Udacity
9.0
Our Score
Deep tech-focused course lineup.
Clear, buildable nano-degree tracks.
Valuable mentor support.
Bigger upfront investment.
Narrow, tech oriented course catalog.
Welcome to my Udacity or Codecademy Review 2024.
I spent 24+ hours researching about and actually completing the most popular open online courses for making money online.
In this Udacity or Codecademy review, we’ll take a look at all the features and benefits of this e-learning package and see how it compares to other options.
I’ll also answer some of the most commonly asked questions about Udacity and Codecademy.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Udacity or Codecademy Review 2024
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Things To Consider Before Buying An Online Course
Online learning provides a pathway to accessible and realistic education for professionals with jobs and families. The format is designed to work with your schedule, not against it. Before you choose your platform, there are a few things you need to consider.
Cost
If you’re interested in a subject for kicks or are exploring your options, you may not want to plunk down hundreds or thousands of dollars just yet. However, if you’re making big moves in your career, this is the time to invest your time and your dollars.
Time Investment
Depending on those decisions above, you may also have a different need for time investment. A hobby happens on your own time and may not be consistent. A career move will have you dedicating several hours a week to finishing a course. Choose accordingly.
Record Keeping and Credentials
Tech has changed a lot of the way we hire, using accomplishments as a metric rather than years of experience. In some cases, you won’t need to show education history, just a mastery of the subject itself on interviews or job applications.
In other cases, the official credit is still an essential part of your job application. In this case, you’ll want online courses that make it easy to track your learning trajectory and share relevant data with potential or current employers.
Subject Matter
One of the most significant conditions of all — does your online course platform offer the subjects you really want? No matter what that is, basket weaving to AI engineering, you must have a course platform that allows you to find the instruction you actually need.
How does Udacity work and what are its pros & cons?
Udacity’s platform started as an experiment, but it’s now a thriving micro-community dedicated to the concept of the nano-degree track. It provides coherent instruction on course tracks for specific skillsets.
It’s similar to Codecademy in that it operates mostly in the tech niche, but that’s where the similarities end. Codecademy’s main pull is teaching programming languages, like other language learning software. Udacity is set up to more closely resemble higher education courses.
Here’s what you need to know about Udacity if you’re considering the two.
Udacity Pros:
- Deep tech-focused course lineup
- Clear, buildable nano-degree tracks
- Mentor support and community engagement
Udacity Cons:
- No mobile app for learning on the go
- Bigger upfront investment
- Narrow course catalog
Features & Benefits
Udacity’s focused lineup offers those breaking into STEM and tech careers the chance to learn some of the most cutting edge topics on the market today. With easy to share certifications and a clear path for mastery, here are Udacity’s most prominent features.
Nanodegree tracks
Udacity’s main attraction is its cohesive and thought out “nano-degree” tracks that the platform provides. Students will have an easier time showing potential and current employers mastery of a particular subject with transparent record-keeping and reporting.
Certificates are available as well as easy to link portfolio options. For career changes, students will be able to show a link to subject mastery, including the evolution of learning and the completion of real-world projects.
Nano-degree tracks in technology are Udacity’s primary course offering, but students can also find course options in business, career development, and other areas. As Udacity expands, more course subjects may become available in the future.
Deep Tech Focus
The content of Udacity offers higher-level tech offerings like deep transfer learning or AI engineering. These are complicated subjects that may be a bit beyond you if you don’t have programming experience, although some start from the beginning.
The course tracks are cutting edge topics in the world of in-depth data and artificial intelligence. Once you’ve completed a course series, you’ll have a practical understanding of this kind of tech and its role in the new era of business, government policy, and economics.
Udacity does have other degree track options, but deep tech is their original specialty and niche. Alternate tracks include business and career prep.
Codecademy is primarily a language platform, providing interactive and free lessons in coding languages. It’s intended for tech beginners as a way to familiarize yourself with the foundations of program development.
For students wanting a focus on cutting edge topics such as AI engineering, cloud computing, or transfer learning, Udacity offers an unparalleled dive into these subjects. Data science and related careers are some of the biggest job markets available right now. For career development, this is key.
The Mentorship
Udacity provides a steady and reliable mentorship with each nano-degree track. The ability to consult with teachers and professionals in the field is a valuable resource for those looking for mastery in the tech space.
Codecademy’s tracks do provide a few options for mentorship, but the in-depth help and direction you have with Udacity is a real benefit to the program. Because Udacity is designed to be more like a college or higher education course, you do get access to your instructors more so than other online platforms.
how much does it Cost?
The investment for Udacity is a little higher than some of the courses found on sites like Udemy or Coursera. Still, it’s on par with the typical official certification course structure often found online. The cost is still highly affordable relative to the value of full higher ed degrees.
Codecademy operates on a mostly free structure as a way to ensure that beginners have full access to foundational courses. Udacity’s mission involves official certifications, record keeping, and deeper dives into subjects with a corresponding fee structure.
