The 12 Best Coursera Coding and Programming Courses (2023)

With the best Coursera coding and programming courses, you can gain valuable skills that will help you grow professionally and personally.

Coursera offers a ton of coding courses you can take to get valuable certifications that can help you earn more in your field.

With the increasing shift towards website and app development, people want to learn coding and programming for their personal and professional development.

Tech skills are more in demand than ever before, and Coursera offers comprehensive educational opportunities for those at all levels, from beginner to seasoned pros.

You can access the materials in any Coursera class at no cost, but if you want to actually participate in the class and get a certificate that can be added to your LinkedIn or resume for completing the course, you’ll have to pay a fee that varies by class.

But Coursera is a huge online learning platform, and they have tons of coding, programming, and computer science courses available from world class universities and instructors. That can make it difficult to figure out which classes are truly the best and are most worth your time.

We’ve ranked the best Coursera coding and programming courses based on a variety of factors, including the quality of the curriculum, the value of the skills you can learn, student reviews, the cost of the class, and more.

Keep reading for our top picks…

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost for you, we might get a commission if you click the link and purchase.

What are the Best Coursera Coding & Programming Courses?

Here are our picks for the top Coursera coding and programming certificate programs and online classes available in 2023…

 

1. Python for Everybody from the University of Michigan

Price

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Duration

Each course ranges from 5 to 7 weeks. The approximate time for 5 courses: 8 months with 3 hours/week

The five-course Specialization will take you through programming concepts using Python.

It starts from the very basics of Python, simple instructions for beginners, and advances to fundamental programming concepts including data structures, databases, and networked application program interfaces.

The Specialization will introduce learners to SQL and data analysis.

The Capstone project will provide you with hands-on experience as you will be applying the concepts learned to build your application to retrieve, process, and visualize data.

You Will Learn

• Learn how to operate and install Python
• Write your first program
• Get a hand of basics
• Use variables
• Learn core programming tools
• Python 3
• XML
• JSON
• SQL

User Feedback

“Great introduction to Python and programming as a whole. Everything is broken down making it easy to understand. Had zero programming experience before and this class made it easy and fun to get into.

“I feel incredible that I knew almost nothing about programming just a month ago. Now I have done two of the courses of the specialization and I can actually understand other basic codes. Great course!”

Best For: Beginner-level Python enthusiasts. The specialization has no prerequisites and is perfect for anyone wanting to learn Python.

 

2. Introduction to Programming with Python and Java from the University of Pennsylvania

Price

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Duration

Approximately 4 months for a total of 4 courses at 6 hours/week.

This Specialization incorporates 4 courses that start from basic concepts in Python and takes it up to the more complex subjects in Java such as object-oriented programming and data structures.

You will be taught to write your own fully functional programs in both Java and Python, the world’s popular and frequently used programming languages.

The applied learning project will include an implementation of an online banking system, data analysis of movies and ratings from IMDB, using PyCharm and Jupyter Notebook, text file parser, unit testing, code debugging using Eclipse.

Topics covered in this specialization would include language syntax, style, programming techniques, and coding conventions.

You Will Learn

• Describe the fundamentals of Python programming, including how to set up Python tools and construct fully functioning programs using data structures.
• Examine key data science concepts and techniques using Python, including how to use data analysis libraries and how to develop data visualization skills.
• Apply object-oriented programming and Java principles to create fully functioning programs with classes and methods, as well as unit testing.
• Understand Java inheritance and how to use it to parse text in files, store data in complex data structures, and debug code.

User Feedback

“Great explanations and lots of examples to follow on. The course built throughout so I had confidence in completing assignments though they were not easy. Great interaction in discussion forums.”

“Amazing course with great examples, and wasn’t too easy. Learned Java Basics and happy with the new knowledge.”

Best For: Students and professionals with low or no experience in programming.

 

3. Blockchain Specialization from the University of Buffalo and The State University of New York

Price

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Duration

4 months approximately at 4 hours/week. 4 courses in total.

