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15 Best Data Manipulation Courses for Beginners

We compared 15 Data Manipulation courses currently listed on Coursera, edX and Udemy, priced from $19.99 to $310.50. 7 come from a named university or institution, including University of Pittsburgh, IBM and University of Michigan. 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 – $310.50
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 "data manipulation" 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 $310.50, as listed by the provider when we last updated the page.

  1. 1
    Coursera Certificate Grade A University-backed

    Linear Algebra and Regression Fundamentals for Data Science

    Offered by University of Pittsburgh

    Unlock essential mathematical skills with "Linear Algebra and Regression Fundamentals for Data Science" , which sets the foundation for advanced data science studies. This comprehensive program emphasizes practical appli...

    $49.00
    listed price
  2. 2
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade A University-backed

    Data Science Fundamentals with Python and SQL

    Offered by IBM

    Data science is one of the hottest professions of the decade, and the demand for data scientists who can analyze data and communicate results to inform data driven decisions has never been greater. This Specialization fr...

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

    Fundamentals of Data Analytics in the Public Sector with R

    Offered by University of Michigan

    Gain a foundational understanding of key terms and concepts in public administration and public policy while learning foundational programming techniques using the R programming language. You will learn how to execute fu...

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

    Introduction to Python Functions

    Offered by University of Colorado Boulder

    How many times have you decided to learn a programming language but got stuck somewhere along the way, grew frustrated, and gave up? This specialization is designed for learners who have little or no programming experien...

    $49.00
    listed price
  5. 5
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade A University-backed

    BiteSize Python for Absolute Beginners: Data Structures

    Offered by University of Colorado Boulder

    This course provides an in-depth exploration of Python’s four built-in data structures: lists, tuples, sets, and dictionaries. Each structure will be introduced in detail, focusing on how to create, access, and manipulat...

    $49.00
    listed price
  6. 6
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade A University-backed

    R Programming Fundamentals

    Offered by Stanford University

    This course covers the basics of R: a free programming language and software environment used for statistical computing and graphics. R is widely used by data analysts, statisticians, and data scientists around the world...

    $99.00
    listed price
  7. 7
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    Introduction to Data Analysis with Python and Polars

    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
  8. 8
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    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...

    $49.00
    listed price
  9. 9
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    Fundamentals of Python

    Offered by SDA Bocconi School of Management

    We will equip you with everything you need to properly start using Python in your daily work activities. You will learn how to install Python and work with it through different graphical front-ends. You will then learn h...

    $199.00
    listed price
  10. 10
    edX MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    Introduction to SQL & Databases

    Offered by Stanford University

    This course provides a solid foundation in SQL and database management, focusing on key concepts and practical applications. You will learn how to create and manipulate databases, write complex queries, and understand fu...

    $310.50
    listed price
  11. 11
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    SQL From Beginner to Advanced

    Offered by LearnKartS

    Data is everywhere. The people who can query it, design it, & secure it are the ones getting hired. This specialization takes you from zero SQL knowledge to job-ready skills. Here’s what you will build skills in: SQL Fou...

    $49.00
    listed price
  12. 12
    Udemy Certificate Grade B

    R Programming For Absolute Beginners

    If you have decided to learn R as your data science programming language, you have made an excellent decision!   R is the most widely used tool for statistical programming. It is powerful, versatile and easy to use. It i...

    $39.99
    listed price
  13. 13
    Udemy Certificate Grade B Lowest price here

    Build SQL Queries with Excel from scratch

    SQL is a standard language for accessing and manipulating databases.What is SQL?SQL stands for Structured Query LanguageSQL lets you access and manipulate databasesSQL became a standard of the American National Standards...

    $19.99
    listed price
  14. 14
    Udemy Certificate Grade B

    Querying SQL Server Databases with T-SQL Fundamentals

    Unlock the power of Microsoft SQL Server and master T-SQL (Transact-SQL) to efficiently query, manipulate, and manage databases. Whether you are a beginner looking to get started with SQL or an IT professional, data anal...

    $84.99
    listed price
  15. 15
    Udemy Certificate Grade B

    PostgreSQL For Beginners

    PostgreSQL is commonly known as Postgres and it is also  open source database. In this course, we will go over the basics of the PostgreSQL. We will cover topics ranging from installations, to writing basic queries and r...

    $159.99
    listed price

Best Data Manipulation Courses for Beginners compared

# Course Provider Offered by Price
1 Linear Algebra and Regression Fundamentals for Data Science Coursera University of Pittsburgh $49.00 View →
2 Data Science Fundamentals with Python and SQL Coursera IBM $49.00 View →
3 Fundamentals of Data Analytics in the Public Sector with R Coursera University of Michigan $49.00 View →
4 Introduction to Python Functions Coursera University of Colorado Boulder $49.00 View →
5 BiteSize Python for Absolute Beginners: Data Structures Coursera University of Colorado Boulder $49.00 View →
6 R Programming Fundamentals edX Stanford University $99.00 View →
7 Introduction to Data Analysis with Python and Polars Coursera Packt $49.00 View →
8 Data Science Fundamentals Coursera University of California, Irvine $49.00 View →
9 Fundamentals of Python edX SDA Bocconi School of Management $199.00 View →
10 Introduction to SQL & Databases edX Stanford University $310.50 View →
11 SQL From Beginner to Advanced Coursera LearnKartS $49.00 View →
12 R Programming For Absolute Beginners Udemy $39.99 View →
13 Build SQL Queries with Excel from scratch Udemy $19.99 View →
14 Querying SQL Server Databases with T-SQL Fundamentals Udemy $84.99 View →
15 PostgreSQL For Beginners Udemy $159.99 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 $19.99 to $310.50, with the middle of the range around $49.00 — a spread of $290.51. 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. 7 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including University of Pittsburgh, IBM and University of Michigan — 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.

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