As one of the biggest platforms for online education, Udacity offers a range of nanodegrees, courses, and certifications ideal for a range of industries.
The platform is particularly well-suited to those exploring technical careers, data science, computing, and analytics.
Today, we’re reviewing some of the most popular, highly-rated, and reliable courses available on Udacity. Read on to find the best Udacity certificates for your evolving career.
Top 10 Udacity Nanodegrees
- Introduction to Programming
- Data Analytics Course
- Deep Learning Training Course
- Business Analytics Online Course
- Digital Marketing Nanodegree
- Data Engineering with AWS
- AI Programming with Python
- Programming for Data Science with Python
- Become a React Developer Nanodegree
- Front-End Web Developer Nanodegree
1. Introduction to Programming
Covering everything beginners need to know to launch a career in coding, Udacity’s introduction to programming ensures you can dive into a lucrative role in web and app development, AI, data science, and more.
Over the course of four months, you’ll learn how to leverage Python, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with hands-on exercises and immersive projects that harness your knowledge of coding fundamentals.
Why take this course?
Packed with real-world insights from industry experts, this Udacity course ensures you’ll be able to apply for roles in the fast-paced world of coding. In the United States, programmers can earn as much as $59K annually in an entry-level role.
This course also comes with a host of valuable resources from Udacity, including access to a GitHub portfolio and LinkedIn profile review. Plus, students can leverage real-time support from industry experts and earn a valuable certification.
What will you learn?
The four-month course starts with an introduction to web development, where students will learn how to make basic web pages with HTML and style pages with CSS. As you progress through the lessons, you’ll experiment with fundamental Python syntax, write Python functions, and run Python from a Command-Line interface.
There’s also step-by-step guidance on Object-Oriented programming, web API access, and JavaScript, all designed for beginners. Each course comes with hands-on projects to complete, where you’ll experiment with different tools you can add to your coding portfolio.
2. Data Analytics Course
One of the best Udacity courses for data analysis, this nanodegree teaches beginners how to use Python, SQL, and statistics to extract, process and analyze data.
The course requires some basic knowledge of descriptive statistics and Python but will provide plenty of step-by-step guidance to help you nurture your knowledge of data storytelling and data wrangling.
Why take this course?
This Udacity course provides a complete insight into the world of data analytics, helping students from all backgrounds to excel in a career in data analytics.
Within as little as 3 months, you can develop all the skills you need to start a new role as a data analyst, with real-world projects you can add to your portfolio.
As the volumes of data companies produce in today’s digital world continues to increase, data analysts are in high demand. The average salary for a data analyst is around $75,447 per year in the United States, offering students exceptional earning opportunities.
What will you learn?
This Udacity course teaches students how to use in-demand Python libraries like pandas and NumPy to analyze data. You’ll start with a comprehensive introduction to the process of wrangling, analyzing, exploring, and communicating data with Python resources.
As students move through the 3 month course, they’ll learn more advanced data wrangling techniques, using Python to programmatically prepare insights for analysis. You’ll also learn how to apply visualization principles to the process of data analysis.
By the time you’re done with the course, you’ll have a comprehensive portfolio showcasing how you can explore data at multiple levels to create a compelling story.
3. Deep Learning Training Course
Building on the power of data and artificial intelligence, this Udacity certificate shows students how to leverage deep learning tools to address complex problems for businesses.
The comprehensive course provides behind-the-scenes knowledge on recurrent neural networks, PyTorch, NumPy, and model training methods. It requires some basic Python knowledge to get started, which students can access with Udacity’s AI programming course.
Why take this course?
Artificial intelligence has become a valuable tool in virtually every business environment, particularly for analyzing and managing data. With this course, you’ll develop the skills you need to leverage intelligent tools when addressing enterprise goals and challenges.
This certification could prepare you for a career in a variety of AI-driven industries, providing insights for roles like data scientist and AI engineer. You could even pursue a role as a deep learning engineer, earning an average salary of around $161,173 per year in the US.
What will you learn?
This four-month course from Udacity prepares students to join the next generation of data-driven and AI experts with insights into convolutional and recurrent neural networks.
The certification begins with an introduction to the fundamentals of deep learning, and the foundational algorithms such as gradient descent and backpropagation that power machine learning models.
Throughout the program, you’ll experiment with convolutional neural networks, and examine the inner workings of architectures for transferring learning. The training providers then cover topics like RNN and transformer architectures, with practical, hands-on projects. Plus, you’ll learn how to build a generative adversarial network of your own.
4. Business Analytics Online Course
Another of the top Udacity nanodegree courses for data-driven experts, the Business Analytics online course nurtures foundational data skills suitable for any industry. You’ll learn how to collect and analyze data, model business scenarios, and communicate findings.
This course is perfect for beginners, with no prerequisite knowledge required. However, you will need to be able to download and install applications to complete the certification.
Why take this course?