You will be introduced to Blockchain in this Specialization, a revolutionary technology that enables the transfer of digital assets without any intermediaries, expected to become as prominent as the internet.

This Specialization is 4 courses. It starts with imparting learners with the foundational knowledge of Blockchain, teaching the required skill set for designing and implementing smart contracts, then going on to the methods for developing decentralized applications on the Blockchain, and finally introducing and covering the industry-wide blockchain frameworks.

The applied learning project is based on the application of the Blockchain concepts, deploying a blockchain instance, carrying out transactions, programming smart contracts, and testing them using the Solidity language.

You Will Learn

• Learn about smart contracts, a basic concept and computational model in Blockchain that allows for automation, autonomy, scalability, and transparency.
• Develop the understanding of Blockchain technology and its usage.
• How to create and program decentralized applications and smart contracts.
• Taking advantage of Blockchain technology by thinking of novel application models

User Feedback

“Really learned a lot about the fundamentals of blockchain, being a software engineer looking into blockchain. It just got me up to speed with the underlying workflow of blockchain and more. loved it.”

“I think the course was very well planned. The videos were short and crisp. I also liked the additional reading material suggested which greatly helped understanding the detailed concepts.”

Best For: Programmers interested in blockchain technology who understand its potential. Knowledge of at least one high-level language is required.

 

4. Java Programming and Software Engineering Fundamentals from Duke University

Price

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Duration

Approximately 5 months to complete at 4 hours/week. 5 courses in this Specialization.

If you want to start your career in software development, this is perfect for you.

Start from the basics of software programming in the programming language Java, one of the world’s most frequently used programming languages. You’ll learn the fundamentals of Java, and discover how to write programs to solve complex programming problems.

The project will assist you in developing a portfolio of work to exhibit your new programming skills. You will construct a recommender engine like those used by Netflix or Amazon for the capstone.

An interactive webpage that applies filters to photographs, and analysis of CSV data files, an encryption program, and a predictive text generator will all be included in your portfolio.

You Will Learn

• HTML
• JavaScript
• Algorithms
• Data Structures
• Cryptography
• Programming principles
• Hash Table

User Feedback

“Good and practical training approach to solve real world problems. Assignments and quizzes are quite challenging and interesting. Greatly motivates us towards programming and problem solving skills.”

“This is the first course I am taking in Coursera.org. The valuable instructors of Duke University designed and created a masterpiece for learners. Thank you so much guys.”

 

Best For: Beginner-level learners interested in software engineering and Java.

 

5. Python 3 Programming from the University of Michigan

Price

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Duration

5 months approximately at 7 hours/week. 5 courses in this Specialization.

The Specialization will begin with variables, conditionals, and loops. It will take you through fundamental concepts of programming in Python 3 and go on to learn more advanced concepts of keyword parameters, list comprehensions, lambda comprehensions, and class inheritance.

This is a good step if you have already completed the Python for Everybody Specialization.

You Will Learn

• To investigate and comprehend APIs and third-party libraries for Python 3
• To use the Pillow Python imaging library to open, display, and alter images, including cropping, resizing, recoloring, and text overlay.
• To use Python 3 and the Python tesseract (py-tesseract) package to recognize text in photos using optical character recognition (OCR)
• to utilize the open-source computer vision library (OpenCV) to detect faces in photos and then trim and modify them into contact sheets.

User Feedback

“The course was very comprehensive and easy to understand. The instructors made sure that they are giving the information in a way that won’t make me confused. Thank you so much for this great course!”

“Excellent course which teaches how to process request, extract and process Internet data in a simple and step by step approach. I have gained invaluable skills how to handle large data with Python.”

Best For: Learners interested in Python with some knowledge of programming languages. However, the course has no prerequisites and can also be the first programming course.

 

6. Introduction to Computer Science and Programming from the University of London

Price

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Duration

Approximately 4 months to complete at 5 hours/week. 3 courses in this Specialization

This Specialization begins by covering the basics of computing principles and advances to mathematical foundations used in computer science.

