As the world becomes increasingly digital, data has become a valuable resource for individuals and businesses. Structured Query Language (SQL) is a fundamental tool for managing and analyzing this data.
It is a valuable skill for anyone looking to pursue a career in data analysis, business intelligence, or web development. Learning SQL is an investment that can pay off with career advancements and higher salaries.
There are a plethora of free online SQL courses available for beginners. However, many question the effectiveness of these free courses.
In this article, we will explore the value of free online SQL courses and the best ones available for beginners. Are Free Online SQL Courses Effective?
SQL courses can provide the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to manage and analyze data. Free online courses, in particular, can provide flexible and accessible learning opportunities.
However, the effectiveness of free online SQL courses depends on the quality of the course content, the instructional methods, and the dedication of the learner. Beginners must seek out courses that provide a strong foundation in SQL fundamentals such as SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, and ORDER BY.
Additionally, they need courses that cover specific SQL topics such as IN, BETWEEN, DISTINCT, CALCULATED COLUMN, TEMP TABLES, INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE, and more.
Best Free Online SQL Courses for Beginners
1. Introduction to Databases and SQL Querying (Udemy)
Udemy offers a free SQL course that provides an introduction to SQL querying for data analysis. The course uses Microsoft SQL Server and covers everything from basic SQL querying concepts to more advanced concepts such as stored procedures and subqueries.
Students will learn how to leverage SQL to perform data analysis and how to work with different types of data.
2. Learn PostgreSQL Tutorial – Full Course for Beginners (FreeCodeCamp)
This free course is available on YouTube and focuses on training beginners to understand and work with PostgreSQL. It covers topics such as INSERT INTO, SELECT, FROM, ORDER BY, DISTINCT, WHERE CLAUSE, Comparison operators, LIMIT, OFFSET, FETCH, LIKE, ILIKE, GROUP BY, MIN, MAX, AVERAGE, SUM, INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, Arithmetic operators, Primary keys, Foreign keys, and more.
3. Introduction to Structured Query Language (Coursera)
This free SQL course on Coursera is taught by Charles Russel Severance and covers the basics of SQL querying. Students will learn about single table queries, CRUD operations, SQL JOINS, stored procedures, and many-to-many relationships.
This course is best for beginners and those new to SQL databases.
Free Video SQL Tutorials
4. FreeCodeCamp
Along with the full PostgreSQL tutorial course, FreeCodeCamp offers a variety of SQL tutorials that cover topics such as database management, PostgreSQL, and more.
These tutorials are designed to provide a solid foundation in SQL querying, making them a great resource for beginners.
5. YouTube SQL Tutorial
YouTube offers a wealth of free SQL tutorials that cover a wide range of SQL concepts. These tutorials cover everything from basic queries to more advanced topics such as database management, PostgreSQL, and more.
Students can choose the pace they prefer and can customize their learning experience by choosing topics that interest them.
Free SQL Practice Set for Beginners and Beyond
6. LearnSQL.com
LearnSQL.com offers a free SQL course that has been named the “Course of the Month” by Reddit’s r/learnprogramming community.
The course offers a comprehensive introduction to SQL fundamentals, including Aggregate functions, Grouping rows, JOINs, Subqueries, and more. The practice set is designed to help learners solidify their understanding of these concepts and prepare them for more advanced SQL topics.
Free Advanced SQL Course on edX
7. Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL (edX)
This free SQL course offered by Stanford University through edX covers advanced topics in SQL, including transactions, database triggers, authorization, indexes, concurrency control, and failure recovery.
Students who have completed an introductory SQL course can benefit from this advanced SQL course.
Conclusion
Learning SQL is a valuable skill in today’s data-driven world. With the availability of free online SQL courses, anyone can learn SQL regardless of their background or experience.
The effectiveness of free online SQL courses is dependent on the quality of course content, instructional methods, and the dedication of the learner. Beginners should choose SQL courses that provide a strong foundation in SQL fundamentals and specific SQL topics.
The free SQL courses recommended in this article are great starting points for beginners looking to learn SQL. SQL is a powerful tool used for managing and analyzing data.
As businesses collect and store vast amounts of data, being proficient in SQL can provide individuals with a competitive edge in the job market. LearnSQL.com offers a free SQL practice set that allows beginners to dive deeper into SQL fundamentals and practice their skills.
Additionally, LearnSQL.com provides an extended SQL course that is free and covers advanced topics such as INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE data commands. EdX also offers a free advanced SQL course that covers topics such as transactions, database triggers, and concurrency control.
SQL Practice Set (LearnSQL.com)
LearnSQL.com’s SQL practice set is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of SQL fundamentals. The practice set includes exercises that cover Aggregate functions, Grouping rows, JOINs, and Subqueries, allowing beginners to develop their practical skills in SQL.
The exercises can be completed at each student’s convenience, allowing them to learn at their own pace and schedule. Students can start with the basics and progress to the more advanced exercises as they build their knowledge of SQL.
The SQL practice set provides learners with a real-world database scenario to work with. Each exercise presents a problem, and students must use their knowledge to solve it.
Additionally, LearnSQL.com provides comprehensive solutions for each exercise, allowing students to compare their work and identify where they need to improve. Overall, the SQL practice set offered by LearnSQL.com is an excellent resource for beginners who want to develop their practical SQL skills.
