Spreadsheet programs have become increasingly vital for individuals and businesses to track finances, manage projects, analyze data, and more. From a professional standpoint, formal training can significantly improve your value as an employee.
Luckily, a wide range of excellent online Excel training is available, from beginner basics to advanced topics to certification courses. Here, we walk you through the best Excel courses of the year, the benefits of taking one, and tips for mastering the popular program.
The Best Excel Training Courses Online
| Course | Level | Length | Pricing |
| Microsoft Excel – Excel from Beginner to Advanced | Beginner to Advanced | 254 lessons (21h 3m in total) | Paid โ $ |
| Excel Essential Training (Microsoft 365) | Beginner to Intermediate | 11 chapters (2h 17m in total) | Paid โ $ |
| Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel | Beginner | 1 module per week (4 weeks in total) | Free |
| Analyzing Data with Excel | Beginner | 2-3 hours per week (5 weeks in total) | Free |
| Microsoft Excel 365 – Basic & Advanced | Beginner to Intermediate | 61 lessons (26h in total) | Paid โ $ |
| Online VBA Classes | Advanced | 1 topic per week (13 weeks in total) | Paid โ $$ |
| Excel Skills for Business Specialization | Beginner to Advanced | 4 courses (106h in total) | Free |
| Inside Excel – Learn 23 Essential Excel Skills the Pros Know | Advanced | 25 lectures (2h 39m in total) | Paid โ $ |
| Excel Skills for Business Forecasting | Intermediate | 3 courses (30h in total) | Free |
| Excel Essentials Course | Beginner to Intermediate | 28 materials (5 modules in total) | Paid โ $$ |
1. Udemy: Microsoft Excel – Excel from Beginner to Advanced
| Level | Beginner to Advanced |
| Pricing | Paid โ $ |
| Rating | 4.6 out of 5 (369K+ ratings) |
| Length | 254 lessons (21h 3m in total) |
Pros
- Covers Excel from basics to advanced features
- Single payment provides lifetime access
- Includes a completion certificate
Cons
- Can be pricey if no discounts are available
If youโre trying to master spreadsheets with little-to-no experience, this Udemy course is one of the best Excel courses. In addition to basics (like common functions on spreadsheets), it also covers handling large data sets using pivot tables. Some of the more dynamic functions youโll learn include VLOOKUP, MATCH, and INDEX.
While the topic scope is incredibly wide, the 250+ lessons can be taken at your own pace. After all, investing in the course provides users with lifetime access to all its materials.
2. LinkedIn Learning: Excel Essential Training (Microsoft 365)
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate |
| Pricing | Paid โ $ |
| Rating | 4.8 out of 5 (63K+ ratings) |
| Length | 11 chapters (2h 17m in total) |
Pros
- Lessons are short but insightful
- Assessments are given per chapter
- Includes a completion certificate
- Offers Continuing Professional Education units
Cons
- Short lessons might be too fast for some learners
This Microsoft Excel course on LinkedIn Learning has been developed for those who are complete novices. Here, instructor Dennis Taylor walks learners through opening and organizing data. He then discusses using functions, formatting your worksheets, inserting multiple rows in Excel, and more.
The lessons are divided into eleven short chapters, with the whole course taking just two hours. In spite of its briefness, the course does cover some intermediate-level topics like pivot tables, protecting worksheets, and tracking sheet changes.
Completers can earn CPE credits with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA).
3. Rice University: Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel
| Level | Beginner |
| Pricing | Free |
| Length | 1 module per week (4 weeks in total) |
Pros
- Short course duration
- Suitable pace for beginners
- Includes completion certificate
Cons
- Requires Coursera subscription
Rice Universityโs Excel class for beginners is perfect for getting started on the platform. It covers the fundamental features of Excel and how they can be used to perform data analysis.
Besides the basics, this course details data organization, management using filters, VLOOKUP across sheets, and pivot tables. Finally, users also learn how to present data using visual aids (like graphs and charts).
You can access the course materials for free by using the audit mode on Coursera. If you want to receive a completion certificate, youโll have to become a paying platform member. Once you finish the course, you can continue with the Business Statistics and Analysis Specialization.
4. ย edX: Analyzing Data with Excel
| Level | Beginner |
| Pricing | Free |
| Length | 2-3 hours per week (5 weeks in total) |
Pros
- Comes with a verifiable skill badge
- Focuses on hands-on learning
- Features activities and assessments
- Related courses available
Cons
- Focuses on using MS Excel Online
This is a course provided by the tech giant IBMย through edX. It covers the basics of spreadsheet software, the importance of good data quality, cleaning data, and using Excel for easy data analysis.
These topics are delivered using video lessons, practical examples, in-depth demonstrations, and labs to hone basic Excel skills. Near the end of the course, youโll be tasked with a final project where youโll need to incorporate everything youโve learned so far.
From the videos to the activities, every part of the class is free to audit. However, edX offers a paid version that provides you with a verifiable certificate. The latter also covers live support from the instructors, as well as graded assessments.
