Top 10 Data Structures and Algorithms Courses, Classes & Tutorials Online

Looking to learn data structures and algorithms? One of these data structures and algorithms course will improve your problem solving ability and also help to crack interviews in software engineering and data science fields.

Programming has always been a highly in-demand skill for software developers, more so these days with innovation in technology. Data Structures and algorithms form the ultimate foundation of programming. They are very useful in solving real world complex problems. That’s precisely the reason why tech giants like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and most product-based companies focus on measuring a candidate’s knowledge of algorithms and data structures in their interviews for technical roles. Having sound skill in data structures and algorithms greatly improves one’s problem solving ability and is key to becoming a good programmer.

Also, with so much buzz around Data science and Machine Learning, many students and professionals are everyday kick-starting their journey into these fields. Learning algorithms and data structures is highly important for these folks, especially if they do not come from Computer Science background.

The best way to learn data structures and algorithms is taking an online course. There are so many resources available online these days that can really help to improve your skill to the next level. Plus it gives you the ability to go at your own pace and spend time on topics you find hard to understand. We’ve compiled this list of best data structures and algorithms courses, classes, tutorials and certification programs available online. These include both free and paid university level courses created by top schools and also classes designed by expert professionals in the field. We’ve purposefully included courses for data structures and algorithms in Java, Python, C, C++ and Javascript so that you understand the implementation better in the language of your choice.

Whether you want to learn data structures and algorithms for interviews or to improve your foundational programming skills, just go ahead and pick one of these courses.

1. Data Structure and Algorithms Online Certification Program (Expertifie)

With the knowledge of data structures and algorithms at your fingertips, you can write efficient computer programs to solve real-world problems. This course will help you to get up and running with data structures and algorithms in no time.

The course starts by explaining the concepts of complexity analysis and big O notation. Next, you will become familiar with the concepts of memory and logarithms. Moving along, you will get a solid understanding of data structure concepts, such as arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, trees, heaps, and graphs. Next, you will understand what recursion is and get to grips with a variety of basic and advanced algorithms, such as searching, sorting elementary, sorting advanced, tree traversal, and graph traversal. You will gain in-depth knowledge of how hash tables and set data structures function as well as how trees and hash maps can be used to search files in an HD or represent a database. You’ll also get a greater understanding of why and how graphs, one of the most complex data structures, are largely used in GPS navigation systems in social networks. Towards the end, you will go through a set of interview questions that will enhance your knowledge of data structures and algorithms and prepare you for job interviews.

This course is designed for anyone who wants to learn the concepts of data structures and algorithms from scratch. Basic knowledge of any one programming is needed to get started with this course.

Key Highlights

• Understand all the basic and advance concepts of data structures and algorithms
• Learn how to implement data structures and algorithms in the real world using any a programming language of your choice.
• Prepare for your job interview by getting acquainted with some common interview questions
• Apply a diverse range of algorithms in your code
• Implement the skills you have learned to maximize the performance of your applications
• Explore how more complex structures, such as priority queues and heaps, can benefit your code
• Implement searching, sorting, and selection algorithms on number and string sequences
• Understand algorithmic paradigms and apply dynamic programming techniques
• Use asymptotic notation to analyze algorithm performance with regard to time and space complexities
• Write powerful, robust code your programming language.

Duration : 3 months
Rating : 4.9

2. Algorithms Specialization by Stanford University (Coursera)

This Coursera Algorithms specialization is a MOOC offered by Standford University. Understanding the basics of algorithms and related data structures is essential for doing serious work in almost any branch of Computer Science. Therefore Stanford has mandated a version of this course in curriculum of their every Computer Science degree program – bachelors, masters as well as PhD.

This specialization introduces learners to algorithms and focuses on conceptual understanding instead of delving into mathematical details and low-level implementation straight away. It helps to develop the programming and thinking skills of the participants so that they are well positioned to pursue serious software engineering, ace technical interviews and study more advanced topics in algorithms.

