Best Free SQL Resources & Tutorials

Many professionals are eager to learn SQL but hesitate because of the perceived up-front costs. Although MySQL is a free, open-source relational database management system, MS SQL Server requires a license to operate, which makes it a much more expensive option. However, a surprising number of resources are available to help beginners get the hang of this exciting programming language.

Read on to learn more about the different types of free resources and tutorials available to help you learn SQL.

What is SQL?

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is a standard language used to communicate with relational databases. Organizations across industries rely on SQL to access and work with the data contained in their databases. Important business information about products, customers, or orders is just some data an organization may store in a database. Among its many uses, SQL has applications for searching, updating, and maintaining databases. It can also insert or delete records from databases and change the database's actual structure by creating or deleting tables and objects.

SQL operates on local intranet or internet systems and can be used on laptops, PCs, servers, and some mobile devices. Even though SQL is considered to be a relatively simple programming language, it is a powerful tool for helping users retrieve the specific information they need within a large database. Those working with SQL don’t need coding skills and can instead use basic keywords such as “update” or “select” to perform data queries.

Some of the most-used relational database management systems that use SQL are Microsoft SQL Server, Ingres, Access, and Oracle.

Read more about what SQL is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with SQL?

For anyone who works with data, SQL knowledge is a must. Many fields and disciplines use this language to communicate with relational databases. SQL’s flexibility is designed to help you use statements based on English to query a database in multiple ways. Because SQL is the most-used database language, nearly every organization that has to store relational data relies on SQL, including major corporations such as Amazon, Google, and Uber. In addition, websites such as Facebook use SQL to store back-end data and process data.

SQL has a wide range of built-in functions that are useful for data analytics:

• SQL COUNT can count how many rows are in a table
• SQL MAX provides a way to select the highest value for a given column
• SQL MIN lets users choose the minimum value for a column
• SQL SUM totals the values in a column
• SQL AVG can calculate the average within table columns

In addition, SQL has other useful applications for handling large volumes of data:

• It can add, update, or delete records within a database
• SQL can create new databases
• SQL users can add new tables to an existing database
• SQL can create views or stored procedures in a database
• It can establish permissions on views, tables, and procedures.

Free Online Resources for Learning SQL

Unlike some skills that can require a significant financial investment to learn, many free resources are available online to help you learn SQL. The following are just a few examples of where you can learn SQL for free online:

• Noble Desktop’s Intro to SQL, a free seminar, is a beginner-friendly, hour-long webinar covering a range of basic SQL concepts and uses. This video includes content on why SQL remains a popular programming language, its professional applications, and real-world examples of what can be done with SQL.
• FreeCodeCamp’s SQL Tutorial – Full Database Course for Beginners provides over four hours of SQL instruction. More than 12 million people have seen this thorough course on YouTube. It contains content on database management, as well as using MySQL.
• SQLCourse provides both beginner and advanced SQL tutorials for free on their website. In addition, their SQL interpreter tool allows those studying SQL to practice their skills to ensure course content is being retained.
• EdX’s SQL Courses are also available for those interested in free SQL resources. These classes are sourced from top universities, such as Harvard and MIT. Several timely SQL topics are covered, such as SQL for Data Science and Databases: Relational Databases and SQL.
• Noble Desktop’s SQL Blog & Learning Resources also provides a wealth of knowledge on various SQL skills, concepts, and uses. More than two dozen articles are posted here on topics like The Top 5 SQL Databases for Data Science, Querying for SQL Beginners, and SQL for Business Intelligence and Analytics.

Learn SQL with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

When learning SQL for a career, many people choose instructor-led classes, which provide personalized assistance and in-the-moment feedback on their code. If you’re interested in learning the basics of SQL or receiving more advanced instruction, Noble Desktop has multiple course offerings in SQL. Classes are available in the live online environment as well as in-person in New York City.

Those new to using SQL can enroll in Noble’s SQL Level 1, a beginner-friendly class designed to teach students the basics of working with this language. Throughout this instructor-led, one-day course, students build a foundation in SQL by learning about rows, columns, tables, and basic filtering. By course completion, participants will have a solid understanding of database architecture and will be able to write basic SQL queries for Microsoft SQL Server.

If you’re looking to learn more advanced SQL concepts, Noble also offers an SQL Bootcamp led by expert instructors. Those enrolled in this 18-hour course receive hands-on instruction on core SQL skills, such as how to write queries, filter and group data, and combine information from various tables using join statements. Participants in this small class also gain experience working with PostgreSQL as well as the free DBeaver app. All students have the option of a free retake of the course if they wish to brush up on their SQL skills. Prospective students can also learn more about SQL with Noble’s learning resources.

Key Insights

• Acquiring related skills is a good next step in your SQL learning journey. Helpful options include other programming languages or business analytics software.
• Similarly to SQL, Python is considered an easy-to-learn programming language. Python’s many libraries, such as Pandas, allow it to perform regression analysis faster than SQL.
• R is another programming language some learners acquire once they know SQL. It can facilitate the process of retrieving data from relational databases.
• Microsoft Power BI is a business service that can integrate with databases, making learning it an asset to those who work with SQL.