By Quick answer: Which machine learning certification is best in 2027?
- Proctored proof — AWS ML Engineer – Associate ($150) or Google Cloud Professional ML Engineer ($200).
- Foundation — Andrew Ng's Machine Learning Specialization, then Deep Learning.
- Free — Harvard CS50 AI and Kaggle Learn, certificates included.
- Bridges — Google Advanced Data Analytics for analysts, the LLM course for engineers.
Key takeaways
- Learn the foundations first; cloud ML exams assume you understand models, data and evaluation.
- AWS ML Engineer and Google Cloud PMLE are the two ML credentials employers name most.
- Publish one end-to-end project: data, model, evaluation and a deployed endpoint.
Machine learning certifications split into two kinds: courses that teach you ML, and cloud exams that prove you can build and run ML systems in production. Employers value both, at different stages. This ranking puts the two proctored exams employers name most at the top, then the eight best ways to learn, from Andrew Ng's foundation to free, hands-on options.
Ten machine learning options at a glance
Ranked for this reader. Costs and formats come from each issuer's own page, checked on 3 November 2026; prices change, so confirm before you book.
| # | Certification | Cost | Time | Prove it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – AssociateAmazon Web Services | $1501 | Check issuer | Free test |
| 2 | Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning EngineerGoogle Cloud | $2002 | 2 hours, multiple choice | Free test |
| 3 | Machine Learning SpecializationDeepLearning.AI & Stanford / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan3 | 2 months at 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 4 | Deep Learning SpecializationDeepLearning.AI / Coursera | Coursera plan4 | 3 months at 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 5 | IBM AI Engineering Professional CertificateIBM / Coursera | Coursera plan5 | 4 months at 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 6 | CS50's Introduction to AI with PythonHarvard University | Free6 | Self-paced | Free test |
| 7 | Kaggle Learn Micro-Courses (ML, Python, SQL)Kaggle (Google) | Free7 | Short micro-courses, a few hours each | Free test |
| 8 | Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional CertificateGoogle / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan8 | 6 months at 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 9 | Generative AI with Large Language ModelsDeepLearning.AI & AWS / Coursera | Coursera plan9 | 2 weeks at 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 10 | NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute CertificatesNVIDIA | Mix of free and paid courses10 | Self-paced | Free test |
Prove it free before you pay for an exam
Take the free test first. Pay for an exam only when you pass.
Every pick above has a matching free practice test on Science of Apps, one of the world's largest libraries of free certification tests (1,200+). Check your level before you pay for an exam, or add a verifiable credential to LinkedIn while you study. (Disclosure: we publish these tests; the certifications above earn us nothing.)
- AWS ML Engineer Associate Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate before you pay.Start free test →
- Google Professional ML Engineer Practice ExamPractise for Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer before you pay.Start free test →
- Machine Learning Fundamentals CertificationPractise for Machine Learning Specialization before you pay.Start free test →
- Deep Learning CertificationPractise for Deep Learning Specialization before you pay.Start free test →
Each option: two exams, then the best learning
- AWSAWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – AssociateML engineers on AWS$150
- Google CloudGoogle Cloud Professional Machine Learning EngineerSenior ML engineers on Google Cloud$200
- CourseraMachine Learning SpecializationThe foundation for everyone$49/mo Coursera plan
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate
- Cost
- $1501
AWS's associate ML credential, $150: data preparation, training, deployment, monitoring and cost. The most widely recognised proctored ML exam for engineers working on AWS. AWS's associate exam proves you can prepare data, train, deploy and monitor machine learning models on AWS. It costs $150 and expects hands-on ML and AWS experience, making it a strong credential for ML engineers.
Best forML engineers on AWS
Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer
- Cost
- $2002
- Format
- 2 hours, multiple choice
Google Cloud's professional ML exam, $200 for two hours. Harder than the AWS associate and a strong senior signal for teams on Google Cloud. Google Cloud's professional exam tests production machine learning: framing problems, building pipelines and serving and monitoring models. It's two hours, costs $200 and is aimed at experienced ML engineers.
Best forsenior ML engineers on Google Cloud
Machine Learning Specialization
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan3
- Time
- 2 months at 10 hours a week
Andrew Ng's Machine Learning Specialization, rebuilt in Python, about two months at ten hours a week. Still the clearest ML foundation online. Andrew Ng's specialization with Stanford teaches supervised and unsupervised learning, model evaluation and practical machine learning in Python. It takes about two months at ten hours a week and is widely regarded as the clearest structured start in ML.
Best forthe foundation for everyone
Deep Learning Specialization
- Cost
- Coursera plan4
- Time
- 3 months at 10 hours a week
The deep learning follow-up: neural networks, CNNs and sequence models, about three months. Free to audit. Essential before serious deep learning work. The Deep Learning Specialization covers neural networks, optimisation, CNNs and sequence models in depth. It takes about three months at ten hours a week, assumes machine learning basics and can be audited free on Coursera.
Best forneural networks in depth
IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate
- Cost
- Coursera plan5
- Time
- 4 months at 10 hours a week
A longer structured programme covering ML, deep learning and deployment with Python libraries, about four months at ten hours a week. Good for those who want one guided path.
Best fora long, structured AI engineering path
CS50's Introduction to AI with Python
- Cost
- Free6
Harvard's AI course for Python programmers, with seven projects and a free certificate. More computer science than ML engineering, and excellent for students. Harvard's free course teaches AI with Python through projects: search, optimisation, machine learning, neural networks and language. It assumes some Python and offers an optional paid verified certificate through edX.