There are 4 courses in this program that cover following topics:

• Asymptotic (“Big-oh”) notation, sorting and searching algorithms
• Master method for analyzing divide and conquer algorithms
• QuickSort algorithm and its analysis
• Data structures like heaps, balanced search trees, hash tables, bloom filters
• Dijkstra’s shortest-path algorithm
• Breadth-first and depth-first search and its applications
• Greedy algorithms (scheduling, minimum spanning trees, clustering, Huffman codes)
• Dynamic programming (knapsack, sequence alignment, optimal search trees)
• Shortest paths algorithms (Bellman-Ford, Floyd-Warshall, Johnson)
• NP-complete problems and exact and approximation algorithms for them
• Local search algorithms for NP-complete problems
• Strategies for coping with computationally intractable problems like analysis of heuristics

Several types of assessments are included throughout these courses, from multiple choice quizzes at the end of each module and each course to weekly programming assignments where students are required to implement the algorithms taught in the lesson in a programming language of their choice. It is assumed that students know how to program in at least one programming language (like C, Java or Python).

Key Highlights

• Master the fundamentals of the design and analysis of algorithms
• Content covered is rigorous but emphasizes the big picture and conceptual understanding
• Taught by Prof. Tim Roughgarden, a renowned and award-winning professor of Computer Science at Stanford University
• One of the highest rated algorithms course on Coursera
• Appeared on various top MOOCs of all time lists

Duration : 16 weeks, 3 hours per week
Rating : 4.8
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3. Data Structures and Algorithms Nanodegree Certification (Udacity)

Udacity offers a Nanodegree program in Data Structures and Algorithms. In this program students learn data structures and algorithms and how to use them to solve a wide range of real world problems. It is a very hands-on program, heavy on algorithms and includes 100+ practice problems.

There are following 4 courses in this nanodegree program:

1. Welcome – This is a program overview and a Python refresher. Here students deconstruct a series of open-ended problems into smaller components (eg. inputs, outputs, series of functions).
2. Data Structures – It covers different data structures, and methods used to manipulate these data structures. It explores the advantages and applications of different data structures. Here students solve a series of open-ended practice problems such as LRU Cache, Private Blockchain, File Recursion, and many more.
3. Basic Algorithms – It covers basic algorithms such as searching and sorting on different data structures and how to implement these algorithms using both recursion and without recursion. Here students work on a series of real-world open-ended problems, such as request routing for a web server, search-term auto-completion and Fibonacci heap.
4. Advanced Algorithms – It covers advanced algorithms such as brute-force greedy algorithms, graph algorithms and dynamic programming which optimizes recursion by storing results to sub problems. Here students implement a route planner algorithm to calculate the shortest path between two points on a map (like the one used in Google Maps).

In this program, you’ll be using Python to implement the algorithms and therefore Udacity expects that you have an intermediate level knowledge of Python programming language and basic knowledge of algebra.

Key Highlights

• Learn to evaluate and assess different data structures and algorithms for any real-world problem and implement a solution based on your design choices
• Great course to ace technical coding interviews
• Learn to examine the efficiency of various data structures and algorithm implementations
• Over 100 data structures and algorithm exercises for full hands-on practice
• Personal mentor support to help prepare learners for interviews and on-the-job scenarios
• Complete flexibility to learn at your own pace and schedule

Duration : 4 months, 10 hours per week
Rating : 4.6

4. Free Algorithms Course by Princeton University (Coursera)

The “Algorithms, Part I” and “Algorithms, Part II” courses offered by Princeton University on Coursera are popular and highly regarded free online courses that cover fundamental algorithms and data structures. These courses provide a comprehensive introduction to algorithmic thinking and problem-solving.

