Free SQL Courses to Elevate Your Skills

In this article, I'll explain why LearnSQL.com offers free SQL courses. I’ll also introduce you to some of the courses we’ve offered for free over the years. If you're eager to enhance your SQL skills without breaking the bank, you've come to the right place.

You're here because you understand the significance of learning SQL. But are you tired of those lengthy YouTube tutorials? How about diving into an online SQL course? Here's a neat fact: Each month, LearnSQL.com offers you an opportunity to take a complete SQL course for free. In this article, I’ll explain why we do this and why SQL is so important. I’ll also give you a preview of some of the courses we’ve offered – and might offer again – as our Free SQL Course of the Month.

What SQL Is and Why It Matters

Structured Query Language (SQL) is a powerful tool used for managing and manipulating databases. It's the third most popular language among professional developers, with 51.52% using it. And it ranks fourth among beginners, according to Stack Overflow statistics. This prevalence highlights its critical role in both the learning and application stages of programming.

SQL is essential in today's data-centric world, enabling strategic data-driven decisions and automating business processes. Its demand in the job market is evident; it’s the most requested skill in data-related job postings. With its widespread usage and growing industry value, SQL is a key skill for those in technology and data management jobs.

This awesome programming language has its origins in the 1970s. It was initially created to manage and manipulate data in IBM's relational database management system, which was named SEQUEL (Structured English Query Language).

Over the years, SQL evolved to become the standard language for relational database management systems. Its design as a declarative language  allows users to specify the data they want to retrieve or manipulate without detailing how to do it. This innovation laid the foundation for the widespread adoption of relational databases in various industries.

And why does SQL matter? It is key for analyzing data and helping businesses make smart decisions. It sorts through lots of data quickly, making it easier for companies to understand important information. This helps them grow and make better plans. In short, SQL is a must-have tool in the business world for working with data effectively.

For the best results in learning SQL, it's important to lay a strong foundation. If you're new to SQL, starting with SQL Basics is the way to go. Once you've got a grasp on the basics, you can go on to more advanced content.

Why We Offer Free SQL Courses

At LearnSQL.com, we feature a different SQL course each month, offering it completely free. This initiative is aimed at those who are passionate about learning SQL but might not have the financial resources. Numerous learners have already taken advantage of this opportunity, and we encourage you to do the same.

By making these courses available for free, we not only aim to democratize SQL learning but also to give learners an opportunity to test out our teaching methods and course structure, ensuring they align with their personal learning preferences and goals.

Our SQL courses are tailored to a diverse audience, ensuring that anyone with an interest in data management and analysis can benefit from them. From complete beginners to seasoned professionals, our courses provide valuable learning experiences. Here's who can particularly benefit from what we offer:

• Students – to complement academic studies.
• Professionals – to learn or enhance skills.
• Business analysts and managers – for data-driven decision-making.
• IT professionals – to expand technical skills.
• New programmers – as a solid starting point.
• Data hobbyists – exploring database design.
• Career changers – Transitioning into tech and data roles.

Ultimately, our goal is to empower individuals from all walks of life through our comprehensive and meticulously designed SQL courses. Whether you're a student, a professional seeking to upskill, or simply someone curious about data management, our courses are tailored to support you on your SQL learning journey.

This monthly offer also serves as a great way to get a feel for our course quality and format. For those curious about how we teach and the materials we use, this is the perfect chance to find out – without any obligations.

So, if you're contemplating starting or continuing your SQL education, our Free SQL Course of the Month could be the stepping stone you need.

SQL Courses Content and Structure: What to Expect

Our online SQL courses are meticulously structured to offer a comprehensive learning experience. Each course begins with a brief overview that introduces the concept you’ll be practicing. This approach ensures that learners of all levels start with a solid foundation, understanding the basics before progressing to more complex topics.

All SQL courses at LearnSQL.com are designed to be highly interactive. As you learn, you'll write actual SQL queries and execute them in our online console. This immediate application of concepts allows you to see the effects of your queries in real time. It reinforces theory with practical experience.

We emphasize a step-by-step approach in our courses, starting with simpler exercises and then gradually increasing in complexity. This methodical progression ensures that learners are not overwhelmed and can build confidence as they advance through the material. Each lesson builds on the previous one, creating a cohesive and comprehensive learning journey.

