Udacity Review: Is It The Most Compatible Elearning Platform For You?

Catherine Cooke

16 September, 2023

Upskillwise.com is fully supported by its readers. If you register or buy a course using our links, we may receive a commission. This does not affect our ratings, methodology or partners.

Udacity’s mission is to teach and train learners for careers of the future with its Nanodegrees (the name it gives to its Learning Programs). This popular platform partners with leading technology companies like Google and Microsoft to create learning programs on the critical tech skills that companies are looking for.

If you don’t have time to read our detailed review, then please check out of video below to give you a summary of what Udacity is all about.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that its Nanodegrees are going to be the right fit for you? And will you have to break the bank to join one of its programs? Hold tight, as I’ll explain all in this detailed review, so you can decide if Udacity is worth it.

Top-Quality Content

Udacity develops its own content with tight collaborations with (industry-leading) partners such as Google, AWS (Amazon), Mercedes or Nvidia.

Career Services

Anyone who enrolls in a Nanodegree will have access to Udacity’s Career Services that include Resume & Cover Letter  Reviews and a LinkedIn and GitHub Review.

Free Courses

Udacity offers over 200 free courses. This is great place to start and get an idea of what to expect from this popular elearning community.

Certificates

If you complete a Nanodegree (how its programs are named) with Udacity you’ll earn a certificate. However, be aware that these aren’t offered if you use Udacity with a free account. Be aware that Udacity is a private institution and their certificates aren’t accredited.

Project-Based

Udacity’s Nanodegree programs are often hands-on projects, giving learners the chance to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios.

Intuitive Interface

Udacity has a really user-friendly interface, which not only makes its platform easy to move around and find what you are looking for. But it really is an enjoyable learning experience.

You’ll Need Some Budget

As we’ll see later on, Udacity isn’t cheap. If you’d like to join one of its programs you’ll need to have some budget.

No Udacity App

The Udacity app for iOS and Android was removed from the app store in 2019. So if you are looking for on the go learning. Both Coursera and Skillshare apps allow you to download courses/classes.

Limited Topics

It’s true that Udacity offers a wide range of courses about computer science and business, however, there aren’t any courses outside these niches – check out Udemy or Coursera for more variety.

Only In English

The website and backend are available in other languages, but the course materials are mainly in English – some courses have subtitles in other languages.

Udacity Review Verdict

Udacity is an online learning platform that offers some beginner courses and learning programs called Nanodegrees in topics related to technology and business. Its Nanodegrees are designed, so you can work at your own pace, and they are to prepare you for a job role or career path in digital skills. Its content is co-created with the world’s most innovative tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon and taught by industry leaders. It’s Nanodegree programs can take you from 1 month to 6 months. There are a couple of options to pay for it, either on a monthly basis or you can pay upfront for the estimated time it will take you to complete it. Udacity does offer a cancellation and refund option, but you must cancel when the first 2 days of purchasing your Nanodegree. Udacity offers close to 200 courses for free, which will give you a taster of the Udacity platform before you financially commit.

Who Is Udacity For?

Udacity is for anyone who is looking to gather knowledge and earn new skills in programming, business, data science and more. Its courses are designed to give you real employable skills that are based around real-world projects where you can learn on your own schedule and ask for help from mentors 24/7.

Udacity Find Perfect Program
Nanodegree Programs & Courses

The learning programs that Udacity offers for individual learners are the Nanodegree program and the single paid course. Udacity’s Nanodegree programs consist of a series of single paid courses. The single course typically ends in a project where you demonstrate the skills you have learnt and an average learner can complete a single course in one month, working 5-10 hours a week. Whereas the Nanodegree comprises 3 or 4 courses and will naturally take longer. Udacity is currently offering 70+ Nonodegree programs.

You will love Udacity’s Nanodegrees for its;

  • High-quality content
  • Strong mentor support
  • Student discussion forum
  • Industry professional Instructors
  • Career advice services

Udacity Industry Partners

Udacity’s Nanodegree Programs are co-created by some of the world’s most innovative tech companies, like Microsoft and Amazon. When you successsfully complete a Nanodegree or single paid course, you will receive a certificate. Its certificates are recognized by future employers as learning with Udacity is renowned for its high quality.