Here are some key aspects of the courses:

1. Algorithms and Data Structures: The courses cover essential algorithms and data structures such as arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, graphs, and sorting algorithms like insertion sort, merge sort, and quicksort.
2. Analysis of Algorithms: The courses delve into the analysis of algorithms, including time complexity, space complexity, and Big O notation. You will learn how to analyze and evaluate the efficiency of different algorithms.
3. Divide and Conquer Algorithms: The courses explore divide and conquer algorithms, which involve breaking down a problem into smaller subproblems. Examples include binary search, mergesort, and quicksort.
4. Dynamic Programming: The courses cover dynamic programming, a technique used to solve problems by breaking them down into overlapping subproblems. You will learn about memoization and bottom-up approaches.
5. Graph Algorithms: The courses discuss various graph algorithms, including depth-first search (DFS), breadth-first search (BFS), topological sorting, and shortest path algorithms like Dijkstra’s algorithm and Bellman-Ford algorithm.
6. Greedy Algorithms: The courses introduce greedy algorithms, which make locally optimal choices in the hope of finding a global optimum. You will learn about algorithms like Prim’s algorithm for minimum spanning trees and Kruskal’s algorithm for clustering.

The courses provide a combination of video lectures, programming assignments, quizzes, and exercises to reinforce your understanding of the algorithms and data structures. You will have the opportunity to implement the algorithms in a programming language of your choice.

While the courses are free to audit, you also have the option to pay for a certificate to demonstrate your completion and mastery of the material.

Please note that course availability, pricing, and other details may change over time. Therefore, I recommend visiting the Coursera platform for the most up-to-date and accurate information about the “Algorithms, Part I” and “Algorithms, Part II” courses by Princeton University.

Key Highlights

• Top free course on algorithms with an average rating of 4.9 and more than 671000 student enrolments
• Learn to analyze the performance of algorithms using scientific methods
• Explore various applications of stacks and queues ranging from parsing arithmetic expressions to simulating queueing systems
• Discuss application of sorting to computing the convex hull via the Graham scan algorithm
• Learn B-trees that are widely used to implement file systems
• Learn about core data structures and algorithms used in everyday applications and understand the trade-offs involved with choosing each data structure along with traversal, retrieval, and update algorithms
• Study and implement several classic data compression schemes

Duration : 6 weeks, 8-10 hours per week
Rating : 4.9
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5. MicroMasters Program in Algorithms and Data Structures by UC San Diego (edX)

The MicroMasters Program in Data Science by UC San Diego on edX provides a comprehensive understanding of data science concepts and techniques, including algorithms and data structures. The program covers a wide range of topics, such as data preprocessing, machine learning, data visualization, big data processing, and ethics in data science.

While the program may touch upon algorithms and data structures as part of the curriculum, it is not solely dedicated to these topics. The program aims to provide learners with a holistic understanding of data science principles and practices.

Please note that program availability, specific courses included, and other details may have changed since my last update. I recommend visiting the edX website for the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding MicroMasters programs offered by UC San Diego or any other universities.

Key Highlights

• Understand essential algorithmic techniques and apply them to solve real life computational problems
• Abundant programming challenges to help students land a top software engineering job
• Implement programs that work in less than one second even on massive datasets
• Prove correctness of an algorithm and analyze its running time
• Get tips and tricks to teach learners best coding practices

Duration : 9 months, 8-10 hours per week
Rating : 4.7
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6. JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass (Udemy)

The “JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass” is an online course available on the Udemy platform. This course focuses on teaching algorithms and data structures using JavaScript as the programming language.

Here are some key aspects covered in the course:

