Best SAS Courses & Certifications in 2026

Last updated: June 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.

QUICK VERDICT

See our top pick on Coursera →

SAS has been quietly powering analytics in regulated industries for decades — clinical trials, credit risk, fraud detection, government statistics. It’s less fashionable than Python or R, but in healthcare, pharma and banking, SAS skills (and a SAS certification) still open doors and command good salaries. Because most learners here are working toward a credential, the right course is usually the one that maps cleanly to SAS’s own certification exams.

We opened every course below and recorded the details. Here’s the honest shortlist, plus a clear explanation of the SAS certification ladder so you know exactly what you’re aiming for.

The best SAS courses at a glance

1. SAS Programmer Professional Certificate — best official path

The SAS Programmer Professional Certificate on Coursera is built and taught by SAS itself, which makes it the most credible starting point. It takes you from data preparation through SAS programming fundamentals and prepares you for SAS’s own certification exams, with a shareable certificate at the end. Because it comes straight from the vendor, the material maps directly to what’s tested. Audit it free or take the certificate track — this is the one to choose if certification is your goal.

2. SAS Programming BASE Certification Course — best exam-prep value

For a focused, affordable run at the SAS Certified Specialist: Base Programming exam, this Udemy course is the best-rated current option — a 4.5 rating across 7,904 reviews, 41,127 students, and a March 2025 update. It’s built specifically around the concepts the BASE exam tests, in a practical, get-to-the-point style. If you want exam prep without a subscription, start here; many learners pair it with the SAS-built Coursera certificate for breadth.

Check current price on Udemy →

3. SAS Statistical Business Analyst Professional Certificate — best for analysts

If your target is a statistical-analyst role rather than pure programming, the SAS Statistical Business Analyst Professional Certificate is the better fit. Also built by SAS, it focuses on statistical analysis, regression and predictive modeling in SAS — the skills behind the SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst credential. It’s ideal for people heading into analytics roles in banking, insurance or healthcare.

4. SAS Advanced Programmer Professional Certificate — for going deeper

Once you have the basics, the SAS Advanced Programmer Professional Certificate covers SQL in SAS, macros and more efficient programming techniques — the material behind the SAS Certified Specialist: Advanced Programming credential. It’s the natural next step after the Programmer certificate if you want the full advanced certification.

Understanding the SAS certification ladder

Since “SAS certification” is by far the most common search here, here’s how the official credentials actually stack up. SAS certifications are issued by SAS directly (exams taken through SAS/Pearson VUE); the courses above prepare you for them:

• SAS Certified Specialist: Base Programming — the entry credential; the Udemy BASE course and the SAS Programmer certificate target this.
• SAS Certified Specialist: Advanced Programming — SQL, macros and optimization; the Advanced Programmer certificate covers it.
• SAS Certified Professional: Advanced Programming — combines Base + Advanced for the full programmer credential.
• SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst — the statistics/modeling track, matched by the Statistical Business Analyst certificate.

The key thing to know: a Coursera or Udemy course certificate is not the same as a SAS certification. The courses prepare you; you still sit the official SAS exam to earn the credential employers recognize. Choose a course that maps to the exam you want, then book the exam through SAS.

What you’ll learn in a SAS course

• The SAS environment — SAS Studio / SAS OnDemand, libraries and the data step.
• Data manipulation — importing, cleaning and transforming data (the data step and PROC steps).
• PROC SQL — querying data with SQL inside SAS.
• Statistical procedures — descriptive stats, regression and modeling (for the analyst track).
• Reporting — producing tables, summaries and output for stakeholders.

Free ways to learn SAS

You can practice SAS for free. SAS OnDemand for Academics gives you free access to SAS in the browser — no license needed — which is the single most useful free resource for hands-on practice. You can also audit the SAS-built Coursera certificates free for the lectures, and SAS publishes free tutorials and documentation. A sensible free path: set up SAS OnDemand, audit the SAS Programmer certificate lectures, and practice on real datasets before paying for a certificate or sitting an exam.