Here’s a screenshot of our platform:

This is a sample exercise from one of our courses. You can see that there is a little bit of reading, a task to complete, and a console where you type your code. Our platform checks it and tells you if it's right or if you need to try again. And don't worry; if you get stuck, there are hints to help you out. This interactive setup ensures a practical and engaging learning experience, making it easier to grasp SQL concepts and apply them effectively.

Whether you’re a beginner or looking to polish your skills, our courses are tailored to meet your learning needs at every step of the way.

Enhancing Your Learning Experience

We offer more than just great interactive SQL courses to enhance your SQL learning experience. Our blog is a treasure trove of information. It's filled with articles, guides, and tips that cater to all levels – and all providing you with a deeper understanding of SQL in various real-world scenarios. Here are some of our favorite articles:

• The Best Way to Learn SQL: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners
• How to Practice SQL JOINs
• The Best SQL Books for 2024
• 6 Advanced SQL Queries for Analyzing Financial Data
• How to Practice Advanced SQL Online with LearnSQL.com

Another invaluable resource is our SQL Cookbook. It is a collection of ready-to-use SQL queries and SQL solutions for different database systems, including MS SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQLite. This practical guide is perfect for applying SQL concepts directly to your projects.

To further aid your learning, we offer a range of Cheat Sheets. These handy references cover key SQL commands and concepts, making it easier to quickly recall important information. With these resources at your disposal, you can enhance your SQL knowledge and skills, ensuring a well-rounded and effective learning experience. By the way, these cheat sheets are also free!

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn and don't miss out on our newsletter, "SQL Insights with LearnSQL.com." Join our vibrant community of data analysts and SQL experts, where you'll receive the latest updates, industry news, and exclusive tips.

Free SQL Courses of the Month

Let's take a closer look at our Free SQL Courses of the Month. Each month, we carefully select a course that stands out in terms of content, relevance, and learning outcomes. These courses have ranged from beginner-friendly introductions to SQL, to more advanced topics for seasoned users. Our aim is to cater to a wide range of learners, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge in SQL, no matter their prior experience.

While these SQL courses in the list below were free in a given month, it's important to note that their availability (and price) can change over time. Keep an eye out for promotions and updates, as they may become free again in the future. Stay tuned! And for now, check out those SQL courses that were available for free in 2023.

Window Functions in PostgreSQL

Level: Advanced

Exercises: 218

Estimated time: 20h

This online course on Advanced Window Functions in PostgreSQL is designed to help you effectively understand and utilize window functions in SQL queries. It covers the syntax and semantics of PostgreSQL window functions.

Learn how to:

• Define the function window with PostgreSQL PARTITION BY.
• RANK rows with window functions.
• Create sophisticated window frames for your window functions.
• Use the most essential analytic functions: LEAD, LAG, VALUE.
• Create advanced statistics computed independently for various groups of rows.
• Master all the skills you acquired in our extensive practice section.
• Deeply understand PostgreSQL aggregate functions.

This course is suitable for a wide range of individuals, including PostgreSQL users seeking to enhance their querying proficiency, developers looking to update their knowledge, novice database analysts working with PostgreSQL, students enrolled in relational database courses, and anyone interested in enhancing their proficiency with PostgreSQL window functions.

You can find out more about this course here.

PostgreSQL JOINs

Level: Basic

Exercises: 93

Estimated time: 9h

PostgreSQL JOIN is a very common clause, making it a crucial skill for effectively processing data across multiple tables. With this online practice set, you'll gain proficiency in all PostgreSQL JOIN types, including LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, INNER JOIN, and FULL JOIN. Additionally, you'll explore the intricacies of non-equi JOINs.

If you're someone with a grasp of simple queries and a desire to expand your SQL skills, this online course is tailored to your needs!

Learn how to:

• JOIN and SELECT data from two or more data tables.
• JOIN a table with itself.
• JOIN tables on non-key columns.
• Quickly determine which type of JOIN you should use.

This course is suitable for students learning about databases, beginning programmers interested in PostgreSQL, data analysts, business users looking to improve their querying skills, and anyone who wants to enhance or refresh their knowledge of PostgreSQL JOINs.

