10 Best Courses to learn SQL in 2024 [UPDATED]
My favorite online courses to learn SQL and Database for beginners in 2024 with PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server examples.
Hello folks, if you are a programmer, developer, IT professional, Data Scientist, or software Engineer interested in learning Databases and SQL and looking for the best resources like best books, courses, and tutorials — to start with, then you have come to the right place.
In the past, I have shared some of the best SQL books and websites, and today, I will share some of the best SQL and database courses to learn so you can master this useful technology.
If you don’t know what SQL is and why you should learn it, let me give you a brief overview of SQL for everyone’s benefit. SQL is a programming language to work with a database.
You can use SQL to create database objects —like tables, stored procedures, etc. — and store and retrieve data from the database.
SQL is one of the most important skills for any programmer, irrespective of technology, framework, and domain. It is even more popular than a mainstream programming language like Java and Python, and it definitely adds a lot of value to your CV.
SQL allows you to play with data, which is the most important asset of today’s world. By learning SQL, you can get answers to your questions. For example, you can use SQL if you are a course creator for Udemy, a popular online course platform, and want to know which course is the best seller and which course is not selling at all.
It can help in troubleshooting as well as reporting. Also, SQL is a very stable technology and has been around for years, and it will be needed in the future. This means any investment you make in learning SQL will also serve you for a long time in your career.
10 Best SQL Online Courses for Beginners in 2024
In the past, I have also shared some free SQL courses, which my readers liked. Still, the feedback was that they want more comprehensive and in-depth material, which is why I am coming up with this list of best SQL and database courses for beginners and experienced programmers.
In this list, I have included some of the best SQL and Database courses from Udemy and Pluralsight, two of the leading places for online courses.
These courses will teach you SQL from the ground up. Most of them don’t even need a pre-requisite as long as you know how to operate a computer and download things from the internet, which you know, and that’s why you are reading this article.
1. SQL for Data Science [Coursera’s Best SQL Couse]
If you are learning SQL for Data Science, then this is the perfect course to start with. This is actually one of the best SQL courses on Coursera and teaches you SQL fundamentals and how to work with data.
The University of California offers this course, also known as UCDavis, delivered by instructor Sadie St. Lawrence. This course is part of the Learn SQL Basics for Data Science Specialization which provides certificate after completing all courses and project.
Here are the skills you will gain in this course
- SQL Basics
- Data Analysis
- Data Science
- SQLite
Talking bout social proof, more than 39% of learners have started a new career after completing this course, 34% have got a tangible career benefit from this course, and more than 10% of people have got a pay increase or promotion.
Here is the link to join this course — SQL for Data Science
And, if you find Coursera courses useful, which they are because they are created by reputed companies and universities around the world, I suggest you get the Coursera Plus, a subscription plan from Coursera which gives you unlimited access to their most popular courses, specialization, professional certificate, and guided projects. It cost around $399/year, but it’s completely worth your money as you get unlimited certificates.
2. The Complete SQL Bootcamp [Udemy’s Best SQL Couse]
This is an excellent SQL course for beginners. The course starts from scratch and doesn’t require any previous programming skills or experience.
As the name suggests, the course is inspired by Bootcamps and focuses on intense learning. It is also a comprehensive course and explains every single concept by using slides and live coding.
The author uses PostgreSQL for demonstration purposes, which is both free and open source. It also comes with a GUI tool called PgAdmin, making it easy to work with the PostgreSQL database.
Even though the author uses PostgreSQL, all the concepts you learn in this book apply to other major databases. Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL.
Another plus of the course is an instructor who is very enthusiastic and detailed in his approach. Overall, this is a great course to start learning SQL from scratch, particularly for beginners.
Here is the link to join this course — The Complete SQL Bootcamp
3. An Introductory Guide to SQL [Educative’s Best SQL Course]
This is an interactive course to learn SQL on Educative, an interactive coding and learning platform.
In this course, you will become familiar with one of the most popular and in-demand RDBMS — MySQL. You will start by covering the basics of SQL, such as creating a database and inserting, querying, and updating data.
