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15 Best Big Data Courses on Coursera

Choosing a big data course on Coursera involves weighing the focus of the curriculum, the teaching institution, and the price you are comfortable paying. The fifteen courses listed here range from introductory overviews to specialised topics such as Hadoop processing, cloud‑based analytics on AWS and Google Cloud, and software architecture for large‑scale data systems. Prices are currently between $49.00 and $79.00, with most courses priced at $49.00, reflecting the platform’s subscription model rather than a one‑off tuition fee.

Each offering comes from a recognised university or institution, so you can expect a level of academic rigour appropriate to the subject matter. Consider whether you need a broad grounding in big data concepts, hands‑on experience with specific tools, or a deeper dive into cloud environments, and match that with the course description and provider to find the best fit for your learning goals.

Courses compared
15
Price range
$49.00 – $79.00
Providers
Coursera
Last updated
18 Sep 2026
How these 15 courses were chosen

Every course below is a real, currently listed course from Coursera, 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 $49.00 to $79.00, as listed by the provider when we last updated the page.

  1. 1
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade A Lowest price here University-backed

    Big Data Analytics

    Offered by O.P. Jindal Global University

    Ready to turn massive, complex datasets into actionable business insights? This advanced Big Data Analytics course is designed for learners with basic SQL, Python programming, and experience using predictive tools who wa...

    $49.00
    listed price
  2. 2
    Coursera Certificate Grade A University-backed

    Big Data Processing Using Hadoop

    Offered by Johns Hopkins University

    The specialization "Big Data Processing Using Hadoop" is intended for post-graduate students seeking to develop advanced skills in big data processing and management using the Hadoop ecosystem. Through four detailed cour...

    $49.00
    listed price
  3. 3
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade A University-backed

    Emerging Technologies: From Smartphones to IoT to Big Data

    Offered by Yonsei University

    This Specialization is intended for researchers and business experts seeking state-of-the-art knowledge in advanced science and technology. The 4 courses cover details on Big Data (Hadoop, Spark, Storm), Smartphones, Sma...

    $49.00
    listed price
  4. 4
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade A University-backed

    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...

    $59.00
    listed price
  5. 5
    Coursera Master's Degree Grade A University-backed

    Software Architecture for Big Data

    Offered by University of Colorado Boulder

    This specialization is for software engineers interested in the principles of building and architecting large software systems that use big data. Through three courses you will learn about how to build and architect perf...

    $79.00
    listed price
  6. 6
    Coursera Certificate Grade A University-backed

    Big Data

    Offered by University of California San Diego

    Drive better business decisions with an overview of how big data is organized, analyzed, and interpreted. Apply your insights to real-world problems and questions. ********* Do you need to understand big data and how it...

    $49.00
    listed price
  7. 7
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    Apache Spark with Scala – Hands-On with Big Data!

    Offered by Packt

    Embark on a journey to master big data processing with Apache Spark and Scala. This course begins with setting up your development environment, ensuring you have a solid foundation in both Spark and Scala. You will dive...

    $49.00
    listed price
  8. 8
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    Data Visualization and Security in AWS Big Data

    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...

    $49.00
    listed price
  9. 9
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    Processing and Analyzing Big Data in AWS

    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...

    $49.00
    listed price
  10. 10
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    Data Engineer, Big Data and ML on Google Cloud auf Deutsch

    Offered by Google Cloud

    Dieser fünfwöchige Onlinevertiefungskurs bietet eine praktische Einführung zum Entwerfen und Erstellen von Datenverarbeitungssystemen auf der Google Cloud Platform. In Präsentationen, Demos und praxisorientierten Labs en...

    $49.00
    listed price
  11. 11
    Coursera Certificate Grade B

    Big Data Foundations with Hadoop and Spark

    Offered by Packt

    This specialization 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 throug...

    $49.00
    listed price
  12. 12
    Coursera Certificate Grade B

    Hadoop Projects: Analyze & Optimize Big Data

    Offered by EDUCBA

    Master practical Hadoop data analytics through project-based experience with HDFS, MapReduce, Apache Pig, and Apache Hive. You’ll learn to clean, structure, transform, query, and optimize large-scale datasets while build...