1. Introduction to Algorithms and Data Structures: The course starts with an introduction to algorithms and data structures and their importance in computer science. It explains the fundamental concepts and terminology.
2. Array and String Manipulation: The course covers various techniques for manipulating arrays and strings, including sorting, searching, reversing, and joining operations.
3. Linked Lists: The course delves into linked lists, a data structure consisting of nodes connected through references. It covers singly linked lists, doubly linked lists, and circular linked lists, along with operations like insertion, deletion, and traversal.
4. Stacks and Queues: The course explores stacks and queues, two commonly used data structures. It covers concepts like push, pop, peek, enqueue, and dequeue, and demonstrates their applications in solving real-world problems.
5. Trees and Binary Search Trees: The course covers tree data structures and binary search trees. It explains concepts like node, parent-child relationships, and tree traversal algorithms like depth-first search (DFS) and breadth-first search (BFS).
6. Sorting Algorithms: The course covers various sorting algorithms such as bubble sort, selection sort, insertion sort, merge sort, and quicksort. It discusses their time complexity, implementation, and when to use each algorithm.
7. Graphs and Graph Algorithms: The course introduces graphs and various graph algorithms. It covers topics like graph representation, traversal algorithms (DFS and BFS), and shortest path algorithms (Dijkstra’s algorithm and Bellman-Ford algorithm).

Throughout the course, you will work on coding exercises and projects to implement algorithms and data structures using JavaScript. The course includes video lectures, coding demonstrations, quizzes, and downloadable resources. You will have lifetime access to the course materials, allowing you to learn at your own pace.

Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion from Udemy, which can validate your knowledge and skills in algorithms and data structures using JavaScript.

Please note that Udemy courses are self-paced, and the availability and pricing of the course may vary. Therefore, I recommend visiting the Udemy platform for the most up-to-date and accurate information about the “JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass” course.

Key Highlights

• Best Udemy course to learn data structures and algorithms in JavaScript
• Master common problem solving patterns
• Learn everything you need to crack difficult programming interviews
• Cover 6 different sorting algorithms: bubble sort, selection sort, insertion sort, quick sort, merge sort, and radix sort
• Implement over 10 data structures including stacks, queues, linked lists, trees, heaps, hash tables, and graphs
• A complete solution walkthrough video as well as accompanying solution file for every single problem included in the course
• Learn helpful tips and tricks to solve common algorithmic problems

Duration : 21.5 hours on-demand video
Rating : 4.7
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7. Python for Data Structures, Algorithms, and Interviews (Udemy)

The “Python for Data Structures, Algorithms, and Interviews” is an online course available on the Udemy platform. This course focuses on teaching Python programming specifically for data structures, algorithms, and technical interviews.

Here are some key aspects covered in the course:

1. Python Fundamentals: The course starts with an overview of Python programming, covering essential concepts and syntax. It ensures that you have a solid foundation in Python before diving into data structures and algorithms.
2. Data Structures: The course covers various data structures such as arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, and trees. It explains their characteristics, operations, and use cases.
3. Algorithms: The course explores common algorithms used in problem-solving and data manipulation. It covers topics like searching, sorting, graph algorithms, recursion, dynamic programming, and more.
4. Interview Preparation: The course provides guidance on preparing for technical interviews, focusing on data structures and algorithms commonly asked in coding interviews. It covers interview strategies, problem-solving techniques, and tips for efficient coding.
5. Coding Exercises and Interview Problems: Throughout the course, you will work on coding exercises and practice problems to apply the concepts learned. These exercises are designed to help you improve your problem-solving skills and prepare for technical interviews.

The course includes video lectures, coding demonstrations, quizzes, and downloadable resources. You will have lifetime access to the course materials, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Additionally, you will have access to a discussion forum to interact with instructors and fellow learners.

Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion from Udemy, which can validate your knowledge and skills in Python programming for data structures, algorithms, and technical interviews.

Please note that Udemy courses are self-paced, and the availability and pricing of the course may vary. Therefore, I recommend visiting the Udemy platform for the most up-to-date and accurate information about the “Python for Data Structures, Algorithms, and Interviews” course.

Key Highlights

• Learn all major Data Structures and Algorithms
• Create a LinkedIn and Github profile for recruiters to find
• Build and leverage a network for job opportunities
• Access to discussion forums and community of students
• Mock interviews to prepare students better for the real technical coding interviews
• Full lifetime access to all video lectures, articles and downloadable resources and future updates
• 30 day money back guarantee from Udemy

Duration : 16.5 hours on-demand video
Rating : 4.4
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8. Data Structures and Algorithms: Deep Dive Using Java (Udemy)

The “Data Structures and Algorithms: Deep Dive Using Java” is an online course available on the Udemy platform. This course focuses on teaching data structures and algorithms using the Java programming language.

