# Top Data Science Certifications to Excel Your Career in 2026 ![QuillBot-generated-image- (1)](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rk2gtqJ4-x.jpg) Top Data Science Certifications to Excel Your Career in 2026 In 2025, the data science job market has shifted from "knowing the basics" to "proving you can build in the cloud." While a degree provides the foundation, a certification acts as a signal to recruiters that you possess specific, job-ready technical skills http://www.icertglobal.com . Here is a breakdown of the top certifications to help you excel this year, categorized by your career stage. 1. Best for Beginners (Entry-Level) These programs are designed for career changers or students with zero prior experience. They focus on foundational tools like Python, SQL, and data cleaning. Certification Platform Key Skills Best For IBM Data Science Professional Coursera Python, SQL, Jupyter, Machine Learning Those wanting a strong technical start with Python. Google Data Analytics Coursera SQL, R, Tableau, Spreadsheets Breaking into "Analyst" roles first; great for business context. Harvard Professional Certificate edX R Programming, Statistics, Linear Regression Academically-minded learners with a math background. 2. Best for Intermediate Professionals (Career Growth) If you already know the basics, you should specialize in a cloud ecosystem. Most modern enterprises now use Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud https://www.icertglobal.com/microsoft/excel-advanced/orlando-fl for their data pipelines. Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100): Focuses on training and deploying models using Azure Machine Learning and MLflow. AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty: A high-level certification for those who want to architect scalable ML solutions on Amazon’s cloud. Databricks Certified Machine Learning Professional: Highly valued for roles dealing with "Big Data" and Spark-based environments. 3. Best for Senior & Leadership Roles These are "vendor-neutral" and prove you understand the strategic and architectural side of data science beyond just writing code. Certified Analytics Professional (CAP): A prestigious, independent verification of your ability to turn complex data into business value. DASCA Senior Data Scientist (SDS): Designed for professionals with 5+ years of experience, covering advanced topics https://www.icertglobal.com/blog/master-different-excel-formulas like NLP and big data governance. Open Certified Data Scientist (Open CDS): Unique because it’s experience-based; instead of an exam, you are evaluated on your real-world project achievements.