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15 Best Problem Solving Courses for Beginners

We compared 15 Problem Solving courses currently listed on Coursera, priced from $49.00 to $79.00. 9 come from a named university or institution, including Vanderbilt University, IBM and Duke University. 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
$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 "problem solving" 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

    Introduction to Programming with MATLAB

    Offered by Vanderbilt University

    This course teaches computer programming to those with little to no previous experience. It uses the programming system and language called MATLAB to do so because it is easy to learn, versatile and very useful for engin...

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

    Introduction to Technical Support

    Offered by IBM

    Technical Support professionals are in great demand! This is the first course in the IBM IT Support Professional Certificate program, designed to prepare you for a rewarding career in technical support. You will begin th...

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

    Python Programming Fundamentals

    Offered by Duke University

    This introductory course is designed for beginners and individuals with limited programming experience who want to embark on their software development or data science journey using Python. Throughout the course, learner...

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

    Differential Calculus Fundamentals

    Offered by University of Huddersfield

    Master the essential concepts of differential calculus and develop expertise in analyzing rates of change and solving optimization problems. In this comprehensive course, you'll learn to calculate derivatives from first...

    $49.00
    listed price
  5. 5
    Coursera Certificate Grade A University-backed

    Python: A Guided Journey from Introduction to Application

    Offered by Arizona State University

    In today’s society, uses for new technologies are broadening in scope and revolutionizing the world. Many new technologies automate redundant tasks so people may complete tasks of greater priority. These new automated te...

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

    Introduction to Python

    Offered by Arizona State University

    In today’s society, uses for new technologies are broadening in scope and revolutionizing the world. Many new technologies automate redundant tasks so people may complete tasks of greater priority. These new automated te...

    $49.00
    listed price
  7. 7
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade A University-backed

    Introduction to Programming

    Offered by Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani

    This course aims to prepare you for problem solving through programming. In this course, you’ll be introduced to the C Programming Language. You’ll learn about various constructs supported by C Language and use them to w...

    $49.00
    listed price
  8. 8
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade A University-backed

    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...

    $79.00
    listed price
  9. 9
    Coursera Certificate Grade A University-backed

    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...

    $49.00
    listed price
  10. 10
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade A University-backed

    Introduction to Computer Science and Programming

    Offered by Goldsmiths, University of London & University of London

    This specialisation covers topics ranging from basic computing principles to the mathematical foundations required for computer science. You will learn fundamental concepts of how computers work, which can be applied to...

    $49.00
    listed price
  11. 11
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    Introduction to Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science

    Offered by University of California San Diego

    Discrete Mathematics is the language of Computer Science. One needs to be fluent in it to work in many fields including data science, machine learning, and software engineering (it is not a coincidence that math puzzles...

    $79.00
    listed price
  12. 12
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B University-backed

    Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism

    Offered by Rice University

    This specialization is for learners who are interested in first-year, university-level physics. Through four courses, you will gain a foundation in electromagnetism and circuits including charge, forces, fields, potentia...

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

    Introduction to Scripting in Python

    Offered by Rice University

    Developed by Rice University's world-class Computer Science & Data Science faculty, this specialization is intended for beginners who would like to master essential programming skills. Through four courses, you will cove...

    $49.00
    listed price
  14. 14
    Coursera MOOC / Non-credit Grade B

    Apply C++ Programming Fundamentals for Beginners

    Offered by EDUCBA

    By the end of this course, learners will be able to explain core programming concepts, write and execute basic C++ programs, apply variables, operators, and expressions, and design structured programs using functions and...

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

    Introduction to Management Consulting

    Offered by IBM

    Many aspiring consultants struggle to break into the field, unsure of what management consulting really involves or how to develop the structured thinking that top firms demand. This comprehensive introduction demystifie...

    $49.00
    listed price

Best Problem Solving Courses for Beginners compared

# Course Provider Offered by Price
1 Introduction to Programming with MATLAB Coursera Vanderbilt University $49.00 View →
2 Introduction to Technical Support Coursera IBM $49.00 View →
3 Python Programming Fundamentals Coursera Duke University $49.00 View →
4 Differential Calculus Fundamentals Coursera University of Huddersfield $49.00 View →
5 Python: A Guided Journey from Introduction to Application Coursera Arizona State University $49.00 View →
6 Introduction to Python Coursera Arizona State University $49.00 View →
7 Introduction to Programming Coursera Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani $49.00 View →
8 Programming Fundamentals Coursera Duke University $79.00 View →
9 Java Programming and Software Engineering Fundamentals Coursera Duke University $49.00 View →
10 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Coursera Goldsmiths, University of London & University of London $49.00 View →
11 Introduction to Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science Coursera University of California San Diego $79.00 View →
12 Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism Coursera Rice University $49.00 View →
13 Introduction to Scripting in Python Coursera Rice University $49.00 View →
14 Apply C++ Programming Fundamentals for Beginners Coursera EDUCBA $49.00 View →
15 Introduction to Management Consulting Coursera IBM $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. 9 of these are produced by a named university or institution, including Vanderbilt University, IBM and Duke 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.

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