If you want to brush up on your SQL skills, or don’t even know where to start, there are a number of free online courses that will get you tapping away at a keyboard in no time.
SQL is a popular and widely used programming language used for managing and manipulating relational databases. Hardy enough for complex operations across a number of industries, but simple enough for beginners to pick up with a little effort, SQL is an incredibly useful skill for the modern-day programmer to possess.
Whether you are already highly skilled in the use of SQL, or are a complete novice hoping to expand upon your skillset, there are a vast range of online resources available. Better yet, the following 10 are free.
Great Learning
Great Learning, part of Great Learning Academy, a global edtech company based in India, offers a wide-range of free courses tailored for those with beginner and intermediate knowledge of SQL.
Completion of the course comes with a certificate indicating your achievement and the opportunity to explore further certification and classes.
Codecademy
Codecademy, a US-based skills education platform, runs a beginners’ programme that can teach people new to SQL how to manage large datasets and analyse data.
At the end of the five-hour online course, wherein there will be five projects and four quizzes to test knowledge, students will know how to work with databases using SQL, create queries for tables and build SQL projects, and will also be presented with a certificate of completion.
Udemy
Udemy, a US-headquartered edtech company, has numerous SQL courses for beginner, intermediary and advanced users. One such valuable course for people with a currently higher skillset is the advanced databases and SQL querying programme.
This nearly three-and-a-half hour module helps people with foundational knowledge of SQL go from being a beginner SQL programmer to writing complex SQL queries and can be viewed as a vehicle to bridge the gap between beginner and intermediate level ability.
However, unlike other examples on this list, the Udemy course does not provide the user with a certificate at the end of training, but if you have the budget you can enrol in a similar Udemy course that offers certification as well as access to instructor feedback.
Coursera
US-based online course provider Coursera offers a diverse range of SQL programmes, both paid and unpaid, across a broad spectrum of ability. If you are looking to use SQL primarily for a career that focuses on data science, SQL for data science would be an ideal course to consider.
No prior experience is required to take part, there are 14 assignments to complete, the schedule is flexible and should take roughly 15 hours. During this programme users will learn new concepts from industry experts, gain foundational understanding, develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects and ultimately earn a shareable career certificate.
Uplimit
Uplimit, formerly CoRise, is a global software development company that aims to teach people technical skills. The platform offers a free two-week long SQL crash course led by industry experts, where an international classroom of peers work together on projects.
There is a certificate of completion once you graduate from the programme.
KhanAcademy
US educational non-profit KhanAcademy’s mission is to provide free education globally. The platform has a vast range of topics increasing in complexity from the early-childhood stage all the way up to third-level education, available online.
KhanAcademy runs a number of SQL courses that cover the basics of database design, as well as more advanced topics such as subqueries and joins.
TripleTen
US-based online coding platform TripleTen typically charges for its bootcamps, however, it does offer a free 20-hour course that covers database administration, SQL queries, data analytics and SQL for data science. The programme is described as hands-on, with AI assistance and interactive lessons followed by coding practice.
Simplilearn
Digital skills provider Simplilearn runs a free SQL course that comes complete with certification. The platform offers a nine-hour course, which can be taken at your own convenience across 90 days and is aimed primarily at beginners, programmers and testing professionals seeking to boost their database management expertise.
Students will study a broad range of topics and will graduate with new skills in MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server.
freeCodeCamp
US-based educational platform freeCodeCamp is another non-profit and wants to make the learning of software development fully accessible to all. Currently the platform offers an ideal course for people who are starting at the very beginning, with absolutely no prior knowledge on SQL required.
It is incredibly simple to access and is arguably one of the more low-key courses on this list, as it is a four-hour ad free YouTube video, but it covers a great deal, including installation instructions, schema designs and all of the fundamentals, among other topics.
Intellipaat
Intellipaat, a global professional training provider located in India, offers a 24-week online course designed for developers looking to master the descriptive language needed to work with relational databases.
Students will study SQL introduction, relational databases, queries, subqueries, joins and unions. Users can expect to complete project work and those who finish the course, which was designed by industry experts, will receive a certification.
There are an abundance of resources available to people looking to improve their SQL abilities, with programmes to suit every budget and lifestyle. Outside of online courses there are also a diverse range of SQL communities looking to welcome like-minded peers, as well as books, podcasts and video resources.
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