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Where would the world be without Microsoft Excel? Stuck in 1985?

Bet you didn’t know Excel was first released in 1985. Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, sees Excel as the company’s pièce de résistance. And that’s saying a lot considering Microsoft also dabbles – and does a great job – in everything from PC hardware, to cloud services and Artificial Intelligence.

At least 750 million people around the world use Microsoft Excel.

That’s more than twice the size of the US. Another research finds that 68% of companies use the software for data preparation.

Yet another one claims 89% of companies use it for accounting. And the list goes on. There’s just a never-ending list of proof points that reflect an overwhelming use of the software in all parts of the world.

Excel is the world’s benchmark when it comes to crunching large amounts of data. And it also seems like a benchmark requirement for your career.

Almost 80% of all middle-skill job openings have Microsoft Excel as a standard prerequisite. One research looked at median salaries offered in middle-skill job postings and found that those with Excel skills pay at least 10% more. Just by knowing how to use this one piece of software!

Microsoft Excel knowledge is a must in any career. But having expert knowledge of leveraging its most advanced features – being an Excel ninja – can truly uplevel your career trajectory. And if you clicked on this article, you probably already knew that.

There are plenty of courses online that can help you sharpen your Excel skill sets. And choosing the right one to help you grow is based on your proficiency – are you a pure beginner? Or are you already quite advanced with your understanding of the software? It’s also based on what the specific functions of the software you’re trying to hone. Are you looking to brush up from an accounting standpoint? Or do you want to use it to build elaborate project management spreadsheets?

Well, what the Cleverism elves have done is compile a variety of the best Microsoft Excel courses for your easy selection below.

Some of these are for the spreadsheet noobs, and others are for people looking to hone specific parts of their Excel knowledge.

Check them out and see which one suits where you want to go. Here are seven of our favorite Microsoft Excel courses online:

1. MICROSOFT EXCEL – FROM BEGINNER TO EXPERT IN 6 HOURS | UDEMY

Let’s start with a course for professionals that need to know the core concepts of Excel but don’t necessarily have the time to explore every nook and cranny in the software. This Udemy course will help you master Excel with 6.5 hours of on-demand video guidance.

Built by veteran educator, Todd Mcleod, the Microsoft Excel – From Beginner to Expert in 6 Hours course will train you to leverage everything from the software’s most basic functions to its more sophisticated features.

Indeed, this wouldn’t be the right course if you’re looking for something a little more comprehensive, but it’s not limited by any means either. You’ll learn beginner-level skills such as how to navigate the software, how to insert & edit data and manipulate how it’s displayed.

You’ll also learn intermediate techniques like writing formulas with ease, using relative, absolute or mixed references, building charts & graphs, and applying automated tools such as subtotaling, filtering, and sorting to your data.

The course will also delve into expert-level material like transposing data, using pivot tables & pivot charts and automating tasks with macros.

This time-saver for time-strapped folks costs $22.99 at the time of writing.

What the reviews are saying:

“I loved everything about this course. Todd explained everything in a simplified way easy for beginners to understand, and I have truly learned a lot through this course. THANK YOU.” – Robyn Dormehl

“This is a great course that is very thorough and detailed. Todd is a great teacher, and I am so excited that I will have more knowledge when working with excel and a certificate when I’m done!” – Megan Nickless

2. MICROSOFT EXCEL ADVANCED FUNCTIONS | QUICKSTART

If you’re up-to-speed with the basics of Microsoft Excel, maybe it’s time to brush up on the software’s advanced functions. QuickStart’s Microsoft Excel Advanced Functions course is a 10-hour, self-paced class to train Excel beginners to master critical formulas and functions of the software.

Learn how to navigate the Excel interface, from the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbars, Backstage View, use shortcuts, and more.

Lorman’s class will expose you to frequently-used formulas related to worksheet design & themes, freezing panes, customizing views, and grouping worksheets.

The course’s modules will cover basic Excel formulas, date & text functions, logical formulas, using the index function and lookups, and key financial functions.

The Microsoft Excel Advanced Functions course is free, though for a college accredited certificate, you’ll have to subscribe to QuickStart’s $39.99 per month plan.

3. MICROSOFT EXCEL – EXCEL FROM BEGINNER TO ADVANCED | UDEMY

Udemy offers another highly-rated course suitable for students at all levels of mastery – including absolute novices! Taught by Microsoft Certified Trainer, Kyle Pew, the course is an excellent step-by-step guide of the world’s famed spreadsheet tool.

Microsoft Excel – Excel from Beginner to Advanced features 16.5 hours of on-demand video lessons taking you from an introductory level to a comprehensive mastery of the software.

Learn how to create effective spreadsheets and manage huge data sets. The course teaches you how to automate everyday tasks with Macros and Virtual Basic for Applications (VBA), and use pivot tables for dynamic reports.

This is an ideal course for you if you’re not sure where to start, and you need the right person to break down complex concepts – do the heavy lifting for you, so to speak!

Not only has Kyle been teaching Excel for over a decade, he’s also built a reputation for his engaging, easy-to-understand method of teaching.

This course is $13.99 at the time of writing.

