14 Best Coursera Courses with Professional Certificates in 2024!

Did you know that 50% of employees need upskilling or reskilling in the next 5 years to keep up with the technological changes? For many, finding the top in-demand courses is a challenge, and this is where Coursera enters! Brimming with the coolest courses that you will ever see, you can grow your career, feed your interests, and learn at your convenience. Moreover, the best Coursera courses blend learning with real practice that helps you pursue a passion. Think of the e-learning platform, your home university, which is just a click away to quench your curiosity. With the best free courses on Coursera with certificates available for professionals and beginners, you can build your expertise from the comfort of your own home. So, are you ready to take the next leap with us? Let’s explore our compilation of the top Coursera courses! 

What is Coursera?

Coursera, the cool hub of online learning in the US, teams up with big shots like Yale and Google to provide a whopping 5,800+ fun courses and degrees. From data nerds to business buffs, this is a playground for everyone. This giant learning platform claims to help over 20 million online learners. Though the studies suggest that the biggest growth comes from regions lacking higher education access, learning has never been more accessible. With some of the best Coursera courses, the platform partners with Google and IBM to offer certifications and full degrees. Whether you are applying for an internship or want to master the top in-demand skills, the best Coursera certificates to get a job. 

14 Best Coursera Courses to Do in 2024 

Are you ready to level up your skills and reshape what you know? Here's a list of the 15 best courses to take on Coursera! From the best Coursera certificates to the most enrolled ones, these flexible online programs can take you on an exciting journey that can kickstart your career or get you a hike. 

1. Google Data Analytics

Ratings: 4.8/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 6 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: Google
Enrol here: Course link
Top skills gained: Data analysis, creating case studies, data visualisation, data cleansing, & data collection

Get job-ready in under six months with Google's Data Analytics Professional Certificate, one of the best Coursera courses — you don’t need any degree to do this program! The fact that 2,123,876 have enrolled on the program says why it’s one of the best courses on Coursera! You will learn about data cleaning, analysis, and other key analytical skills and be a prospective candidate for the role of Data Analyst and Associate Data Analyst. Get hands-on training, show off your skills with portfolio projects, and bag a Google-recognised certificate. So, enrolling for this top course on Coursera can increase your chances of earning $92,000 (average U.S. salary) annually! 

2. Google Project Management

Ratings: 4.8/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 6 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: Google
Enrol here: Course link
Top skills gained: Project management, change management, strategic thinking, & risk management

Google's Project Management Professional Certificate, one of the best free courses on Coursera, has helped more than 1,530,000 people to master project management. With this course, you will be able to create impactful project documents and learn Agile with a focus on Scrum. Plus, you can understand how to ace strategic communication through real-world scenarios with this program. With thousands of openings every month for Project Managers, Project Assistants, and Project Coordinators, the course can be a game-changer for you. Moreover, what makes it one of the top Coursera courses is that you can grab the opportunity to earn $77,000 (average U.S. salary) annually!  

3. Google UX Design

Ratings: 4.8/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 6 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: Google
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: User experience (UX), prototype, wireframe, UX Research, & Mockup

Embark on one of the most popular Coursera courses — Google UX Design. With this course, you will learn about the user-centric design process, tackle pain points creatively, and develop killer wireframes and prototypes. Like 988,455 people who have already enrolled for this course, you also learn the hoops of designing. You can dive into UX research basics, learn how to create a professional UX portfolio, and even pave your path to earning $112,000 (average U.S. salary) as a UX Designer, Interaction Designer, and UI Designer. Moreover, you will work on 3 end-to-end projects for a responsive website, a mobile app, and a cross-platform experience. Since designing is one of the skills employers look for while hiring, you cannot look past one of the top Coursera courses! 

4. IBM Data Analytics

Ratings: 4.7/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free
Duration: 4 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: IBM
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: Data science, spreadsheet, data analysis, python programming, Microsoft Excel, & IBM Cognos analytics

Master the latest practical skills and tools used by data analysts in their daily work with IBM's Data Analyst Professional course. With 223,731 people having enrolled, this beginner-level course will earn you a degree credit. You can learn how to visualise data with charts in Excel and BI tools like IBM Cognos Analytics and Tableau, with one of the best courses in Coursera. Moreover, this short course in Coursera offers the opportunity to earn $82,000 (average U.S. salary) per year as a Data Analyst and a Business Analyst. By acquiring Python skills using Pandas and Numpy and delving into APIs and web services with IBM Data Analytics, one of the best Coursera Courses, you will gain technical experience. 