The CS-based course instills learning that can be applied to any software and computer system.

You will be introduced to numerical and computational tools important for problem-solving. Learners will apply their knowledge by solving crimes and mathematical puzzles and applying concepts to solve daily computer use problems.

You Will Learn

• Perform arithmetic in different number bases and transform numbers between them.
• Create an interactive 2D graphics program on the web using the Javascript language.
• Develop and apply mental models to explain how a variety of computer systems work.
• Work with modular arithmetic, sequences and series, and graphs, as well as convert between number bases.

User Feedback

“It’s worth the hard work. I’m insatiable for learning and need more impossible looking projects or games that Coursera designed to help the student really get into the world of computer programming.”

Best For: Computer science enthusiasts. A little programming experience beforehand would be useful although not necessary.

 

7. Coding for Everyone: C and C++ from UC Santa Cruz

Price

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Duration

Approximately 6 months at 2 hours/week. 4 courses in this Specialization.

This 4-course Specialization is aimed at anyone seeking interest in computer science, artificial intelligence, and C language.

The course starts with a more basic understanding of programming in C languages, which is the focus of the first 2 courses, and then advances to cover C++ semantics and syntax.

By the end of this course, you can apply skills using AI algorithms to real-life scenarios.

You Will Learn

• Use of C and C++ programming languages to write and debug code.
• Learn about algorithms and how to express them properly
• Application of Monte Carlo evaluation
• Graph Theory, C++11, Graph Algorithms, and Standard Template Library

User Feedback

“Great course to gain a foundation in C programming! The video lectures, coding examples, and peer reviewing of assignments allows one to learn quick and in real time. Would definitely recommend it.”

 

“This was a really great course. It gives you exposure to many important data structures and has some great assignments that aid in understanding how these data structures work.”

Best For: Everyone interested in programming, good for beginners and professionals, although some familiarity with any programming language and graph theory is preferred.

 

8. Software Design and Architecture from the University of Alberta

Price

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Duration

Approximately 4 months to complete at 3 hours/week. 4 courses in this Specialization.

In this 4-course Specialization, you will study how to apply design ideas, patterns, and architectures to construct reusable and flexible software applications and systems.

You’ll learn how to use visual notation to express and document the design and architecture of a software system.

Employable skills and relevant experience in the software business can be developed through practical examples.

You Will Learn

• Software Architecture
• Java
• Software Design Pattern
• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
• Object-Oriented Design
• Unified Modeling Language (UML)
• Web Service
• Microservices
• Representational State Transfer (REST)
• Service-Oriented Architecture

User Feedback

“I have never had a chance to study CS at the university so I am always looking for ways to improve my knowledge – to keep up with fellow programmers. And this course met my requirements perfectly. :)”

Best For: Anyone interested in designing software using Java. To fully take advantage of this course, basic knowledge of Java programming is required.

 

9. C# Programming for Unity Game Development from the University of Colorado

Price

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Duration

5 months approximately at 7 hours/week. 4 courses in this Specialization

This specialization program was built with beginners in mind. Students can improve their C# programming skills while learning to create Unity games.

This program concludes with a capstone assignment in which students put their knowledge and skills learned during the course to the test.

The 4 months will begin with a solid foundation in the C# programming language before moving on to topics such as using C# to create interactive games in Unity, object-oriented programming, data structures, and design patterns, to mention a few.

You Will Learn

• Video Game Development
• C Sharp (C#) (Programming Language)
• Unity (User Interface)
• Game Programming
• Crt0
• For Loop
• Console Applications
• Foreach Loop

User Feedback

“The instructor is extremely enthusiastic and passion which is really rare to see but amazing. Thank you so much for teaching this course it really helped to kick start my interest in game development :)”

“Dr T is a great teacher. The lectures explain complex stuff in a very clear way and the exercises are carefully designed to help you put the theory into practice.”

 

Best For: Video game development enthusiasts. The course has no prerequisites and it takes you from the very basics.

 

10. Object-Oriented Programming in Java from Duke University and UC San Diego

Price

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Duration

Approximately 5 months at 6 hours/week. 4 courses in this Specialization.

