Online LearningGame and Software Development6 Best C++ Courses to Learn Online for 2023 | Detailed Pros...

6 Best C++ Courses to Learn Online for 2023 | Detailed Pros and Cons

C++ is a multi-paradigm programming language supporting procedural programming, data abstraction, object-oriented programming, and generic programming.

The language is used for a wide range of software development today, ranging from operating systems, web browsers, IoT devices to game development and many more.

Although the language is now almost 40 years old, C++ ranks robustly as the tenth most popular programming language according to Stackoverflow’s survey of 2021. Therefore, C++ remains undoubtedly in demand in the IT job market.

Mastering C++ can also be highly lucrative. Ziprecruiter points out that an average C++ developer earns as much as $103704 annually in the US.

Hence, C++ is still worth learning in every aspect.

You can learn C++ and become proficient in it just by taking online courses. However, taking a random online course or watching Youtube videos may not be the best idea, especially if you are new to programming.

This is because C++ is a complex programming language. If the instructor fails to explain the concepts adequately, you can be confused, get stuck in the code, and end up “hating” the language.

I thus recommend starting your journey with high-quality C++ courses. This post will help select the best ones by including only the best C++ courses available online.

You just need to select the one that suits your learning style and budget and start learning right away.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post from Victory Tale contains affiliate links. If you purchase C++ courses through them, we will receive a small commission from the providers.

Nevertheless, we always value integrity and prioritize our audience’s interests. You can then rest assured that we will present each C++ course truthfully.

Things You Should Know

Why Learn C++ Programming Language?

I am not going to drill deep into this topic. Below is a summary of the reasons why you should learn C++.

  • Powerful and flexible
  • Numerous real-world usages
  • Promising and lucrative job opportunities
  • Large community where you can ask for assistance

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for a C++ course. Students don’t need experience in other programming languages at all. Thus, complete beginners with basic computer knowledge can start learning C++ right away.

However, some C++ courses in this post are advanced courses that delve into complex concepts and techniques. You will need a basic understanding of any programming language, or at least take a beginner C++ course before enrolling.

Note: Compared to Python and JavaScript, C++ is much less beginner-friendly since its syntax can be highly confusing. However, if you manage to master C++, learning other popular programming languages would be a piece of cake.

Criteria

Below are the criteria for the best C++ courses

  • Taught by credible Instructors
  • Available on a user-friendly, trustworthy learning platform
  • Most of the course content is up-to-date.
  • Offer high-quality course materials
  • Provide excellent value for money
  • Receive mostly positive reviews from real students
  • My personal experience with the platform, instructors, and courses (if any) must be positive.

Note: This post will not include C++ courses for game development. If you are interested in learning C++ to create high-quality games, please visit my article on the best game development courses.

Beginner Courses

As usual, we will start with beginner C++ courses. It is worthwhile to note that most courses on this list provide comprehensive training. You will learn from the very basics up to advanced concepts of C++. Thus, you may not need another course or program at all.

1. NYU Programming & Data Structures

Not available in 2023

This comprehensive program from New York University on the edX platform is unarguably one of the best online courses for C++. You will learn from two leading professors from the Tandon School of Engineering who will explain all the concepts in detail.

Best C++ course from edX

Course Content

The program consists of four minor courses as follows.

1. Introduction to Programming in C++ – The first course will explain fundamental programming in the C++ programming language. You will learn about data types & expressions, conditional statements, iterative statements, functions, etc.

Furthermore, you will experience the entire development cycle, from planning and analysis to design, development, and maintenance.

2. Advanced Programming in C++ – The second course will deal with more advanced concepts, including functions, arrays, and strings.

You will also learn to analyze the computational complexity of the code. Hence, you will be able to calculate the resources needed to solve a computational problem.

lesson example

3. Introduction to Data Structures – The third course will introduce you to data structures in C++. You will learn foundational concepts such as pointers, dynamic storage, recursion, searching, and sorting.

The instructors will guide you through object-oriented programming (OOP) in the second part of the course. You will understand how to use structures and classes and learn about relevant OOP techniques such as inheritance and polymorphism.

4. Advanced Data Structures – The final course will drill deeper into advanced data structure concepts, including stacks, queues, trees, binary search trees, linked lists, and file processing. You will figure out how to use different data structures to solve problems.

In addition, you will design and develop several programs to store, manage, and retrieve data efficiently.

