You don't need any specific prior education for a data analyst course. There are five routes to a job as a data analyst: an Associate degree at a university of applied sciences, a single higher-education course with a microcredential, a part-time programme at a university of applied sciences, a short classroom course with a private provider and an online retraining course at your own pace. The routes differ mainly in duration, format and whether you can keep working alongside them.
In this guide we put all five side by side, with who helps pay and what you earn afterwards. That way you choose a data analyst course that fits your situation, even if you want to retrain alongside your job.
Usually not. Only the single higher-education course with a microcredential asks for at least an MBO 4, HAVO or VWO diploma with mathematics, or a 21+ entrance exam. For the online retraining at Winc Academy you don't need a technical background.
From 4 class days to 2 years: a short classroom course takes 4 or 6 days, a higher-education course with a microcredential 3 months, an Associate degree 2 years. Data Analytics with Python at Winc Academy is 135 study hours within 3 months of access.
Yes. A part-time programme expects 8 hours a week on top of fixed class days. With an online retraining course you decide when you study.
That differs per route and provider. Often you don't pay everything yourself: the UWV, your employer, a regional subsidy or TechMeUp can help pay.
Winc Academy names a starting salary of € 3,000 for a Data Analyst. Other roles are a little below or above that; sector, experience and tools decide the rest.
There is a lot on offer: on 12 September 2026 one comparison site already counted 217 data analysis courses from 57 providers. That's why we put five types of routes side by side below, each on the same five points. With each route we name who offers it. Those details come from the providers' own sites, checked on 23 September 2026.
Hogeschool Rotterdam offers the Associate degree Data Analytics: 2 years full-time, with one start per year in September.
For people who can study full-time for two years and want a recognised diploma. The university of applied sciences itself names these roles for afterwards: data analyst, business intelligence specialist, data visualiser, reporting specialist and dashboard developer.
The Hogeschool van Amsterdam offers the course Data Science: 3 months, with a class day on location every Wednesday and independent online work on top.
For people who can free up a fixed class day and like a small group. This is the only route in this list with a hard diploma requirement.
The Hanze offers the course Data Analyse through IT Academy Noord-Nederland: 16 class days, with one start per year in September.
For people who want to learn alongside a job, but are looking for the structure of a class and fixed class days. Check beforehand whether the class dates fit your calendar.
Data Science Partners teaches the Data Analist Cursus in 4 or 6 class days, in Utrecht, Amsterdam and Eindhoven. NCOI offers a longer version of 5 months.
For people who want to learn a few tools quickly, for example because you already work with data and your employer pays. The NCOI version is called Data-analist met Power BI: 5 months, in a classroom or a virtual classroom, without specific prior education requirements.
Winc Academy offers Data Analytics with Python and Business Data Analytics: fully online, 135 or 140 study hours within 3 months of access, alongside your job.
For people who want to keep working and plan their studies around shifts or family. It is the only route in this list that is fully online, at your own pace and with personal guidance. You get a certificate, not a diploma. If you want to become a data analyst, choose Data Analytics with Python.
University. There is also a university route, the longest way into the profession. We don't compare it here, because the programmes differ too much per university to compare on the same five points.
No. There is no required prior education to become a data analyst. Employers mainly look at what you can show: collecting data, cleaning it, analysing it and explaining it clearly. So becoming a data analyst without a degree is possible, but in practice you learn it fastest with assignments and guidance.
But one route sets a hard requirement: the single higher-education course with a microcredential (at least MBO 4, HAVO or VWO with mathematics, or a 21+ entrance exam). For the Associate degree the admission requirements are not on the course page; check them with the university of applied sciences itself. The part-time programme, the short classroom course and the online retraining at Winc Academy mention no diploma requirement; for the short course HBO working and thinking level is recommended.
Becoming a data analyst without experience is possible too. Many people who retrain come from a completely different field, such as healthcare. What counts is that at the end you can show something: a dashboard, an analysis, a certificate.
HBO or MBO? Of the 217 courses on the comparison site, 21 were HBO bachelor, 14 HBO, 6 MBO and 1 master. So a data analyst course at MBO level exists, but it is rare. A data analyst course at HBO level is the norm; the ones at Winc Academy are at HBO teaching level too.
A good data analyst has an eye for detail and likes to make connections. You have an affinity with numbers and find statistics interesting, but you don't need to be a maths whizz. Curiosity counts for more: why does this number look like this, and what does that mean for the organisation?
Want to get a feel for it? Have a look around Our World in Data and try to get a story out of a chart that you can explain to someone else. Also read what a data analyst does for a picture of a working day, or take the test to see which IT direction suits you.
Almost every data analyst course revolves around the same tools: Excel, SQL, Python, Power BI, Tableau, Data Studio, BigQuery and Google Analytics 4. On top of that you learn statistics, data visualisation and building dashboards. The difference is in the depth.
At Winc Academy you choose from two retraining courses at HBO teaching level.