5. Google IT Support

Ratings: 4.8/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 6 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: Google
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained:‍ Customer service, network protocols, cloud computing, encryption algorithms and techniques, & debugging

At your university, you must have heard of student support services, but did you know a Coursera IT Support course can be a way to earn $56,000 (average U.S. salary) per year? Google IT Support, one of the best Coursera courses, will teach you how to perform computer assembly, debugging, and troubleshooting. Not only do you learn how to provide end-to-end customer support, but you also understand how to identify problems. Being one of the best certifications on Coursera that boarded 1,489,447 people, it will give you a chance to use Linux, DNS, and Binary Code. Plus, Google’s stamp of approval will earn you a coveted certificate and a host of roles like Tech Support Specialist and IT Support Specialist. 

6. Meta Marketing Analytics

Ratings: 4.7/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 7 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: Meta
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: Statistics for marketing, performance marketing, data analysis, advertising effectiveness evaluation, & marketing mix optimisation.

Boost your marketing skills with one of the best Coursera Courses — Meta Marketing Analytics! Here, you will learn how to collect, organise, and analyse marketing data and be job-ready in 7 months or less. Having onboarded around 14,151 learners so far, this is one of the best Coursera certificates to pick up a range of skills - from Performance Marketing to Marketing Mix Optimisation! Upon learning about marketing analytics methods, you can become a successful Digital Marketing Associate, Brand Assistant, or Market Researcher to earn $80,000 (average U.S. salary) annually. Moreover, get professional training, showcase your tech proficiency, and earn a recognised Meta certificate.

7. IBM Cybersecurity Analyst

Ratings: 4.6/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 4 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: IBM
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: Information security analyst, junior cyber security analyst, IT security analyst, & security analyst.

Develop expertise in cybersecurity tools such as data protection, endpoint protection, SIEM, and systems/network fundamentals with IBM Cybersecurity Analyst, one of the best Coursera courses! You will gain hands-on experience with industry-specific and open-source security tools while developing the most in-demand tech skills and earn a whopping $119,000 (average U.S. salary) per year. Being one of the best courses on Coursera, it has welcomed 192,422 people to show the path to becoming a Security Analyst or IT Security Analyst. Also, you will get professional-level training and earn an IBM-recognised certificate and a chance to showcase proficiency through portfolio-ready projects. 

8. IBM Data Science

Ratings: 4.6/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 5 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: IBM
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: Data science, big data, python programming, GitHub, machine learning, & deep learning

If you want to become a Data Scientist or Data Architect, this is one of the most popular Coursera courses! You can learn how to import and clean data sets, build machine learning models, and get a recognised certificate from IBM. This is one of the best courses in Coursera that can help you with Python and SQL, analyse data and acquire essential skills in data science. IBM  Data Science is one of the best online data science courses offered by Coursera that has helped 306,524 candidates so far. Upon earning one of the most valuable Coursera certificates and degree credits, you can pave your way to bag $138,00 (average U.S. salary) every year.  

9. IBM Data Analyst Capstone Project 

Ratings: 4.7/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 4 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: IBM
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: Data science, spreadsheet, data analysis, python programming, Microsoft Excel, & IBM Cognos analytics

The IBM Data Analyst Capstone Project is also one of the best courses in Coursera to help you become a Marketing Analyst or Business Analyst. In this course, you will explore data visualisation in Excel and BI tools like IBM Cognos Analytics and Tableau. By diving into one of the top Coursera courses, you will know how to apply different techniques to wrangle data and create an analysis report. The course has onboarded 53,322 candidates and can help you earn $64,012 (average U.S. salary) per year for entry-level positions. Moreover, you will get to master SQL and RDBMS as well as data visualisation with this course. 