This entry-level course from Udacity offers professionals an opportunity to step into the world of data analysis, serving businesses from a host of different environments. You’ll be able to prepare for a career as either a full-time or freelance business analyst.
You’ll also gain access to all of Udacity’s career services, including a LinkedIn profile optimization and GitHub portfolio review.
On average, a business analyst in the USA can earn approximately $84,158 per year, with higher salaries available for more experienced employees.
What will you learn?
This Udacity course covers everything students need to know to analyze data and build models with Excel, query databases using SQL, and create Tableau data visualizations.
The 3-month nanodegree starts with a broad introduction to how data can be used to communicate crucial business insights. You’ll develop your Excel skills to analyze and manipulate data in a spreadsheet, and predict potential outcomes.
Throughout the course, your educators will show you how to use SQL to extract and analyze data stored in databases, and you’ll create your own portfolio resources. You’ll also learn how to apply visualization principles to create dashboards and tell stories with data.
5. Digital Marketing Nanodegree
Ideal for creative professionals, the Digital Marketing nanodegree from Udacity prepares students for a career in online promotion. Not only will you learn how to connect with online audiences, but you’ll discover how to use the latest technologies to build more powerful marketing campaigns.
This course is designed for beginners with no prior experience in marketing required. It also comes with access to all of Udacity’s real-time resources for support and career progression.
Why take this course?
Digital marketing is an ever-growing landscape, with high demand for professionals who know how to utilize tools to create powerful online journeys. With this course, you’ll be able to prepare for a career as a digital marketer, content strategist, or SEO expert.
You’ll also be able to apply for roles in a variety of industries, or establish your own business or freelance career. In the USA, the average salary for a digital marketer is $62,848 per year, and there are endless ways to increase your earnings with marketing specializations.
What will you learn?
The 3-month nanodegree course from Udacity covers all of the essential skills marketing professionals need to thrive in the digital world. You’ll start with an introduction to the fundamentals of marketing, creating content strategies and customer journey maps.
Throughout the course, your trainers will teach you how to leverage marketing data and technology to improve your marketing campaigns, and measure the success of your marketing efforts. There are also various elective courses available, so you can expand your knowledge of social media marketing, SEO, search engine marketing, and email marketing.
There’s also an elective course available on digital advertising, with tips on how to set up campaigns on Google Ads and reach audiences across multiple channels.
Review: Udacity Digital Marketing Nanodegree Review
6. Data Engineering with AWS
Designed for those with a foundational knowledge of SQL, command line, and Python, this Udacity certificate shows students how to use AWS resources to enhance their technology career. You’ll discover the features used by leading data engineers to build and design systems for analyzing, collecting, and storing data at scale.
The course includes guidance from leading developers and engineers from across the digital landscape, with real-time feedback available from instructors.
Why take this course?
Offering behind-the-scenes insights into popular solutions like Amazon S3, Redshift, AWS Glue, Apache Airflow and Apache Spark, this comprehensive course can prepare anyone for a career in data engineering.
Intended to help you expand your career in the data landscape, this nanodegree can prepare you for a high-paying data engineer role. The average salary for a data engineer in the US is currently around $127,498 per year, making it a lucrative choice for statistical and data-driven experts.
What will you learn?
Throughout around 4 months of training, the data engineering course from Udacity teaches students how to design data models, build warehouses and data lakes, and manage massive datasets with automated pipelines.
The course begins with an introduction to relational and NoSQL databases, with hands-on guidance on using ETL to build databases in Apache Cassandra. As you move through the lessons, your instructors will teach you how to manage data infrastructure on AWS.
You’ll discover how to build data lakes, and use Apache Spark for wrangling and transforming data. Students also receive a comprehensive insight into how to build data pipelines to accelerate their career with Apache Airflow.
7. AI Programming with Python
AI Programming with Python is one of the best Udacity courses for those interested in the growing area of artificial intelligence. This course is designed for beginners, though it’s recommended you have a basic knowledge of programming and algebra.
Taught by leading instructors with PHD knowledge of computer engineering, this nanodegree guides students through all of the foundations required to build a neural network, from Python and NumPy, to PyTorch, Matplotlib, pandas, and more.
Why take this course?
Demand for artificial intelligence expertise is increasing in virtually every industry, particularly as innovative algorithms continue to evolve. With this course, students can master AI fundamentals required to build their own neural networks and innovative tools.
The instructors in this course will give you all the guidance you need to launch a lucrative career in the AI landscape, as an engineer, developer, or programmer. On average, an AI software developer in the US can earn around $107,502 per year.
What will you learn?
Focusing on the Python programming language, this 3 month Udacity course introduces beginners to the basics of coding with Python, using libraries and automation scripts to rapidly solve business problems.
The instructors provide step-by-step guidance on how to leverage valuable tools for working with data in Python, such as Anaconda, Jupyter notebooks, Matplotlib, and pandas. You’ll also develop skills in Linear algebra and Calculus, crucial for ensuring AI success with vectors, linear transformations, derivatives, and more.