Find out more in this article.

SQL Practice Set in PostgreSQL

Level: Basic

Exercises: 88

Estimated time: 10h

This exercise set is designed for individuals with a basic understanding of PostgreSQL queries; it offers valuable online practice to refine or refresh query-writing skills and identify areas for improvement. As with any skill, practice is key to mastery – and this resource provides the practice needed to enhance your SQL toolkit and become more proficient in PostgreSQL queries.

This hands-on exercise set reviews:

• Simple SELECT
• Aggregate functions (COUNT, SUM, AVG).
• GROUP BY and ORDER BY.
• JOINs (querying from multiple tables, self-joins, LEFT JOINs, RIGHT JOINs, and non-equi joins).
• Subqueries (simple subqueries, subqueries with multiple results, correlated subqueries, and subqueries in the FROM and SELECT clauses).

This one is for data and business analysts, students studying database courses, anyone  looking to improve their query skills and practice writing PostgreSQL queries online.

Learn all about this course here.

Creating Basic SQL Reports in PostgreSQL

Level: Advanced

Exercises: 97

Estimated time: 10h

This course on SQL Reporting is for individuals with basic PostgreSQL knowledge who want to harness the power of data analysis. The ability to generate insightful SQL reports from scratch empowers you to take control of your reporting and helps you make informed decisions across various domains, from business to personal finance.

Discover how to:

• Create custom classifications using the CASE WHEN
• Use classifications to group objects in the GROUP BY
• Use aggregate functions to summarize data.
• Organize long queries.
• Calculate multiple metrics, ratios, averages, and percentages.
• Compare global and granular metrics.
• Compare different business groups in a single report.
• Use common table expressions (CTEs).

Whether you're an aspiring data analyst, a developer aiming to enhance your database management abilities, a student eager to excel in relational databases, or simply someone interested in mastering SQL and PostgreSQL, this course is tailored to your needs.

Read this article for more information.

GROUP BY Extensions in PostgreSQL

Level: Advanced

Exercises: 63

Estimated time: 7h

This comprehensive online course is designed for intermediate SQL users seeking to deepen their skills and explore advanced features in PostgreSQL. With hands-on interactive exercises, this course provides the practical experience needed to confidently apply advanced SQL features in real-world projects.

Learn how to:

• Use ROLLUP with GROUP BY.
• Display the order of columns with CUBE, and use CUBE with GROUPING() and COALESCE().
• Use new functions and multiple groupings with UNION ALL.
• Create multiple groupings with GROUPING SETS.

This interactive course is suitable for analysts experienced in PostgreSQL report creation, database administrators, database students, programmers looking to enhance their PostgreSQL proficiency, and anyone with a basic understanding of SQL who is eager to take their skills to the next level.

Check out this article for more information.

PostgreSQL INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE Commands

Level: Basic

Exercises: 80

Estimated time: 8h

In this online course, you will learn the fundamental aspects of PostgreSQL's data manipulation language (DML) and equip yourself with the essential skills to retrieve, store, modify, and delete data within a PostgreSQL database.

Learn how to:

• Work with PostgreSQL INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE
• Deal with auto-filling values.
• Combine DML commands with IDENTITY, SEQUENCE, and NEWID().
• Use DML commands with NULL values and JOIN
• Update column data using default values.

Designed with beginners in mind, this course caters to aspiring database administrators, business professionals working with PostgreSQL, and anyone seeking to harness the power of DML commands.

Learn more about it here.

Writing User-Defined Functions in PostgreSQL

Level: Advanced

Exercises: 94

Estimated time: 20h

Unleash the power of custom user-defined functions to streamline operations, enhance query logic, and accelerate results in PostgreSQL. Explore PL/pgSQL, PostgreSQL's widely used procedural language, and delve into syntax, parameter types, and complex statements within function bodies. With practical, real-world examples, you'll master the art of writing functions, including implementing Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processes in data warehousing.

This course will teach you:

• What a user-defined function is and when you should use it.
• How to create a user-defined function in PostgreSQL.
• The syntax of PostgreSQL’s most commonly used procedural language, PL/pgSQL.
• The different types of parameters in PostgreSQL functions (IN, OUT and INOUT).
• How to use results of a SQL query inside a function.
• How to nest function calls.
• How to return a table from a function.

