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Considering a career in programming but don’t know where to start? There are hundreds of online coding courses for beginners to choose from.
Many are offered for free or at a price you can afford, and you can position yourself to land a job in the field in record time.
Let Benzinga take the guesswork out of finding the best option for you.
Featured Courses:
Best Coding Courses for Beginners
Take a sneak peek at Benzinga’s top picks:
- Coding for Beginners: You Can Learn to Code! by Udemy
- Programming for Kids and Beginners: Learn to Code in Scratch by Udemy
- Introduction to Computer Programming by the University of London Goldsmiths
- Coding for Designers, Managers and Entrepreneurs I by the University of Virginia
- Introduction to Java Programming: Starting to Code in Java by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
- Introduction to Java Programming: Writing Good Code by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
- Programming Foundations: Fundamentals by LinkedIn Learning
- JavaScript Basics by Team Treehouse
- Learn to Code with HTML — Beginner to Expert by Udemy
What Makes a Beginner Coding Course Great?
The best coding courses for beginners meet the following criteria:
1. Interactive
You want a coding course that’s interactive and allows you to implement your newfound skills through practice exercises. The instructor should also provide demonstrations to help you understand critical concepts taught in the lessons.
2. Self-Paced
Why rush through the material to meet pressing deadlines when you can choose a self-paced course? You can take as much time as you need to focus on the lessons to ensure you fully grasp everything you need to know about coding.
3. Affordable
With so many low-cost and free coding courses to choose from, you don’t have to spend a fortune to acquire the knowledge you need. Start with a free option if money’s tight and move on to paid courses as your budget permits.
Our Top Picks
You’ll find the best coding courses for beginners below. Benzinga’s top picks are from leading online learning providers like Coursera, edX, LinkedIn Learning, Team Treehouse and Udemy.
We’ve also included a description and price point for each course to help you find the best fit for you.
Best Coding Courses for Beginners
Whether you want to land a new career or add another skill to your arsenal, these coding courses for beginners are worth considering.
1. Coding for Beginners: You Can Learn to Code! by Udemy
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: On sale
Learn the fundamentals of computer coding in this bestselling course from Udemy. Coding for Beginners: You Can Learn to Code! is ideal for newbies who’ve never written code and want to master the basics from the ground up. It’s also a good fit if you want to pursue a career as a programmer.
Presented by Applause Interactive, the course is divided into 5 core segments:
- You can Code!
- Coding in a Nutshell
- Common Coding Concepts
- Coding Project
- Course Summary
Each segment includes in-depth lessons on a host of topics, including pseudocode, decomposition, operators, loops control flow, lists, functions and more. You’ll also take quizzes to assess your knowledge and identify areas where you need more work.
Enroll today for full lifetime access to 8 hours of on-demand video and 1 article. You’ll also receive a certificate of completion when you finish the course.
2. Programming for Kids and Beginners: Learn to Code in Scratch by Udemy
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: On sale
Programming for Kids and Beginners: Learn to Code in Scratch is perfect for if you have little-to-no programming experience. It’s led by Software Engineer Daniel Ciocîrlan.
The course offers a hands-on approach to teaching code. You will work through a series of lessons that require you to create animations and effects from popular games on the market like Flappy Bird, Pac-Man and Shoot the Monster.
When you sign up, you’ll have instant access to 38 lectures condensed into 7.5 hours of on-demand video and 9 downloadable resources.
3. Introduction to Computer Programming by the University of London Goldsmiths
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Included with the monthly membership
Introduction to Computer Programming teaches the mechanics of writing computer programs. It’s the first course in the Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Specialization from the University of London.
You will learn how to edit and run programs, create 2D graphics using shapes and coordinate and build interactive graphics that can be controlled with a mouse.
Course material is delivered through video lessons, readings and quizzes. You should reach the finish line in 14 hours.
The class is co-facilitated by Edward Anstead, associate lecturer, and Simon Katan, lecturer in computing.
