Microsoft Excel, often simply referred to as Excel, is more than just a spreadsheet many of us tinkered with in school or the office. While it’s an integral component of the Microsoft Office suite—which also includes Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook—Excel’s capabilities extend well beyond the basics.

What truly sets Excel apart is its vast range of functions: from simple arithmetic operations and data organization to intricate calculations and dynamic data visualizations. Plus, its built-in programming language, VBA (Visual Basic Applications), allows for advanced data manipulation. Given its extensive application from finance, to engineering, science, and even everyday tasks, proficiency in Excel can be an invaluable skill.

This Best Courses Guide (BCG) provides a curated list of top online Excel courses for beginners and those looking to strengthen their skills. Covering both free and paid options, these courses ensure a solid understanding of Excel basics, VBA, dashboards, and data analysis. Selected from over 1600 Excel courses, our picks follow a clear methodology, detailed below. If you’re ready to explore Excel’s many features, this guide will set you on the right path.

Click on the shortcuts for more details:

• Top Picks
• Course Stats
• Why You Should Trust Us
• How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them

Top Picks

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Course Stats

• Combined, these courses have accrued over 3M enrollments
• Ten courses are free or free-to-audit and two courses are paid
• The most-represented course provider in the ranking is Coursera, with seven courses
• Combined, these courses have received over 600 reviews on Class Central.

Best Overall: Excel Skills for Business (Macquarie University)

Excel Skills for Business: Essentials is a top-tier offering from Macquarie University on Coursera. Specifically tailored for beginners, this free-to-audit course combines high-quality instructional materials and innovative teaching techniques. Though originally intended for business, this course will teach you the building blocks that are applicable to any scenario. The pedagogical approach includes videos, practice exercises, and weekly challenges framed around Sean’s experiences with Excel. These scenarios, presented by instructors Nicky and Prashan, offer deeper insights into the week’s topics. An Arabic translation is sponsored by the UAE Government.

• Basics: Dive into the core components of the Excel interface, essential terminology, data selection, navigation, and basic data entry
• Formulas and Functions: Understand Excel’s computational capabilities, including the order of operations and cell referencing
• Formatting: Enhance the appearance and clarity of your spreadsheets with formatting tools, styles, themes, and the format painter
• Data Management: Learn to manipulate data by inserting, deleting, sorting, filtering, and utilizing Conditional Formatting
• Printing: Optimize spreadsheets for printing by mastering print preview, layout views, margins, headers, footers, and more
• Visualization: Conclude by creating and customizing engaging graphs and charts.

This course is part of the highly acclaimed Excel Skills for Data Analytics and Visualization Specialization.

Also Great for Beginners: Everyday Excel (University of Colorado Boulder)

Everyday Excel, Part 1 by the University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera was my first introduction to Excel, making it a personal favorite. The charismatic teaching approach of Charlie Nuttelman, an award-winning professor, distinguishes this course. Unlike many other courses that employ complicated financial or scientific examples, Charlie uses very simple and goofy examples to grab the learner’s attention.

As a civil engineering undergrad, I (Archisha) found his teaching with a focus on Excel’s applications within the engineering domain a refreshing perspective often missed in other courses.

In this free-to-audit course, students will grasp foundational concepts like saving and navigating through Excel files, understanding cell referencing and formatting, to more advanced functionalities including data management techniques, comprehensive functions, and data visualization. Moreover, learners will experience unique evaluation methods, including in-application assignments that offer hands-on Excel problem-solving.

Charlie Nuttelman’s lectures provide step-by-step instructions. With supplementary workbooks, students can actively participate alongside the tutorials. Unique quiz formats, including practical problem-solving, further reinforce the learning.

After completing this course, you can continue with his next courses, Everyday Excel, Part 2 and Everyday Excel, Part 3 (Projects).

Best Excel Dashboards Course (Udemy)

Dive into data visualization and dashboards with Visually Effective Excel Dashboards, led by the experienced Leila Gharani. With 17 years in the field, Leila transforms complex data into actionable insights. This course emphasizes creating interactive and intuitive dashboards.

Students will learn the process of dashboard development, from conception to delivery. Topics include adding interactivity to Excel reports without VBA, strategies for effective decision-making, and using Excel’s core functionalities to create responsive spreadsheets. Instead of focusing on isolated functions, the course encourages an integrated approach to produce compelling reports.

