Affordable data science certifications for career changers in 2026: the total cost to finish
On this page
- The short answer
- What does each data science certificate cost in total, not per month?
- How many hours does each take, and how long at 10 hours a week?
- Is there an exam, and does the credential expire?
- Which is cheapest per finished credential?
- When is a bootcamp worth about 42 times the price?
- What does the job market say?
- Pick by budget and background
- FAQ
A data science certificate is priced per month but bought as a total, and the total depends on how fast you finish. Measured at each provider's own stated pace, the six online credentials here cost $120 to $873 from start to certificate. A part-time Springboard bootcamp costs $9,900 paid upfront. Every price below was read on the provider's own page on 19 October 2026.
The short answer
- Cheapest to finish: Codecademy's Data Scientist: Machine Learning Specialist path, 85 hours with certification "available with Pro", about $119.97 at 10 hours a week on the $39.99 monthly plan.
- Cheapest with a proctored-style exam: DataCamp's Data Scientist Certification, "included with your premium subscription, so there are no additional costs"; Premium is $14 a month billed annually ($168).
- Best-known names: IBM Data Science on Coursera (about $236 over 4 months on Coursera Plus) and Google Advanced Data Analytics ($49 a month, which Coursera says is "less than $300 USD" in total).
- Bootcamp benchmark: Springboard's Data Science Career Track lists $13,900 before discount, $9,900 paid upfront, or $1,890 a month for six months.
- The job: the BLS puts 2025 median pay for data scientists at $120,230 and projects 35% job growth from 2025 to 2035; the typical entry-level education is a bachelor's degree.
What does each data science certificate cost in total, not per month?
The total cost of a monthly-billed certificate is the monthly price multiplied by the months you take, so the provider's own pace is the honest starting estimate. Coursera prices Google Advanced Data Analytics at "$49 per month after the initial 7-day free trial period" and says it "can be completed in less than 6 months at under 10 hours per week", which is $294. IBM Data Science sits inside Coursera Plus at $59 a month and is paced at "4 months at 10 hours a week", which is $236.
DataCamp and Codecademy work differently. DataCamp's certification costs nothing beyond Premium, which is billed as one $168 annual payment, so finishing in one month or eleven costs the same. Codecademy attaches its professional certification to Pro, at $19.99 a month billed annually or $39.99 billed monthly; 85 hours at 10 hours a week is about nine weeks, or three monthly charges.
| Credential | Price (as published) | Length (as published) | Total at stated pace | Exam or assessment | Page read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Codecademy: Data Scientist, Machine Learning Specialist | Certification "available with Pro": $19.99/mo yearly or $39.99 monthly | 24 courses, 85 hours | $119.97 (3 months monthly) | Certification exams in the path | codecademy.com, 19 October 2026 |
| DataCamp Data Scientist Certification | "included with your premium subscription, so there are no additional costs"; Premium $14/mo billed annually | 30 days to finish once registered | $168 (one year) | Two timed exams, two hours and two attempts each, plus a practical exam; valid two years | datacamp.com, 19 October 2026 |
| IBM Data Science Professional Certificate (Coursera) | Included with Coursera Plus ($59 a month) | 12 course series, "4 months at 10 hours a week" | $236 | Graded course projects | coursera.org, 19 October 2026 |
| Google Advanced Data Analytics (Coursera) | "$49 per month after the initial 7-day free trial" | 7 course series, under 6 months at under 10 hours a week | $294 ("less than $300") | Graded course projects | coursera.org, 19 October 2026 |
| IBM Data Science Professional Certificate (edX) | $873 (US price in the page data) | Self-paced | $873 | Graded course projects | edx.org, 19 October 2026 |
| Udemy: The Data Science Course | $139.99 list, frequently discounted | 32 hours of video | $139.99 or less | Certificate of completion, no exam | udemy.com, last read 14 October 2026 |
| Springboard Data Science Career Track | $13,900 before discount; $9,900 upfront; $1,890 a month | Six months at 20 to 25 hours a week | $9,900 to $11,340 | Mentored capstone; job guarantee with eligibility terms | springboard.com, 19 October 2026 |
A labelled slot for one data science programme sits here, beside the cost table and outside it. The table is ordered by total cost at the provider's pace and stays that way whoever buys the slot.