10. International Business Essentials Specialization

Ratings: 4.5/5
Level: Intermediate
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 2 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: University of London
Enrol here: Course Link

Top skills gained: Delegation, business plan, PEST analysis, & statistical hypothesis testing

Master the crucial business, academic, and cultural skills vital with International Business Essentials Specialization, one of the best Coursera courses. With 28,426 learners having enrolled already, the course is on the rise for its extensive curriculum covering from delegation to PESTLE and SWOT. It’s also one of the top courses in Coursera to get you a job worth $80,000 (average U.S. salary) yearly! So, delve into diverse data presentation techniques & mathematical foundations and explore the international business environment. Being one of the best Coursera free courses, this program not only assures a career as a Business Analyst but also helps you ace Statistical Hypothesis Testing. 

11. Generative AI with Large Language Models

Ratings: 4.8/5
Level: Intermediate
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: Approx. 16 hours to complete
Offered by: AWS
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: Python programming, machine learning, large language models, & generative AI

You must be using the best ChatGPT extensions for Chrome on a daily basis, but don’t you want to know how generative AI works? This is one of the best Coursera courses that describe the key steps in the LLM-based generative AI lifecycle and has prompted 243,715 people to enrol. You can also acquire practical skills and insights into cutting-edge technology through expert instruction from AWS AI practitioners actively implementing AI in real business scenarios. Additionally, you can explore the latest research and become a Prompt Engineer or AI Trainer to earn $70,000 (average U.S. salary) yearly.

12. DeepLearning.AI TensorFlow Developer

Ratings: 4.7/5
Level: Intermediate
Cost: Free enrollment
Duration: 2 months at 10 hours a week
Offered by: DeepLearning.AI
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: Computer vision, convolutional neural network, machine learning, & natural language processing

DeepLearning.AI's TensorFlow Developer course covers best practices for using TensorFlow, a leading open-source ML framework. When it comes to handling real-world image data or preventing overfitting, this is one of the best courses in Coursera. You can build natural processing systemsusing TensorFlow and train powerful models. Having onboarded 201,459 learners, the program paves the way for you to become a Data Scientist, Data Engineer, and Machine Learning Engineer. It stands out among the best Coursera courses for not only mastering TensorFlow but also training neural networks for computer vision. 

13. Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere

Ratings: 4.8/5
Level: Beginner
Duration: 24 hours (Approx.)
Schedule: Flexible
Offered by: Google
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: Spreadsheet, data analysis, SQL, data visualisation, & data cleansing

To grasp data analytics foundations, dive into this best Coursera data science course, which includes crucial concepts like data, analysis, and ecosystems. 2,529,124 people have already taken this course to understand the key concepts in data ecosystems, and you can learn the same and become a Data Analyst. You will be able to evaluate your analytical thinking through practical examples. Also, you can examine the significance of spreadsheets, query languages, and visualisation tools in analytics through one of the best certifications on course to get a job.

14. Foundations of Digital Marketing and E-commerce

Ratings: 4.8/5
Level: Beginner
Cost: Free enrolment
Duration: 24 hours (Approx.)
Offered by: Google
Enrol here: Course Link
Top skills gained: E-Commerce, customer loyalty, customer outreach, marketing, & marketing analytics

Explore one of the best free courses on Coursera to explore job responsibilities for entry-level digital marketers and e-commerce specialists. Like 865,519 who have enrolled in this top course on Coursera, you can grasp the marketing funnel concept and understand strategy elements and goals. You will learn from industry experts, develop job-relevant skills, and earn a shareable career certificate from Google. Not only can you find your way to become a Digital Marketing Specialist, but you can also expect to earn around $68,371 (average U.S. salary) per year with one of Coursera's top courses! ‍

 How Much Do the Best Coursera Courses Cost?

The price of the best Coursera courses varies based on your chosen online program. Here are the six Coursera pricing options to find the best of all:

We hope this comprehensive list answers the question, “What are the best Coursera courses?” and helps you find the right program. Some of these programs can help you gain top 10 must-have employability skills for students and professionals alike. Whether you are looking for a way to bag an internship or get a good raise, these best courses on Coursera will not let you down. In case you are preparing for a switch or an internship, don’t forget to go through the most common interview questions and answers. Best wishes for your journey!