Soup
- Interacting with APIs and building chatbots
- Automating tasks on your computer
- Web development with Flask and Django
- Data science and machine learning basics
- Interviews with real Python developers
By the end, you‘ll have an impressive Python portfolio to show potential employers. While this is a paid course, Zero to Mastery offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if you don‘t find it valuable.
| Institution | Zero to Mastery Academy |
| Instructor | Andrei Neagoie |
| Level | Beginner-Intermediate |
| Workload | 30+ hours |
| Enrolled | 140,000+ |
| Rating | 4.7/5 (11k ratings) |
| Certificate | Included |
| Price | $39/month or $279 one-time |
Cool detail: Complete Python Developer is constantly updated with new projects and libraries based on student feedback and industry trends.
4. Python Jumpstart (Building Skills)
Python Jumpstart is an interactive course where you learn the basics of Python by building 10 apps. Your teacher is Dr. Michael Kennedy, host of the popular Talk Python To Me podcast. With 20+ years of Python experience, he knows how to explain tricky topics in an approachable way.
In each of the 10 self-contained lessons, you‘ll learn a core Python concept and immediately put it into practice by coding an app or game. For example:
- Birthday App – Work with dates, times and file paths
- Weather Client – Make HTTP requests and parse JSON data
- Real Estate Analyzer – Process CSV files and perform data analysis
- Wizard Battle – Master classes, inheritance and Python magic methods
- File Searcher – Explore recursion by coding a search engine
- Movie Lookup – Build a data-rich website with Pyramid and SQLite
Between the video lessons, text-based tutorials, exercises and code samples, you‘ll get tons of hands-on Python practice in this course. And with a 30-day money-back guarantee, it‘s a low-risk way to jumpstart your Python journey.
| Institution | Talk Python Training |
| Instructor | Michael Kennedy |
| Level | Beginner-Intermediate |
| Workload | 20+ hours |
| Rating | 4.8/5 (1k+ ratings) |
| Certificate | Included |
| Price | $129 |
Fun fact: Dr. Kennedy has taught over 100,000 developers through his Python courses, books, and podcast.
5. 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp (Udemy)
If you‘re ready to completely immerse yourself in Python, 100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Pro Bootcamp could be perfect for you. Led by the charismatic Dr. Angela Yu, this Udemy bestseller takes you from knowing zero Python to building professional projects over 100 days of hands-on practice.
Each day in the course, you‘ll learn new Python skills and put them to use creating apps and games like:
- Blackjack, Snake, and Pong using Python‘s Turtle graphics library
- A virtual coffee machine program to learn about OOP
- Web scrapers to collect data from sites like Amazon
- A blog website with Flask and SQLite
- An image watermarking app with Tkinter
- An automated LinkedIn job application bot with Selenium
- And dozens more!
The course culminates in a 12-hour long "Final Boss" challenge where you‘ll build a massive text-based adventure game. While the 100-day format requires significant commitment, over 130,000 students have completed the course so far.
| Provider | Udemy |
| Instructor | Dr. Angela Yu |
| Level | Beginner-Advanced |
| Workload | 60+ hours |
| Enrolled | 700,000+ |
| Rating | 4.7/5 (140k+ ratings) |
| Certificate | Included |
| Price | $139.99 |
Interesting note: Dr. Yu used Python to analyze thousands of job listings and identify the most in-demand skills to cover in this course. Now that‘s dogfooding!
Whew, we‘ve covered a ton of amazing Python courses so far! Whether you‘re just getting started or want to go deep into professional Python development, I hope this curated list helped you find a course that meets your needs.
Remember, the most important thing is to pick a course and start coding. Python has a wonderful, welcoming community that you‘ll be a part of in no time.
Feel free to bookmark this guide and share it with friends, colleagues, and coding buddies. Follow me (@Elham) on freeCodeCamp News for more in-depth articles on the best tech courses and learning resources.
Happy coding!