9 data visualization certifications

1. Codecademy's Visualize Data with Python skill path

Codecademy is an online learning platform that offers more than 600 courses designed to help you gain new skills and hands-on experience. It's served more than 50 million users across nearly 200 countries. Codecademy's Visualize Data with Python skill path covers how to use Matplotlib and Seaborn to create visualizations and communicate data insights. It also teaches how to use AI for data analysis, an increasingly common technique in data science, and it includes a project using Python that can go in your portfolio. Finishing the skill track earns you a certificate of completion, which you can share on LinkedIn and include on your resume.

The program takes about seven hours to complete. It has one recommended prerequisite: the Learn Python for Data Science course. Both programs are for beginners, so they require no prior experience. You can access the skill path for free via the Basic subscription. The free option doesn't come with the certificate. Full access requires the Plus or Pro subscriptions, which costs $30/month ($15/month if you sign up for an annual plan) or $40/month ($20/month for annual plan), respectively.

In total, the skill path includes six lessons, five projects and four quizzes. It's a good option for people looking to gain hands-on experience writing, testing and refining prompts, learn standard design principles and how to tell a compelling data story.

• Cost: $15-40/month.
• Time: Seven hours.
• Skill level: Beginner.
• Prerequisites: One prior course recommended, not required.

2. DataCamp's Data Visualization in R skill track

DataCamp is an organization that provides educational courses for skill development, serving more than 5,000 companies, 3,000 academic institutions, 120 nonprofits and 15 million users globally.

DataCamp offers a skill track called Data Visualization in R, which is one of the most popular programming languages in data science. The skill track features three courses: two focus on producing visualizations with ggplot2, and one teaches the best practices of conveying data insights in R.

The skill track starts at a beginner level and ramps up to intermediate skills. The entire program takes about 12 hours to complete. Free DataCamp users can access the first chapter. A full subscription costs $42 per month or $14/month if you purchase an annual subscription. At the end, you will receive a statement of accomplishment, which you can download and share on LinkedIn.

Data Visualization in R is best for learning and honing practical skills. Some topics it covers include how to create and modify explanatory plots, the grammar of graphics, how to handle various features of ggplot2, common charts and alternative visualization types, plot types to avoid and how to tell better data stories with stunning visuals.

• Cost: $42/month.
• Time: 12 hours.
• Skill level: Beginner to intermediate.
• Prerequisites: None.

3. FreeCodeCamp Data Visualization Certification

FreeCodeCamp is a community-driven, nonprofit organization that provides thousands of free tutorials for aspiring learners. The Data Visualization Certification is particularly comprehensive.

The first course covers how to use D3, an open source JavaScript library, to create dynamic, attractive and interactive data visualizations. The second course covers how to use APIs, AJAX and JSON to find, transfer and organize data from different sources. Finally, you can test your skills with five data visualization projects involving different charts, graphs, maps and diagrams.

The coursework is practical and hands-on. It's a good option for anyone looking to hone their visualization skills and gain experience using a variety of techniques including bar charts, scatterplots, heat maps, Choropleth Maps and treemap diagrams.

The free certification takes about 300 hours to complete and you can complete it at your own pace. It awards a certification for your resume and you'll have a variety of projects for your professional portfolio. FreeCodeCamp also offers a YouTube page with easy-to-understand videos and a highly active forum to help users share knowledge.

• Cost: Free.
• Time: 300 hours.
• Skill level: Beginner.
• Prerequisites: None.

4. Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Google partnered with Coursera to offer the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate. The beginner level program requires no degree or experience. It teaches you the basic skill set for a junior or associate data analyst position. On Coursera, the training has a 4.8 out of 5 stars rating from more than 145,000 user reviews.

The certificate costs $59 per month on Coursera, but you can try a seven-day free trial before investing any money. The course content includes preparing, processing, analyzing and visualizing data. It has an eight-course program dedicated to the art of visualization. You'll learn how to use Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, SQL, PowerPoint, Google Slides, Tableau, RStudio, Kaggle and the open source programming language R.