5. GoSkills: Microsoft Excel 365 – Basic & Advanced
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate |
| Pricing | Paid โ $ |
| Rating | 4.5 out of 5 (2.4K+ ratings) |
| Length | 61 lessons (26h in total) |
Pros
- Suitable for beginner and intermediate users
- Comes with certification
- Downloadable as an Office app
Cons
- Can be costly over time
This GoSkills is slightly different from the others mentioned in this article. Itโs accompanied by an Office app called Excel Training and Tipsย that can be integrated with the Excel software. Users can proceed with the lessons directly within Excel, allowing them to learn hands-on.
This course also offers various video lessons and materials that are primarily designed for beginners. While the topics are fairly simple, the course does cater to intermediate users by exploring features like VLOOKUP and pivot tables. These lessons are delivered in over 60 short videos.
Once you complete the course, you can earn two types of certifications that are accredited by The CPD Certification Service:
- One is a simple completion certificate.
- The other indicates that you finished the course with flying colors.
6. Chandoo.org: Online VBA Classes
| Level | Advanced |
| Pricing | Paid โ $$ |
| Length | One topic per week (13 weeks in total) |
Pros
- Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee
- Lessons are easy to understand
Cons
- Costly
Formally called Visual Basic Analysis, VBAย is the programming language of Microsoft Office. Itโs particularly useful for people who routinely create dashboards and reports.
Becoming well-versed in VBA allows users to access Excelโs more advanced functionalities, including automation and user-defined functions. Chandooโs course teaches users how to get around Excel while picking up a handy programming language.
Chandoo offers different learning plans with varying fees. The priciest plan ($347) may be steep, but the amount of materials matches the price tag. The course also comes with a couple of freebies, including electronic books on designing charts and formula lists.
7. edX: Analyzing Data with Excel (IBM)
| Level | Beginner |
| Pricing | Free to audit, certificate with paid track |
| Rating | N/A |
| Length | 5 weeks at 2-3 hours per week |
Pros
- Available to audit for free
- Suitable for beginners
- Offered by one of the most reputable companies in tech, IBM
- Part of a professional certificate program you can go back to earn later
Cons
- Audit track provides limited access and expires at a certain date
Even complete beginners can enroll in the Analyzing Data with Excel course IBM offers on edX. This course helps learners build a fundamental working knowledge of Excel spreadsheets for the purposes of performing basic data analysis. Even if youโve never used Excel before, this course can help you learn the basic features and functions of the program.
This course is taught by Sandip Saha Joy and Steve Ryan. Joy is a Cognitive Data Scientist at IBM, while Ryan is a highly experienced instructor and content developer for Skill-Up Technologies. Together, they help students learn the fundamentals of Excel (and spreadsheet applications), how to do basic tasks on a spreadsheet, how to import data into Microsoft Excel, as well as how to filter, sort, clean, and prepare data.
Analyzing Data with Excel also dives into data quality and its importance in data analysis. Finally, students will learn the fundamentals of data analysis using spreadsheets before they learn how to use Excel spreadsheets to analyze their data.
Learners can choose to audit this course for free, with limited access to edX features and support and no certificate of completion. The paid track offers unlimited access, additional support, graded exams and assignments, and a shareable certificate upon completion.
8. Coursera: Excel Skills for Business Specialization
| Level | Beginner to Advanced |
| Pricing | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 out of 5 (42.4K+ ratings) |
| Length | 4 courses (106h in total) |
Pros
- Specialization-type with four available courses
- Learners can apply for financial aid
- Certificate granted by Macquarie University
Cons
- Lengthy course
This Coursera specialization involves four different courses in ascending difficulty. Itโs offered by Macquarie University, an Australia-based learning institution renowned for its business-related curriculums.
The course teaches students various Excel skills and how to apply them to real-life business problems. It covers topics like data forecasting, pivot tables, dashboards, and even macros. Throughout the course, students will gain access to several workbooks that they can download and utilize for practical assessments.
Coursera offersย financial aidย for those who need it, providing certification opportunities to people on tighter budgets. Individuals can also audit the learning materials for free if they choose to forgo the certification.
9. Udemy: Inside Excel – Learn 23 Essential Excel Skills the Prosย Know
| Level | Advanced |
| Pricing | Paid โ $ |
| Rating | 4.8 out of 5 (120+ ratings) |
| Length | 25 lectures (2h 39m in total) |
Pros
- Concise but useful content
- Practical topics with real-world applications
Cons
- No assessments included
If youโre already familiar with using Excel, you might be interested in picking up some practical skills that you can use in your daily work or life.
This Udemy course covers a wide array of topics, ranging from the basics to more advanced features. For example, it teaches hiding and showing columns and rows, using Mail Merge to automate sharing of worksheets, enabling conditional formatting, and using pivot tables.
Although it comes with a completion certificate, students canโt validate their lessons without practical assessments.
