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631 Best + Free SQL Courses & Certificates [2026]
Ranked by Michael Kuhlman, CourseDuck's founder, from student reviews across every provider. How we rank
Our guide: The 10 Best SQL Courses on Udemy in 2026
Our top picks
- The Ultimate MySQL Bootcamp: Go from SQL Beginner to Expert [Udemy] - Best Paid Course
- SQL - MySQL for Data Analytics and Business Intelligence [Udemy]
- SQL for Beginners: Learn SQL using MySQL and Database Design [Udemy]
- The Complete Oracle SQL Certification Course [Udemy]
- Introduction to Databases and SQL Querying [Udemy]
- The Complete Oracle SQL Bootcamp (2026) [Udemy]
- NodeJS - The Complete Guide (MVC, REST APIs, GraphQL, Deno) [Udemy]
- The Business Intelligence Analyst Course 2026 [Udemy]
- Microsoft SQL for Beginners [Udemy]
- SQL Programming Basics [Udemy]
About the best SQL courses
Frequently asked questions
- Udemy and Eduonix are best for practical, low cost and high quality SQL courses.
- Coursera, Udacity and EdX are the best providers for a SQL certificate, as many come from top Ivy League Universities.
- YouTube is best for free SQL crash courses.
- PluralSight, SkillShare and LinkedIn are the best monthly subscription platforms if you want to take multiple SQL courses.
- Independent Providers for SQL courses & certificates are generally hit or miss.
- Average
- $101,293 a year
- Middle half earn
- $80,000 to $118,500 25th to 75th percentile
- Full range
- $41,500 to $157,000
Share of US job postings in each pay band; the dark bar holds the average, the striped bars the 25th and 75th percentiles. Source: ZipRecruiter salary data, gathered when this guide was first published in October 2026.
The Complete SQL Bootcamp: Go from Zero to Hero (2022)
A million-student, nine-hour PostgreSQL primer from Jose Portilla that reviewers praise for short videos and well-pitched challenge questions.
Best for: Complete beginners who want to write real queries in PostgreSQL, with challenge questions after every section.
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- Short, plain lectures; a reviewer with ADHD says nothing is explained in a convoluted way
- Challenge questions after each section, pitched at the right difficulty according to reviewers
- You restore a real sample database in pgAdmin at the start instead of just watching someone code
- About 258,000 ratings at 4.7, with 5-star reviews outnumbering 1 and 2-star ones roughly 60 to 1
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- Stops at intermediate level: window functions and query optimisation are not covered
- Last updated December 2022; some reviewers find the second half rushed with few worked examples
- Only two quizzes and no coding exercises, so practice comes from the challenge videos alone
1
The Ultimate MySQL Bootcamp: Go from SQL Beginner to Expert (2026)
Colt Steele's rebuilt MySQL course takes total beginners from a first SELECT to window functions and an Instagram-style schema, backed by a 4.7 rating from over 109,000 reviews.
Best for: Complete beginners who want to query and build real MySQL databases, not just memorize syntax, with exercises and challenges throughout.
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- Rebuilt from scratch with over 325 new videos and updated in July 2026, so it matches current MySQL 8.
- Exercises and challenges start within minutes, and code files are posted after each video.
- Covers window functions, views, triggers, and a full Instagram-style schema, not just SELECT basics.
- Rating split of 66,000 five-star to under 2,000 one- and two-star reviews out of 109,000.
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- Some exercise instructions don't match the posted solutions, according to a recent three-star review.
- No quizzes or graded coding exercises, so practice relies on following along with the challenges.
- One reviewer says some sections are old, and there's little on ER diagrams or tuning.
2
SQL - MySQL for Data Analytics and Business Intelligence (2026)
A 12-hour MySQL course from 365 Careers that teaches SQL through business questions on a real employees database, with 157 quizzes and 123 coding exercises along the way.
Best for: Aspiring data analysts and BI people who want SQL practice tied to business questions, not database administration.
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- 157 quizzes and 123 coding exercises spread across 12 hours, so almost every topic gets practiced right away
- Built around one realistic employees database, so joins and subqueries feel like actual analyst work
- Concise explanations with little filler, according to several 4 and 5 star reviews
- Updated September 2026 and still actively maintained nine years after launch
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- Later sections get much harder to follow, and one reviewer says the tutor rushes through the end
- Audio freezes and cut-outs reported in some lectures, plus one dead database download link
- Delivery is scripted and impersonal, and Q&A replies can take over a week
3
SQL for Beginners: Learn SQL using MySQL and Database Design (2025)
A design-focused SQL introduction from Tim Buchalka's academy that teaches MySQL through a build-along cinema booking database and a proper section on normalization.
Best for: Complete beginners who want to understand database design and normalization, not just write SELECT queries.
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- Cinema booking system project ties design, normalization and queries together in one build
- Reviewers say explanations go into enough depth while staying clear for total beginners
- Students type every query themselves, which one reviewer singles out as what makes the lessons stick
- Refreshed in April 2025, with 127 lectures across 14 sections and captions in 27 languages
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- Subqueries get only 28 minutes; one reviewer wanted more and pointed to CS50 for extra coverage
- Narration sometimes reads aloud what is already on the slide, per a four-star review
- No quizzes or in-browser coding exercises; practice comes only from the challenge videos
4
The Complete Oracle SQL Certification Course (2026)
The Oracle option among the big beginner SQL picks, most of which teach MySQL, built around the 1Z0-071 exam with 53 coding exercises, 55 quizzes and two practice tests.
Best for: Beginners who want SQL taught on Oracle specifically, or anyone prepping for the 1Z0-071 certification exam.