Students of Udacity get a lot with their initial investment. Learners get carefully crafted tracks to take them from beginning to mastery in hot topics. They get a dynamic learning structure with tons to offer in terms of engaging material.
They also get access to instructors and mentors for building expertise, answering questions, and developing knowledge. The investment may be more than “free,” but courses do offer a lot in return.
Time Commitment
Udacity’s certification structure requires a bit more commitment from students than some other online courses. Udacity’s courses will require around ten hours per week per class for several months.
One thing about Udacity is that students have a time limit to complete the course requirements satisfactorily. If students cannot complete the course requirements, they’ll lose access to the course and must re-enroll.
The good news is that if students put the work and time into the course tracks and complete courses satisfactorily, they’ll receive the full course access for life to refer back to. It will require more commitment from students, so be prepared for that.
Codecademy’s course structure, on the other hand, happens whenever students have time to log in. Whether it’s ten hours a week or ten minutes, there’s not much students have in terms of restrictions to learning. The flip side? There’s also nothing to hold you accountable for staying on track with your learning goals.
Credentials
Udacity offers official credentialed courses, allowing employers to view course requirements and how students stacked up quickly. It’s much easier to prove mastery of a subject with clear objectives and benchmarks, so Udacity does provide an easy way to ensure students can forward the right credentials.
Udacity also makes it easy for students to research course instructors. The instructor and creator’s background and expertise are in full view, giving students the peace of mind that they’re learning from leaders in the field.
The official certification tracks offer students and learners an easier way to ensure that their skills match potential jobs and that records are complete. This is one of the major selling points for Udacity’s format.
Course Design
These aren’t your typical monotonous online courses. These are designed to present an engaging deep dive into the subject matter and bring out your own natural curiosity and problem-solving skills.
Material is delivered through videos, interactive elements, and a robust discussion board with community members able to share knowledge and answer questions. Once you’ve passed the course, you have access to the course to refer to when you need to review or answer a question.
Reading materials are available in various formats, and the course makes it simple to quickly see what benchmarks you’re missing and how to get up to par. This is a dynamic experience.
Udacity Reviews
We’ve scoured the internet and found that, overall, Udacity’s content and course structure is well received by most students. Many found the structure beneficial for their career path and professional development with dynamic content and access to mentors.
The level of support was another key highlight. A combination of rigorous materials and timely support makes Udacity a favorite with users.
Alternatives
Udacity’s biggest competitors in the space are other course focused platforms. Let’s take a look at what these platforms have to offer. You may find that they have more of what you’re looking for in your personal or professional development.
Udemy
Udemy’s course catalog is much more comprehensive than Udacity’s but with far less focus on the degree or learning tracks. Udemy provides courses in standalone formats, designed to reach a broad variety of interests and budget requirements.
You’ll have to work a little harder to create a cohesive learning track, but Udemy can give you a range of subject matter to learn and explore. Plus, with frequent sales, Udemy is a good beginning investment.
Udemy offers:
- A broad range of subject matter
- Easy to follow course formats
- Reasonable introductory prices and free content
Udacity offers:
- A clear learning path with nano-degrees
- Highly tech-focused subject matter
- Far greater access to instructors and mentors
Treehouse
Treehouse is a subscription-based model designed to introduce students to tech subjects via a simple, monthly fee. Students have access to more beginner material built for learners who may not have much experience in the tech field at all.
It’s harder to find the learning certifications to prove to current and potential employers that you’ve mastered a particular subject. However, if you don’t have a degree track in mind and want to explore what tech has to offer, this is an excellent way to expand your surface-level reach.
Treehouse offers:
- An easy, affordable monthly subscription
- Access to a broad range of beginner courses
- Simple learning solutions
Udacity offers:
- Deeper dives into cutting edge tech subjects
- An easily shareable portfolio and certification record
- Hands-on teaching
Codecademy
If you just want to learn to code in some of the most common programming languages, Codecademy’s free content is precisely what you need. These courses are designed to provide you with your first introductions to the concepts of programming.
Much of Codecademy’s content is free, but they do offer paid memberships for more targeted instruction. However, if you’re only looking for the foundations in programming languages, their accessible lessons are the way to go.
Codecademy offers:
- Free content — lots of it
- Introduction to programming languages for beginners
- Accessible, engaging step by step lessons
Udacity offers:
- A tech-focused nano-degree concept
- Greater access to instructors for hands-on learning
- Portfolio and certification options
What Next?
Udacity’s niche focus is in the cutting edge tech employers are looking for. Professional developments seekers and career change professionals, listen up. Udacity’s format and nano-degree tracks can provide you with accessible lessons and an easily shareable record of your mastery.
It’s a good option for those who are serious about diving deep into fields like cloud computing or AI engineering. Becoming a Udacity student gives you the skills you need to ignite your career.