What’s included in an Udacity Program

When you sign up to any Udacity program, it includes the following working on real-world projects that are taught by industry experts, a technical mentor support, career services and a flexible learning program that fits into your busy life.

Udacity All programs include

Udacity All programs include

Udacity for Enterprise

Udacity doesn’t only offer learning programs for individuals, it also has customized programs for companies and organizations to transform your workforce. Udacity for Enterprise prides itself on its customized learning paths tailored to your company’s needs, and its 24/7 mentors gives you the support to keep you and your team on track.

Udacity for Enterprise

Udacity for Enterprise

Udacity works with a range of companies, starting at less than 1000 employees and going up to 5,000+. If you are interested in upskilling your workforce with Udacity for Enterprise you can request a free demo and a member of the Udacity team will get in touch.

> Sign up for a free consulation with Udacity for Enterpise here

Udacity for Government

Udacity doesn’t limit its learning to individuals and Businesses, it gives learning opportunities to governments to bridge the people and skill gaps, increase job growth to reach new economic heights.

Udacity for Government

Udacity for Government

You can sign up for a consultation by clicking on Learn More (see image above) which you can submit, and you will be contacted by the Udacity team.Udacity supportIf you do decide to learn with Udacity, you will be supported by its 1400+ mentors with personalized feedback, and you will receive responses to your questions in 1 hour or less.

Career Services

Udacity doesn’t just offer Nanodegrees and learning programs, it provides Career Services which are designed to help you in the next steps after completing a Nanodegree. Udacity provides a wide variety of services and support to help you begin your career journey

Udacity Career Services

Udacity Career Services

How Much Is Udacity?

As of September 2023, Udacity changed its pricing model to either a monthly or annual subscription plan which gives users full access to the entirety of Udacity’s catalog. Previously, learners would specify the Nanodegree program or course that they would want to enroll in and pay for only for that specific program or course.

Honestly, I think this change is a welcomed and not only does it work out financially cheaper, but it also means that you’re able to explore the full platform and access content you may not have previously considered.

  • Udacity Individual Plan: $249 Monthly OR $2,390 Annually

Udacity Individual Plan

Udacity Individual Plan

Udacity’s Individual Subscription Plan gives you unlimited access to the learning catalog, learning assistant, personalized project reviews, program certificates and learner community.

Udacity For Business

Udacity for Business offers 3 different plans which are designed for teams and organizations between 2 and 50 users. Only the Team plan allows you to choose the monthly and annual subscription.

  • Team: $249 Monthly OR $2,390 Annually (per user/per year)
  • Team Pro: $3,830 Annually (per user/per year)
  • Enterprise: Custom Priced

Udacity For Business

Udacity For Business Plans


Udacity’s Refund and Cancellation

Udacity’s refund and cancellation policy, you can cancel within 2 days of enrollment to be eligible for a full refund on your first month’s subscription. I know what you’re thinking, 2 days, it really doesn’t give you time to make a decision, but sadly that’s the policy. For citizens or residents of the EU you have 14 days to claim a full refund. You are, however, entitled to cancel your automatic subscription at any time during the month so that you won’t be charged for the following month.

Udacity’s Free Courses

There are close to 200 courses that you can enjoy for free at Udacity. These free courses are designed to give you an introduction to some of the Nanodegree topics, and others focus on career related content like Interview preparation and refreshing your resume. The free courses will come with some limitations, for instance, you won’t be able to get a completion certificate or be entitled to mentor support.

Check out our latest blog post on Udacity’s Top Free Courses to find out our favorite recommendations. If you then decide you want to develop your skills further, you can enroll on one of Udacity’s paid Nanodegrees.

Scholarships And Financial Aid

There are a bunch of Udacity Scholarships you can apply to if you don’t have the financial resources to pay for a program’s fees. At this time, there are a handful of scholarship programs available that have helped tens of thousands of people globally.

Udacity Scholarships

Unfortunately, there are no federal, state or local aid programs accepted at Udacity. The Udacity Scholarships are exclusively sponsored by third-party organizations such as Google, AT&T, Lyft, Intel or Accenture.