You will work on dozens of lab assignments and exercises and complete a final exam in each minor course. Thus, you can rest assured that your coding skills are properly evaluated similar to enrolling on-site at a university.

NYU recommends spending 6-8 hours studying every week, and you will complete the entire program in 9 months. I think the weekly commitment is manageable for full-time students or those with full-time jobs.

Upon program completion, you will also be awarded six academic credits from Thomas Edison State University (albeit not from NYU).

Coaching (Available only in the US)

Suppose you enroll in the verified track (read more in the pricing section below) and live in the US. You can access the coaching for free.

Your coach will help you navigate the program, keep you motivated, and provide assistance on your career search.

Pricing

You can audit the entire program for free. However, you will not be able to access graded assignments and exams, a digital certificate, academic credits, and additional support.

Alternatively, you can choose to enroll in the verified track, which costs a one-time $1195.

At this pricing, the program is far more expensive than most other alternatives. However, considering the quality of the curriculum and the comprehensive assessment the program provides, I think it is worth the investment.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Formal C++ training from a top computer science school in the US
  • Well-structured, comprehensive curriculum
  • Interactive lectures that drill deep into the concepts
  • Self-paced learning
  • Each minor course has numerous lab assignments and a final exam to test your programming skills cumulatively and provide you with hands-on experience.
  • Coaching (extra assistance) is available for students who live in the US.
  • Earn college credits from a university

Cons

  • Expensive compared to other alternatives
  • You need nine months to complete the program.
  • The transcripts are quite difficult to read.

2. Programming in C++: A Hands-on Introduction Specialization

Suppose you are looking for a hands-on C++ tutorial. This Coursera specialization from Codio is a promising option that you might want to consider.

Coursera offers one of the best C++ courses online

Course Content

This specialization comprises four minor courses as follows.

1. C++ Basics: Selection and Iteration – The first course will introduce you to the C++ programming language. You will learn basic concepts such as operators, loops, and conditionals.

2. C++ Basic Structures: Vectors, Pointers, Strings, and Files – The second course will discuss vectors, pointers, strings, and files. You will also create functions to manipulate strings.

You will learn C++ mostly through the online IDE (provided by Codio)
You will learn C++ mostly through the online IDE (provided by Codio)

3. C++ Object Basics: Function, Recursion, and Objects – The third course will explain how to create custom functions, replace iteration with recursion, and create & modify objects.

4. Object-Oriented C++: Inheritance and Encapsulation – The final course is devoted to object-oriented programming (OOP). You all learn its core topics, including inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, etc.

Unlike other courses on the list, this specialization is video-free. This means that you will mainly learn through text-based explanations, code examples, and completing coding exercises on Codio’s online IDE.

Hence, it is vital to make sure that you are satisfied with this learning style before enrolling.

Still, this program serves as an excellent fast-paced tutorial that you can complete in no time. Those with some previous programming experience will find this course helpful.

You can audit the entire specialization for free. However, if you want graded assignments and a digital certificate, you need to subscribe and pay $49 per month.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Well-structured curriculum
  • Easy-to-follow and straightforward explanations
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Numerous challenging programming assignments to complete
  • Provide a “truly” hands-on experience
  • Free auditing

Cons

  • No videos. Hence, this course may not be suitable for some students.

3. Beginning C++ Programming – From Beginner to Beyond

This Udemy course by Dr. Frank Mitropoulos offers comprehensive video-based training for C++. It will help develop crucial modern C++ skills and provide opportunities for putting them into use.

Frank has more than 30 years of experience in computer science and various IT fields as a university professor and a consultant. Hence, if you want to learn directly from leading experts, this course is definitely for you.

Best C++ courses on Udemy

Course Content

What you will learn from this course is as follows:

  • Installations of the needed software & Set up CodeLite (You will be using this IDE throughout the entire course)
  • Errors and Warnings (Compiler Errors, Runtime Errors, Logic Errors, etc.)
  • C++ Program
  • Variables & Constants
  • Arrays, Vectors, Statements, Operators
  • Conditionals and Loops
  • Strings, Functions, Pointers
  • A deep dive into Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in C++
  • Smart Pointers and Exception Handling
  • Files, Streams, I/O
  • STL (The Standard Template Library)
  • Lambda Expressions
  • and many more

In essence, this 46-hour course will cover all modern C++ concepts and relevant topics (C++ 14 and C++ 17) while equipping you with sufficient skills to progress to C++ 20 in the future.

