Stanford, IBM, and Google lead the most popular certification programs
Courses offer hands-on learning with real-world tools and projects
Certifications open career opportunities in AI, analytics, and cloud
As an increasing number of businesses rely on data to make better choices, the demand for professionals is increasing rapidly. From giant tech companies to healthcare, retail, finance, and even sports, everybody is looking for data specialists. To address this need, numerous individuals are signing up for online certification courses.
These courses teach students data science from scratch. These courses are convenient, economical, and career-oriented. They enable students, career seekers, and working professionals to learn at their own pace and acquire practical skills.
Some certifications have gained particular popularity. These courses are unique because they educate practical skills, provide hands-on practice, and are accepted by leading employers. Let’s have a glance at the most popular data science certifications this year.
Stanford University’s Machine Learning course by Andrew Ng is still the world’s most popular course. It’s on Coursera and it has more than 4.7 million students. The course covers important subjects such as supervised and unsupervised learning, neural networks, and data modeling.
It employs simple language and actual examples, making it perfect for starters. Most individuals who are currently working in data science first began with this course.
Another top pick is the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate. It has nine easy-to-take courses that cover SQL, Python, data visualization, and machine learning. You even get to learn how to work with tools such as Jupyter Notebooks and Pandas.
More than 250,000 individuals have taken this course. It’s particularly great for individuals who need to construct a portfolio and get job applications done after completing it.
The Johns Hopkins Data Science Specialization contains ten rich courses. It teaches R programming, statistics, and data analysis. It has approximately 360,000 students.
It’s ideal for individuals who prefer organized academic study or aim to pursue careers in research, healthcare, or education.
The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate is a good choice for new learners. It covers tools such as spreadsheets, SQL, Tableau, and R. The course also covers practical projects based on actual business scenarios.
Google says that over 50% of students get improved job opportunities within six months after the completion of this course.
Cloud-based data tools are in high demand. That is why certifications such as Microsoft’s Azure Data Scientist Associate and Google’s Professional Data Engineer have become popular.
They emphasize creating and deploying machine learning models in the cloud. These are perfect for experts who handle big data and cloud platforms.
For artificial intelligence enthusiasts, the TensorFlow Developer Certificate is a suitable choice. It offers lessons on how to create deep learning models with Google’s TensorFlow library. It’s well-liked among individuals involved in AI projects such as image recognition, chatbots, and voice assistants.
Seasoned professionals who want to transition to senior positions are opting for courses such as Certified Analytics Professional (CAP), SAS Certified Data Scientist, and Cloudera Certified Data Scientist.
These are senior-level certifications with big data, analytics leadership, and strategic decision-making orientations. They are suited for those with years of experience or those with teams of analytics professionals.
These courses are effective for a number of reasons. They are job-relevant, practical skills. They are self-paced, so you can do them in your own time. Most of them have projects, so you can develop a solid portfolio.
You even get to practice with actual industry tools, such as Python, SQL, Excel, Tableau, TensorFlow, and more. Many students report that these certifications landed them an interview, changed their career, or earned them a promotion.
In this data-centered world, these skills are necessary for one to shine. The right kind of certification would open multiple avenues for either a beginner or a working professional trying to engage in career advancement. These renowned courses are well-liked for a reason: they deliver results.
They help a person gain the appropriate skillset and apply it practically in real-life scenarios. In case you have plans to build a career in any data-oriented field, such as tech, business, or healthcare, these certifications are a smart step ahead.
Also Read: Top 10 Institutes Offering PhD Programs in Data Science in the US (2025)
Is data science still in demand in 2025?
Yes, and it is among the most sought-after fields across industries.
Which certifications are most in demand for data scientists?
The certifications from Stanford, IBM, Google, and Microsoft are the most sought-after this year.
Will data science still be needed 5 years from now?
Yes, it will also increase due to AI and automation.
What are the best certifications for data science?
You may consider Stanford’s course on ML and the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate.