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Intro to SQL: Querying and Managing Data

4.7(3,300) on Khan Academy·1.4M enrolled
Beginner 8 hours EnglishFREE
SkillsSQLDatabasesQueriesData managementJoins basics

Is this course right for you?

Our take
Yes for a quick, free first taste of SQL, and no if you want depth or a certificate. It runs entirely in your browser with nothing to install.

Good for: complete beginners who want a quick, hands-on introduction to SQL.

Skip if: you want advanced SQL, or a certificate.

The value is that you write real queries against real data from the first exercise rather than watching demos, which is how SQL actually sticks. It is short and beginner-pitched, so it works well as a refresher when an applied course suddenly assumes SQL you do not have.

It stops at the basics — SELECT, filtering, joins and simple edits — so it will not take you to advanced SQL, window functions or database design, and there is no certificate. For a fuller treatment, a dedicated bootcamp is the next step. The material is stable and remains relevant.

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About this course

SQL is required across most data and software roles, and Khan Academy's free introduction covers the essentials: writing SELECT queries, filtering and sorting data, joining tables, and basic data manipulation (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE). It's taught through Khan Academy's signature interactive exercise format, where you write real SQL against real datasets rather than watching passive demonstrations.

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Instructor

KA
Khan Academy
Khan Academy instructor
1.4M+ learners60 courses4.7 instructor rating

Produced by Khan Academy, a nonprofit educational organization providing free, high-quality technical education through interactive, hands-on exercises.

Frequently asked questions

It runs entirely in your browser on SQLite, so there's nothing to install. The core commands you learn — SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY, JOIN — are standard SQL and carry over to MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQL Server, each of which adds small differences you can pick up later.

It gives you the genuine foundation analysts use every day — querying, filtering, grouping and joining, which is most of the SQL you'd write. For a job, though, you'll also want window functions, subqueries and practice against a real database, so treat this as the solid start rather than the whole skill.

Move off the browser and onto a real database — install something like PostgreSQL, or use an online SQL playground — and practise on real datasets. That jump from tidy exercises to querying messy, real-world data is where SQL genuinely starts to stick.
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