Udacity affirm payment option

Financial aid at Udacity

Udacity does offer the option to pay for your Nanodegree using Affirm which will allow you to pay in monthly installments.

  • Affirm will let you create a monthly plan (loan) for 3, 6 or 12 months to afford the course. Please, be warned that the interest rates can be high (up to 30%).

How To Open An Udacity Account?

Opening a Udacity account is very easy, follow these steps:

  1. Visit Udacity.com and click on the top-left button ‘Get Started’
  2. You can register just with your email or use Google or Facebook
  3. Add First Name, Last Name, Email Address and a Password
  4. Confirm your email account if needed

Udacity Get Started for Free

Udacity Sign Up

What Programs can I find on Udacity?

Udacity’s Programs are made up of 9 main subject areas that include Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems, Business, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Product Management, Programming & Development and Career. Each of these 9 categories include Free Courses to Nanodegree Programs.

Udacity Find Perfect Program

Its filter system makes it really easy to find what you are looking for. The Filter by allows you to choose from Topic, Field, Difficulty Level, Duration, Price and Sort By (see image below), this helps you find exactly what you are looking for.

Udacity Program Catalog

Udacity Program Catalog Filter

Udacity Support

Udacity has a page dedicated to support where you ask any questions or doubts you may have and get answers to frequently asked questions.

Udacity Support

Udacity Support

You can search directly in the search bar or you can check out one of the specific categories below it, if you know exactly what you are looking for. In case that doesn’t answer what you are looking for, the chatbot is available.

> Check out Udacity Support here

My Udacity Experience

The very best way for me to get to know the Udacity platform is by taking one of its courses myself. I will be honest with you here, I am no expert in digital skills. So, I thought the best place for me to start is with a beginner-friendly course. As you are reading this, you well aware that I have my website Upskillwise, so understanding a little more about what goes on behind the scenes can’t be a bad thing. Right?

So, I decided on What is Programming?

What is Programming Udacity

Udacity What is Programming? 

Lessons

This course is broken up into 5 lessons and each one focuses on a different topic. Then each topic has a number of Concepts which breaks up the video lessons, keeping them concise and engaging. The Search option is helpful as you can look for any key term related to that course and in its results it will show you all the times it appears and takes you directly to that section. As well as Search and Concepts, the Resources tab is a place where you can download Videos and Transcripts related.

Udacity What is Programming Lessons

Udacity What is Programming Course Lessons 

Once each lesson is completed, it will appear as 100% viewed and if you want to shrink the card so that it collapses it will appear as Completed (see image below).

Udacity What is Programming Shrink Card

Send Feedback

A pretty cool feature that Udacity has on its courses and Nanodegrees is the possibility to Send Feedback if you are having issues. It allows you to select an area of the Lesson’s page, and you can select in detail what you want them to know. It could be the ‘Video is lacking in detail’, ‘Video contains outdated information’ or the ‘Transcript is wrong’, you can then explain in further detail in the comment’s section the specific issue.

Udacity What is programming Send Feedback

Udacity What is Programming Course Send Feedback

To Summarize

Overall, the course is really clearly laid out and the interface is user-friendly. The video lessons are nicely broken up into topics. A nice mix of instructor and graphic visuals keep the video content engaging. This course is designed as a stepping stone for anyone looking to take a Nanodegree in Introduction to Programming. I must say that Udacity does a fantastic job of offering learners close to 200 courses for free, so you can be sure before financially committing to a Nanodegree.

You will Love Udacity for:

  • Its intuitive course interface
  • Engaging and bite size video content
  •  Downloadable Resources
  • Send Feedback Support
  • Stepping Stone before committing to a Nanodegree

> You can check out What is Programming? course here

> You can find the Nanodegree Introduction to Programming here

6 Tips To Find The Perfect Udacity Course

Let me give you a couple of tips to find the perfect Udacity program for you, and show you how to find out if it’ll meet your requirements.

Use the Udacity filters

When you browse Udacity’s Nanodegree programs, you can use the filters to narrow down your searches. For example, it’s possible to filter courses by ‘Difficulty level’ (beginner, intermediate or advanced), or the Duration (from <1 month to 3+ months).

