15 Best Cybersecurity Courses for Beginners
We compared 15 Cybersecurity courses currently listed on Coursera, edX and Udemy, priced from $19.99 to $449.00. 14 of them teach the subject directly and 1 are built around a certification exam. 10 come from a named university or institution, including University of Colorado System, University of California, Irvine and The University of Wisconsin-Madison. They are ordered by our CourseAsk score, which is built from how thoroughly each course describes what it teaches, whether it comes from a named institution, and how it compares on price — not from star ratings, which our course data does not include.
- Courses compared
- 15
- Price range
- $19.99 – $449.00
- Providers
- Coursera, edX, Udemy
- Last updated
- 30 Aug 2026
How these 15 courses were chosen
Every course below is a real, currently listed course from Coursera, edX, Udemy, matched to "cybersecurity" by our catalog and ordered by our CourseAsk score. Courses whose own title names the topic rank above those only tagged with it.
The grade on each entry scores how much the provider publishes about the course before you pay — the length and detail of the description, whether it lists learning outcomes and objectives — and whether a named university or institution stands behind it. A is fully documented and institution-backed; E is little more than a title and a price. Courses with almost nothing published are left ungraded rather than marked down, because an unknown course and a poor one are not the same thing.
There are no star ratings on this page — the course feeds we license do not include them, and we would rather leave a column out than fill it with a number we cannot stand behind. What we do have is price: these range from $19.99 to $449.00, as listed by the provider when we last updated the page.
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1
Introduction to Cybersecurity for Business
Offered by University of Colorado System
The world runs computers. From small to large businesses, from the CEO down to level 1 support staff, everyone uses computers. This course is designed to give you a practical perspective on computer security. This course...
$79.00listed price -
2
Introduction to Cybersecurity & Risk Management
Offered by University of California, Irvine
In this case-based Specialization, you will be introduced to the field of cybersecurity through the world of security governance and risk management. Throughout this program, you will practice applying foundational conce...
$49.00listed price -
3
Cybersecurity with Python: Beginner to Advanced
Offered by Packt
This course features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the co...
$49.00listed price -
4
Introduction to Cybersecurity Principles
Offered by The University of Wisconsin-Madison
Build your foundational knowledge of fundamental cybersecurity strategies and concepts through this introductory course, specifically designed for professionals navigating today's changing digital environment.
$219.00listed price -
5
Introduction to Python for Cybersecurity
Offered by Infosec
This course it the first part of the Python for Cybersecurity Specialization. Learners will get an introduction and overview of the course format and learning objectives.
$49.00listed price -
6
edX MOOC / Non-creditBeginners Guide to Cybersecurity
Offered by IBM
Build an essential understanding of cybersecurity and how to address common security threats and reduce risks.
$49.00listed price -
7
CS50's Introduction to Cybersecurity
Offered by Harvard University
An introduction to cybersecurity for technical and non-technical audiences alike.
$449.00listed price -
8
An Introduction to Cryptography
Offered by University of Leeds
Cryptography is an essential part of secure but accessible communication that's critical for our everyday life and organisations use it to protect their privacy and keep their conversations and data confidential. This co...
$49.00listed price -
9
Introduction to Cyber Threats and Digital Hygiene Risk
Offered by Minnesota State University, Mankato
This course is designed for professionals without a technical background who manage people, data, or business operations to understand the critical aspects of cybersecurity. Learners will learn to explain and apply the C...
$49.00listed price -
10
Introduction to Applied Cryptography
Offered by University of Colorado System
Cryptography is an essential component of cybersecurity. The need to protect sensitive information and ensure the integrity of industrial control processes has placed a premium on cybersecurity skills in today’s informat...
$49.00listed price -
11
Introduction to Computer Security
Offered by Royal Holloway, University of London & University of London
The purpose of this short four-week course is to introduce the topic of computer system security. We initially look at a short basic introduction to computer system core components and functions and then extend this to c...
$49.00listed price -
12
Introduction to Ethical Hacking
Offered by Johns Hopkins University
This Specialization is designed for post-graduate students aiming to develop ethical hacking skills. Through three comprehensive courses, you will explore methodologies, penetration testing techniques, and the MITRE ATT&...
$49.00listed price -
13
Introduction to Software Side Channels and Mitigations
Offered by Graz University of Technology
Side channels exist in the real world, but they also exist in computers and can be exploited directly from software. This is a substantial computer security problem today, that we need to learn about to be able to stop a...
$129.00listed price -
14
Introduction to Post-Quantum Cryptography
Offered by University of Maryland Baltimore County
This six-week online course on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) offers an active, immersive introduction to the emerging field of quantum-safe encryption. Designed for beginning STEM learners, the course blends foundation...
$249.00listed price -
15
Google Cloud Digital Leader Certification - For Beginners
'Google Cloud Digital Leader Certification - For GCP Beginner' course will help in preparing and making you ready for the Google Cloud Digital Leader CertificationThe curriculum of the course is inspired from the officia...
$19.99listed price
Best Cybersecurity Courses for Beginners compared
Prices shown are the provider's listed price when we last updated this page. Confirm on their site before enrolling.
What the prices here tell you
The 15 priced courses on this page run from $19.99 to $449.00, with the middle of the range around $49.00 — a spread of $429.01. That is a wide gap for one subject. A higher price on this page usually reflects who is behind the course rather than how much material it contains, so it is worth opening two or three at different price points and comparing their syllabus before deciding.
Who is behind these courses
These courses come from Coursera, edX and Udemy. The platforms differ in how they sell: some charge once per course, others expect a subscription, and the listed price is not always what you pay at checkout after a promotion. 10 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including University of Colorado System, University of California, Irvine and The University of Wisconsin-Madison — which usually means a fixed syllabus and a recognised certificate, rather than an individual instructor’s own course.
Courses versus exam preparation
1 of the entries here are built around a certification exam rather than teaching Cybersecurity from scratch. They are the right choice only if you already know the material and want to pass a specific exam; if you are starting out, pick one of the taught courses first and come back to exam preparation afterwards.
Before you enrol
Open the provider’s own page and check three things this comparison cannot tell you: when the course was last updated, what the syllabus actually covers in its later sections, and what recent learners say. Prices shown here are the provider’s listed price when we last rebuilt this page on 30 August 2026 — they change often, and a promotion can move them substantially. We earn a commission if you enrol through our links, which costs you nothing and never affects the order courses appear in.