Free Python Courses You Should Check Out

Are you a beginning Python developer who’s looking for online courses to improve your skills? We’ve got free Python courses that will help you expedite your learning journey!

Python is often considered one of the most intuitive and easy-to-learn programming languages. The simplicity of Python can be attributed to its syntax; its creator, Guido van Rossum, wanted to make a language that is as understandable as plain English. A strong indicator of the ease of learning Python is the growing number of schools and universities around the world adopting Python as their introductory language for computer science courses.

Why Should Python Be Your First Programming Language?

Python is a highly versatile language and is suitable for a broad range of applications. You can use Python for web and game development, Artificial Intelligence, data science, and machine learning. It can also be used for simple everyday tasks, such as automating reports and sending emails. Another advantage that comes with Python’s versatility is that the skills you learn can be applied to projects that truly interest you.

Python has a large and active community of developers, which is another factor that makes it a great choice for newcomers. The community contributes to a wealth of resources and learning materials available online; without this rich selection, it’d be a challenge to learn Python.

As a natural result of being embraced by a large community, there are a lot of products and services developed with Python. The number of companies and developers using Python keeps increasing – as does the number of Python jobs. All these add up to Python being incredibly popular.

Starting Your Python Learning Journey

As shown in the aforementioned points, Python is an ideal way to start your coding journey. To take the first step, LearnPython.com offers beginner-friendly courses and tracks. You can start with our Learn Programming with Python track, which consists of 5 fully interactive Python courses that have been carefully designed for beginners. Upon completing this track, you will have tackled a staggering 414 coding challenges. That’s a lot of coding experience!

There are also many free Python courses available online. For instance, LearnPython.com has been offering their free Python Basics: Part 1 course for some time now. It will teach you how to create your first Python application, use variables and math in Python, make decisions with conditional statements, repeat code with loops, and write functions to make reusable code. The course has 95 interactive exercises to help you get comfortable coding.

If you want to try your hand at programming in Python, just create a free LearnPython.com account and start learning.

Our Top Picks for Free Python Courses

Aside from our Python Basics: Part 1, there are several free Python coding courses available. These are our picks for the top free online Python options.

1.  Microsoft: Introduction to Python

This introductory-level Python course aims to help learners:

• Understand the very basics of Python and computer programming.
• Use the Python interpreter to write simple programs.
• Declare and use variables.
• Write a program to receive input from a user and display output.

It consists of 8 short units covering the points mentioned above. You need to create a free Azure account to take this course. It’s at an absolute beginner level, so you don’t need to have any prior knowledge of programming to take this course.

You’ll also learn to use Python REPL (Read-Eval-Print-Loop), which allows you to type in commands and see the results immediately using an interactive console. You sometimes want to try out a piece of code without having to create a file for it first; for those occasions, it's convenient to use REPL.

2.  EdX: Computing in Python I – Fundamentals and Procedural Programming

This course teaches the basics of Python programming, including writing short programs and evaluating their results. It explains the building blocks of code: variables, mathematical operations, and logic. There is no prerequisite other than basic arithmetic; you can take the course even if you don’t have a technical background or any experience in programming.

This course consists of 7 chapters, starting off with the fundamentals of computing and gradually increasing in complexity. After completing the course, you'll be able to understand the process of computer programming and write basic programs in Python.

This course is also the first part of the Introduction to Python professional certificate from Georgia Tech. The certificate is not free, but completing the first course for free gives you an idea of what to expect from the certificate.

3.  Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate

This is a series of 6 Python courses. The courses are free to take; however, if you’d like to get a professional certificate of completion, you need to pay.

This beginner-level learning path aims to teach students:

• The basics of Python code.
• How to automate tasks using Python scripts.
• How to do version control with Git and GitHub.
• How to analyze real-world IT problems and solve them with Python.

This path is quite long compared to the other free Python courses in this article. You’re expected to complete it in 6 months, but you can also take the courses separately. For instance, the first one, Crash Course on Python, is an introductory-level free Python course.

4.  Udemy: Try Django 1.11 // Python Web Development

Python is often associated with data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. This is because new tools and products in those domains are almost always released with Python support first. However, this does not mean Python can only be used in those areas.

Python is also a great choice for web development. With open-source frameworks like Django and Flask, Python expedites and simplifies the process of creating web applications.

Django is a high-level framework, which means it offers rapid development with less code. It is free, open-source, and widely used among developers. As a result, you won’t have any problem finding learning materials or answers to your questions while developing with Django.

Try Django 1.11 // Python Web Development starts off with the fundamentals of Django. With 8 hours of on-demand video, this is a highly detailed course. The goal is to build a web application with Django. Thus, if you plan to use Python for web development, this course will be very helpful.

It is important to note that, if you are new to Python, it’d be challenging to learn Django before you build up a foundation of Python skills. Once you have an understanding of programming with Python, Django is there to help you do web development. Thus, I recommend taking another introductory Python course before you start on this one.

5.  Udacity: Introduction to Python Programming

This free course aims to teach you the fundamentals of Python along with programming best practices.

You’ll learn about data types and variables as well as using conditionals and loops to create control flows. You’ll also learn Python’s built-in data structures (lists, dictionaries, tuples, and sets) and how to use them to store data. The course also covers writing custom functions and error handling.

The courses mentioned above help you get started with Python. To improve your Python skills and eventually become a good Python developer, you need to keep learning after completing whichever course(s) you choose.

The most efficient way to sharpen your skills is practice. The best way to practice is to actually write code yourself. When you look for learning resources, make sure you get enough practice. If you only watch a video recording or read a book, you may understand the topic – but it is very easy to forget if you don’t support it with hands-on experience.

Are You Ready to Start Learning Python?

Python is undoubtedly one of the easiest programming languages to learn. However, it won’t happen in a day or two. It takes time, effort, and consistency to learn Python. You need to be ready to dedicate time to learning Python every day, even if it is just for 30 minutes.

Here are some tips to help you with learning:

• How Long Does It Take To Learn Python?
• 10 Useful Tips for Writing Python Scripts
• How to Run a Python Script in Windows

But is learning Python through an online course worth it? The short answer is a definite yes. You’ll start a path that can lead to obtaining a valuable skill applicable in many industries. You’ll be an in-demand professional and able to apply for high-paying jobs. If you feel like you still need motivation, we’ve listed 5 reasons to learn Python in 2023 in detail.

So, what are you waiting for? Learn Python today!