Udacity Program Catalog

Udacity filters

You can select the topic and Field which makes it easy to find what you are looking for. Plus, if you are searching for Free courses, you have that option when you click on Price.

Read the program’s syllabus and information

All Udacity courses and programs have a detailed syllabus with the courses’ curriculum. Detailed descriptions about the subjects, the project that you’ll work on and the weekly plan of the course are available.

On the program landing page, you will also be able to find information such as the estimated duration of the courses, the level (from beginner to advanced), and if there are any prerequisites you should have (e.g. existing knowledge).

Udacity’s program syllabus

Udacity’s program syllabus


Note: You can download the entire syllabus of the program in a PDF format for extra information and make sure the program is definitely what you were looking for.

Presentation video

Every program has a presentation video where they tell you a bit about the syllabus, you’ll get to check the instructor out and who (and why) you should choose it.

This video can be helpful, but don’t forget that its main goal is to make you open the wallet and pay for it. Don’t base your decision entirely on the presentation video.

Read reviews at Udacity

It’s possible to read some student reviews about Udacitys learning programs. Sadly, not every course and Nanodegrees have reviews – some are too new to have student feedback.

Udacity Top student reviews

Udacity student reviews

This feature is OK, but other platforms such as Udemy or Skillshare have a more intuitive way to organize reviews, with a filter system.

Who is the program organized by

As I’ve mentioned before, most of Udacity’s courses are collaborations with leading companies from different sectors. For example, Mercedes, Nvidia or Google partner with Udacity to teach some programs.

Udacity Instructors

Udacity Instructors

Each Nanodegree will have the instructors who are teaching or have contributed to that Nanodegree. Each has a small blurb about their experience which includes the companies they have worked.

Check out what companies are organizing the program and the instructors to find out what type of learning you’ll get.

7-day Refund Policy

When you purchase a program, you’ll have a 7-day refund policy. Therefore, I’d recommend you start checking the videos and the materials as soon as you’ve been given access. If you don’t like what you see, get a refund.

CriteriaComment
Ease of use

Udacity interface is neat, informative and user friendly making it easy to navigate. I particularly like the simplistic design that doesn’t have many distractions.

However, it could have more filters when searching for courses and checking reviews could be more user-friendly.

The course’s interface is also easy to use with a sidebar that will let you navigate throughout the course lessons easily.

Convenience

Udacity offers students courses that they can start at any time and follow along at your own pace. Although the Nanodegree courses (with a Udacity certificate) may begin at set times.

You can download the (video) lessons and the transcripts. Sadly, there is not a more advanced way to work offline.

Available platforms

You can, of course, use Udacity with a laptop or desktop, you’ll only need a browser to follow your course.

At the moment of writing this review, the Android and iOS apps have been removed from the app stores and you can’t use Udacity on your phone or tablet unless you open it on a browser.

Official certifications:

Udacity creates its own course content in collaboration with co-creators (e.g. companies like Google or Mercedes). Therefore, their credentials may be recognized and acknowledged by some employers.

They offer around 40+ Nanodegree programs and single paid courses which will give you a certificate at completion. Keep in mind that these certificates aren’t recognized by universities as they aren’t accredited.

Categories

Udacity offers courses in the following 6 main categories (all technical): programming, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data science, business and autonomous systems.

However, it has dozens of subcategories (e.g. product management, UX design or digital marketing) and hundreds of courses.

Free courses

Udacity offers some of the courses for free, although you won’t be able to earn a certificate unless you decide to pay for a program.

Currently, there are about 200 courses that you can enjoy for free.

Content quality

Since Udacity produces its own content partnering with thriving businesses (e.g. Amazon or Nvidia), you can rest assured that the quality of the courses is very high.

Languages

Even if the website’s backend is in several languages (e.g. Spanish), the courses are mainly in English.

Udacity Nanodegree program videos have English subtitles. There are subtitles available in other languages such as Chinese and Portuguese, but this isn’t guaranteed across all the courses. It’s best if learners are fluent in English.