The course stands out for its alignment with real-world needs, shaped by feedback from financial professionals. Complex topics are presented clearly in bite-sized lessons, ensuring an effective learning experience. Leila balances her instruction with direct explanations and on-screen demonstrations, helping students grasp the practical aspects of Excel dashboarding. For those wanting more, Leila also offers Unlock Excel VBA and Excel Macros.

Best VBA Essentials Course (University of Colorado Boulder)

Dive into the multifaceted world of Excel and VBA with Excel/VBA for Creative Problem Solving, Part 1 and Part 2 offered by the University of Colorado Boulder. Presented by the engaging Charlie Nuttelman, this free-to-audit course shifted my understanding of Excel’s capabilities and underscored the importance of mastering the basics. Many approach Excel knowing a thing or two, often unaware of its true potential. This course, combined with Everyday Excel revealed the software’s extensive functions, and the intensive projects in Part 3 solidified my proficiency in VBA.

This isn’t merely a programming course; it’s an exploration into problem-solving using VBA. Emphasizing real-world application, the Specialization challenges learners to implement concepts in tangible scenarios. Particularly as a Civil Engineer, I found this hands-on approach invaluable.

It is very important to not only learn and practice, but challenge your limits and learn on your own to solve actual, real-world problems. Many programming courses teach you the concepts and basic problems, but this Specialization actually makes you put your concepts to the test. As a Civil Engineer, I found this really helpful.

The Specialization comprises three distinct parts. Part 1 and Part 2 delve into VBA basics using video lectures, quizzes, and practical assignments. Part 3 culminates with three comprehensive real-world projects, assessed through peer review. Completing the entire Specialization grants a certificate alongside individual course certificates—totaling four certificates for those who complete the entire series.

Best Excel Course in Spanish for Beginners (Universitat Politècnica de València)

Unlock the potential of Excel with Excel: Fundamentos y herramientas, by Universitat Politècnica de València on edX. Recognized by Class Central’s learners as one of the 250 best online courses of all time, it consistently shines in learner reviews, placing it among the best in its category.

As Jorge García Yévenes Méndez, a satisfied learner, attests: “It covers all the general topics of Excel in depth… ideal for those unfamiliar with Excel or those looking to deepen their knowledge.”

1. Introduction to Excel: Grasp the essence of Excel, understand its interface, and master basic operations including data entry and cell referencing
2. Diverse Data Types: Delve into numeric, alphanumeric, date, time, and logical data. Explore Excel’s fill pattern, which intelligently predicts your data input
3. Formatting Mastery: Beautify your worksheet with formatting techniques, ensuring clarity and professionalism
4. Formulas and Functions: Dive into Excel’s most potent tools, understanding their syntax, categories, and applications
5. Data Handling: Navigate Excel’s data table handling features, from conditional formatting to operations with data tables
6. Graphs & Charts: Visualize data trends and relations using Excel’s vast charting tools
7. Customization: Modify default charts and graphs to better suit your needs
8. Printing Excellence: Ensure your Excel sheets print professionally, mastering the preliminary presentation and configuration settings.

While the course utilizes Excel 2010, foundational concepts apply across Excel versions, ensuring accessibility for all users. The course blends videos, readings, and exercises to offer a holistic learning experience. Short, insightful videos (with English subtitles) elucidate concepts, while readings reinforce knowledge. Hands-on quizzes and graded assignments at the end of each module solidify understanding, culminating in a final exam that encapsulates the entire course.

Best Microsoft’s Certification Exam Prep Course (Microsoft)

Offered by Microsoft on Coursera, “Work Smarter with Microsoft Excel” stands out as an authoritative free-to-audit guide to mastering the software. Microsoft’s intimate knowledge of Excel ensures that learners get a deep dive into its core functionalities, all presented with professional visuals and clear explanations.

Importantly, this course serves as a preparation gateway for Microsoft’s Exam MO-200: Microsoft Excel (Excel and Excel 2019). Passing this exam demonstrates industry associate-level expertise in Excel, making it a valuable asset for job seekers or professionals looking to validate their Excel skills.

Delve into creating and managing workbooks, data manipulation, in-depth formula applications, visual data representation using charts, and advanced Excel utilities. An optional fifth week lets students apply their skills in a peer-graded project, success in which earns them an “Honors” badge on their certificate.