By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive knowledge of neural networks and AI platforms, as well as deep learning and PyTorch. Plus, you’ll be able to create your own image classifier to add to your professional portfolio.
8. Programming for Data Science with Python
This Udacity nanodegree prepares students for an innovative career in data science, with step-by-step instruction on Python, SQL, Git and Command line. The course is taught by industry experts, including the CEO of Mode Analytics.
Great for beginners, this Udacity course requires no pre-requisite knowledge of coding, allowing anyone to launch a new career in data science.
Why take this course?
This nanodegree from Udacity ensures any professional can launch or expand their career in data science with comprehensive real-time support, hands-on projects, and project feedback from industry experts.
By the time you’ve finished the course, you’ll be ready to apply for careers as a data scientist or data analyst. The average national salary for a data analyst in the US is around $104,123 per year, with higher salaries available for experienced professionals.
What will you learn?
Created in collaboration with Mode, this innovative course from Udacity covers all of the fundamentals required for a career in data science in as little as 3 months. The certification begins with an introduction to SQL fundamentals.
Students will learn how to use JOINs, subqueries, and aggregations to answer complex business questions. Next, you’ll discover the basics of Python programming, using data structures, functions, loops, variables, and libraries like Pandas and NumPy.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to create a comprehensive portfolio to post on GitHub. You’ll also have a comprehensive knowledge of version control, so you can share your work with others in the data science industry.
9. Become a React Developer Nanodegree
Focusing on the go-to framework for modern web development in the JavaScript community, the React Developer nanodegree can prepare you for an amazing career as a React expert.
You’ll learn how to build declarative user interfaces for the web, and manage application states, with guidance from senior software engineers and computer science experts. Students are required to have a basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and web forms.
Why take this course?
As digital transformation continues to influence the world we live in, demand for developers is increasing. This course will give you the job-ready skills you need to appeal to companies around the world searching for help with declarative user interface development.
You’ll also learn how to develop mobile apps for Android and iOS, giving you an opportunity to expand your career with freelance projects. In the USA, the average React developer can earn around $120,000 per year, with entry-level positions starting at $102,375 per year.
What will you learn?
Spread over about two months of study, this comprehensive course takes a project-based approach to teaching students how to build powerful user interfaces, improve app efficiency, and manage application state.
You’ll start with an introduction to React fundamentals, where instructors break down the modularity of the React ecosystem into digestible segments. Following this, students progress into an overview of React and Redux, used to make application states more robust and reliable.
There’s also an optional additional course, which teaches students how to create React applications on React Native for Android and iOS devices. Students also learn how to incorporate native APIs into their mobile apps.
10. Front-End Web Developer Nanodegree
Another of the best Udacity courses for innovators in the digital world, the Front End Developer program shows you how to build high-quality sites and applications for the web. This course equips learners with all the unique skills they need to build responsive and intuitive experiences in the digital world.
Students should have a basic knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and other object-oriented programming languages. It’s also advised you take the Version Control with Git course from Udacity.
Why take this course?
Taught by specialists in programming and web development, this comprehensive Udacity nanodegree prepares students with the skills they need to build and manage a range of applications and websites. Graduates will be able to construct responsive websites using tools like CSS, CSS Grid, and Flexbox.
Plus, you’ll be able to connect web applications to backend servers, automate application building and deployment and more. With this certificate, you’ll be able to apply for roles as a front-end developer, earning an average of $112,596 per year in the United States.
What will you learn?
Taught over a course of four months, this nanodegree starts with an introduction to CSS and HTML for website layout and styling. You’ll develop a comprehensive knowledge of use cases for Flexbox and CSS Grid, before moving onto an overview of JavaScript and DOM.
The course includes step-by-step instruction on working with browser events, managing website performance, and using APIs and asynchronous applications. You’ll also discover how to build tools like Webpack for automating your build tasks.
Plus, students will develop an understanding of Sass controlled stylesheets, server data cashing, and managing website functionality with Service Worker.
Are Udacity Courses Worth It?
Udacity is one of the most popular online learning platforms in the world, providing hundreds of thousands of students with the skills they need to excel in the modern world. The site focuses on vocational training for in-demand skills, helping countless professionals unlock new career opportunities every year.
Every Udacity course comes with hands-on training and projects you can use to expand your portfolio and impress potential employers. Plus, Udacity offers real-time support from all of its instructors, as well as flexible learning programs that adapt to your needs.
Every Udacity course also comes with various career services, including GitHub portfolio reviews and LinkedIn profile optimization, as well as excellent community support.
If you’re looking for a way to develop job-ready skills in the digital landscape, Udacity’s nanodegrees offer an immersive way to enhance your knowledge and skills. Plus, many of these courses can be completed in just a few months.
Udacity Certification Alternatives
Methodology
To help you find the best Udacity courses and nanodegress, we’ve gone through the most popular courses on Udacity for each category.
The courses presented in this review can help you build in-demand skills so that it's easier to find a job after completing a course and getting your certification.