4. Coding for Designers, Managers and Entrepreneurs by the University of Virginia
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Free
Do you frequently collaborate with developers on digital projects? If you want to hone your creative skills to help create more compelling work, this course is for you.
It’s a part of the Coding for Designers, Managers and Entrepreneurs Specialization from the University of Virginia and includes 5 modules:
- Prototyping with HTML
- Making HTML Manageable with CSS
- Debugging HTML and CSS
- Preparing Your Design for Development
- Your Working Prototype
You’ll be tasked with watching video lessons, reading articles and completing quizzes as you work through the modules.
Instructor Alex Cowan is a faculty member and Batten Fellow at the Darden School of Business.
5. Introduction to Java Programming: Starting to Code in Java by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Free
Offered by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, this course is a part of the Introduction to Java Programming Professional Certificate Program. You’ll learn how to develop simple programs in Java, even if you have little to no experience using the programming language.
Introduction to Java Programming: Starting to Code in Java is comprised of 5 modules:
- From the Calculator to the Computer
- State Transformation
- Functional Abstraction
- Object Encapsulation
- Packaging
Register for free to access the course today, or you can upgrade your enrollment to receive a verified certificate for only $99.
Complete the course in 5 weeks working at a pace of 7 to 10 hours per week.
6. Introduction to Java Programming: Writing Good Code by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Free
Introduction to Java Programming: Writing Good Code covers everything you need to know to create correct and efficient programs in Java. This 5-week course is also a component of the Introduction to Java Programming Professional Certificate Program from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
The lessons are categorized into 5 sections — debugging, reasoning and testing, complexity, software engineering and ethics. You’ll also learn how to detect and correct common programming errors at compile and run time using debugging tools, compare the efficiency of 2 programs, model simple programs and so much more.
It’s free to register, or you can upgrade your enrollment to receive a verified certificate for only $99.
7. Programming Foundations: Fundamentals by LinkedIn Learning
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: $34.99 or free with the monthly membership
This course shares invaluable knowledge that will prepare you to program in any language in a little over 2 hours. Senior Engineering Manager Annyce Davis pulls back the curtain on programming concepts and languages, shares how to determine which programming language is best for your project and teaches you how to work with data to identify and resolve errors.
Programming Foundations: Fundamentals includes 5 modules:
- Programming Basics
- Programming Syntax
- Variables and Data Types
- Conditional Code
- Modular Code
Enrollment is free with a $29.99 monthly LinkedIn membership. You can sign up for a 1-month trial or pay $34.99 to access the course material if you haven’t already subscribed.
8. JavaScript Basics by Team TreeHouse
- Who it's for: Beginners
- Price: Included with the monthly membership
This course teaches the essential concepts of the JavaScript programming language. You’ll learn how it works, where it’s most commonly used and how to resolve issues. There are also discussions on basic programming concepts to bring you up to speed.
JavaScript Basics is comprised of 4 sections:
- Hello, JavaScript!
- Storing and Tracking Information with Variables
- Working with Strings
- Making Decisions in Your Code with Conditional Statements
Each section is divided into small steps to facilitate your comprehension of the material.
Facilitator Guil Hernandez is a front end web development and full-stack JavaScript instructor at Treehouse.
9. Learn to Code with HTML — Beginner to Expert by Udemy
- Price: On sale
Learn to Code with HTML — Beginner to Expert is the perfect course for beginning developers who want to go from novice to subject-matter expert in a jiffy.
Web developer Hussam AL-Ghamdi covers HTML at the beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert level. You’ll walk away from the course with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a web developer.
You’ll receive full lifetime access to 25 lectures condensed into 1.5 hours of on-demand video and 1 article when you enroll. You’ll also receive a certificate of completion when you reach the finish line.
Take advantage of the limited-time discount by enrolling today.
Learn How to Code Today
Consider a course from our list of recommended options for beginners when you’re ready to move forward. Courses are interactive, self-paced and affordable. You can enroll with confidence knowing you’ll get the most from your online learning experience.
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community