SAS vs R vs Python — is SAS still worth it?

A fair question, since R and Python are free and dominate data science. The honest take: for general data science, R or Python are the better first choice. But SAS remains entrenched in specific, well-paid industries — pharmaceuticals and clinical trials, banking and credit risk, insurance, and government — where validated, regulated workflows favor SAS. If you’re targeting those fields, or a job listing asks for SAS, learning it (and getting certified) is a direct, marketable investment. If you have a free choice and no industry pull toward SAS, start with Python.

How to choose the right course

• Aiming for SAS certification: SAS Programmer Professional Certificate (vendor-built).
• Want focused BASE exam prep, cheaply: the Udemy BASE Certification course.
• Heading into an analyst role: SAS Statistical Business Analyst certificate.
• Already know the basics: SAS Advanced Programmer certificate.
• Zero budget: SAS OnDemand for Academics + audited Coursera lectures.

See the exam-prep pick on Udemy →

What does SAS certification cost?

There are two separate costs to budget for: the course and the exam. Courses are the cheaper part — the Udemy BASE course is frequently discounted to a low price during sales, and the SAS-built Coursera certificates run on Coursera’s monthly subscription (so finishing faster costs less; you can also audit free). The official SAS certification exam itself carries a separate per-exam fee paid to SAS — check SAS’s certification page for current pricing, as it varies by region and exam. In short: budget a small amount for a course and a larger one-off fee for each official exam you sit. SAS OnDemand for Academics keeps the practice portion free.

Tips for passing the SAS certification exam

• Practice in real SAS, not just videos. Set up SAS OnDemand for Academics and write code as you learn — the exams test applied skill.
• Use a course that maps to your exam. The SAS-built Coursera certificate and the Udemy BASE course both target the Base Programming exam specifically.
• Know the data step cold. The DATA step and PROC steps are the heart of the Base exam; drill them until they’re second nature.
• Do timed practice questions. SAS publishes exam guides and sample questions — work them under exam conditions.
• Don’t skip PROC SQL and macros if you’re sitting the Advanced exam; they’re heavily weighted.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best SAS course?

For the official certification path, the SAS Programmer Professional Certificate on Coursera is our top pick because it’s built by SAS and maps to its certification exams. For affordable, focused exam prep, the SAS Programming BASE Certification Course on Udemy (4.5 rating, updated 2025) is the best value.

How do I get SAS certified?

Take a course that maps to the exam you want (the SAS-built Coursera certificates or the Udemy BASE course), then sit the official SAS exam — most commonly SAS Certified Specialist: Base Programming — through SAS/Pearson VUE. The course certificate proves you studied; the SAS exam earns the recognized credential.

Can I learn SAS for free?

Yes. SAS OnDemand for Academics gives free, browser-based access to SAS for practice, and you can audit the SAS-built Coursera certificates free. You only pay for the course certificate or the official SAS exam.

Is SAS certification worth it in 2026?

In regulated industries — pharma and clinical research, banking, insurance and government — yes; SAS skills and certification remain in demand and well-paid. For general data science outside those fields, Python or R certifications may serve you better.

How long does it take to learn SAS?

With some programming or statistics background, a few weeks of steady study can get you to the Base Programming level. The Udemy course runs a few hours of focused video; the SAS-built Coursera certificates span several weeks each.

Should I learn SAS or Python?

If you’re targeting pharma, banking, insurance or government roles — or a job asks for SAS — learn SAS. For general data science with maximum flexibility and free tooling, Python is the better first choice. Many analysts in regulated fields end up knowing both.

Related guides

• Best R programming courses — SAS’s open-source rival for stats
• Best statistics courses — the foundation underneath
• Best business analytics courses — where SAS skills apply
• Best SPSS courses — another statistical software tool

Get started with our top pick →