Best SAS Courses & Certifications in 2026 (Exam Costs Included)

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

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SAS has powered analytics in regulated industries for decades: clinical trials, credit risk, fraud detection and government statistics. It is less fashionable than Python or R, but in pharma, banking and insurance, SAS skills and a SAS certification still open doors, because validated workflows and decades of existing code are built on it.

Because most learners here are working toward a credential, the right course is usually the one that maps cleanly to a SAS exam. This guide covers the nine courses worth your time, the current SAS certification ladder with exam codes and fees, two exam retirements coming on 30 November 2026, and the free ways to practice.

The best SAS courses at a glance

1. SAS Programmer Professional Certificate — best official path

Offered by SAS itself on Coursera and taught by Peter Styliadis, this four-course certificate takes you from accessing and exploring data through preparing and analyzing it with SAS programs. Coursera estimates about two months at 10 hours a week, and 92,140 learners have enrolled. Because it comes from the vendor, the material maps directly to what the Base Programming exam tests, and SAS positions the series as preparation for its Base Programming certification. You still sit the SAS exam separately.

Coursera charges by subscription, so finishing faster costs less: Coursera Plus costs $59 a month, and you can preview the first module of each course before paying.

2. Getting Started with SAS Programming — best first course

The first step in the SAS path, also built by SAS and taught by Stacey Syphus, is one of Coursera’s highest-rated SAS courses: 4.8 from 3,187 reviews, with 122,457 learners enrolled. Its eight modules cover accessing data, exploring and validating it, preparing it, and analyzing and reporting results. Take it on its own if you only need SAS basics for a job, or as the start of the certificate above.

See Getting Started with SAS Programming on Coursera →

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

Sharon Cheng’s Udemy course is the best-rated focused prep for the Base Programming exam: 4.6 from 8,010 ratings, 42,299 students, last updated March 2025. It is built around the concepts A00-231 tests and also covers the junior A00-215 exam; the course points out that A00-215 is not a prerequisite for A00-231, so you can go straight to the full exam. If you want exam prep without a subscription, start here; many learners pair it with the SAS-built Coursera courses for breadth.

4. SAS Programming: Complete Course + SAS Exam Simulator — best for practice exams

Aslam Khan’s course is the most recently updated pick (October 2026): rated 4.6 from 3,160 ratings, 16,759 students, about 12 hours. It runs from Base SAS through advanced programming to a capstone project, and its exam simulator covers question styles for Programming Fundamentals (A00-215), Base Programming (A00-231), Advanced Programming (A00-232) and Clinical Trials Programming. Choose it if you learn best by doing timed practice questions.

See the SAS course with exam simulator on Udemy →

5. SAS Programming Complete: Learn SAS and Become a Data Ninja

Ermin Dedic’s course is a broad programming course rather than exam prep: rated 4.6 from 2,901 ratings, 21,288 students, updated September 2026. It suits people who need to use SAS at work, for example in a clinical or banking analytics team, and want a practical programming course rather than exam drills.

See SAS Programming Complete on Udemy →

6. SAS Advanced Programmer Professional Certificate — for going deeper

Once you have the basics, this three-course SAS-built certificate on Coursera covers SQL in SAS, macros and more efficient programming: the material behind the SAS Certified Professional: Advanced Programming credential (A00-232). Coursera estimates about two months at 10 hours a week; 11,687 learners have enrolled. It is the natural next step after the Programmer certificate.

See the SAS Advanced Programmer certificate on Coursera →

7. Structured Query Language (SQL) using SAS — best for PROC SQL

If you mainly need PROC SQL, this single SAS-built Coursera course by Peter Styliadis is rated 4.9 from 288 reviews with 18,569 learners. PROC SQL is a large part of the Advanced Programming exam, and it is the SAS skill most transferable to other tools.

See SQL using SAS on Coursera →

8. SAS Statistical Business Analyst Professional Certificate — for analysts

If your target is a statistical-analyst role rather than pure programming, this three-course SAS certificate on Coursera, taught by Marc Huber, covers ANOVA, regression and predictive modeling in SAS; 17,770 learners have enrolled.