Instructors

Udacity develops its own content with industry experts in each field. They also partner with big companies such as BMW, Google or Nvidia.

Course requirements

Since Udacity creates its own courses there isn’t a list of formal requirements that each lesson needs to meet. Saying that each course is recorded in HD and they offer transcripts of the video.

Some programs (e.g. Nanodegrees) can have prerequisites for new enrollments.

Course structure

The information on the courses can be found online, however, sometimes you need to dig a bit to find it – e.g. download a PDF document with the syllabus.

They do a good job of detailing what you will learn, what existing knowledge you’ll need and the overall level of the course. There is also an estimate of how long each course/program will take you.

Quizzes & tests

All the courses come with real-life projects you can apply the learnings to, quizzes and feedback from experienced reviewers.

Payments & refunds

You can use a credit card or PayPal to pay for your Udacity courses or programs. There is also the option to use PayPal Credit or Affirm to finance your Udacity studies.

You have a 7-day refund policy since you were allowed to access the course.

Support

Udacity’s support team can be reached via email and chatbot. Sometimes, their help isn’t the fastest.

Overall rating

Enrolling on a Udacity course is a good choice for those looking to learn a new skill in detail. Even if it doesn’t have accredited certificates, many companies value Udacity’s Nanodegrees certificates. Udacity’s courses aren’t always the cheapest out there.

Will Udacity Help Me With My Career?

If you take its Nanodegrees seriously, you can certainly learn new skills and become an expert on the topic you choose. This should offer you new opportunities to develop new roles and put you in the right position for a potential job promotion.

Udacity Career Services

Udacity career advice

Another good thing about Udacity is that you can get career advice, they can even help you rewrite your CV. You can also schedule a 1-on-1 chat with one of the career advisors. Keep in mind that this service is US-focused.  If you are looking to find a new job in another country it won’t be as effective.

Another perk of this platform is the Udacity Talent program where thousands of employers like Nvidia, Lyft, Mercedes, AT&T or Google hire Udacity alumni. The way it works is the following:

  1. Create and share your profile
  2. It will get added to the Udacity Talent database
  3. You’ll be notified by email if an employer invites you to apply for a role

Is Udacity Legit?

Udacity isn’t a scam, this popular elearning platform launched in 2012 and has a community of 17 million learners.

Udacity’s content is co-created with the world’s most innovative tech companies to produce its learning programs.

Udacity content co-created

Udacity Content

Udacity is on a mission to train the world’s workforce in the careers of the future, so that individuals and businesses can achieve the skills that are needed.

Udacity Instructors

Udacity’s teachers are established industry professionals who have years of experiences and experts in their subject area. Udacity is looking for the following skills within their instructors;

  • 5+ years of demonstrated expertise
  • Ability to build engaging, effective and relevant course content
  •  1+ years of education or teaching experience
  • Available to work 15-20 hours per week
  • Effective time management skills
  • Growth mindset and team player

Udacity become an instructor

If this sounds like you, or you have these skills, then you can apply to become an Udacity Instructor. You will work alongside other Udacity experts, that will help you with the planning and executing your course successfully.

Instructors are financially compensated based on completion of course development or may be entitled to a revenue-shared in relation to the number of enrolled students. Your classes will be able to reach thousands when published on Udacity.

> Apply to be an Udacity Instructor here

Note: To be accepted as an Udacity mentor, means you’ll need to prove your level of knowledgeable on your topic and have first-hand professional experience in the subject you teach.

Last Thoughts: Is Udacity Worth It?

Ok, let’s round up this Udacity review.

Firstly, I hope you now have a good overview of this digital skills focused e-learning platform. Let me summarize what you can (and can’t) expect from Udacity.

Udacity is a platform geared towards developing job-ready skills for a career in tech. It offers Nanodegree programs in categories like Data Science, Programming, Business, Artificial Intelligence and more.  Udacity’s content is co-created with some of the world’s most innovative tech companies like Amazon and Google, and taught by industry leaders.

Sadly, the completion certificate you’ll earn isn’t accredited, check out edX or Coursera if that is what you are looking for. Udacity isn’t the cheapest online learning platform and can cost you anything between $600 to $2,000, so be mindful that you’ll need some budget. If you are looking for a wider range of categories, platforms like Udemy or Skillshare maybe a better fit.

