Best Excel Courses (2025): CFI Recognized as Leading Excel Certification Provider in Report by Better Business Advice

NEW YORK, July 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Better Business Advice has recognized the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) as a leading provider of Excel certification and training in its latest 2025 feature on professional development resources for finance professionals.

Leading Excel Certification Course Provider

• Corporate Finance Institute - known for delivering structured, practical, career-focused Excel courses designed to build real-world analytical skills for roles in corporate finance, accounting, and investment analysis.

Excel Proficiency Remains Essential

In corporate finance, banking, and investment analysis, Microsoft Excel remains a critical tool for modeling, forecasting, and decision support. Proficiency in Excel is a baseline requirement in roles that demand accuracy, speed, and data-driven insight. For many employers, advanced Excel skills are viewed as essential rather than optional.

CFI designs its Excel courses with this demand in mind. Each program is developed by industry practitioners and focuses on practical tasks such as building three-statement models, developing dashboards, conducting scenario analysis, and applying valuation methods using real-world data. The self-paced format includes video instruction, templates, and assessments to support skill development and retention.

Most Excel courses qualify for CPE credit and are accredited by NASBA and CPA bodies in Canada and the U.S. According to recent learner feedback, over 75 percent report improved productivity and confidence within weeks of starting the program.

Excel Training Designed for Real-World Application

CFI's broad selection of Excel courses addresses both foundational and advanced financial tasks. These are a few of the Excel courses available, each are structured to support practical skill-building across corporate finance, investment banking, accounting, and business intelligence.

• Excel Fundamentals – Quick Start Guide: Suited for entry-level analysts and professionals transitioning into finance, this course builds foundational Excel skills through essential functions, shortcuts, and spreadsheet navigation.
• Advanced Excel Formulas & Functions: Designed for analysts in private equity, corporate development, and equity research, this course covers advanced logic, nested formulas, and tools for building high-functioning financial models.
• Dashboards & Data Visualization: Tailored for professionals in FP&A, reporting, and client-facing roles who need to present financial insights clearly. The course emphasizes dashboard design, chart selection, and effective data storytelling.
• Introduction to Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs): Relevant for those entering investment banking or private equity, this course introduces the structure of LBOs, including sources and uses, debt scheduling, and return modeling.
• Fundamentals of Data Analysis in Excel – Case Study: Built for operations teams and business analysts, this course focuses on solving real-world data challenges using formulas, tables, and visualizations in Excel.
• AI for Excel Formulas: Aimed at professionals looking to integrate automation into their workflow, this course demonstrates how to use tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to assist with formula creation, error resolution, and logic interpretation.
• Scenario & Sensitivity Analysis in Excel: Developed for those in FP&A, valuation, and investment analysis, this course provides structured methods to test model assumptions and assess risk through scenario logic and data tables.
• Auditing and Balancing a 3-Statement Model: Most applicable to professionals responsible for maintaining model accuracy in high-stakes environments, this course covers reconciliation techniques and best practices for model integrity.
• Comparable Valuation Analysis: Geared toward professionals in equity research, investment banking, and corporate finance, the course teaches how to select comparable companies and transactions, apply valuation multiples, and align metrics to enterprise or equity value.

For those ready to take the next step and want a more in-depth learning experience, CFI also offers Excel-focused specializations:

• The FP&A Excel & Financial Modeling Specialization is ideal for those pursuing roles in financial planning, corporate strategy, or budgeting. It dives deep into core Excel techniques while developing advanced modeling skills.
  
  
• The Excel Data Analysis Specialization is perfect for professionals focused on business intelligence and operations, with a strong emphasis on analytical thinking, visualization, and applied Excel problem-solving.

Technical Fluency in Excel Gains New Importance

As finance organizations face rising demand for faster reporting, deeper analytics, and agile forecasting, technical proficiency in Excel continues to be a critical capability across roles. While new tools have emerged in the analytics and modeling space, Excel remains the primary platform on which many of these tasks are executed or finalized.

Despite this, industry observers note a growing gap between baseline Excel familiarity and the level of fluency required in high-performance finance environments. Roles in private equity, corporate development, and strategic finance increasingly expect candidates to demonstrate skills such as dynamic modeling, data structuring, and output visualization: tasks that demand a level of Excel expertise not always developed on the job.

Structured training programs like those offered by CFI respond to this need by delivering domain-specific instruction tailored to practical workflows. The focus on applied learning reflects a shift in professional development, where technical upskilling is no longer limited to IT or analytics teams but is now central to core finance functions.

Comprehensive Courses for Career-Ready Skills

CFI's Excel courses combine structured instruction with flexibility for working professionals. The curriculum includes over 2,000 lessons that span foundational tools to advanced Excel applications, supported by more than 100 interactive exercises based on real-world finance scenarios.

Courses are developed by instructors with experience in financial modeling, valuation, and corporate analysis. New content is released monthly to reflect emerging tools and evolving industry demands. Upon completion, learners receive blockchain-verified certificates that can be used to validate technical proficiency across a range of roles.

The full report is available at Better Business Advice.

About CFI

Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) is the number one rated online provider of finance and banking training, certifications, and productivity tools. With the industry's leading training library, CFI empowers professionals and teams with job-ready skills and practical resources to succeed in diverse roles within finance and banking. Established in 2016, CFI is trusted by over 2.8 million individuals and thousands of organizations worldwide.

About Better Business Advice: Better Business Advice covers the news and strategies driving modern business success. The information provided by Better Business Advice does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes only. As an affiliate, Better Business Advice may earn commissions from services mentioned in the links provided.

SOURCE BetterBusinessAdvice.com