Besides the video lessons, every student can access the source code for all sections, course slides, programming exercises, and a free programming e-book.

Reviews: 4.6/5.0, 156,000+ students

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Learn from an expert with decades of experience
  • Beginner-friendly
  • Comprehensive, well-structured curriculum that covers all modern C++ features
  • Clear, in-depth, step-by-step explanations of C++ fundamental concepts
  • Excellent downloadable resources
  • The instructor is quite responsive in a Q&A Forum
  • Lifetime Access + 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Inexpensive ($20 or lower when on sale)

Cons

  • The coding exercises are not very challenging.
  • Frank’s teaching pace is too slow for some students.

4. The Complete C++ Developer Course

If you think all the above courses are too lengthy, you might want to consider this concise C++ course from John P. Baugh, a professional software engineer and a professor with decades of experience in the field.

COmplete C++ Developer course is one of the best C++ courses on Udemy

Course Content

Below is a summary of all course content.

  • Getting Started with Visual Studio
  • Variables, Data Types, Operators
  • Control Statements
  • Arrays and Vectors
  • Functions
  • Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Classes and Objects, Inheritance, Polymorphism
  • Exceptions and Debugging
  • Pointers
  • File Input/Output
  • STL and Templates
  • Data Structures in C++

The video lectures are 22.5 hours long, which is concise enough but still adequately includes all the concepts.

However, what makes this course shine is the projects and assignments that the instructor carefully adds to each section. Once you reach the end of the section, you can start working on 2-3 projects, which will allow you to use the knowledge you have just learned right away.

Reviews: 4.6/5.0, 5200+ students

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Well-structured course content
  • Straightforward explanations of concepts
  • Include several challenging projects and assignments for every section of the course
  • The instructor is responsive to questions.
  • Lifetime Access + 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Inexpensive ($20 or lower when on sale)

Cons

  • Some students believe the quizzes (not projects) are too few.
  • His teaching pace in several sections may be too fast for absolute beginners.

5. Mastering 4 critical SKILLS using C++ 17

If you are looking for a C++ programming course that focuses on modern features (C++ 11 to C++ 17), this one by Dr. Mostafa Saad Ibrahim is a promising candidate.

Mostafa is an experienced software engineer who performed well in ICPC programming competitions. Hence, he has tons of knowledge to share with you.

C++17 course on Udemy

Course Content

Despite the course name, it is a deep dive into syntaxes for all three modern C++ versions (11,14 and 17). Below is a summary of all the course content.

  • Getting Started on C++ & Installations
  • Data Types, Variables, Operators
  • Selection & Loops
  • Arrays (1D, Char, Multidimensional)
  • Functions, Structures, and Templates
  • STL, Files and Streams
  • Pointers, Headers, Includes
  • Exception Handling
  • Debugging
  • Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
  • OOP Topics: Inheritance, Polymorphism, Operator Overloading
  • Move Semantics and Perfect Forwarding
  • Lambda Expressions & Smart Pointers
  • STL
  • and many more

In general, this instructor aims to equip you with four skills: programming, problem-solving, project-building, and design skills with C++. Apparently, the course will focus more on the hands-on.

Cumulatively, there are six projects and numerous exercises. The latter will build your problem-solving skills (through algorithmic exercises) and project building and design (through quizzes related to real-world applications.)

Some exercises in this course may also be challenging as they come straight from programming competitions in which the instructor had participated.

To summarize, your learning experience will be very different from other C++ courses.

Reviews: 4.6/5.0, 9400+ students

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Unique curriculum that focuses on building four crucial skills
  • Clear, step-by-step, in-depth explanations of core C++ concepts
  • Numerous projects and quizzes to work on
  • Include useful tips and tricks
  • Lifetime Access + 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Inexpensive ($20 or lower when on sale)

Cons

  • I had some trouble understanding what he said at the beginning. However, over time, I became familiar with his accent, and the instructor also plans to add manual English subtitles. Thus, I don’t think this is a big problem.

Advanced Courses

Below are advanced courses that require some prior programming experience (don’t need to be C++, though).

These courses are suitable for the following groups:

  1. Experienced programmers who understand the basics well and want a fast track to C++ mastery.
  2. Those who want to master advanced C++ concepts or build advanced projects to showcase your skills

6. Become a C++ Developer

This Nanodegree program from Udacity is unarguably one of the best courses for experienced programmers to learn C++. With a fast-paced curriculum and timely student support, you can master C++ in no time.

