15 Best Algorithms Courses for Beginners
We compared 15 Algorithms courses currently listed on edX, Coursera and Udemy, priced from $19.99 to $249.00. 8 come from a named university or institution, including The Georgia Institute of Technology, IBM and University of California San Diego. 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 – $249.00
- Providers
- edX, Coursera, Udemy
- Last updated
- 18 Sep 2026
How these 15 courses were chosen
Every course below is a real, currently listed course from edX, Coursera, Udemy, matched to "algorithms" 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 $249.00, as listed by the provider when we last updated the page.
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1
Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming with Java II: Object-Oriented Programming and Algorithms
Offered by The Georgia Institute of Technology
Learn the basics of object-oriented programming and algorithms.
$249.00listed price -
2
edX MOOC / Non-creditIntroduction to Java Programming: Fundamental Data Structures and Algorithms
Offered by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Learn to enhance your code by using fundamental data structures and powerful algorithms in Java.
$189.00listed price -
3
IBM Introduction to Machine Learning
Offered by IBM
Machine learning skills are becoming more and more essential in the modern job market. In 2019, Machine Learning Engineer was ranked as the #1 job in the United States, based on the incredible 344% growth of job openings...
$49.00listed price -
4
Biology Meets Programming: Bioinformatics for Beginners
Offered by University of California San Diego
Are you interested in learning how to program (in Python) within a scientific setting? This course will cover algorithms for solving various biological problems along with a handful of programming challenges helping you...
$49.00listed price -
5
Programming Fundamentals
Offered by Duke University
Embark on your programming journey! This introductory course teaches you the fundamental principles of programming in C that are applicable to any language you might want to learn. Master a powerful seven-step problem-so...
$79.00listed price -
6
Java Programming and Software Engineering Fundamentals
Offered by Duke University
Take your first step towards a career in software development with this introduction to Java—one of the most in-demand programming languages and the foundation of the Android operating system. Designed for beginners, thi...
$49.00listed price -
7
Fundamentals of Computing
Offered by Rice University
This Specialization covers much of the material that first-year Computer Science students take at Rice University, brought to you by the world-class Faculty who teach our master's and PhD programs. Students learn sophist...
$49.00listed price -
8
Introduction to Machine Learning
Offered by Duke University
This course provides a foundational understanding of machine learning models (logistic regression, multilayer perceptrons, convolutional neural networks, natural language processing, etc.) and demonstrates how they can s...
$49.00listed price -
9
Accelerated Computer Science Fundamentals
Offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Topics covered by this Specialization include basic object-oriented programming, the analysis of asymptotic algorithmic run times, and the implementation of basic data structures including arrays, hash tables, linked lis...
$79.00listed price -
10
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming
Offered by Institute of Science Tokyo
The term “Computation” refers to the action performed by a computer. A computation can be a basic operation and it can also be a sophisticated computer simulation requiring a large amount of data and substantial resource...
$79.00listed price -
11
C, Go, and C++: A Comprehensive Introduction to Programming
Offered by University of California, Santa Cruz
This specialization is intended for all programming enthusiasts, as well as beginners, computer and other scientists, and artificial intelligence aficionados seeking a comprehensive introduction to programming. Starting...
$49.00listed price -
12
Introduction to Linear Regression Training
Offered by Simplilearn
This foundational course on linear regression equips you with the essential knowledge and hands-on skills to build predictive models. Begin with core ML concepts and algorithms, then progress to simple and multiple linea...
$49.00listed price -
13
98-361: Software Development Fundamentals (using C#)
Welcome to my course on 98-361 "Software Development Fundamentals" using C#. In this course, we will be looking at a variety of different types of programs and concepts around programming.Please note: This course is not...
$99.99listed price -
14
Data Mining course for beginners
This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.Welcome to the Data Mining for Beginners course! If you want to learn how to extract useful information from data and apply this knowledge in practice, this course...
$19.99listed price -
15
98-361: Software Development Fundamentals (using VB .Net)
Welcome to my course on "Software Development Fundamentals" using VB .Net. In this course, we will be looking at a variety of different types of programs and concepts around programming.Please note: This course is n...
$99.99listed price
Best Algorithms 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 $249.00, with the middle of the range around $49.00 — a spread of $229.01. 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 edX, Coursera 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. 8 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including The Georgia Institute of Technology, IBM and University of California San Diego — which usually means a fixed syllabus and a recognised certificate, rather than an individual instructor’s own course.
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 18 September 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.