Here are some key aspects covered in the course:

1. Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms: The course provides an introduction to data structures and algorithms, explaining their importance and fundamental concepts. It covers topics like time complexity, space complexity, and Big O notation.
2. Array and String Manipulation: The course covers various techniques for manipulating arrays and strings, such as sorting, searching, reversing, and concatenation operations.
3. Linked Lists: The course delves into linked lists, a data structure consisting of nodes connected through references. It covers singly linked lists, doubly linked lists, and circular linked lists, along with operations like insertion, deletion, and traversal.
4. Stacks and Queues: The course explores stacks and queues, two commonly used data structures. It covers concepts like push, pop, peek, enqueue, and dequeue, and demonstrates their applications in solving real-world problems.
5. Trees and Binary Search Trees: The course covers tree data structures and binary search trees. It explains concepts like nodes, parent-child relationships, and tree traversal algorithms like depth-first search (DFS) and breadth-first search (BFS).
6. Sorting Algorithms: The course covers various sorting algorithms such as bubble sort, selection sort, insertion sort, merge sort, and quicksort. It discusses their time complexity, implementation, and when to use each algorithm.
7. Graphs and Graph Algorithms: The course introduces graphs and various graph algorithms. It covers topics like graph representation, traversal algorithms (DFS and BFS), and shortest path algorithms (Dijkstra’s algorithm and Bellman-Ford algorithm).

Throughout the course, you will work on coding exercises and projects to implement data structures and algorithms using Java. The course includes video lectures, coding demonstrations, quizzes, and downloadable resources. You will have lifetime access to the course materials, allowing you to learn at your own pace.

Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion from Udemy, which can validate your knowledge and skills in data structures and algorithms using Java.

Please note that Udemy courses are self-paced, and the availability and pricing of the course may vary. Therefore, I recommend visiting the Udemy platform for the most up-to-date and accurate information about the “Data Structures and Algorithms: Deep Dive Using Java” course.

Key Highlights

• Highly rated and most subscribed Udemy course in data structures and algorithms using Java programming language
• Get a complete and concrete understanding of most popular and well used data structures and be able to confidently use them in your day to day java programming
• Learn what’s available in the JDK for storing and sorting data
• Code an implementation of each data structure
• Learn many of the algorithms commonly used to sort data, so your applications will perform efficiently when sorting large datasets
• Complete source code is included and is available for download

Duration : 16 hours on-demand video
Rating : 4.4
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9. Mastering Data Structures & Algorithms using C and C++ (Udemy)

The “Mastering Data Structures & Algorithms using C and C++” is an online course available on the Udemy platform. This course focuses on teaching data structures and algorithms using the C and C++ programming languages.

Here are some key aspects covered in the course:

1. Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms: The course provides an introduction to data structures and algorithms, explaining their importance and fundamental concepts. It covers topics like time complexity, space complexity, and Big O notation.
2. Array and String Manipulation: The course covers various techniques for manipulating arrays and strings, such as sorting, searching, reversing, and concatenation operations.
3. Linked Lists: The course delves into linked lists, a data structure consisting of nodes connected through pointers. It covers singly linked lists, doubly linked lists, and circular linked lists, along with operations like insertion, deletion, and traversal.
4. Stacks and Queues: The course explores stacks and queues, two commonly used data structures. It covers concepts like push, pop, peek, enqueue, and dequeue, and demonstrates their applications in solving real-world problems.
5. Trees and Binary Search Trees: The course covers tree data structures and binary search trees. It explains concepts like nodes, parent-child relationships, and tree traversal algorithms like depth-first search (DFS) and breadth-first search (BFS).
6. Sorting Algorithms: The course covers various sorting algorithms such as bubble sort, selection sort, insertion sort, merge sort, and quicksort. It discusses their time complexity, implementation, and when to use each algorithm.
7. Graphs and Graph Algorithms: The course introduces graphs and various graph algorithms. It covers topics like graph representation, traversal algorithms (DFS and BFS), and shortest path algorithms (Dijkstra’s algorithm and Bellman-Ford algorithm).