You will also learn fundamental concepts that developers and data scientists use every day, such as multi-table operations, nested queries, and how to set up views.
Throughout, you will get to execute SQL queries in your browser and see results in real-time- you won’t need to worry about any setup.
At the end of this course, you’ll also get some hands-on practice with common SQL interview questions, so when the time comes, you’ll be ready and confident to answer any question that comes your way. Let’s get started!
Here is the link to join this course — An Introductory Guide to SQL
And, if you find the Educative platform interactive useful, you can also consider getting an Educative Subscription that provides access to their 100+ courses for just $18 per month. It’s very cost-effective and great for preparing for coding interviews.
4. Complete SQL + Databases Bootcamp: Zero to Mastery [2024]
SQL and knowing how to work with data is a valuable skill for almost any role and getting more valuable by the day, and this is one of the best courses to learn SQL and Database fundamentals in 2024.
Created by Andrei Neagoie and his team, this course will teach you to master SQL and Database Management & Design + exercises to give you real-world experience working with all database types.
Here are the key things you will learn in this course:
- How to create your own databases while using SQL to interact with the data
- Learn how to handle user passwords and keep data safe
- Advanced SQL topics like indexes, aggregate functions, caching to make your database queries efficient
The course is fully hands-on, and there are tons of exercises to practice what you learn and test your knowledge. You will also learn how Machine Learning, Data Science, and Data Engineers use Big Data and databases.
Here is the link to join this course — Complete SQL + Databases Bootcamp: Zero to Mastery [2024]
By the way, you would need a ZTM membership to watch this course, which costs around $29 per month and provides access to many super engaging and useful courses like this Python course and this JavaScript project course.
If you are a constant learner like me, then I suggest you go for membership rather than buying a single course, you will save money and make learning easy, as you don’t need to buy courses every time you want to learn something new.
5. SQL for Newbs: Data Analysis for Beginners [Udemy SQL Course]
This is another awesome and fun course for beginners to learn SQL. I really enjoyed watching this course, not just for the content but also for the positive energy from both instructors, David and Pete.
It is enjoyable watching them discuss and explain SQL concepts. I know SQL is interesting, but they make it even more interesting. It’s like old college days with some friends always jumping and doing stuff, which makes you laugh, but it helps remove boredom from the class.
As for the content, as the name suggests, it is a beginner course, but you will learn all the essential concepts like creating a database, tables, stored procedures, using SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements.
In this course, they use the MySQL database, which is the most popular open-source database, and you can download that for free. They have a section for downloading and installing the MySQL database as well.
Here is the link to join this course — SQL for Newbs: Data Analysis for Beginners
After learning the basics, you will learn some non-trivial information — e.g., GROUP BY operator and aggregate functions, connecting tables, joining on multiple conditions, and dealing with other SQL operators and functions.
The best part, of course, is that it has brainbuster exercises to test your SQL knowledge, which is key in building data since you need to work with relational databases and SQL.
6. SQL & Database Design A-Z™: Learn MS SQL Server + PostgreSQL
This is another great course to learn SQL in depth. It covers almost all the topics an application developer should know about SQL.
In this course, you will learn about creating basic SQL queries and different types of joins —. Right and left join, inner join, outer join, cross join, self-join, etc.
This course also explains advanced concepts — like. Indexes, writing SQL queries with multiple tables, and joining them together to produce a meaningful report.
You will also explore database design concepts — e.g., normalization. This course has an entire section that explains normalization and various normal forms — e.g., 1NF, 2NF, 3NF, BCNF, etc.
Here is the link to join this course — SQL & Database Design A-Z™: Learn MS SQL Server + PostgreSQL
The course uses both Microsoft SQL Server and PostgreSQL, and the best part of the course is that its focus is on enhancing your data analytics skills with real-world data science exercises.
If you are interested in Data Science and want to become a data scientist, then a good knowledge of SQL will go a long way, and this course is a great place to start.