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- Built around the Oracle 1Z0-071 exam, with a review section, walkthrough videos and two practice tests
- 53 in-browser coding exercises, added in 2025, plus 55 quizzes, so there is practice after every topic
- Window functions with OVER and PARTITION are explained clearly, a section one reviewer singles out
- Updated February 2026, and source code for every lecture is on GitHub
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- The chapter using Oracle's free online environment no longer matches the current site, so it is hard to follow
- Udemy's coding exercise editor is buggy for some students, with flickering and hidden code
- One reviewer finds the instructor's self-promotion off-putting
5
Introduction to Databases and SQL Querying (2018)
A free, two-hour SQL primer from Rakesh Gopalakrishnan that takes roughly 625,000 students from install to their first joins, with clear teaching but no exercises.
Best for: Absolute beginners who want a free afternoon's orientation to tables, queries, and joins before committing to a long SQL bootcamp.
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- Free, and finishes in about 137 minutes across 11 lectures, so it fits in one sitting.
- Reviewers say the explanations are clear and assume nothing, even for people who have never seen SQL.
- Covers the practical basics analysts get asked about: joins, dates, string functions, and aggregation.
- Starts from installation, so a Windows user can follow along without any prior setup.
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- No exercises, quizzes, or reference sheet, so practice is entirely up to the student.
- Last updated January 2018, and the recordings are Windows only; Mac and Linux users need a VM.
- No certificate, and it skips subqueries and MySQL, which the lower-star reviews flag.
6
The Complete Oracle SQL Bootcamp (2026)
What You'll Learn
- Pass Oracle 1Z0-071 SQL Database SQL Certification Exam easily on your first try!
- Be Able to Answer any SQL Interview Questions Confidently!
- Become a Job-Ready SQL Developer by Learning All the Skills You will Need!
- Learn Oracle SQL by Professionally Designed Content Step by Step!
- Write, Read and Analyze Any SQL Queries Easily and Learn How to Play with Data!
- Solve any SQL-related Problems by Yourself Creating Analytical Solutions!
- Test Your SQL Skills with Hundreds of Hands-on Examples, Quizzes, Challenges!
- Lifetime Support from the Instructors. Get a Well-Organized Recap Document!
7
NodeJS - The Complete Guide (MVC, REST APIs, GraphQL, Deno) (2026)
Maximilian Schwarzmller's 40-hour Node.js course builds a shop and a blog while covering SQL, MongoDB, REST, GraphQL and Deno, though the footage shows its 2018 roots.
Best for: JavaScript developers who want one course covering Express, both SQL and MongoDB, REST and GraphQL, all built inside real projects.
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- Two full projects, an online shop with Stripe checkout and a blog, so every feature lands in real code
- Max explains each line clearly; one reviewer calls him the best instructor they have studied with
- Rare breadth: MySQL and Sequelize, MongoDB and Mongoose, REST, GraphQL, websockets, TypeScript and Deno
- Over 55,000 reviews and a 4.6 rating, with 93 percent at four or five stars
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- Core footage dates from 2018; reviewers report Node 14, then-catch chains and packages that no longer install cleanly
- Four database sections (MySQL, Sequelize, MongoDB, Mongoose) leave some students lost in one big project
- On-camera backtracking to fix mistakes, and no quizzes or coding exercises to check progress
8
The Business Intelligence Analyst Course 2026
What You'll Learn
- Become an expert in Statistics, SQL, Tableau, and problem solving
- Boost your resume with in-demand skills
- Gather, organize, analyze and visualize data
- Use data for improved business decision-making
- Present information in the form of metrics, KPIs, reports, and dashboards
- Perform quantitative and qualitative business analysis
- Analyze current and historical data
- Discover how to find trends, market conditions, and research competitor positioning
- Understand the fundamentals of database theory
- Use SQL to create, design, and manipulate SQL databases
- Extract data from a database writing your own queries
- Create powerful professional visualizations in Tableau
- Combine SQL and Tableau to visualize data from the source
- Solve real-world business analysis tasks in SQL and Tableau
9
Microsoft SQL for Beginners (2020)
A short, Windows-only T-SQL starter that takes total beginners from SELECT to GROUP BY and HAVING in about four hours.
Best for: Office workers with zero SQL background who need T-SQL for a Microsoft shop and want a quick start.
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- Clear step-by-step order from SELECT through joins to GROUP BY and HAVING
- Assumes zero SQL; one reviewer with none says they now use it at work
- Short at about four hours, so a beginner can finish it in a weekend
- Joins get their own section covering inner, outer and full outer types
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- Setup instructions are outdated; one reviewer needed Q&A hints and newer software
- Needs a Windows computer and teaches T-SQL only, not MySQL or Oracle
- Difficulty jumps fast when new topics arrive, with no intermediate step, per one reviewer
10
SQL Programming Basics (2023)
A 1.5 hour crash course from Global Academy that covers SELECT, joins, sorting, and basic data types for people who have never written a query before.
Best for: Total beginners who want the core SQL vocabulary in one sitting, not a semester.
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- Clear, beginner-friendly explanations that reviewers repeatedly call easy to follow
- Covers joins, sorting, filtering, and data types in under 90 minutes
- Broken into short lectures you can revisit when you forget a specific concept
- Nearly 35,000 reviews holding a 4.6 rating, a large and consistent sample
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- No quizzes, coding exercises, or practice tests to reinforce what you just watched
- Moves too fast for some beginners given how much ground it covers
- Skips practical topics, like ordering clauses, that one reviewer flagged as missing