What the reviews are saying:

“I thought that this course was extremely helpful. Many tips and applications that I will be able to use in my daily work life. Kyle took the time to describe each function in-depth and step by step walkthrough showing you exactly how to execute. I also like how the units and topics are broken down. Very good, would recommend.” – Ashley Greaves

“Kyle Pew presents this class in a way everybody can understand it from the basic to the complex; thus, it is easy to follow as well the exercises. This class is highly recommended!!”  – Alexandro Cortez

4. MICROSOFT EXCEL 2016 ADVANCED | JOHN ACADEMY

If you’re looking for a course that can help you level-up your current proficiency in Excel, John Academy’s highly-rated Microsoft Excel 2016 Advanced would be a great place to start your journey.

If you think you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to learn how to automate routine tasks, audit worksheets, or link several workbooks. This advanced course will build on your Excel knowledge to empower you to use advanced approaches to shape data.

Learn various ways to edit worksheet properties, apply conditional formatting, and configure data validation. Use Power View to build Sparklines, scenarios, and interactive data.

Train yourself to use the Analysis ToolPak so you can execute ‘what-if’ and statistical analysis. You’ll also learn quick tricks to audit worksheets, troubleshoot invalid data and evaluate your formulas.

Purchasing this course would cost you £30, with an additional £39 required for a hard copy certificate or £24 for a digital version.

5. MICROSOFT EXCEL – EXCEL POWER QUERY, POWER PIVOT & DAX | UDEMY

One of the highest-rated, advanced-level Microsoft Excel classes on Udemy is the Excel Power Query, Power Pivot & DAX course.

Taught by a professional Business Intelligence developer and certified Excel instructor, Chris Dutton, this is perfect for those who want to gear up for the more advanced data modeling and business intelligence tasks using the software.

Power Queries, Power Pivots, and Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) are crucial tools for those in data analytics and business intelligence careers. Chris’ highly-engaging and interactive course structure features a combination of over 7-hours of on-demand video lessons, quizzes, and practical homework exercises that will turn you into a competent Excel power user in no time.

In the course, you’ll learn what a typical Excel BI workflow looks like and build an entire data model from A-Z.

You’ll master how to extract, modify, and upload data from unstructured databases, files, and APIs using the Power Query tool.

The Data Modeling module teaches you the fundamentals of database design and normalization, where you’ll create your very own relational database to use during the course.

Lastly, you’ll use Power Pivot to analyze mind-blowingly large datasets and build calculated fields using DAX formulas.

The popular Microsoft Excel – Excel Power Query, Power Pivot & DAX course is priced at $18.99 for full lifetime access, complete with 1-on-1 instructor support and a 100% money-back guarantee.

Please note that you’ll need a PC for this course as the Power Query and Power Pivot tools are not available in the Microsoft Excel version for Macs. Check out the course link below for more information on compatible software requirements.

What the reviews are saying:

“This has been an excellent course – Chris knows his stuff and presents it well. I never knew there was so much power in Excel – I considered myself pretty good at Excel, but Power Query and the Data Model has blown me away. I can highly recommend this course, and I look forward to taking more of Chris’ courses.” – Ian Watts

“Best course I have done so far on Data Analysis. Its flow of logic is impressive, the examples are great, the pace is perfect, and the content is very comprehensive and precise.” – Ayanda Peter

6. DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF MICROSOFT EXCEL PIVOTTABLES | LORMAN

If you’re maintaining a database, Lorman’s on-demand webinar on PivotTables is an excellent resource to give you new-found powers to restructure and run a more robust analysis of your data.

With a runtime of only 89 minutes, it’s a quick and easy way to supercharge your Microsoft Excel game.

What’s more, the course’s instructor, Dennis Taylor, comes well-decorated with over 20 years of experience teaching the software across thousands of lectures & webinars and has written & co-written multiple books on spreadsheet software.

The quick session will teach you everything you need to know about visualizing data with PivotTables, including preparing your data for PivotTables, how to restructure them to view more fields, or immediately drill-down to view original data.

You’ll also learn how to create PivotCharts to create visual impact when creating compelling presentations, or use Slicers to manage hidden fields effortlessly.

Discover the Secrets of Microsoft Excel PivotTables costs $99 for lifetime access or $699 per year for Lormans All-Access Pass to get unlimited access to all of its courses for a year.

7. EXCEL SKILLS FOR BUSINESS SPECIALIZATION | COURSERA

Offered by Sydney-based Macquarie University, Coursera’s Excel Skills for Business Specialization is the site’s highest-rated, most-enrolled class on Microsoft Excel. And for good reason too, as the course delves into the key applications for the powerful spreadsheet software in a business setting.

This Coursera Specialization is 4 courses in one – Essentials, Intermediate I, Intermediate II, and Advanced.

It’ll get you to a stage where you’ll be able to design elaborate spreadsheets, run complex calculations, manage massive datasets, and, more importantly, identify meaningful information from these datasets.

You’ll also learn how to validate data, automate functions, and apply advanced formulas to produce actionable data.

By the end of the course, you’ll have solved a wide range of business problems, aced many numbers of quizzes, and built tons of workbooks to showcase in your portfolio.

Taught by Macquarie University’s Associate Professor, Yvonne Breyer, the institution’s head of the Learning Futures faculty, the course will take an estimated 6-months to complete. It’s completely free unless you opt for the $59-course certificate.

What the reviews are saying:

“This course demonstrated a solid overview of the core skills necessary to use Excel productively. I would recommend it to anyone looking to start using Excel effectively for data management tasks.” – Alexander J V

“The course was definitely more than I expected. It not only strengthened what I did know about Excel but it showed me several options that I was not using or haven’t found. I would highly recommend it.” – Robert B

Top 7 Microsoft Excel Courses Online for Professionals

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