7. Building Basic Relational Databases in SQL Server Management Studio — Coursera
This is one of the best Coursera guided projects, which will teach you how to work with SQL Server using SQL Server Management studio in a step-by-step and guided manner.
In this one-hour-based project, you will apply the basics of working with relational databases within the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) environment.
Here are the main things you will learn in this course:
- Learn how to load the AdventureWorks database into SQL
- Create a database diagram using the Object Explorer window in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
- Create and run a simple structured query language (SQL) command to retrieve data from a table.
- Create and run a simple SQL command to create a table and columns.
Here is the link to join this course — Building Basic Relational Databases in SQL Server Management Studio
If you don’t know, Guided projects are a new offering from Coursera, where you learn by doing hands-on coding practice on the browser, and your instructor guides you using split-screen lectures. This is a great way of learning as you learn a skill in a short time.
If you find Coursera courses useful, you can also opt for a Coursera Plus subscription that provides unlimited access to Coursera courses, specialization, and professional certificates. It’s actually a cost-effective way to learn in Coursera.
8. Oracle SQL: Become a Certified SQL Developer From Scratch!
There is no doubt that Oracle is the most popular relational database. There is a huge demand for people with good Oracle Database skills and experience — like an application developer who knows Oracle PL/SQL and a database administrator who knows the ins and outs of Oracle database.
Whether or not you want to learn Oracle from an application development perspective or a Database admin. Perspective, this course is a good place to start.
In this course, you will learn to create databases, tables, and stored procedures and how to write SQL queries. You will learn essential SQL concepts in the Oracle database, such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, ALTER statements, join, group by, where clause, and other functions.
It’s a comprehensive course with 100+ lectures and is well organized into 16 sections that will teach you all important SQL concepts using the Oracle database.
The instructor is good, and it uses free tools like Oracle SQL Developer, which you can download from the web. Overall, it is a good SQL course if you want to learn with the Oracle database.
Here is the link to join this course —Oracle SQL: Become a Certified SQL Developer From Scratch!
9. Introduction to Databases and SQL [FutureLearn Best Course]
This is another amazing online course to learn Database and SQL in 2024 from FutureLearn, leading MOOC websites with lots of courses from reputed universities and organizations.
This course is created by Raspberry Foundation and supported by Google, and you will learn how databases work and how to use SQL from scratch.
Along the way, you’ll learn about primary keys and table relationships, as well as how to create joins to search multiple tables. In the final week, you’ll finish by grouping and looking at exporting data from the database.
Here are the key concepts you will learn in this course:
- What are databases used for?
- Why use a database or a spreadsheet?
- How to create SQL statements to search a database
- What is the role of primary keys
- How to add data using SQL statements
- How to apply relationships to tables within a database
- Use joins in searching across multiple tables
- How to Group data in a database using GROUP BY and HAVING clause.
Learning about databases and SQL is a key component of Computer Science, so it’s important for educators, students, and parents alike to feel confident about the subject.
Overall, an excellent introduction to SQL. It provides not only clear instructions but also several opportunities to try out the code on a database.
Here is the link to join this course — Introduction to Databases and SQL
10. 200+ SQL Interview Questions
This is an excellent course to learn SQL from an interview point of view. If you are preparing for your first job interview or next job, you can expect many SQL questions in the interview.
It’s an important skill, which is why many interviews focus on SQL and data structure and algorithms.
By taking this course, you will not only be well prepared for your next interview, but you will also learn a lot about important SQL concepts. For example, watching the preview of one chapter, which discusses how to tune SQL queries or find and explain the execution plan, you learn a lot.
I am a particular fan of learning from interview questions, as they encourage me more and pique my curiosity. If you are like me, you will find this course immensely helpful. I have bought this course for just USD 10.99 last year and still enjoy it to this day.
Here is the link to join this course — 200+ SQL Interview Questions
It is also a perfect companion for Joe Gekko’s SQL puzzlers book, a great read. It is an interesting SQL query and puzzle book, a must-read if you haven’t read it already.
