🎯 TL;DR — The essentials in 30 seconds
- 🥇 Best for beginners: Kyle Pew’s Excel from Beginner to Advanced (Udemy) — 1.5M students, 4.7★, ~$15–20. The r/excel default recommendation.
- 🆓 Best free + certificate: Great Learning’s Excel for Beginners — 7.5 hours with a Microsoft-recognized certificate, at no cost.
- 📊 Best for analysts: Chris Dutton’s Advanced Excel Formulas & Functions — XLOOKUP, dynamic arrays, and Power Query, built for Microsoft 365.
- 🏦 Best for finance: CFI’s FMVA — the industry-standard financial-modeling credential.
- 💰 Salary signal (US, 2026): advanced Excel (Power Query, Power Pivot, VBA) adds roughly $10K–$20K over basic proficiency at the same level.
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Excel is the world’s most widely used data tool — and most people are using roughly 10% of it. The gap between a basic user and an advanced one is worth $15K–$30K in annual salary. The problem isn’t motivation; it’s that most Excel courses still teach VLOOKUP in 2026 while skipping Power Query, dynamic arrays, and Copilot — the features that actually define modern Excel. These are my picks as a working BI analyst, organized by level and goal, with honest free vs. paid trade-offs included.
Modern Excel vs Legacy Excel: What You Actually Need to Learn in 2026
Most courses are teaching the wrong Excel. Not wrong as in useless — wrong as in incomplete.
Legacy Excel (pre-2016): VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, basic pivot tables, IF/SUMIF/COUNTIF. Still taught in 90% of courses. Still useful. But no longer sufficient. Here’s what modern Excel (2016+, especially Microsoft 365) adds:
Any Excel course worth taking must cover XLOOKUP, dynamic arrays, and Power Query. If it doesn’t, you’re learning the 2012 version of the tool — no matter how polished the production is.
What Makes a Great Excel Course?
Six things separate a genuinely useful Excel class from one that wastes your time.
Best Excel Courses by Level
The right course depends on where you are and what you need Excel for. Here’s how the headline picks compare, then the detail on each — grouped by level and goal.
| Course | Best for | Price | Rating | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
KP Excel Beginner to AdvancedKyle Pew · Udemy |
Beginner | ~$15–20 (sale) | ~19 hours | View | |
Dc Introduction to ExcelDataCamp |
Beginner | ~$25/mo (ch.1 free) | ~4 hours | View | |
GL Excel for BeginnersGreat Learning |
Beginner | Free (+ cert) | 7.5 hours | View | |
CD Advanced Formulas & FunctionsChris Dutton · Udemy |
Analyst | ~$15–20 (sale) | ~13 hours | View | |
MQ Excel Skills for BusinessMacquarie · Coursera |
Analyst | ~$59/mo (free audit) | 4 courses | View | |
CFI FMVA CertificationCorporate Finance Institute |
Finance | ~$497 | ~100–120h | View | |
VBA Unlock Excel VBA & MacrosUdemy |
Power user | ~$15–20 (sale) | ~12 hours | View |
For beginners: from zero to functional
What you’ll learn
- The full Excel interface, formulas, charts, pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and an intro to macros
- Downloadable exercise files for every section; works on Excel 2013 through Microsoft 365
- A coherent beginner-to-intermediate path, not scattered modules
Why we picked it: the most trusted beginner Excel course, period. It’s the default recommendation on r/excel for a reason — comprehensive, well-paced, and genuinely covers the full beginner-to-intermediate path. Strongest for office workers and early-career analysts building a solid foundation.
⚠️ Trade-off: only partial coverage of modern features like XLOOKUP and dynamic arrays — pair it with Chris Dutton’s Advanced Formulas course for a complete 2026 skill set.
What you’ll learn
- Browser-based and interactive — no software setup required
- Data entry, basic formulas, cell references, and core functions
- Integrates with DataCamp’s broader analyst tracks
Why we picked it: the best zero-friction start for absolute beginners. You’re writing real formulas in the browser from minute one — no downloads, no setup, no excuses.
What you’ll learn
- Basics through intermediate pivot tables and charts
- Self-paced, with a real certificate at the end
- No cost, no catch
Why we picked it: the best free Excel course with a real certificate. If you’re asking where you can take an Excel class without spending money, this is your answer — the best beginner Excel course online that costs nothing.
For data analysts: Power Query, pivot tables & modern functions
What you’ll learn
- XLOOKUP, dynamic arrays (FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE), INDEX/MATCH, array formulas, and a Power Query intro
- 75+ formulas taught with real business datasets
- No legacy workarounds — modern Excel throughout
Why we picked it: the best advanced Excel course for analysts who already know the basics. This is where you cross from “Excel user” to “Excel practitioner” — the XLOOKUP and dynamic array modules alone are worth the price.