Please leave a comment below if you have any questions, and I’ll do my best to help you out.

Review Updates:

09/16/23 – How Much Is Udacity? – Updated

09/12/23 – Is Udacity Legit – Updated

08/08/23 – Udacity Support Added

07/08/23 – Udacity Last Thoughts Updated

05/16/23 – Udacity Pros & Cons Added

03/27/23 – What’s included in an Udacity Program

03/01/23 – Udacity Career Services

02/16/23 – Udacity Verdict Updated

09/28/22 – Udacity Support

08/18/22 – General Update & Scholarships & Financial Aid

08/05/22 – General Update

02/10/22 – Udacity Free Courses

10/27/21 – Udacity Review Video

10/24/21 – Udacity for Enterprise

10/14/21 – Discount Offer

10/12/21 – Welcome Bar

09/21/21 – How Much Is Udacity?

08/19/21 – My Udacity Experience

04/26/21 – 30-Day Free Access

04/20/21 – Udacity’s Nanodegrees

04/09/21 – Udacity Quiz

03/26/21 – Udacity Instructors

Catherine Cooke

Hey. I am Catherine and I have been working as a freelancer for many years now. In 2005, I graduated from a BA honours in Art & Design from BCU and then went onto complete a Master’s Degree in Teaching from UEL. The skills I gained from learning and teaching have led me to create Upskillwise, a place for learners like myself to find the best possible resources and courses to train and upskill themselves, either personally or professionally. If you have a question, please feel free to ask me anything or leave me a comment.

Alternatives

Skillshare: This is a more affordable option, perhaps the course quality isn’t as high and it isn’t a professional career advisory team, but you can certainly learn some skills with its courses geared towards entrepreneurs and creatives.

Udemy: It’s certainly more affordable than Udacity as you can just pay for the courses that you want to enrol in. It has thousands of free courses available to everyone. At Udemy you can find courses about pretty much any topic you’d like to learn.

Coursera: Probably the best option if you are looking to earn accredited certificates from leading universities such as Duke, Michigan or The University of Texas (among others). It also has a broader range of courses for free and a more comprehensive list of available topics.

FAQ

Is Coursera better than Udacity?

Udacits’s Nanodegrees are specific to digital skills or a tech career. Whereas Coursera offers a wider variety of categories and course types. If you want to read in more detail, check out of comparison article here.

Is Udacity enough to get a job?

Udacity is a platform that focuses on upskilling learners for a career in the latest tech skills. Alongside side its career services to help support learners post learning on landing their dream job.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
16 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Aung Kyaw Soe
Aung Kyaw Soe
1 year ago

Thanks for evaluating truly. May you be successful more.

Vanessa
Vanessa
1 year ago

Hi Catherine… your discount code UPSKILLWISE21 is not working. Do you have a new discount code for this year?

Anonymous
Anonymous
1 year ago

Awesome guide into learning new skills will share this guide with our team to help them grow their skills further.

Akshay
Akshay
1 year ago

I’m so glad to find this article. It’s exactly what I needed right now and will help me in my journey!

Youval D
Youval D
1 year ago

Udacity provides good service but one very BIG negative aspect of their offering is that if you pay and take courses just to gain knowledge and not for certificate, you will loose access to the classes you took after one year and will not be able to review those lectures again.

Tronica
Tronica
2 years ago

Which nano degree has the highest chance of landing the job? Which nano degree has the most demand right now? How much money do you earn as freelancer? Is freelance better then job? How many interviews need before job offer? How many months is the career services support the new grads? Which part of USA is easier to land the tech job? How does Nano Degree compare to udemy courses? How does Nano Degree compare to APP Academy program? Coding Dojo teaches 3 programming languages (15k+forever job support) compare to 3 Nano Degrees (18 months or 9K+6 month job support)… Read more »

zoshosh
zoshosh
2 years ago

Thank you for clearing my all doubts. Udacity is an amazing place.

Aqsa
Aqsa
2 years ago

In-depth Review. Thank You!

16
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x