It is free to use, and students can complete the exercises at their own pace, making it accessible for individuals who may have busy schedules.
How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL (LearnSQL.com)
LearnSQL.com offers an extended SQL course that is free and covers advanced SQL topics such as INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE data commands.
Beginners who have completed the SQL practice set can continue learning with this free course. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of how to manipulate databases using Data Manipulation Language (DML) commands.
The How to INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Data in SQL course is designed to provide students with practical knowledge of how to manipulate data in tables. The course covers essential topics such as auto-fill values, IDENTITY, SEQUENCE, NEWID(), NULL, JOIN, default column values and CRUD operations.
Additionally, the course provides a real-world database scenario that students can use to practice their new skills. The course is divided into four modules, each module covering a specific topic.
The first module covers basic data manipulation commands such as INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE. The second module covers more complex data manipulation commands such as JOIN, NULL and default column values.
The third module covers important concepts such as IDENTITY and SEQUENCE, while the final module covers CRUD operations. Overall, the How to INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE Data in SQL course offered by LearnSQL.com is an excellent resource for beginners who wish to develop their SQL skills.
The course is free to use, and students can complete the modules at their own pace.
Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL (edX)
EdX offers a free advanced SQL course titled Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL.
The course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of advanced SQL topics such as transactions, database triggers, and concurrency control. The course is offered by Stanford University and is free to enrol in.
The course is divided into five modules, each module focusing on a specific topic. The first module covers SQL transactions and provides students with practical knowledge of how to control transactions when working with databases.
The second module covers database triggers and provides students with practical knowledge of how to create and manage triggers. The third module covers authorization and provides students with practical knowledge of controlling user access to databases.
The fourth module covers indexes and concurrency control, while the final module covers failure recovery. The Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL course is designed for individuals who have previously completed an introductory SQL course.
Students who enrol in this course should have advanced knowledge of SQL, making it an excellent resource for individuals who want to refine their SQL skills and advance their careers.
Conclusion
SQL is a powerful tool that can provide individuals with a competitive advantage in the job market. LearnSQL.com offers a free SQL practice set that allows beginners to develop their SQL skills, while their extended course is an excellent resource for individuals who want to dive deeper into SQL fundamentals.
Additionally, edX offers a free advanced SQL course, Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL, providing practical knowledge of advanced SQL topics such as transactions and database triggers. Anyone looking to advance their SQL knowledge and career can benefit from these free resources.
SQL is a powerful tool for managing and analyzing data, and mastering advanced SQL topics can provide individuals with a competitive advantage in the job market. LearnSQL.com’s Window Functions in SQL course is a free resource that teaches individuals how to use window functions in SQL.
This course is designed to provide learners with practical knowledge of how to use window functions to solve complex data analysis problems.
Window Functions in SQL (LearnSQL.com)
LearnSQL.com’s Window Functions in SQL course is designed to provide students with practical knowledge of using window functions in SQL to solve complex data analysis problems.
Window functions allow individuals to perform calculations over a set of rows that are related to the current row, making complex calculations more manageable. The course covers essential topics, such as how to use window functions to perform calculations such as running totals, running averages, and rankings.
Additionally, the course covers many-to-many relationships and commission percentages, adding real-world applications to the curriculum. The course is divided into five modules, each module covering a specific topic.
The first module covers the basics of window functions, introducing the concepts of ROWS and RANGE, and how they work with window functions. The second module covers running totals and running averages, and how to use window functions to calculate them.
The third module covers rankings and, in particular, how to calculate the rank of data within a dataset using window functions. The fourth module covers many-to-many relationships, data combination, and how to use window functions to explore data relationships.
The final module covers commission percentages, and how window functions can be used to calculate them. Overall, the Window Functions in SQL course offered by LearnSQL.com is an excellent resource for anyone looking to expand their understanding of how to use window functions in SQL.
The course is free to enrol in, and students can complete the modules at their own pace.
Conclusion
SQL is a valuable skill in today’s data-driven world, and individuals who master advanced SQL topics can find themselves with a competitive advantage in the job market. LearnSQL.com’s Window Functions in SQL course is an excellent resource for anyone looking to expand their understanding of window functions.
Window functions allow individuals to perform calculations over a set of rows, making complex calculations more manageable. The course covers essential topics such as running totals, running averages, rankings, many-to-many relationships, and commission percentages.
The course is divided into five modules, each module focused on a specific topic, and students can complete the modules at their own pace. Anyone looking to further their SQL knowledge and career can benefit from this free resource.
In conclusion, SQL is a valuable skill in today’s data-driven world, and mastering advanced SQL topics can provide individuals with a competitive advantage in the job market. Free online SQL courses offer accessible and flexible learning opportunities for beginners and advanced learners alike.
LearnSQL.com offers free resources for SQL practice sets, How to INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE data commands, and Window Functions in SQL. EdX also offers a free advanced SQL course, Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL, covering advanced SQL topics such as transactions, database triggers, and concurrency control.
By taking advantage of these free resources, anyone can advance their SQL knowledge and career. The key takeaway is that by investing time and effort in mastering SQL, you can create a path towards career advancement and higher salaries in the growing industry of data analysis and business intelligence.