Methodology
How we rate courses and build our rankings
Transparency is the foundation of a ranking you can trust. Here we explain, step by step, where the data comes from, who makes the list, what our score means and how we decide the order.
Example
The data we analyze
For each course, we gather what helps compare it fairly. This data comes from the course page on the platform where it is sold, and it is recorded with a date, because it changes over time.
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Student rating
The average star rating, from 1 to 5, and how many people rated it.
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Content
What the course promises to teach and how the curriculum is organized.
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Level
Who the course is for: beginner, intermediate, advanced or all levels.
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Length
How many hours of content the course has.
Which courses make the ranking
Not every course on a topic makes the list. To appear in a ranking, a course must:
- Be mainly about the ranking’s topic, not cover it in passing.
- Be available in the ranking’s language.
- Have enough student ratings for the average to mean something.
- Be on sale and accessible at the time of review.
That is why rankings can have different numbers of courses: only the ones that meet these criteria make it in.
What the Kursus Finder score means
The Kursus Finder score goes from 0 to 10 and sums up our analysis of the course: how well it teaches what it promises, for the audience it is meant for. It is independent from the students’ rating on the platform.
- 9.0–10
- Excellent. Among the best on the topic. We recommend it without reservations for the right audience.
- 8.0–8.9
- Very good. A great choice, with few reservations.
- 7.0–7.9
- Good. Worth it if you fit the course’s profile.
- 0.0–6.9
- With reservations. Works in specific cases. Read the cons before deciding.
Two scores, never mixed
We always show both scores, each in its own format, so you can weigh both views.
Student rating
Stars from 1 to 5, with the number of ratings, as shown on the platform. It is the opinion of people who took the course.
Kursus Finder score
A ring from 0 to 10. It is our analysis, using the same criteria for every course on the topic.
How we set the order
Each course’s position follows our analysis, summed up in the Kursus Finder score: the higher the score, the closer to 1st place.
Rankings are shown as a countdown, from last to 1st place, and the quick answer at the top already tells you which course came 1st and who it is for.
How the texts are written
Each course gets a summary, a list of pros and a list of cons. They are written from the course data and our analysis, always with the same aim: say who the course is for and where it falls short.
Course names are kept as they appear on the platform, even when they are in another language, so you can find them easily.
What we don’t do
- We don’t sell positions or highlights in the rankings.
- We don’t mix our score with the students’ rating.
- We don’t hide a course’s weak points: every listed course has cons.
- We don’t sell courses or have a course of our own.
Updates and corrections
Ratings, review counts and course content change. Every ranking shows its last updated date, and we review the lists to keep them current.
Before buying, always check the details on the course page. If you notice something outdated, tell us in the ranking’s comments.
See the methodology in practice
Pick a topic and see how each course was rated.