What you’ll learn
- Pivot tables, Power Query, data visualization, and financial modeling
- A structured essentials-to-advanced progression
- One of the few accredited online Excel courses from a recognized university
Why we picked it: the most rigorous analyst-level Excel path available online. If you want a structured, university-backed Excel class online, this is the one — and the Coursera certificate carries real weight on a CV.
What you’ll learn
- Power Query, pivot tables, XLOOKUP, data cleaning, and real-world datasets
- Fully interactive — every exercise runs in the browser
- Integrates with DataCamp’s SQL and Python tracks for a full analyst stack
Why we picked it: the best subscription-based path for analysts who want to learn Excel as part of a broader data skill set. The Power Query module is genuinely excellent.
For finance professionals: financial modeling & advanced analysis
What you’ll learn
- DCF, LBO, M&A modeling, budgeting, forecasting, scenario analysis — all Excel-heavy
- 2026 curriculum refresh: DCF Valuation Modeling Techniques, Applied DCF Valuation Modeling, and Forecasting Techniques as core modules
- An industry-standard finance certification
Why we picked it: the most recognized finance Excel credential in the industry. If your goal is FP&A, investment banking, or corporate finance, FMVA is the certification that signals you can actually build models — not just use formulas.
What you’ll learn
- Financial functions (NPV, IRR, XNPV, XIRR), scenario analysis, sensitivity tables
- Pivot tables for financial reporting
- Part of the broader Excel Skills for Business specialization
Why we picked it: the best online Excel training for finance professionals who need structured coverage of financial functions without committing to a full certification program.
What you’ll learn
- NPV, IRR, data tables, scenario manager, and goal seek
- Multiple short courses, stackable with other Coursera finance content
Why we picked it: a solid, flexible option for finance professionals adding Excel depth around specific functions — best used as a complement to FMVA or the Macquarie specialization.
For power users: VBA, macros & Excel Copilot
What you’ll learn
- Macro recording, the VBA editor, UserForms, event-driven macros, and custom function building
- Hands-on projects: automated reports, data cleaning scripts, interactive dashboards
- Automation depth no other Udemy Excel course matches
Why we picked it: the definitive VBA course for power users. If you’re doing the same Excel task more than twice a week, you need this course. No other Udemy Excel course covers automation at this depth.
For those who want more than a self-paced video course — structured cohorts, live instructor sessions, and real Excel + Power BI projects from day one. The BI track covers Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX, and dashboard design in a guided environment with career support built in.
Why we picked it: worth considering if you learn better with accountability and feedback than alone with a video.
Best Free Excel Courses and Resources
If you’re asking where you can learn Excel without spending money, these four resources cover the full range.
| Resource | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Great Learning Excel for Beginners | 7.5 hours, structured, with a Microsoft-recognized certificate | The best free structured Excel course online |
| Microsoft 365 Training | Official tutorials on every feature, from basic formulas to Power Query and Copilot | The authoritative source — free and always up to date |
| MrExcel YouTube (Bill Jelen) | 2,500+ tutorials, beginner to advanced; 2026 content covers Copilot, RegEx formulas, new pivot functions | The best free resource for advanced techniques |
| ExcelJet.net | 500+ formula examples with plain-English explanations (a reference, not a course) | The practitioner’s Excel bible — every analyst has it bookmarked |
What r/excel Recommends
The Reddit consensus on the best Excel course is remarkably consistent. Across dozens of threads in r/excel and r/dataanalysis, a few names come up over and over.
Kyle Pew’s Udemy course is the single most recommended Excel course on Reddit — cited in threads from 2023 through mid-2026. The reasons are always the same: comprehensive, practical, cheap on sale, and it genuinely covers the beginner-to-intermediate gap. ExcelJet.net is the go-to formula reference — recommended alongside any course, not instead of one. And MrExcel YouTube gets consistent mentions for advanced techniques, particularly Power Query, pivot tables, and VBA.
Experienced users consistently say the gap between “course complete” and “job-ready” is closed by project work, not more courses. Finish a beginner course, then build something real — a budget tracker, a sales dashboard, an inventory system. That’s where the skill actually sticks. Asking where to learn Excel is only half the question; the other half is what to build with it.