Throughout the course, you will work on coding exercises and projects to implement data structures and algorithms using C and C++. The course includes video lectures, coding demonstrations, quizzes, and downloadable resources. You will have lifetime access to the course materials, allowing you to learn at your own pace.

Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion from Udemy, which can validate your knowledge and skills in data structures and algorithms using C and C++.

Please note that Udemy courses are self-paced, and the availability and pricing of the course may vary. Therefore, I recommend visiting the Udemy platform for the most up-to-date and accurate information about the “Mastering Data Structures & Algorithms using C and C++” course.

Key Highlights

• Learn a variety of data structures and their algorithms, and be able to choose the best data structure for your data and applications
• Practical demonstrations using both C and C++ programming languages
• Learn Recursive Algorithms on Data Structures
• Learn about various Sorting Algorithms
• Build confidence to take up any challenging coding problem using Data Structures
• Source code of all programs and exercises is available for download

Duration : 56.5 hours on-demand video
Rating : 4.6
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10. Master the Coding Interview: Data Structures + Algorithms (Udemy)

The “Master the Coding Interview: Data Structures + Algorithms” is an online course available on the Udemy platform. This course focuses on preparing you for coding interviews by covering important data structures and algorithms commonly asked during technical interviews.

Here are some key aspects covered in the course:

1. Introduction to Coding Interviews: The course provides an overview of the coding interview process, including common interview formats, types of interview questions, and strategies for approaching coding problems.
2. Big O Notation and Time Complexity: The course covers the concept of Big O notation, which is used to analyze the time complexity of algorithms. You will learn how to assess the efficiency of algorithms and understand their impact on performance.
3. Data Structures: The course explores various data structures, such as arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, trees, and graphs. It explains their characteristics, operations, and trade-offs.
4. Algorithms: The course covers a wide range of algorithms, including sorting algorithms (e.g., bubble sort, selection sort, insertion sort, merge sort, quicksort), searching algorithms (e.g., linear search, binary search), graph algorithms (e.g., depth-first search, breadth-first search), and dynamic programming algorithms.
5. Problem-Solving Techniques: The course provides problem-solving strategies and techniques to approach coding problems efficiently. You will learn about problem decomposition, pattern recognition, and algorithmic thinking.
6. Coding Exercises and Practice Problems: Throughout the course, you will work on coding exercises and practice problems similar to those asked in coding interviews. These exercises will help you practice implementing data structures and algorithms and improve your problem-solving skills.

The course includes video lectures, coding demonstrations, quizzes, and downloadable resources. You will have lifetime access to the course materials, allowing you to learn at your own pace. Additionally, the course provides guidance on interview preparation and offers tips for effective communication during coding interviews.

Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate of completion from Udemy, which can validate your knowledge and skills in data structures, algorithms, and coding interview preparation.

Please note that Udemy courses are self-paced, and the availability and pricing of the course may vary. Therefore, I recommend visiting the Udemy platform for the most up-to-date and accurate information about the “Master the Coding Interview: Data Structures + Algorithms” course.

Key Highlights

• Learn, implement, and use different Data Structures
• Learn, implement and use different Algorithms
• The strategies, lessons and exercises in this course greatly help learners land offers from big tech companies
• Be able to write code that runs faster and use low memory
• Become more confident and prepared for your next coding interview
• Excellent fit for self-taught developers to learn the fundamentals of algorithms and data structures to get on the same level as someone with computer science degree
• Get access to private online chat community with thousands of developers online

Duration : 19 hours on-demand video
Rating : 4.7
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