Introduction to Data Analysis Using Excel

Making Excel Do the Analytical Heavy Lifting

This introductory course from Rice University treats Excel as a genuine data analysis tool rather than a basic spreadsheet app, and that framing shows in the skill list: pivot tables, formulas, histograms, scatter plots, and dedicated data visualization work. It's a practical entry point for anyone who touches spreadsheets at work but has never gone beyond typing numbers into cells.

Who It's For

Ideal for professionals, students, or career-changers who want to move from passive spreadsheet use to actively summarizing and visualizing data — no coding background required.

What You'll Take Away

• Building and interpreting pivot tables and charts
• Writing and troubleshooting Excel formulas
• Presenting data clearly with histograms and scatter plots
• Importing and exporting data cleanly between sources

With over 300,000 learners already enrolled, it's a well-trodden, low-risk starting point for building real analytical fluency in a tool nearly every workplace already uses.