Learn through a mix of concise videos, practical readings, and hands-on exercises. The readings provide step-by-step instructions, with all essential files available in the course’s “Resources” section. Regular quizzes allow students to gauge their understanding, and an optional “Honors” assignment challenges them to demonstrate their learning and provide feedback on peers’ work.

This course is the second in the Microsoft 365 Fundamentals Specialization.

Best Intro to Business Data Analysis (University of British Columbia)

The University of British Columbia’s free-to-audit course on edX, Excel for Everyone: Core Foundations, equips you with essential Excel skills – from the basic operations to an intro to more advanced techniques. With a lean towards business data analysis, especially finance, it’s tailor-made to make you valuable in any organization. In just 6 weeks, expect to master Excel’s core tools, from basic operations, formulas, and functions to data visualization and print-ready worksheet creation.

You will learn in this course:

• Foundational Excel Know-Hows: Grasp the interface, terminology, and formula creation
• Excel Functions: Get familiar with syntax and the power of Excel functions
• Formatting: Make your sheets presentable and user-friendly with styling tools
• Data Management: From filters and sorts to conditional formatting, handle your data smartly
• Visual Insights: Replace tedious numbers with insightful charts and graphs
• Printing Worksheets: Prep your sheets to get print-perfect results every time.

Week by week, you’ll learn with bite-sized, interactive videos and apply what you learn with real-world problems. The finance-focused examples are universal, so regardless of your background, you’ll grasp the essentials for your job. Every two weeks, test your skills with practice challenges and graded assignments. At the end of the course, there’s a final assessment where you’ll have to apply all that you’ve learned throughout the course. The course is part of the Professional Certificate Excel for Everyone.

Best Intro to Mathematical Models for Data Analysis Course (University of Pennsylvania)

Experience data analysis in a new light with Introduction to Spreadsheets and Models, a free-to-audit course by the University of Pennsylvania on Coursera. While spreadsheets are commonly used for simple calculations and visualizations, this course showcases their extended capabilities in predictive modeling. Starting with basic spreadsheet tools, learners are guided to advanced forecasting using Excel.

Even though this list is for Excel, this course is also applicable to other spreadsheets such as Google Sheets. So this is a one-stop course for any spreadsheet software you want to learn prediction and forecasting.

1. Basics: Discover spreadsheet history, navigation, data types, mathematical operations, built-in functions, and more
2. Model Creation: Transition to models, explore objective functions, various analyses, and craft models reflecting real situations
3. Advanced Calculations: Dive into probability calculations, correlations, decision trees, and regression tools
4. Simulation Techniques: Explore Monte Carlo simulations, linear programs, and differences between Excel and Sheets.

Through a combination of concise videos and readings, learners receive hands-on demonstrations and insights. Lecture slides, illustrative Excel examples, and additional resources complement the videos. Each week concludes with a graded quiz to test understanding.

This course is part of Business and Financial Modeling Specialization and Finance & Quantitative Modeling for Analysts Specialization.

Also Great: Interactive Data Analysis Crash Course (DataCamp)

Get straight to the heart of data analysis with Excel in this succinct course, Data Analysis in Excel by DataCamp. In a unique format, this course comprises three focused chapters, which we’ll detail below. An impressive aspect is the in-browser spreadsheet application, which means no additional software installations.

The instructor starts the course by telling a short story of how she came to use Excel. This is a nice personal touch since many of you will be able to relate to it and realize that learning Excel is not all that daunting.

DataCamp understands that Excel is used as much in institutions as in companies. That’s why they’ll make sure that you’re ready with all the Excel skills that you need in order to be industry-ready. This course includes the following chapters:

1. Exploring Data: Familiarize yourself with Excel’s foundational tools, from basic data exploration and navigation to data type conversions and function basics
2. Preparing Data: Learn essential data cleaning techniques, focusing on text and date data, and delve into widely-used functions, including VLOOKUP
3. Analyzing Data: Dive into advanced analytical tools, explore mathematical and logic functions, and understand data aggregation techniques.

While the “Exploring Data” chapter is free, full access requires a premium subscription.

Instruction is delivered through clear, bite-sized videos complemented by interactive quizzes. Unique to this course are the multiple-choice and drag-and-drop quizzes, offering a refreshing change from standard course assessments.

Project-based: Intro to Data Analysis Using Excel (Rice University)

Step into the world of data analysis with Rice University’s Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel course. Whether you’re just starting out or have dabbled with Excel, this free-to-audit course offers a straightforward approach to help you master the skills required to analyze data in Excel.