The Excel Skill Stack: What Every Course Should Cover
Any Excel course worth its price should cover at least the first seven rows of this table. The bottom four are what separate a good analyst from a great one.
| Skill | Level | Use case | 2026 relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUM / IF / COUNTIF | Beginner | Universal calculations | Essential |
| VLOOKUP / XLOOKUP | Beginner–Int. | Data lookup | XLOOKUP is the 2026 standard |
| Pivot Tables | Intermediate | Data summarization | Core analyst skill |
| INDEX / MATCH | Intermediate | Flexible lookup | Still needed for legacy files |
| Power Query | Intermediate | Data transformation / ETL | High — replaces manual data prep |
| Dynamic Arrays (FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE) | Intermediate | Modern Excel workflows | High — Microsoft 365 default |
| Conditional Formatting | Beginner | Data visualization | Essential |
| Charts & Dashboards | Intermediate | Reporting | Core |
| VBA / Macros | Advanced | Automation | High for power users |
| Power Pivot / DAX | Advanced | Data modeling | High for analysts |
| Excel Copilot | All levels | AI-assisted analysis | Growing fast in 2026 |
Excel Career Paths and Salaries in 2026
Excel mastery unlocks a specific set of jobs — and the salary gap between basic and advanced users is real (US figures).
Two more roles round out the market: Business Analyst $65K–$100K (dashboards, data validation, pivot tables) and Operations Analyst $60K–$90K (Power Query, VBA automation).
Advanced Excel skills — Power Query, Power Pivot, VBA — add roughly $10K–$20K over basic proficiency at the same job level. The Excel + Power BI combination is now the dominant analyst stack in finance and operations; learning one without the other leaves money on the table. If Power BI is your next step, see our best Power BI courses guide.
You can learn the formulas alone — building real things is harder.
Everything above is excellent, and much of it is free: Kyle Pew’s course, Great Learning, MrExcel, ExcelJet. But r/excel’s own consensus is that the gap to job-ready is closed by project work, not more videos — and that’s exactly where self-paced learners stall. If you want Excel and Power BI taught through real projects with feedback, Liora’s Data & BI Bootcamp is the structured, cohort-based path.
- Excel + Power BI together — Power Query, Power Pivot, DAX, and dashboard design, the way analysts actually use them.
- Real projects from day one — budget trackers, sales dashboards, and models reviewed by a working analyst.
- Live sessions + career support — accountability that turns “course complete” into “job-ready.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Excel course for absolute beginners?
Microsoft Excel — Excel from Beginner to Advanced by Kyle Pew (Udemy) is the top pick for beginners, with 1.5 million students and comprehensive coverage from basic formulas to pivot tables, charts, and advanced functions. At $15–20 on Udemy sale, it offers the best value of any paid Excel course. For a free alternative with a certificate, Great Learning’s Excel for Beginners (7.5 hours, Microsoft certificate) is the best no-cost option.
Is the Kyle Pew Udemy Excel course worth it?
Yes — with 1.5 million students, it is the most enrolled Excel course on Udemy for good reason. Kyle Pew’s teaching style is clear and structured, covering beginner to advanced topics including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, charts, and conditional formatting. Its main limitation is partial coverage of modern Excel features like XLOOKUP and dynamic arrays — pair it with Chris Dutton’s Advanced Excel Formulas & Functions course for a complete 2026 Excel skill set.
How long does it take to learn Excel?
Basic Excel — data entry, SUM/IF/COUNTIF, simple pivot tables — takes 2–4 weeks at 1 hour per day. Reaching analyst-level proficiency (XLOOKUP, Power Query, advanced pivot tables, dashboards) takes 2–3 months. Mastering advanced Excel (VBA/macros, Power Pivot, financial modeling) takes 6–12 months of consistent project work. The Kyle Pew Udemy course is designed to be completed in 18 hours of focused study.
What Excel skills do employers actually want in 2026?
Employers in data and finance roles expect: XLOOKUP and INDEX/MATCH (replacing VLOOKUP), pivot tables with slicers, Power Query for data transformation, dynamic arrays (FILTER, SORT, UNIQUE), and dashboard design. VBA/macros are valued in operations and finance roles. Power Pivot and DAX are expected for senior analyst roles. Basic Excel (SUM, IF, VLOOKUP) is assumed — it no longer differentiates candidates.
What is the difference between Excel and Power BI?
Excel is a spreadsheet tool optimized for individual analysis, financial modeling, and ad-hoc data work — it handles datasets up to ~1 million rows and is the standard in finance, operations, and HR. Power BI is a dedicated business intelligence platform optimized for interactive dashboards, large datasets, and organization-wide reporting — it connects to hundreds of data sources and refreshes automatically. Most analysts use both: Excel for data preparation and modeling, Power BI for visualization and sharing.
- Excel for data analysis — the data analyst toolkit
- Excel and Power BI integration — dashboards with Power BI
- Excel data for Tableau — visual analytics with Tableau
- SQL and Excel — querying and data manipulation
