Data Science is an exemplary field that is packed with exciting career opportunities. The field of Data Science attracts millions of young graduates and students to aspire to grow into Data Scientists. Data Science offers a promising future in not just the core industry but also related fields like BI (Business Intelligence) that requires similar skillsets. Data Science as a subject and profession deals with a lot of methods, processes, understanding of algorithms and analytics, to draft data-based decisions that run the future of the businesses. If you are aspiring to become a Data Scientist, there are plenty of free and paid courses available online. Whether you wish to brush your basics first or directly dive into advanced courses like R or Python Language, Data Mining and Business Intelligence. There are plenty of courses available but we hope you know how to distinguish between the best.

"Where to start? Or should I opt for online free or paid courses?" is a question most fresh graduates deal with. The debate is endless and there are opinions in favor of both the available options. Let me highlight facts frankly, the answer to the question “Which course to opt for; free or paid?" depends highly on the benefits derived from the enrolment. Yes! Given the benefits of enrolling for either a paid or free course are different and depend entirely on the outcome and the added advantages that both might let you experience through the lifecycle of your learning.

Which course is best for Data Science: Paid or Free?

Still confused? Tag along. Here I have lined the top and most relevant reasons which may give a logical conclusion to your question; helping you find if or not to invest your time and effort into a paid course over a free one.

Study Material

There are plenty of public forums that offer hands-on comprehensive and all-inclusive free courses but these courses are nothing compared to the paid ones that offer higher quality study and reference material. If you might notice, most of the paid courses are developed in collaboration with some of the most rated international universities and industry experts or publishers. The lessons are offered by professional experts and well-qualified instructors who can be trusted with the knowledge and skills related to the subject. Additionally, these paid courses also provide carefully designed and customized study material and reference sources that consist of legitimate information, links, and academic material.

Quality of Mentorship

Mentorship holds the utmost importance when it comes to learning a subject. Proper mentorship offers proper guidance and motivation along with giving students multiple perspectives to explore and experiment. Mentors through paid courses offer learnings and lend a hand in provoking the thought of making students serious about their career. Proper guidance and mentorships helps students explore their talents, pick their brains and streamline their future plans. Most paid courses also offer several doubt-solving sessions after the completion of every chapter or module, in order to help the learners take advantage of the courses.

Availability of Peer Support

Paid courses offer students the flexibility of studying and maintaining interaction with peer students and classmates. Paid online courses also arrange discussion forums for students to network efficiently. While many students may be comfortable studying in isolation with free courses, lack of peer support and networking system may not be a boon for the students.

Regular Assessments

Unlike free courses for Data Science that are available for the students, paid versions offer proper assignments and conduct regular assessments at the end of the paid courses. In some cases, even after the completion of the particular chapters/modules, paid courses conduct final assessments and assignments to test the progress of the students. These regular assessments and tests provide students the opportunities to apply their learnings, knowledge and understanding into real-time situations and problems.

Globally recognized Certificate

It's rare to find free courses available for Data Science to offer formal certification after the completion of the course. Paid courses for Data Science, on the other hand, provides a formal certification of completion of the paid course on completion. These paid courses offer globally recognized certifications that add to the value of the resume and expertise. Some institutions who offer paid courses are also affiliated with government bodies that come with certifications that are recognized by the relevant industries.

Whether or not, the course will lead to a job or internship?

In addition to all the perks of paid courses highlighted in the pointers above like peer support, spot-on mentorship and quality study material, some of the paid courses also offer career assistance to young students who complete the course. The career assistance includes offering students internships and sometimes, even placements through a tie-up with recognized institutions. Free courses, on the other hand, do not offer any kinds of career assistance in the form of internships or jobs.

Conclusion

There are plenty of options out there! You will find millions of source to get the most reviewed and preferred free online courses. However, only a few may do justice to your learning process. On the other hand, the paid courses available online are affiliated and carried out with the help of globally recognized institutions which itself is a promise of trustworthy sources of study and reference material, high-quality education, job placements, industry recognized certifications and 100% guaranteed internships.