Become a C++ developer, an excellent C++ course by Udacity

Course Content

This Nano program is heavily project-based. You will spend the most time working on five real-world projects. The program consists of four C++ courses and a capstone project as follows:

1. C++ Foundations – The first course will explore C++ fundamentals, including syntaxes, functions, containers, and best practices to develop, compile, and execute C++ programs.

2. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) – The second course will discuss all aspects of object-oriented programming (OOP). You will build classes, interfaces, and generic templates and perceive best practices to write clean and reusable code.

3. Memory Management – The third course explains how to control static and dynamic memory with C++ using several tools such as pointers, references, move semantics, etc.

4. Concurrency – The final course will drill deep into how to launch processes and threads. Later on, you will learn about thread synchronization and communication and experience the potential of concurrent programming.

5. Capstone Project – This capstone project will assign you the real-world task of building a full-fledged C++ application. You will utilize all knowledge you have learned in this project.

In addition to the capstone project, each course also has its own project. Specifically, you will build a route planner in the first course, a process monitor in the second, a memory management chatbot in the third, and a concurrent traffic simulation in the fourth.

Hence, once you complete the entire program, you will complete as many as five projects that you can develop further upon or include them on your Github portfolios to showcase your skills to clients or employers.

The suggested pace for this program is 10 hours per week for four months. However, you can freely customize your schedule as the program is 100% self-paced. Just keep in mind that the more time you spend on the program, the higher the tuition (see #pricing below).

Student Support

Unlike other C++ courses on this list, all students (not just those in the US) can access three types of bootcamp-like support as follows.

Technical Mentor Support – You can ask questions related to the course through the ticket system or email.

As Udacity mentors are available 24/7, you will likely receive a response in less than an hour. You don’t have to wait for days for an instructor’s reply on the Q&A forum.

Project Reviews – As you work on your five C++ projects, you can make unlimited requests for experts to provide personalized feedback on your work. Experts will also inform you about best practices that could strengthen your project-building skills even further.

According to Udacity, most students receive the feedback in slightly more than an hour, which is extremely fast, thus creating a healthy feedback loop that assists your learning.

Career Services – This support is excellent for undergraduate students who will enter the job market very soon.

The team will review your resume, LinkedIn profile, and Github portfolio to ensure that they are all up to the industry’s standard. This could help you land numerous interviews with tech giants.

Pricing

Udacity uses a subscription model. Each month will cost $399. Alternatively, you can choose to pay for four months at once and receive a 15% discount, lowering the tuition to $339 per month.

personalized discounts provided by udacity
I recommend creating an account to receive personalized discounts from Udacity.

However, Udacity frequently offers financial support and discounts, reducing the tuition fees by 50%-75%. Thus, you can enroll in this excellent program by paying only $100 or lower per month.

[sc name=”udacity” ][/sc]

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Learn from three experts who have years of experience in computer science and software development
  • Well-structured curriculum
  • Include five real-world projects that provide sufficient hands-on experience
  • Udacity frequently updates its course. Thus outdated content is rare.
  • Timely support from mentors
  • Unlimited Project Reviews
  • Career service is a big plus.

Cons

  • Expensive compared to other alternatives

Other Alternatives

Below are other alternatives that you may want to consider. However, I did not include them on the list because of several reasons described below.

Codecademy C++ CoursesCodecademy is an online platform that offers beginner-friendly coding courses for several programming languages, including C++.

As of October 2021, I don’t think its courses are in-depth enough. You will need to take more online courses though you have completed its entire curriculum.

However, if you are a beginner, you can try several free online courses on the platform to kickstart your programming journey.

Learn C++ Programming -Beginner to Advance- Deep Dive in C++ – This Udemy course by Abdul Bari effectively equips students with basic knowledge of C++. However, the course only features C++ 11 and has no C++ 14 and 17 content.

Learn Advanced C++ Programming – This course by John Burcell focuses on explaining advanced C++ programming concepts. Unfortunately, the instructor does not update his course since 2017. Hence, it only includes C++11 features.

Pun Anansakunwat
Pun Anansakunwathttps://victorytale.com/about-victorytale/
Founder of Victory Tale, a multipotentialite who has a particular interest in technology. He loves to spend time testing new products and learning interesting topics to broaden his insights. After graduating from Columbia University in 2014, he makes a living by being a stock market investor, a private tutor, a writer of three published books, and finally a website owner.

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