This course is tailor-made for PostgreSQL developers, novice database administrators, and individuals intrigued by programming within the realm of relational databases.

Is it for you? Find out in this article.

Window Functions Practice Set

Level: Advanced

Exercises: 100

Estimated time: 20h

SQL window functions allow you to calculate aggregate statistics without losing individual details as you would with GROUP BY. Sharpen your skills with this comprehensive practice set, which fills a gap often overlooked in traditional SQL curricula. Practice writing realistic reports using window functions across three diverse datasets:  an online store, running competitions, and blog traffic.

This course will help you:

• Review the syntax of SQL window functions.
• Practice common window function usage:
  • Ranking objects.
  • Finding the top n
  • Computing the difference (delta) between two rows.
  • Calculating running totals and moving averages.
  • Analyzing a time series in SQL.

This course is suitable for computer science students keen on modern SQL and anyone looking to practice SQL window functions.

More about this course in this article.

Basic SQL Practice: Blog & Traffic Data

Level: Basic

Exercises: 141

Estimated time: 20h

Master SQL using blog and web traffic data from a pet store with this course. Ideal for beginners familiar with SQL basics, these hands-on tasks allow you to analyze real-life data related to blog traffic, articles, authors, and product promotions.

In this course, you’ll:

• Write basic SELECT queries to retrieve information from a single table.
• Filter data with WHERE by using numeric comparison operators, text patterns, Boolean conditions, and combined conditions.
• Sort query results with ORDER BY.
• Combine data from multiple tables using JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, and FULL JOIN.
• Write multi-table JOINs.
• Group data with GROUP BY and apply the aggregate functions COUNT(), AVG(), SUM(), MIN(), and MAX().
• Use mathematical functions to perform simple calculations in SQL.
• Handle NULLs in SQL queries using the IS NULL and IS NOT NULL operators.
• Write subqueries, including correlated subqueries.
• Combine various SQL features in a challenging advanced queries section.

This course is suitable for:

• Beginners looking for SQL practice.
• Individuals gearing up for an SQL job interview.
• Students preparing for database or computer science exams.
• Entrepreneurs looking to leverage SQL for business growth.
• Bloggers facing data analysis challenges.
• Marketing professionals tasked with website traffic analysis.

In short, it's perfect for anyone eager to enhance their SQL skills.

Find out more about this cool SQL practice course in this article.

Customer Behavior Analysis in PostgreSQL

Level: Advanced

Exercises: 72

Estimated time: 10h

Enhance your business decision-making with our Customer Behavior Analysis in PostgreSQL course. With a sample dataset from an online store, you'll gain hands-on experience dissecting customer actions, from acquisition to conversion and sales. Explore the customer journey and empower your business with valuable insights in this interactive course. Understanding customer behavior has never been more accessible.

Learn how to:

• Track customer behavior throughout the sales funnel with PostgreSQL.
• Examine customer acquisition trends and create reports on customer behavior.
• Create customer conversion charts.
• Verify customer churn and retention.

Learn more in this article.

How to Get Free SQL Courses from LearnSQL.com

Now you know why we offer free SQL courses and which ones were free in 2023. The only thing left is to answer the question: What should you do next? How about checking our current Free SQL Course of the Month for December 2023: Basic SQL Practice: A Store.

You just need to:

• Create a free LearnSQL.com account or log in if you already have one.
• Start the course. You have free access to its content until the end of the month.

Practice your SQL skills with 169 interactive exercises. This course uses a simple store database, allowing you to practice real-world queries such as identifying top-selling products and assessing employee performance. Whether you're a shop owner or a data enthusiast, this interactive course is a valuable resource accessible from your web browser.

If you’re totally new to SQL, start with our SQL Basics course and return to this course to refine your skills.

Whether you're an experienced database pro or new to SQL, our free courses help you improve. Use these opportunities to practice and refine your skills. Explore our resources to deepen your SQL knowledge and stay competitive in a data-driven world. We're here to support your SQL learning and career goals.

Stay tuned for future updates and chances to learn SQL for free.