11. High-Performance SQL Course by Vlad Mihalcea
If you are looking for an advanced SQL course to master tough SQL and database concepts like lateral join, partitioning, Window Functions, and understanding execution plans then this high-performance SQL course is for you.
As the title suggests, its targets are towards writing high-performance SQL which many programmers ignore. What they do is just write the query to do the job but they never pay attention to the fact like performance, I mean how fast is the query, is query performance is degrading over time and if yes, why and how to improve that.
Unless you have an in-depth idea of how SQL works and you can read and demystify execution plans you can’t solve these issues and that’s where this course can help you.
Here are things you will learn in this High-Performance SQL Course :
- Joins Best Practices,
- Subqueries and SemiJoins,
- Derived Tables and CTE,
- Recursive queries,
- JSON processing
- Window Functions
- Explain, Analyze, and Demystifying Execution Plans
- PIVOT, UPSERT, MERGE
- Pagination Best Practices
As you can see, you will not only learn about advanced SQL concepts like Joins Best Practices, Subqueries and Semi Joins, Derived Tables and CTE, Recursive queries, JSON processing but also learn about Explain, Analyze, and Demystifying Execution Plans and pagination best practices.
If you are serious about taking your SQL skill to next level, I highly recommend this course to you.
Here is the link to join this course — High-Performance SQL Course by Vlad Mihalcea
12. Introduction to SQL on Datacamp
This “Introduction to SQL” course on Datacamp provides a comprehensive overview of Structured Query Language (SQL) in a concise two-hour format, making it accessible for beginners.
The curriculum is carefully designed to teach you all the essential skills to create and query relational databases — a crucial proficiency in today’s data-driven industries where vast amounts of raw data are stored in organized collections of tables.
The course unfolds through a combination of informative videos and interactive exercises, ensuring an engaging learning experience. Beginning with the fundamentals, you will delve into the organization of relational databases, covering topics such as data organization, tables, and best practices for database construction.
The latter part of the course shifts focus to practical application, guiding learners through the process of writing SQL queries to extract specific data from databases. This hands-on approach allows you to reinforce your newfound skills and customize and save query results.
In addition to the core content, the course also addresses the distinctions between PostgreSQL and SQL Server, two prominent SQL flavors. Understanding the differences, benefits, and applications of these flavors adds a valuable layer to the learning experience.
By the conclusion of the course, you will not only gain practical experience in SQL but also acquire a solid foundation to apply their skills to real-world projects or pursue more specialized avenues within the realm of data management.
Talking about social proof, with a noteworthy rating of 4.7+ based on 1,286 reviews, the course is well-received by learners. The course’s popularity and positive reviews underscore its effectiveness in delivering a concise yet comprehensive introduction to SQL for beginners.
Here is the link to join this course — Introduction to SQL on Datacamp
After completing this course you can also watch Intermediate SQL queries and SQL for joining data course to learn advanced SQL concepts in depth.
By the way, you need a Datacamp plan to access this course. They have different plans like standard, professionals, and premium which allows access to all projects.
I generally recommend the standard plan because it is right-priced and you get access to all the essentials to grow your data skills like 350+ courses, 14 career tracks, 50+ skill tracks, unlimited practice challenges, and live code along. It cost around $25/month on an annual plan and it’s totally worth it.
That’s all about the best SQL and Database courses for beginners to learn this useful skill in 2024. These are also the best online courses to learn SQL and Database fundamentals from sites like Udemy, Coursera, Pluralsight, FutureLearn, Educative, edX, etc. These are excellent SQL courses for both beginners and experienced programmers who don’t know SQL.
Since SQL skills are always in demand and, in fact, mandatory along with other programming skills, a good knowledge of SQL will help you get a better job and help in your current day-to-day tasks.
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Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like these best online SQL courses and classes, then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a comment.
P.S — If you are looking for some FREE Courses to start learning Database and SQL basics, you should check out the Introduction to Databases and SQL Querying course on Udemy, it’s completely free, and you just need a free Udemy account to access this course.
