What is statistical inference?

Statistical inference is the process whereby you can draw conclusions about a population based on random samples of that population and the statistics that you draw from those samples. When you rely on statistical inference, you take what you've observed about your samples of that population and apply them to the group as a whole. Applying statistical inference allows you to take what you know about the population as well as what's uncertain to make statements about the entire population based on your analysis.

Why is it important to learn about statistical inference?

If you want to learn about a certain population—whether they're customers or fellow employees—you can use statistical inference to draw conclusions about that population based on your analysis of data about them. You can't always survey or test an entire population to gain insight, but you can sample the population and make educated assumptions based on the data. Understanding statistical inference allows you to take that data and use it to draw conclusions that make sense and prove true.

How can I apply statistical inference in my career?

Statistical inference has plenty of benefits for different business sectors. Statisticians and data analysts use this method often to draw conclusions based on samples of populations. If you're in sales or product development, you can use statistical inference to determine which brands or products are popular with your customers or clients. Scientists use statistical inference to test hypotheses and draw conclusions when it's impossible for them to test or sample an entire population. You can apply statistical inference to analyze the data from surveys of any population that you sample.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn about statistical inference?

Online courses on Coursera give you both a grasp of the concepts of statistical inference and practical applications. You'll learn from the best instructors in the academic world, and you can learn at a pace and schedule that best suits your schedule and lifestyle. When you finish our courses, you'll know how to use statistical inference in your career, which will give you an advantage whether you're trying to get better at your current job or whether you're looking to make a career change.

What are the benefits of taking an online Statistical Inference course?

Online Statistical Inference courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Statistical Inference skills. Choose from a wide range of Statistical Inference courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Statistical Inference courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Statistical Inference, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Statistical Inference Courses - Learn Statistical Inference Online

Explore the Statistical Inference Course Catalog

Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Statistical Inference
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Inference, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Methods, Statistical Modeling, Statistics, Probability & Statistics, Probability, Probability Distribution, Sampling (Statistics)
4.2
Rating, 4.2 out of 5 stars
4.4K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Preview
Stanford University
Introduction to Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Statistics, Descriptive Statistics, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Data Analysis, Statistical Methods, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Inference, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data Science, Regression Analysis, Exploratory Data Analysis, Probability, Probability Distribution
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
4.2K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Colorado Boulder
Data Science Foundations: Statistical Inference
Skills you'll gain: Probability, Statistical Inference, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Probability & Statistics, Probability Distribution, Statistical Methods, Statistical Analysis, Data Science, Statistics, Bayesian Statistics, Sampling (Statistics), Descriptive Statistics, Correlation Analysis
Build toward a degree
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
323 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Statistics with Python
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Methods, Bayesian Statistics, Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Modeling, Statistical Inference, Regression Analysis, Descriptive Statistics, Data Visualization, Data Analysis, Exploratory Data Analysis, Histogram, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data Visualization Software, Statistics, Probability & Statistics, Box Plots, Jupyter, Statistical Analysis, Statistical Programming, Python Programming
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
3.3K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of California, Santa Cruz
Bayesian Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Bayesian Statistics, Time Series Analysis and Forecasting, R Programming, Statistical Methods, Data Presentation, Forecasting, Predictive Modeling, Statistical Inference, Statistical Modeling, Markov Model, Probability, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Machine Learning, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Regression Analysis, Statistics, Unsupervised Learning, Probability Distribution, Data Science
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
3.5K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Duke University
Inferential Statistics
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistical Inference, Statistics, Statistical Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Quantitative Research, Sampling (Statistics), Data Analysis, Probability Distribution, R Programming
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
2.7K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

What brings you to Coursera today?

Start my career

Change my career

Grow in my current role

Explore topics outside of work

Status: Free Trial
Duke University
Data Analysis with R
Skills you'll gain: Sampling (Statistics), Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Regression Analysis, Exploratory Data Analysis, Statistical Inference, R Programming, Bayesian Statistics, Data Analysis, Probability Distribution, Probability, Statistics, Quantitative Research, Statistical Analysis, Probability & Statistics, Correlation Analysis, Statistical Modeling, Mathematical Modeling, Predictive Modeling, Descriptive Statistics, Data Visualization
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
7.5K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
Johns Hopkins University
Advanced Statistics for Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Data Visualization, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Data Analysis, Bayesian Statistics, Statistics, Biostatistics, Linear Algebra, Statistical Analysis, Data Science, Statistical Methods, Regression Analysis, Probability, Statistical Inference, Sampling (Statistics), Probability Distribution, Statistical Modeling, R Programming, Mathematical Modeling, Sample Size Determination
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
764 reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Introduction to Data Analytics
Skills you'll gain: Data Storytelling, Data Visualization, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Big Data, Data Wrangling, Data Processing, Data Mining, Analytics, Data Warehousing, Data Science, Data Cleansing, Data Lakes, Data Collection, Relational Databases, Microsoft Excel
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
19K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Preview
Eindhoven University of Technology
Improving your statistical inferences
Skills you'll gain: Statistical Inference, Bayesian Statistics, Statistical Methods, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Statistics, Probability & Statistics, Quantitative Research, Scientific Methods, Statistical Modeling, Statistical Analysis, Sample Size Determination, Data Literacy, Research, Statistical Reporting, Probability Distribution, Data Sharing
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
797 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
DeepLearning.AI
Mathematics for Machine Learning and Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Linear Algebra, Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Bayesian Statistics, Probability Distribution, Probability & Statistics, Sampling (Statistics), Calculus, Applied Mathematics, Advanced Mathematics, A/B Testing, Statistics, Probability, Numerical Analysis, Mathematical Modeling, Statistical Analysis, Data Science, Machine Learning Algorithms, Dimensionality Reduction, Machine Learning
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
2.8K reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Preview
University of Zurich
An Intuitive Introduction to Probability
Skills you'll gain: Probability, Probability Distribution, Probability & Statistics, Risk Management, Statistics, Descriptive Statistics, Risk Analysis, Finance
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
1.9K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months