10. Coursera: Excel Skills for Business Forecasting
| Level | Intermediate |
| Pricing | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 out of 5 (150+ ratings) |
| Length | 3 courses (30h in total) |
Pros
- Specialization with three related courses
- Practical assessments
- Certificate granted by Macquarie University
- Financial aid available
Cons
- Requires 30 hours to finish
This is another course from Macquarie University focusing primarily on using Excel to make business forecasts that rely on data. Since this is a Coursera specialization, youโll have the opportunity to enroll in multiple courses, including:
- Time Series Models
- Regression Models
- Judgmental Forecasting
The topics focus on business concepts that incorporate โdata over timeโ models, which recommends users to have a solid grasp of Excelโs features first. This course focuses on using Excel to create graphs and charts to visualize data, calculations to identify and minimize model errors, cause-effect relationships between data, and how to generate insights from the models created.
11. Excel Exposure: Excel Essentials Course
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate |
| Pricing | Paid โ $$ |
| Length | 28 materials (5 modules in total) |
Pros
- Good for visual learners
- Free tutorials available
Cons
- Not suitable for advanced learners
- Steep price tag
If youโre primarily a visual learner, this Excel Exposure course might be the perfect option. Most lessons are primarily screen-recorded demonstrations divided into five modules (and composed of relatively short videos). Free written resources are available, with the Master Workbook containing various cheat sheets for navigating Excelโs interface.
The only downside with this course is itsย fairly expensive price of admission. Users can either pay a monthly subscription fee of $59 or a one-time payment of $197 for lifetime access.
Why Is Microsoft Excel So Popular?
As one of the most used spreadsheet programs, Microsoft Excel has cemented itself as an invaluable tool for many of todayโs businesses. Itโs typically used to manage financial data, track expenses, and record sales data. It can also be utilized to prepare tax filings, invoice tracking, and general reporting.
Related: Google Sheets vs. Excel: Which Is Better?
The Benefits of Taking Excel Classes Online
Mastering this program requires specialized skills, which can quickly be acquired by taking Excel courses online. By completing one, you can add a new technical skill to your resume, increasing your professional value (and possibly your salary).
You can also apply these practical tips to save time and prevent human error. For example, to avoid tedious manual computations, you may want to set up certain automated functions and formulas.
Useful Tips to Master Excel
Sometimes, completing an online Excel course isnโt enough to sharpen your skills. Here are three other useful pieces of advice you can apply when studying Excel.
Apply Your Excel Skills to Projects
The skills youโve picked up in an Excel course will be wasted if they arenโt applied in practical scenarios. Itโs a good idea to test out the skills youโve acquired on projects that revolve around the spreadsheet platform. If you canโt start one from scratch, consider opting for guided projects where experts walk you through the process.
Coursera has a good collectionย of these types of projects for Excel. Here, the video lesson usually plays on the side of your workspace. In turn, this allows you to put what youโve learned into practice right away.
Choose the Right Learning Platform
Thereโs really no such thing as a โbest online learning platform.โ However, you can use specific criteria to make an informed decision when looking for a platform that best suits your learning needs.
For example, if you donโt have the budget to pay for an online course, you can visit platforms like YouTube, Coursera, and edX. The latter two allow you to audit their courses for free. Paid versions come with certifications if you want to acquire them in the future.
Activities and quizzes are a great way to test information retention for many types of learners. Some platforms (such as Udemy and YouTube) donโt offer assessments. In these cases, paid platforms like Courses and edX might be better choices.
Ask the Professionals
Talking to an expert can help get you back on track if you’re stuck in a particular course section. There are many channels where you can do this, like discussion forums, question boards, and more. Thereโs even a subredditย where you can ask people about Excel.
The internal forums of edX and Coursera also allow you to discuss topics with both instructors and other learners. Meanwhile, YouTubeโs comment section can be used to communicate with the content creator and/or other knowledgeable users.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Do Online Excel Classes Cost?
Thereโs no shortage of free Excel courses, so you donโt necessarily have to shell out money if youโre planning to study the platform for personal use. If youโre looking to add new skills to your resume, however, the best Excel certification courses usually come with a fee. Prices vary depending on the specific platform and course.
Will I Receive a Certificate for Completing an Excel Class?
This depends on the course. There are a few free options, but for most of these certification courses (like edXโs Analyzing Data with Excel), users have to pay a fee to receive their certificate.
Is It Worth It Doing an Excel Course?
Yes, especially when it comes to advancing your profession. Many businesses demand proficient Microsoft Excel users for budget forecasting, finance tracking, and more. If you want to get hired in a related field, completing an Excel course can greatly increase your chances.
Final Thoughts
To help you add Excel proficiency to your resume, choose one of the best Excel courses (above) that fit your budget and learning style. And while Excel pros are in demand, thereโs no shortage of opportunities for Google Forms and Sheets experts!
Check out this Google Forms and Sheets Masterclass to level up your spreadsheet knowledge!
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