• Foundations: Understand the basics of spreadsheets, data manipulation, arithmetic operations, and the use of relative and absolute referencing in functions
• Data Organization: Familiarize yourself with functions like IF, nested IF, VLOOKUP, and HLOOKUP to streamline your data
• Advanced Tools: Dive deeper into the VLOOKUP function, data filtering, pivot tables, and start your journey with data visualization using graphs and charts
• Visualization Mastery: Advance your skills with line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, pivot charts, scatter plots, and histograms to represent data effectively.

The content delivery is a mix of videos with abundant practice exercises. Sharad Borle skillfully blends theoretical slides with practical demonstrations. After each video, a practice quiz evaluates your grasp on the topic. The culmination of each week’s content is a graded quiz contributing to your overall course score.

This course is the first one in the Business Statistics and Analysis Specialization.

Project-based: Excel Basics for Data Analysis (IBM)

Excel Basics for Data Analysis presents a concise and clear approach to grasping the essentials of Excel. With IBM’s renowned expertise in technology, the AI-generated voice and vivid visuals make learning engaging. And who better to learn Excel for data analysis from than the computer experts at IBM?

A noteworthy feature of this free-to-audit course, often seen in IBM’s offerings, is the “Hands-on Lab”. Instead of just theoretical insights, these labs allow students to engage in real-world Excel scenarios.

Over the span of five weeks, this course covers the foundational aspects of Excel, ranging from spreadsheet basics and data entry techniques, to advanced topics like data quality and addressing inconsistencies. Students also learn about Excel’s tools such as Flash Fill, Text to Columns, and pivot tables. By the end of the fifth week, learners participate in a peer-graded assignment, which further cements their understanding and skills.

Structured across five weeks, with 2-3 hours of work each week, the course uses a combination of videos, readings, practice exercises, and hands-on labs. IBM’s AI voice guides the students throughout, ensuring clarity and understanding in each module. The “Hands-on Labs” emphasize real-time problem-solving. Here, students download Excel files and work on them directly, later submitting their outputs for peer feedback. This practical approach reinforces both understanding and application of Excel techniques.

Project-based: Work with Real-World Examples (Davidson College)

Davidson College’s Excel for Beginners on edX stands out for its emphasis on hands-on, project-based learning. Students are encouraged to apply the Excel skills they’ve learned to real-world datasets, allowing them to experience the practical implications and advantages of mastering the software.

This comprehensive beginner’s course covers essential Excel features, from understanding its interface and terminology to diving deep into data visualization techniques, formulas, functions, and advanced table handling, including pivot tables. Throughout the journey, the focus remains on applying theoretical knowledge to tangible real-world data scenarios.

Be immersed in a combination of instructional videos, readings, and numerous practice exercises. The free-to-audit course provides a standout emphasis on hands-on work with real-world datasets, culminating in a capstone project where you’ll tackle real data challenges, with pivot tables recommended for efficient data summarization.

This course is part of the Professional Certificate in Data Analysis Basics with Excel.

Why You Should Trust Us

Class Central, a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 80 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of 250,000 online courses and 250,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees.

I (Archisha) am a Guided Project Instructor at Coursera, my first Guided Project being Problem Solving using Microsoft Excel (currently unavailable). I am also a Beta Tester at Coursera, having tested many courses before they’re officially launched (including one in this list).

I have taken over 50 online courses in various subjects. My experience as an online learner and teacher has given me some perspective on what to look for in an online course. I used my experience to evaluate each course in this list.
Fabio also has experience as an online learner and as an online tutor. He has helped revise the research and the 2023 version of this article to be better tailored for different learning styles.

Pat revised the latest version of this article.

How We Made Our Picks and Tested Them

Trying to find “the best” can be daunting, even for those of us who live and breathe online courses. Here’s how we approached this task.

First, we combed through Class Central’s Catalog and the internet to find a variety of free and paid open courses, some with certificates.

We extracted information from course syllabi and reviews, and compiled their ratings, leveraging the Class Central database with 1600+ Microsoft Excel courses and its thousands of course ratings and reviews written by our users as well as available course provider ratings. We watched some course videos to sample courses we hadn’t already taken.

Then, we defined the scope for these recommendations. An Excel course can cover various topics, so we chose top courses from a range of sub-fields.

Ultimately, we used a combination of data and our own judgment to make these picks. We’re confident these recommendations will be a reliable way to learn Excel’s main features.