Kit for finishing an online course
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How many hours does each take, and how long at 10 hours a week?
Coursera states its pace directly: 4 months at 10 hours a week for IBM Data Science, a 12-course series, and under 6 months at under 10 hours a week for Google Advanced Data Analytics, a 7-course series. Codecademy lists 24 courses and 85 hours for its Machine Learning Specialist path. Springboard describes "a six-month program for students devoting 20-25 hours per week", which is 520 to 650 hours, several times any online certificate here.
Udemy's The Data Science Course listed 32 hours of on-demand video when we last read it on 14 October 2026, and ends in a certificate of completion rather than an exam. It is the cheapest way to sample the whole field before choosing a credential: The Data Science Course on Udemy.
Is there an exam, and does the credential expire?
DataCamp's certification is the most exam-like: "two timed exams. You will have two hours and two attempts at each exam", plus a practical exam on a real data project, and once registered "you will have 30 days to complete all of the requirements". DataCamp's certifications "are valid for two years from the date awarded", which is the only stated expiry here.
The IBM and Google certificates on Coursera are earned by passing graded course work and projects across the series, and carry the company's name rather than an expiry date. Codecademy's certification requires passing all exams in the career path. Springboard ends in a mentored capstone and offers a money-back job guarantee that its own page says has eligibility terms, including prior coding experience.
If you need proof you can do the work under time pressure, DataCamp's timed exams are the closest thing to a test here; if you need a name a recruiter recognises, Google and IBM carry it.
Which is cheapest per finished credential?
Codecademy's path is cheapest per finished credential at the stated pace ($119.97), then DataCamp ($168 for a year that can also cover other certifications), then IBM on Coursera ($236) and Google ($294). The IBM certificate costs $873 on edX, $637 more than on Coursera at Coursera's stated pace, for the same IBM programme name.
The cost-per-credential order flips when the pace does. A learner who needs eight months for IBM Data Science pays $472 on Coursera Plus monthly, more than an annual Coursera Plus plan at $399. That is why the spec sheet below asks for your real pace before your provider's.
CERTIFICATE: _____________________________________ Provider's stated pace: ____ hours a week for ____ months My real pace: ____ hours a week => my months: ____ Monthly price: $____ x my months = $______ total (annual plan? total = annual price, however fast I finish) Exam: proctored / timed / project only / none Attempts: ____ Credential expires: never / ____ years Who issues it: university / company (Google, IBM) / platform Free route: audit, free tier or financial aid? ______________ Stop rule: if I have not finished by month ____ , I pause billing.
Codecademy Data Scientist: Machine Learning Specialist
Professional certification "available with Pro" at $39.99 billed monthly or $19.99 a month billed annually.
Code is written in the browser from lesson one, so a career changer builds a portfolio while earning the certification, at the lowest total here.
DataCamp Data Scientist Certification
Two timed two-hour exams with two attempts each, plus a practical exam; 30 days to complete once registered.
The only credential here built around timed, practical exams, at no cost beyond a $168 Premium year.
Google Advanced Data Analytics on Coursera
A 7-course series Coursera says most learners finish in under 6 months for less than $300.
The Google name on an advanced analytics credential, priced so the whole programme costs less than one month of most bootcamps.
IBM Data Science on Coursera or edX
Included with Coursera Plus at a stated 4 months at 10 hours a week; listed at $873 on edX.
A beginner-level, no-prior-experience entry into Python, SQL and machine learning, with IBM's name, and two places to buy it.
When is a bootcamp worth about 42 times the price?
A bootcamp is worth the gap when what you are missing is accountability and a mentor, not content. Springboard's Data Science Career Track adds one-to-one mentorship, career coaching and a job guarantee to a six-month programme of 20 to 25 hours a week. Its tuition page lists $13,900 before discount, $9,900 paid upfront ("Pay upfront and save 29%") or $1,890 a month month-to-month; the same page's FAQ still quotes $10,900 upfront and $2,150 a month, so confirm the figure at enrolment.
