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AWS Academy

aws.amazon.com

Free plan Web
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Spec score 8.6 #7 of 25 in Cloud Training Platforms

What it is

AWS Academy is a free cloud computing curriculum program for eligible higher education institutions. Its courses cover foundational cloud concepts, architecture, development, operations, data analytics and AI/ML, alongside cloud security topics. Most courses align with AWS Certifications and help prepare students for exams. In Learner Lab, educators can create classes, invite students, assign projects, view workspaces and analytics, and access over 100 AWS services. Educators choose what course content to deliver and how long to spend on it; recommended time allocations are optional. Educators can request a 100% discount voucher for certification exams and receive complimentary AWS Skill Builder access for 12 months. Students can also receive 12 months of Skill Builder access, and eligible learners can access the Emerging Talent Community after course completion. Membership begins at the institution level and is open to institutions offering accredited degrees, diplomas, certificates or continuing education. After acceptance, a Program Administrator nominates educators and proposes a class delivery plan.

Spec sheet

What it does
AWS Academy gives higher-education institutions a free, ready-to-teach cloud curriculum aimed at AWS credentials and cloud careers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Purpose
AWS Academy provides higher education institutions with a free, ready-to-teach cloud computing curriculum to prepare students for industry-recognized credentials and in-demand jobs.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Audience
Membership is open to higher education institutions offering accredited degrees, diplomas, certificates, or continuing education programs.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Support
AWS Academy provides an FAQ and a contact link for questions about the program.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
License
AWS owns the Academy training content and grants a limited, revocable, non-transferable educational-use license; some materials may separately use Apache 2.0.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Architecting course length
Cloud Architecting contains approximately 40 hours of lectures, hands-on labs, and project work.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Associate curriculum
Associate courses cover Cloud Architecting, Cloud Developing, Cloud Operations, Data Engineering, and Machine Learning for Natural Language Processing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Certification alignment
Most Academy courses align with AWS Certifications, but AWS recommends supplementary study before exams.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Certification preparation
Most AWS Academy courses align with AWS Certifications and help prepare students for certification exams.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Company facts
LinkedIn lists Amazon Web Services as a public IT-services company headquartered in Seattle, with 10,001-plus employees and a 2006 founding year.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Curriculum
Courses cover foundational cloud concepts, architecture, development, operations, data analytics, and AI/ML.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Curriculum flexibility
Educators choose which course content to deliver and how long to spend on it; recommended time allocations are not required.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Data handling
AWS handles training data under its privacy notice and shares it with an institution coordinator when that coordinator arranged participation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Delivery flexibility
Educators may choose which content to deliver and how much time to spend on each topic; recommended allocations are optional.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Educator benefit
Approved educators receive course access, enablement sessions, 100% certification-exam discounts, and 12 months of AWS Skill Builder subscription access.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Educator benefits
Educators can request a 100% discount voucher for AWS Certification exams and receive complimentary AWS Skill Builder subscription access for 12 months.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Educator cost
Educators can join without paying and may request a 100% AWS Certification exam discount voucher.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Eligibility
Membership is open to institutions offering accredited degrees, diplomas, certificates, or continuing-education programs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Foundational curriculum
Foundational offerings include Cloud Foundations, Generative AI Foundations, Machine Learning Foundations, Data Center Technician, Engineering Operations Technician, and Cloud Security Foundations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Hands-on labs
The Learner Lab lets educators create classes, invite students, assign projects, view student workspaces and analytics, and access over 100 AWS services.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Institution application
Applications must be submitted by an authorized institutional program administrator using an institutional email address.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Lab projects
Project options include data-pipeline, web-application, cloud-security, and microservices CI/CD builders.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Lab service coverage
Learner Lab provides access to more than 100 AWS services after educators complete the getting-started course.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Learner cost
Learners join at no cost and institutions may request certification vouchers discounted by 50%, which redeem for full value.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Learner Lab
Learner Lab lets educators create classes, invite students, assign projects, inspect workspaces, and view time-and-money analytics.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Limit: cost
G2 reviewers repeatedly complain that certification and training costs can be high, especially in weaker currencies.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: depth and lock-in
G2 reviewers mention occasional lack of depth and concern that concentrating on AWS limits exposure to other cloud platforms.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: navigation
G2 reviewers report that the large course catalog and learning journeys can be difficult for beginners to navigate.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Limit: support and billing
Trustpilot reviewers frequently report unresponsive support, difficulty reaching humans, unexpected charges, and account suspensions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
Machine-learning course length
Machine Learning Foundations contains approximately 20 hours of lectures, labs, and project work.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
News: Anthropic investment
Associated Press reported on November 22, 2024 that Amazon added $4 billion to its Anthropic investment, bringing the total to $8 billion and making AWS Anthropic's primary training partner.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apnews.com
News: Ohio investment
Associated Press reported on December 17, 2024 that AWS planned another $10 billion for Ohio data centers, taking its announced Ohio commitment above $23 billion by 2029.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apnews.com
Portal access
The Academy portal is intended for partner contacts and instructors; students receive access through their institution rather than directly from AWS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · awsacademy.com
Praise: practical learning
G2 reviewers praise comprehensive courses, knowledgeable instruction, and hands-on labs that build workplace confidence.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: usability
G2 reviewers repeatedly describe the portal as beginner-friendly, easy to navigate, and convenient for self-paced study.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Program access
After an institution is accepted, its Program Administrator nominates educators and proposes a class delivery plan.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Rating on G2
4.3 out of 5 from 21 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Rating on Trustpilot
1.3 out of 5 from 431 reviewsRead 15 Oct 2026 · trustpilot.com
SDK instruction
The Cloud Developing course teaches AWS SDK development and deployment practices for AWS applications.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Security limitation
Learners are prohibited from entering personal, financial, GDPR, HIPAA, or other regulated data into AWS Training.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Security topics
The curriculum includes cloud security content, including a foundational course on cybersecurity principles and cloud services with hands-on activities.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Student benefit
Students receive cloud skills training, 12 months of AWS Skill Builder access, and Emerging Talent Community access after completing eligible courses.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Student benefits
Students can receive complimentary AWS Skill Builder subscription access for 12 months and, after course completion, eligible learners can access the Emerging Talent Community.Read 8 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com
Use restrictions
Training content cannot be used in production, live, or commercial contexts, and AWS may suspend access for security or policy violations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com

Plans and prices

AWS Academy Free No cost to join Eligible accredited higher-education institutions · educator-nominated access · institution-level membership Read 15 Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com

Every AWS Academy plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free to join for eligible institutions
  • Courses cover cloud, analytics, AI/ML and security
  • Learner Lab includes access to over 100 AWS services
  • Educators choose course content and timing

Limits

  • Membership begins at the institution level
  • Only eligible higher education institutions can join

Who it suits

AWS Academy is for eligible higher education institutions that want to teach cloud computing through an instructor-led curriculum. It also suits educators seeking flexible course delivery and students preparing for AWS certification exams.

Verdict

AWS Academy provides a no-cost curriculum with classroom tools and certification preparation. Institutions must qualify and complete the membership process before educators are nominated.

Where Specifiction places it

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