15 Best Big Data Courses for Beginners
We compared 15 Big Data courses currently listed on Coursera, edX and Udemy, priced from $9.99 to $222.30. 5 come from a named university or institution, including University of California San Diego, Adelaide University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 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
- $9.99 – $222.30
- Providers
- Coursera, edX, Udemy
- Last updated
- 18 Sep 2026
How these 15 courses were chosen
Every course below is a real, currently listed course from Coursera, edX, Udemy, matched to "big data" 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 $9.99 to $222.30, as listed by the provider when we last updated the page.
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1
Introduction to Big Data
Offered by University of California San Diego
Interested in increasing your knowledge of the Big Data landscape? This course is for those new to data science and interested in understanding why the Big Data Era has come to be. It is for those who want to become conv...
$59.00listed price -
2
Big Data Fundamentals
Offered by Adelaide University
Unpack big data fundamentals to learn how big data is driving organisational change and essential analytical tools and techniques, including data mining and PageRank algorithms.
$199.00listed price -
3
Learn Big Data Technologies for Complete Beginners
Dive into the world of Big Data with this comprehensive course designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate and leverage large datasets effectively. This course will introduce you to key Big Dat...
$99.99listed price -
4
Introduction to Big Data & Hadoop Ecosystem
This course provides in-depth coverage of essential topics related to Big Data and the Hadoop Ecosystem. It is highly recommended for individuals working in the IT industry, as well as aspiring Big Data professionals. Th...
$19.99listed price -
5
NoSQL, Big Data and Spark Fundamentals
Offered by IBM
This course offers an introduction to NoSQL databases, big data frameworks, and Apache Spark. It focuses on the foundational concepts and skills that are essential for working with these technologies, allowing you to und...
$222.30listed price -
6
Introduction to Accounting Data Analytics and Visualization
Offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Accounting has always been about analytical thinking. From the earliest days of the profession, Luca Pacioli emphasized the importance of math and order for analyzing business transactions. The skillset that accountants...
$158.00listed price -
7
Introduction to Data Science
Offered by IBM
Interested in learning more about data science, but don’t know where to start? This 4-course Specialization from IBM will provide you with the key foundational skills any data scientist needs to prepare you for a career...
$49.00listed price -
8
Introduction to Data Engineering
Offered by IBM
Start your journey in one of the fastest growing professions today with this beginner-friendly Data Engineering course! You will be introduced to the core concepts, processes, and tools you need to know in order to get a...
$49.00listed price -
9
Introduction to Microsoft Azure Cloud Services
Offered by Microsoft
Whether you're just beginning to work with the cloud or you already have cloud experience and are new to Microsoft Azure, this course provides you with everything you need to get started. It introduces you to Microsoft A...
$49.00listed price -
10
Data Science Fundamentals
Offered by University of California, Irvine
This specialization demystifies data science and familiarizes learners with key data science skills, techniques, and concepts. The course begins with foundational concepts such as analytics taxonomy, the Cross-Industry S...
$49.00listed price -
11
Kafka Fundamentals
Offered by LearnKartS
In a data-driven world, real-time processing is no longer optional—it's required. This Apache Kafka Fundamentals is a beginner-friendly but in-depth course for developers, data engineers, system administrators, and IT pr...
$49.00listed price -
12
Introduction to Data Analytics
Offered by IBM
Ready to start a career in Data Analysis but don’t know where to begin? This course presents you with a gentle introduction to Data Analysis, the role of a Data Analyst, and the tools used in this job. You will learn abo...
$49.00listed price -
13
Fundamentals of Analytics on AWS
Offered by Amazon Web Services
In this course, you will learn how AnyCompany Media, a global giant in the media and entertainment industry, overcomes their data challenges. Follow their journey to become a data driven organization in their operations...
$9.99listed price -
14
Hadoop and Spark Fundamentals: Unit 2
Offered by Pearson
This course introduces the fundamentals of modern data processing for data engineers, analysts, and IT professionals. You will learn the basics of Hadoop MapReduce, including how it works, how to compile and run Java Map...
$49.00listed price -
15
Hadoop and Spark Fundamentals
Offered by Pearson
Gain practical, hands-on experience installing and running Hadoop and Spark on your own desktop or laptop, and progress to managing real-world cluster deployments. Through engaging lessons and interactive examples, you’l...
$49.00listed price
Best Big Data 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 $9.99 to $222.30, with the middle of the range around $49.00 — a spread of $212.31. 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. 5 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including University of California San Diego, Adelaide University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — 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.