You will gain experience using the suite of software in Google Workspace -- including Google Analytics --and develop practical skills with hands-on, portfolio-ready projects, including a case study. Once complete, you can add the certification to your resume or use it as credit toward a degree.

You can complete the online courses at your own pace. Generally, users have less than 10 hours of content to study per week and most users complete the program in three to six months.

It's a good option for anyone looking to learn the foundations of data analytics and visualization and start a career in the field.

• Cost: $59/month.
• Time: Three to six months.
• Skill level: Beginner.
• Prerequisites: None.

5. HarvardX Data Science: Visualization

HarvardX is Harvard University's online learning program hosted on its EdX platform. HarvardX offers a variety of professional certificates to help you advance your career. The HarvardX Data Science: Visualization certificate is part of the larger Data Science certificate program, or you can take it as a standalone course.

The program has no prerequisites and covers the basics of data visualization and exploratory data analysis. It teaches the principles of visualization, how to communicate data-driven findings and how to use ggplot2 to create custom plots. It's a good starting point for those looking to gain an entry-level understanding of the subject.

The certificate's approach is slightly different than the other courses on this list. It features real-world case studies, such as analyzing and visualizing infectious disease trends in the U.S. or economic trends around the globe. In addition to teaching best practices, it looks at the common mistakes, biases, systematic errors and other pitfalls of data analysis and visualization. It provides valuable insights into how to approach visualizations in practical contexts.

The visualization certificate costs $219. A free, limited version is available, but you do not get a shareable certificate upon completion. It takes about eight weeks to complete if you study a couple hours per week. The Data Science certificate costs $1,333 and takes about 1.5 years to complete.

• Cost: $219.
• Time: Eight weeks.
• Skill level: Beginner.
• Prerequisites: None.

6. IBM Data Analysis and Visualization Foundations Specialization

IBM partnered with Coursera to offer the Data Analysis and Visualization Foundations Specialization. It's a beginner level program that teaches the basics of data analysis and visualization, and how to use Microsoft Excel and IBM Cognos Analytics to analyze and visualize data. On Coursera, the Specialization has a 4.8 out of 5 stars rating based on more than 2,500 reviews.

IBM Cognos Analytics was named a Visionary in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms for the third year in a row. It's a powerful tool for business analytics and can help you create interactive dashboards for visualizations.

The program features four courses that cover the basics of data analytics including how to collect, wrangle, mine and visualize data; how to use Excel to clean and analyze data in spreadsheets; and how to create visualizations, advanced charts and interactive dashboards in Excel and IBM Cognos Analytics. Students can also create projects based on real-world scenarios, such as analyzing credit card data to detect fraudulent activity.

The training is available through the Coursera Plus subscription, which costs $59 per month, though it comes with a seven-day free trial. You can complete the online courses at your own pace. Generally, it takes 30 to 36 hours to complete.

This course is a good choice for someone looking to supplement their primary job with basic data analysis and visualization skills or someone looking to start a career in the field. The course can also count for up to nine college credits toward a degree.

• Cost: $59/month.
• Time: 30 to 36 hours/1 to 3 months.
• Skill level: Beginner.
• Prerequisites: None.

7. Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate

Microsoft Power BI allows you to turn data into visuals that can integrate with the apps you probably use every day, including Microsoft 365 products such as Excel, Teams and PowerPoint. Microsoft was recognized as a leader in the "2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms" report and has been ranked as such for six consecutive years.

Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate certification shows that you know how to use Power BI for data visualizations. You must pass an exam that takes 100 minutes to complete and costs $165. You'll also have to renew the title each year or it expires.

The certification is for people looking to deliver actionable insights through easy-to-comprehend data visualizations to business stakeholders. It covers how to prepare, model, analyze and visualize data within the Power BI platform. It has no prerequisites, but Microsoft recommends proficiency with Power Query and Data Analysis Expressions and lists the certification at the "Intermediate" level.

Microsoft offers a variety of resources to prepare for the exam, including a practice assessment, a sandbox to become familiar with the exam ahead of time, several free videos and the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst course, which takes three days to complete and costs around $1,200.