See the SAS Statistical Business Analyst certificate on Coursera →

9. Statistical Data Analysis with SAS — Udemy

John Zhong’s Udemy course teaches statistical data analysis in SAS. It is rated 4.4 from 835 ratings (7,242 students) and was last updated in July 2024. It is a low-cost alternative to the Coursera analyst certificate for people who need to run statistics in SAS at work.

See Statistical Data Analysis with SAS on Udemy →

Understanding the SAS certification ladder

“SAS certification” is the most common search on this topic, so here is how the official credentials stack up, as listed on SAS’s certification site on 1 November 2026. Exams are administered by SAS and Pearson VUE.

Two practical notes. First, the Advanced Programming credential is a Professional-level exam (A00-232); there is no separate “Specialist: Advanced Programming” exam any more, whatever older guides say. Second, SAS is also retiring the SAS Viya Intermediate Programming exam (A00-420) on 30 November 2026; check the exam page before you book anything in that window.

A Coursera or Udemy course certificate is not a SAS certification. The courses prepare you; you sit the official exam to earn the credential employers recognize. Choose the course that maps to your exam, then book through SAS.

SAS 9.4 or SAS Viya: which credential path?

SAS now runs two families of programming credentials. The SAS 9.4 exams (A00-215, A00-231, A00-232 and A00-282) are the long-established ones, and they are what most job listings mean by “SAS certified.” SAS states that the Base Programming exam is based on SAS 9.4 M5. The SAS Viya credentials cover SAS’s cloud platform, starting with the associate-level Fundamentals of Programming exam (A00-415, $180, 50 to 55 questions in 95 minutes).

Three facts should shape your choice. First, SAS says its Viya credentials expire after five years, so plan to recertify. Second, SAS is retiring the Viya Intermediate Programming exam (A00-420) on 30 November 2026. Third, most of the code you write is the same: the DATA step, PROC steps and PROC SQL work on both, which is why the courses on this page prepare you for either path.

Our recommendation: if a job listing names a specific credential, take that one. Otherwise start with Base Programming on SAS 9.4, which has the widest recognition, and add a Viya credential if your employer runs SAS Viya. SAS OnDemand for Academics (SAS Studio) is enough to prepare for the 9.4 exams; students can use SAS Viya for Learners to practice for the Viya ones.

Clinical SAS: the clinical trials programming credential

“Clinical SAS” courses are a large search family, especially for pharmacy and life-sciences graduates. The credential behind them is the SAS Certified Professional: Clinical Trials Programming Using SAS 9.4 (A00-282, $180): 60 to 70 questions in 1 hour 50 minutes, with a 68% passing score. It tests SAS programming for clinical trial data and reporting; read SAS’s exam content guide on the A00-282 page for the current topic list before you choose a course.

The sensible route is the Base Programming path first (picks 1 to 3), then clinical-specific practice; the Udemy exam-simulator course (pick 4) includes clinical trials question styles. Be wary of expensive classroom “clinical SAS” programs that promise placement: the exam is the same $180 whoever trains you.

What you’ll learn in a SAS course

• The SAS environment: SAS Studio or SAS OnDemand, libraries and the DATA step.
• Data manipulation: importing, cleaning, combining and transforming data with DATA and PROC steps.
• PROC SQL: querying and joining tables with SQL inside SAS.
• Macros: writing reusable, parameterized code (Advanced exam).
• Statistical procedures: descriptive statistics, ANOVA, regression and modeling (analyst track).
• Reporting: producing tables and output for stakeholders, regulators or journals.

Free ways to learn SAS

You can practice SAS for free. SAS OnDemand for Academics gives free, cloud-based access to SAS Studio for learning purposes, with no license needed, and includes two free e-learning courses, Programming 1 and Statistics 1. Students and educators can also use SAS Viya for Learners for academic, noncommercial work, and SAS Skill Builder for Students adds free training and discounted exams.

Coursera lets you preview the SAS-built courses before you pay, and SAS publishes free practice exams and exam content guides on its certification site. A sensible free path: set up SAS OnDemand, work through Programming 1, preview the SAS Programmer certificate, and practice on real datasets before paying for a certificate or booking an exam.