Object-Oriented Programming in Java Specialization is a perfect fit for you if you are an aspiring software engineer or someone who has some programming expertise in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, C, JavaScript, etc.) and wish to use object-oriented design with Java to address increasingly complicated issues.

In addition to studying Java, you’ll get hands-on experience with two Java development environments, as well as learn how to use graphical user interfaces and develop sophisticated programs that can handle large volumes of data. These software engineering abilities can be used in a wide range of sectors.

You Will Learn

• Data Structure
• Hash Table
• Java Programming
• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
• Algorithms
• BlueJ and Eclipse
• Problem Solving
• String (Computer Science)
• Cryptography
• Logic Programming
• Sorting Algorithm
• Trees (Data Structures)
• Linked List

User Feedback

“Excellent explanations and amount of course work for practice, the tests made good use of the examples and work given, I am satisfied with what I learned in this course and see its real world usage.”

Best For: Learners specifically interested in programming through Java and have some prior programming experience. While the course does teach Java coding, jumping without any prior knowledge may prove challenging.

 

11. IBM Full Stack Cloud Developer

Price

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Duration

13 months approximately at 3 hours/week. The Professional Certificate has 10 courses.

This Professional Certificate will prepare you to work as a Full-Stack Cloud Native Application Developer by providing you with all the necessary skills and technical knowledge.

You’ll learn how to create your cloud-based applications and experience working with the technology that supports them with the help of IBM specialists. This program is made up of ten courses that include plenty of instructional content as well as hands-on activities and projects to help you refine your skills and build your portfolio.

This is one of the most extensive and well-structured programs. It not only covers everything a developer should know about cloud computing, but also everything a programmer should know about full-stack development with Python and JavaScript.

You Will Learn

• Learn to develop with front end languages and tools
• Use backend languages to program languages
• Utilize Cloud-native methodologies and tools to develop and scale applications
• Apply your full-stack cloud development skills to build your GitHub portfolio.

User Feedback

“Amazing course by IBM. They teach the subject with simplicity and purpose, that makes you study with zeal. I recommend this course for all those who want a basic understanding of cloud computing.”

Best For: Anyone interested in web development and is one of the most popular courses amongst web developers. The course has no prerequisites and starts from the very basics.

 

12. Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding from the University of Michigan

Price

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Duration

6 months to complete approximately at 3 hours/week. 5 courses in this Specialization.

Mastering the range of technologies introduced in this Specialization, like writing syntactically correct HTML5 and CSS3 and creating interactive experiences with JavaScript, will enable you to develop high-quality websites that work perfectly on all kinds of devices, you will develop a web portfolio professionally in your application project.

It will teach you to develop and build a responsive site that is accessible to a wide range of users, including those with visual, audial, physical, and cognitive impairments.

You Will Learn

• Using JavaScript to improve interactivity to add pages.
• Explain the fundamentals of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS3)
• Modify pages using the Document Object Model (DOM).
• Use responsive design to make the page viewable on different devices.
• Web Development
• Cascading Style Sheets (CCS)
• Html5
• JavaScript
• Document Object Model (DOM)
• Bootstrap (Front-End Framework)

User Feedback

“This Specialization became an eye-opening experience for me. Completely changing my perspectives on the way I could advance in my field.”

Best For: Enthusiasts in web design and specifically learners who want to work with JavaScript, HTML5, and CSS3. It doesn’t have any prerequisites, anyone interested can start learning.

 

A Final Word on Coursera Coding & Programming Courses

Remember, there is no single best Coursera coding class, and this isn’t a comprehensive list of everything they have to offer.

Coursera has a huge catalog of classes in programming, coding, computer science, and other categories, all from some of the world’s top universities and most credentialed instructors.

And don’t forget, you can always check out Coursera’s course materials for free to “audit the class” before signing up and paying to fully participate and receive your certificate for completion.

Have any questions about these Coursera coding classes? Comment below and we’ll help you out.