Data Analytics with Python is the route to becoming a data analyst. In 12 modules and 135 study hours you learn SQL, Python (with pandas, NumPy and Matplotlib), Jupyter Notebook and MySQL. A few modules with their hours: SQL 8 hours, Variables, Databases & Operations 11 hours, Functions, Conditionals and Loops 18 hours.
Business Data Analytics is 140 study hours and is also for managers and entrepreneurs who want to work with data themselves. Modules: Data Analytics Essentials 10 hours, Excel Complete 14 hours, Google Analytics 4 4 hours, SQL & BigQuery 15 hours, Data Studio 4 hours, Tableau 11 hours, Power BI 11 hours, Gen AI & Work Productivity 4 to 6 hours and a Career Module of 2 to 5 hours.
Only want to learn one tool? Then a single data analyst course is enough, such as the SQL course, the Power BI course or Data Analytics with Power BI. Several short courses? Have a look at the Skill Hub subscription.
Winc Academy's course pages list these starting salaries per role.
One honest note: public salary sites vary widely, even for the same job title. What you earn depends on sector, experience and tools. A big data analyst and a marketing analyst do different work. So always check the vacancy itself.
The costs differ per route and per provider, but you often don't have to carry them alone. These are the four financing options Winc Academy names itself:
Not sure which option suits you? Winc Academy's financing test takes about 2 minutes.
Daniëlle is 35 and worked in healthcare for years. Retraining as a data analyst didn't seem like something for her at first. "I thought: this isn't for me, far too technical." Still, she started the Data Analytics with Python course, 100% online and with personal guidance. She kept working part-time in healthcare and planned her study moments herself.
"But in the end it turned out to be mostly logical, creative and… actually great fun."
She now works as a data analyst at a healthcare organisation. She makes reports and dashboards that help doctors and managers make better choices.
Her advice: "You don't need to be a maths genius, you mainly need to be curious." Read the whole story: how Daniëlle went from healthcare to data.
Want to find out by doing whether a data analyst course at Winc Academy is for you? Request the free trial package. You get three days of access to our online learning environment, can follow Data Analytics lessons and get straight to work on an assignment. After this trial package you'll know for sure whether a Data Analytics course suits you.
With a portfolio you show what you can do, even if you have never worked as a data analyst. Put your projects on GitHub and share them on LinkedIn. Start with the assignments from your course and add your own analyses of public datasets, for example from Our World in Data.
A strong portfolio shows:
Data analysts are needed in many different types of companies, and the work itself differs too. Do you want to work for a retail company or for the government? Do you like collecting data or would you rather present? Before you apply, think about what kind of work you want to do and in what kind of organisation.
Consider starting with an internship. It is certainly not only for students at the end of an HBO course. It is also an interesting option for adults who are further along in their careers: there is often more room for your development and the pay isn't bad either.
Apply as a junior data analyst. That is the usual entry-level role. Would you rather gain experience at a calm pace first? Then a traineeship is also a good option.
Make yourself heard. Put your new direction on LinkedIn: your certificate, the projects from your course and the work you are looking for. Tell the people you already know too.
Well-known sites for finding vacancies are: Google for Jobs, Indeed, Monsterboard and Intermediair. More and more organisations also post their vacancies on LinkedIn.
Don't see a vacancy at the organisation where you would like to work? Then feel free to send an open application. It might surprise you, but this method works very well!
Once you are working, you can grow into roles such as:
Winc Academy names these starting salaries: Data Analyst € 3,000, BI Analyst € 2,900, Python Data Specialist € 3,200, Business Data Analyst € 3,000, BI Specialist € 3,100 and Marketing Analyst € 2,800. Public salary sites vary widely. What you earn depends on sector, experience and tools. So always check the vacancy itself.
There is no required prior education. You choose from five routes: an Associate degree at a university of applied sciences (2 years, full-time), a single higher-education course with a microcredential (3 months), a part-time programme at a university of applied sciences (16 class days), a short classroom course (4 or 6 days) or an online retraining course at your own pace, such as Data Analytics with Python at Winc Academy (135 study hours).
Choose a route you can plan yourself. The Data Analytics with Python retraining course at Winc Academy is fully online, at your own pace, with 1-on-1 guidance: 135 study hours within 3 months of access. Often the UWV, your employer, a regional subsidy or TechMeUp helps pay. Start with the free trial package: three days of access to the learning environment.
As a data analyst you collect data, clean it, analyse it and turn the outcome into charts and dashboards. Then you translate what you see into advice your colleagues can act on. You mainly work with Excel, SQL, Python, Power BI, Tableau, Data Studio, BigQuery and Google Analytics 4.
Do you still have questions, or would you like to talk to a study advisor about which path suits you best? Then book a free consultation.
We can help you find the right learning path, give tips and share experiences on combining your studies with your life. And of course we can answer all your questions about our teaching method.
Last updated: 23 September 2026