• Cost: $165.
• Time: 100 minutes.
• Skill level: Intermediate.
• Prerequisites: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst course recommended, but not required.

8. SAS Visual Business Analytics Professional Certificate

SAS is a leading data and AI platform that offers tools across the analytics life cycle. In "The Forrester Wave: AI/ML Platforms Q3, 2024" report, SAS was recognized as a leader and scored the highest possible criteria in several data categories. SAS was also recognized as a leader in the "IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Decision Intelligence Platforms 2024 Vendor Assessment" report, which highlighted the platform's real-time decision-making capabilities.

SAS offers a SAS Visual Business Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera for beginners looking to learn how to explore, prepare and visualize data in SAS. It requires a subscription to Coursera Plus at $59/month, but Coursera offers a free seven-day trial. The certificate has no prerequisites, and it takes about one month to complete if you study 10 hours per week.

The certification features five courses that cover how to get started with SAS Visual Analytics; how to use data for geographic mapping and forecasting; how to perform network, path and text analyses; and how to create advanced interactive reports. To pass, you must demonstrate technical skills in manipulating, analyzing and visualizing data in a variety of formats, including graphics and dashboards. Once complete, you receive a certification that you can put on your resume.

Alternatively, you can earn the SAS Certified Specialist credential directly through SAS by passing an exam that takes about 100 minutes to complete. The exam comprises 50 to 55 multiple-choice and short-answer questions and costs $180 to take, though discounts are available for students and educators. SAS also provides a range of free resources to help prepare for this exam, including exam tips and strategies, webinars and how-to video tutorials. The credential expires after five years.

• Cost: $59/month.
• Time: One month.
• Skill level: Beginner.
• Prerequisites: None.

9. Tableau Desktop Specialist and Certified Data Analyst

Tableau is a market-leading visual analytics platform that a wide variety of organizations use. In 2024, Gartner recognized Tableau as a Leader in its "Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms" report for the 12th consecutive year. Tableau is one of the most popular tools for data visualization, so it can prove useful to learn more about how to use the platform.

Tableau offers two certifications that are relevant for data visualization, one for associate level users and another for professional users.

Tableau Desktop Specialist

The Desktop Specialist certification is for associate-level users or people who have some foundational understanding of Tableau Desktop already. Tableau has no strict prerequisites to take the exam, but it does recommend at least three months of experience using the product. It costs $100 and takes about 60 minutes to complete. Candidates who pass receive the title Tableau Desktop Specialist, which validates your skills as a user and does not expire.

Tableau offers a mix of free and paid resources, including free how-to training videos and a fundamentals class to prepare for the exam. The class costs $1,200 and takes two days to complete.

• Cost: $100.
• Time: 60 minutes.
• Skill level: Beginner.
• Prerequisites: Three months of Tableau experience; Tableau Desktop 1: Fundamentals course recommended, but not required.

Tableau Certified Data Analyst

The Certified Data Analyst certification is for professional-level users, or people who have at least six months of experience using the product. The exam costs $250 and takes about 105 minutes to complete. Candidates who pass receive the title of Tableau Certified Data Analyst, which validates core product knowledge of the Tableau portfolio and hands-on development skills.

Unlike the Desktop Specialist, the Certified Data Analyst title is only valid for two years. It's ideal for people who enable stakeholders to make business decisions. Tableau offers a mix of free and paid resources, including Tableau Prep I, an intermediate class, and analyst courses to help prepare for the exam. Tableau recommends taking the Tableau Desktop Specialist exam first.

• Cost: $250.
• Time: 105 minutes.
• Skill level: Intermediate.
• Prerequisites: Six months of Tableau experience; Tableau Desktop Specialist certification recommended, but not required.

Jacob Roundy is a freelance writer and editor with more than a decade of experience with specializing in a variety of technology topics, such as data centers, business intelligence, AI/ML, climate change and sustainability. His writing focuses on demystifying tech, tracking trends in the industry, and providing practical guidance to IT leaders and administrators.