    $49.00
    listed price
  13. 13
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    Real-Time Big Data Access using HBase: Boosting Performance

    Offered by LearnQuest

    In the world of big data, the significant growth in both the sheer volume and variety of data has presented significant challenges. Apache HBase has emerged as a robust and scalable solution. HBase is a powerful, distrib...

    $49.00
    listed price
  14. 14
    Coursera Certificate Grade B

    Data Engineering, Big Data, and Machine Learning on GCP

    Offered by Google Cloud

    87% of Google Cloud certified users feel more confident in their cloud skills. This program provides the skills you need to advance your career and provides training to support your preparation for the industry-recognize...

    $49.00
    listed price
  15. 15
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    Apache Hive: Design, Query & Optimize Big Data

    Offered by EDUCBA

    Master Apache Hive through a structured journey from core concepts to advanced big data operations. You’ll begin by exploring Hive’s role in the Hadoop ecosystem and using HiveQL to create, manage, and modify databases a...

    $49.00
    listed price

Best Big Data Courses on Coursera compared

# Course Provider Offered by Price
1 Big Data Analytics Coursera O.P. Jindal Global University $49.00 View →
2 Big Data Processing Using Hadoop Coursera Johns Hopkins University $49.00 View →
3 Emerging Technologies: From Smartphones to IoT to Big Data Coursera Yonsei University $49.00 View →
4 Introduction to Big Data Coursera University of California San Diego $59.00 View →
5 Software Architecture for Big Data Coursera University of Colorado Boulder $79.00 View →
6 Big Data Coursera University of California San Diego $49.00 View →
7 Apache Spark with Scala – Hands-On with Big Data! Coursera Packt $49.00 View →
8 Data Visualization and Security in AWS Big Data Coursera Packt $49.00 View →
9 Processing and Analyzing Big Data in AWS Coursera Packt $49.00 View →
10 Data Engineer, Big Data and ML on Google Cloud auf Deutsch Coursera Google Cloud $49.00 View →
11 Big Data Foundations with Hadoop and Spark Coursera Packt $49.00 View →
12 Hadoop Projects: Analyze & Optimize Big Data Coursera EDUCBA $49.00 View →
13 Real-Time Big Data Access using HBase: Boosting Performance Coursera LearnQuest $49.00 View →
14 Data Engineering, Big Data, and Machine Learning on GCP Coursera Google Cloud $49.00 View →
15 Apache Hive: Design, Query & Optimize Big Data Coursera EDUCBA $49.00 View →

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 $49.00 to $79.00, with the middle of the range around $49.00 — a spread of $30.00. The options are closely priced, so cost is unlikely to be your deciding factor. 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. Everything on this page is sold on the one platform, so the buying experience is the same whichever you pick. 5 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including O.P. Jindal Global University, Johns Hopkins University and Yonsei University — 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.

Frequently asked questions

What level of prior knowledge is required for these big data courses?
Most of the courses are designed for beginners or those with basic programming experience. Introductory titles such as "Introduction to Big Data" assume no prior big data background, while more technical courses like "Big Data Processing Using Hadoop" expect familiarity with data handling concepts.
How do the courses differ in terms of technology focus?
Some courses concentrate on specific platforms – for example, the AWS‑focused titles cover data visualisation and processing on Amazon services, whereas the Google Cloud course teaches big data and machine learning on Google’s infrastructure. Others, like the Hadoop and Spark courses, teach open‑source frameworks that can be used across cloud providers.
Are the certificates from these courses recognised by employers?
All courses are offered through Coursera and issued by the listed universities, so the certificates carry the institution’s name. While recognition varies by employer, they demonstrate that you have completed structured learning from a recognised academic source.
Can I switch between courses if I start one that isn’t a good fit?
Coursera’s subscription model lets you enrol in a course, complete a portion, and then enrol in another without additional charge, as long as the subscription remains active. This flexibility allows you to try a course and move to a different one if the content does not match your expectations.

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