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

A fair question, since R and Python are free and dominate general data science. The honest answer: for general data science, start with Python or R. 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 it. If you are 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: the SAS Programmer Professional Certificate (vendor-built).
• Want focused Base exam prep, cheaply: the Udemy BASE Certification course.
• Want lots of practice questions: the Udemy course with the exam simulator.
• Heading into an analyst role: the Statistical Business Analyst certificate, planning for A00-480 rather than the retiring A00-240.
• Clinical research: Base Programming first, then A00-282 practice.
• Zero budget: SAS OnDemand for Academics + Programming 1 + Coursera previews.

What does SAS certification cost?

Budget for two separate costs: the course and the exam. Courses are the cheaper part: Udemy courses are frequently discounted, and the SAS-built Coursera certificates run on a monthly subscription, so finishing faster costs less. The exam fee is paid to SAS: $180 for most exams, including Base Programming, and $120 for the associate-level A00-215 and A00-480 (fees checked 1 November 2026; SAS charges in US dollars everywhere except Japan).

Students get SAS certification exams at a discount through SAS’s student program, and SAS OnDemand for Academics keeps the practice portion free. A typical budget for one certification is a course or one or two months of Coursera, plus $180 for the exam.

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; SAS describes the Base exam as performance-based, so applied skill matters more than memorized facts.
• Use a course that maps to your exam. The SAS-built Coursera certificate and the Udemy BASE course both target A00-231.
• Know the DATA step cold. The DATA step and core PROC steps are the heart of the Base exam.
• Do timed practice questions. SAS publishes exam content guides and free practice exams; work them under exam conditions.
• Do not skip PROC SQL and macros if you are sitting the Advanced exam; they are heavily weighted.
• Check the exam page before booking. Two SAS exams retire on 30 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How much does SAS certification cost?

On 1 November 2026, SAS listed most of its certification exams at $180 each, including Base Programming (A00-231), Advanced Programming (A00-232) and Clinical Trials Programming (A00-282). The two associate exams, Programming Fundamentals (A00-215) and Applied Statistics for Machine Learning (A00-480), cost $120. Fees are charged in US dollars in every country except Japan, and students get a discount.

What is the best SAS course?

For the official certification path, the SAS Programmer Professional Certificate on Coursera: built by SAS, four courses, about two months at 10 hours a week, with 92,140 learners enrolled. For affordable exam prep, the SAS Programming BASE Certification Course on Udemy (4.6 from 8,010 ratings, updated March 2025).

How do I get SAS certified?

Pick the exam you want (most people start with Base Programming, A00-231), prepare with a course that maps to it, practice in SAS OnDemand for Academics, then book the exam through SAS and Pearson VUE. The course certificate shows you studied; the SAS exam earns the credential employers recognize.

What is the SAS Base Programming exam like?

SAS lists A00-231 as a performance-based exam on SAS 9.4: 40 to 45 multiple-choice and short-answer questions in 135 minutes, with a passing score of 725 on a scale of 200 to 1,000. Practicing in real SAS is the best preparation.

Is the SAS Statistical Business Analyst exam retiring?

Yes. SAS says the Statistical Business Analysis Using SAS 9: Regression and Modeling exam (A00-240) retires on 30 November 2026. Certifications earned before then do not expire. SAS points candidates to A00-480, Applied Statistics for Machine Learning, as the alternative.

Can I learn SAS for free?

Yes. SAS OnDemand for Academics gives free, browser-based SAS for learning purposes and includes two free e-learning courses, Programming 1 and Statistics 1. Students can also use SAS Viya for Learners and SAS Skill Builder for Students. Coursera lets you preview the SAS-built courses before paying.

Is SAS certification worth it in 2026?

In regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals and clinical research, banking, insurance and government, yes: job listings in those fields still ask for SAS, and a certification is a direct signal. For general data science outside those fields, Python or R skills usually serve you better.

How long does it take to learn SAS?

With some programming or statistics background, four to eight weeks of steady study gets most people to Base Programming exam level. Coursera estimates about two months at 10 hours a week for the SAS Programmer certificate.

Does SAS certification expire?

SAS says its SAS Viya credentials expire after five years. For other exams, check the credential page before you book; and if an exam retires, SAS says certifications earned before the retirement date do not expire.

Related guides

• Best Python courses: the free, general-purpose alternative to SAS
• Best statistics courses: the foundation underneath
• Best business analytics courses: where SAS skills apply
• Best SPSS courses: another statistical software tool
• Best data analytics certificates: the broader analyst path
• Best SQL courses: the skill behind PROC SQL