For a self-directed learner the online certificates cover the same core skills (Python, SQL, statistics, machine learning) for a few hundred dollars. Our coding bootcamp ROI comparison and certificate vs bootcamp vs degree breakdown go deeper on that trade.
What does the job market say?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the 2025 median pay for data scientists at $120,230 a year, projects employment growth of 35% from 2025 to 2035 ("much faster than average"), and counts 275,600 data scientist jobs in 2025 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). The same page lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education, which is the honest caveat for any certificate: it adds skills and signal, and it does not replace the degree most job postings still ask for.
Our certification cost vs job outlook study sets 16 certifications against BLS projections, and the best online data science courses compares the teaching itself.
Pick by budget and background
- If you are starting from zero with under $150, start Codecademy's Machine Learning Specialist path on Pro monthly, because 85 hours of in-browser coding ends in a certification for about $119.97 at 10 hours a week.
- If you want a timed exam that proves you can work, choose DataCamp's Data Scientist Certification, because it is included in a $168 Premium year and tests you on a practical project under time limits.
- If a recognisable company name matters to recruiters, take Google Advanced Data Analytics or IBM Data Science on Coursera, because both cost under $300 at Coursera's own pace.
- If you are deciding between Coursera and edX for IBM, buy it on Coursera, because the same IBM programme name is $236 at Coursera's pace against $873 on edX.
- If you have stalled on self-paced courses before, price Springboard, because its $9,900 upfront buys mentorship and deadlines, and check the job guarantee's eligibility terms before you sign.
We read each provider's own certificate, pricing and tuition pages on 19 October 2026 and recorded the price, length and exam terms exactly as published in US dollars. Totals are arithmetic on those prices at each provider's own stated pace (Codecademy's 85 hours at 10 hours a week is about nine weeks, three monthly charges). The edX price is the US price in the page's own structured data. Udemy's course page refused our automated read on 19 October 2026, so its row carries the 14 October 2026 figures. Salary and growth figures come only from the BLS. We did not enrol in these programmes; nothing on this page is a completion claim.
Frequently asked
What is the cheapest data science certification online?
At each provider's own pace, Codecademy's Data Scientist: Machine Learning Specialist path is cheapest at about $119.97 (85 hours at 10 hours a week, three months of Pro at $39.99). DataCamp's Data Scientist Certification is included in Premium at $168 a year. Prices read 19 October 2026.
How much does the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate cost?
On Coursera it is included with Coursera Plus at $59 a month, and Coursera paces it at 4 months at 10 hours a week, about $236 in total. On edX the same IBM certificate lists at $873 in the US.
How much does the Google Advanced Data Analytics Certificate cost?
Coursera charges $49 per month in the US and Canada after a 7-day free trial, and says the certificate can be completed in less than 6 months at under 10 hours per week, so most learners pay less than $300 in total.
Is the DataCamp Data Scientist Certification free with Premium?
Yes. DataCamp says all its certifications are included with the premium subscription at no additional cost. Premium is $14 a month billed annually. The certification has two timed exams with two hours and two attempts each, plus a practical exam, and is valid for two years.
Is a data science bootcamp worth it compared with a certificate?
Springboard's Data Science Career Track costs $9,900 upfront or $1,890 a month for six months, about 42 times the IBM certificate on Coursera. The extra buys mentorship, deadlines and a job guarantee with eligibility terms; the core skills are covered by certificates costing a few hundred dollars.
What do data scientists earn?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the 2025 median pay for data scientists at $120,230 a year and projects 35% employment growth from 2025 to 2035. The typical entry-level education is a bachelor's degree.
Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what aid exists and how subscription billing is regulated are published by federal agencies rather than by any provider, and the primary sources are below so a reader can check them directly.
- Federal Student Aid states what federal aid exists and who qualifies; most subscription course platforms are not eligible for it, which is why their trial and refund terms matter.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- College Scorecard publishes federal cost, completion and earnings data for accredited programmes, the comparison point for any certificate sold as a degree alternative.
- FTC Negative Option Rule is the federal rule on offers that turn into paid subscriptions unless you cancel, which is how most free trials work.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency most published education figures trace back to.
This page compares published prices and terms. What a plan costs you depends on the offer shown at your checkout, your country and the date you sign up.