Best forprogrammers, free
Kaggle Learn Micro-Courses (ML, Python, SQL)
- Cost
- Free7
- Time
- Short micro-courses, a few hours each
Free micro-courses with certificates and real datasets. Use Kaggle to practise everything the other courses teach, and to build a public portfolio. Kaggle's free micro-courses cover Python, pandas, SQL, data visualisation and machine learning, each in a few hours with hands-on notebooks and a free certificate. They're ideal practice alongside a structured course.
Best forhands-on practice, free
Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan8
- Time
- 6 months at 10 hours a week
Google's Advanced Data Analytics certificate takes analysts into regression, machine learning and Python. A natural bridge from analytics into ML. Google's advanced certificate takes analysts into statistics, regression, machine learning and Python. It takes about six months at ten hours a week and is the natural next step after Google Data Analytics.
Best foranalysts moving into ML
Generative AI with Large Language Models
- Cost
- Coursera plan9
- Time
- 2 weeks at 10 hours a week
For ML engineers moving into large language models: training, fine-tuning and deployment trade-offs, about two weeks. DeepLearning.AI and AWS's course explains how large language models work, how to fine-tune and evaluate them and how to deploy them. It takes about two weeks at ten hours a week and suits developers and data scientists with Python.
Best forML engineers moving into LLMs
NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute Certificates
- Cost
- Mix of free and paid courses10
NVIDIA's courses on GPU-accelerated ML and deep learning, some free, some paid. Useful for engineers working on training performance and serving. NVIDIA's Deep Learning Institute offers hands-on courses in deep learning, accelerated computing and generative AI, with GPU-backed labs. Some courses are free and others are paid, and each gives a course certificate.
Best forGPU-accelerated ML
AWS ML Engineer or Google Cloud PMLE?
| If you… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Work on AWS, or aren't sure | AWS ML Engineer – Associate |
| Work on Google Cloud | Google Cloud Professional ML Engineer |
| Want the more senior signal | Google Cloud PMLE |
| Want the cheaper, more accessible exam | AWS ML Engineer – Associate |
Table: Choosing between the two main proctored ML certifications
The ML portfolio project employers want
- A real dataset — public, messy and relevant to an industry you like.
- A baseline and an improvement — show you measured both.
- Evaluation done properly — train/validation/test splits and the right metric.
- A deployed endpoint — on AWS, Google Cloud or a free tier.
- A short write-up — the decisions, trade-offs and what you'd do next.
How we ranked these picks
We ranked the two proctored ML exams employers name most first, then the strongest courses by depth and recognition of the teacher, including free options with certificates. Costs and times come from official pages, checked 3 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best machine learning certification?
For a proctored credential, AWS Machine Learning Engineer – Associate or Google Cloud Professional ML Engineer. For learning, Andrew Ng's Machine Learning Specialization is the best foundation.
Which machine learning certification is best for beginners?
Andrew Ng's Machine Learning Specialization, which assumes only basic coding and high-school maths. Kaggle Learn is a free, hands-on complement. Take a cloud ML exam later.
Is the AWS machine learning certification worth it?
Yes for engineers who build ML systems on AWS; it's widely recognised and costs $150. It's less useful for analysts who don't deploy models.
Are there free machine learning certifications?
Yes. Harvard's CS50 AI and Kaggle Learn include free certificates, and Andrew Ng's specializations are free to audit. Science of Apps offers a free machine learning fundamentals test.
How long does it take to get a machine learning certification?
About two months for Andrew Ng's Machine Learning Specialization at ten hours a week. Preparing for AWS ML Engineer or Google Cloud PMLE typically takes one to three months with prior ML experience.
Sources
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Google Cloud — Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- DeepLearning.AI & Stanford — Machine Learning Specialization, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- DeepLearning.AI — Deep Learning Specialization, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- IBM — IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Harvard University — CS50's Introduction to AI with Python, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Kaggle (Google) — Kaggle Learn Micro-Courses (ML, Python, SQL), official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Google — Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- DeepLearning.AI & AWS — Generative AI with Large Language Models, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- NVIDIA — NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute Certificates, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Checked November 4, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- The best online certifications of 2027 — the full top 10 across every field
- Best Machine Learning Certifications of 2027: Top 10 Ranked — related guide
- Best AI Certifications of 2027: 10 Ranked by Career Impact — related guide
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best data science certifications of 2027: ten for learning the craft and proving itThe 10 best data science certifications of 2027: IBM Data Science, Google Advanced Data Analytics, Azure DP-100, Andrew Ng's ML, Kaggle, Databricks and more.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The machine learning certification roadmap for 2027: from beginner to expertA machine learning certification roadmap for 2027: Kaggle and CS50 AI, the ML Specialization, Deep Learning and LLMs, then AWS MLE, DP-100 and GC PMLE.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027Machine learning certifications for beginners: seven best for 2027, in learning orderThe 7 best machine learning certifications for beginners in 2027: Kaggle, CS50 AI, the ML Specialization, IBM Data Science, AI-900, AWS AI and more.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best AI courses of 2027: ten online courses that actually teach you AI, free and paidThe 10 best AI courses of 2027 to learn online: Andrew Ng's Machine Learning, Harvard CS50 AI, Google AI Essentials, Kaggle and more, with time and cost.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027Free machine learning certifications in 2027: five that cost nothing and teach real ML5 free machine learning certifications and courses for 2027: Kaggle Learn, Harvard CS50 AI, Andrew Ng's specializations (audit) and Microsoft Learn.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The data science certification roadmap for 2027: from beginner to expertA data science certification roadmap for 2027: Kaggle and CS50, Google Data Analytics, IBM Data Science, the ML Specialization, then DP-100 or AWS MLE.
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