Key Takeaways
- Understanding your motivation is critical: Before you begin the application process, take some time to consider your motivations and what you hope to achieve from your coding bootcamp experience.
- Find the right coding bootcamp for you: Each coding bootcamp has its own set of requirements and expectations for students. Take time to research these and consider which aligns the best with your personal career goals and preexisting knowledge of coding concepts.
- Set a realistic budget: Options for paying for coding bootcamp include upfront, payment plans, scholarships, student loans, and income share agreements (ISAs).
- Understand the application process: Most coding bootcamps offer introductory sessions where you can ask questions. Make sure to brush up on programming skills and prepare for your interview before you apply.
If you’re wondering how to get into a coding bootcamp, you may find yourself feeling a bit overwhelmed with the first steps of your journey. Your ideal online coding program criterion may be different from others. This could include anything from the learning format (online vs in-person and theory vs project-based learning), career services, financing options, and more. The coding bootcamp industry has continued to grow, according to Coherent Market Insights (as of October 2024).1 And with this growth, online resources on how to get into a coding bootcamp can be increasingly helpful to prospective bootcamp students wanting to better understand the process of enrollment.
No matter what area you’re pursuing—whether that be web development, software development, data science, UX design, cyber security, or full-stack web development—if you’re interested in learning coding through a bootcamp, having a plan to apply for a coding bootcamp is the first step in the process.
Understand your motivation for a career transition to coding
In one of the most-viewed marketing videos of all time, Simon Sinek gives the TED audience some earnest advice: Start with why.2 This same advice is critical to aspiring bootcamp grads seeking advice. Before doing anything in life, including learning new coding concepts and technical skills, it’s always wise to consider your motivations.
Many students pursue a coding bootcamp as part of a career change into tech, so it’s important to consider the challenges, preparation, and support needed for such a transition. Becoming a successful junior developer after a coding bootcamp requires aligning your motivations with well-informed decision-making. This can help you find the right coding bootcamp for your personal and professional goals—whether that’s simply learning a new programming language, becoming a software developer, or scoring a job in the tech industry.
Identifying your reasons for attending a coding bootcamp will be a north star for how much you invest in your program. The level of effort you put into a rigorous education, the time you take in preparing your coding bootcamp interview, and the career path you plan on pursuing will all stem from your personal motivation for learning to code. Keep in mind that there is a learning curve associated with coding bootcamps, and early preparation can help ease your transition into the program.
Research the coding bootcamp admissions process and requirements
Much like choosing an undergraduate degree, choosing the right coding bootcamp requires research and preparation. There’s a good reason for this: There are a myriad of coding bootcamp options out there—ranging from free coding bootcamp options to full-time computer science degree programs. Each caters to similar yet different audiences. Some appeal to students looking for a career transition from another field, and some are designed for students with prior coding experience who are looking for coding career advancement. As with any educational program, some students may be more inclined to choose one coding bootcamp over another based entirely on the financial aspects.
Let’s say you have a background in software engineering or computer science. You’ve been a strong student and a dedicated worker your entire career—with an established job as a tech professional. You’ve demonstrated an understanding of programming languages but haven’t been able to advance. It wouldn’t make sense to invest four months and $15,000 on coding language and interview skills that you’re already familiar with. Instead, you may want to focus on more competitive full-stack coding bootcamps.
Perhaps you have an advanced degree in an engineering field. If you were intent on pursuing a career in data science, you may opt for an online coding bootcamp that requires previous experience in data science and software engineering in order to apply. In this case, it helps to conduct as much research as you can on the syllabus. Review the type of hands-on training and salary outcomes from previous bootcamp grads who took the course. It is also important to consider which coding languages are taught and whether the curriculum covers how to build web pages using HTML and CSS, as these are essential skills for web development.
On the other hand, perhaps you’re coming into your bootcamp a bit more green—shifting from a non-technical career to pursuing a career as a programmer. Due to the rising demand for valuable skills in AI and machine learning, this could be a great time to get into full stack software development.3 Most of the coding bootcamps nowadays feature a full-time and a part-time intensive program to develop those valuable skills in programming fundamentals. Lengthy courses are referred to as an “intensive” for a reason. Bootcamp students who intend on becoming a full stack developers will expect rigorous training in JavaScript, React, HTML5, Python, Ruby, and SQL to complete the course in just a few months.
When selecting a bootcamp, researching different career paths can help you choose a program that aligns with your long-term goals and desired roles in the tech industry.
Budget for your coding bootcamp
Now that you’ve narrowed down the coding bootcamps that you want to apply to, you should have a good idea of how much your program will cost. On average, full-time coding bootcamps cost $13,274.4 For many, that is a substantial investment to make for the next four to six months.
While there are free options out there, even the highest-rated free coding bootcamps are more focused on offering a big picture introduction to coding. It’s important to take a look at what each option can offer you, and whether it’s worth the time and investment.
Coding bootcamps are opening up varied financing options to stay competitive in the market, with the intention of creating an accessible learning opportunity for students:
- Upfront: Coding bootcamps allow you to pay out of pocket with either cash or credit. If you have enough money in savings to cover tuition and any other living expenses you may have, you might benefit from this route. Some bootcamps do offer a price reduction for paying all at once. While it does have the highest upfront cost, there’s typically no application during the admissions process, you won’t have to pay interest, and you won’t have to worry about making monthly payments.
- Coding bootcamp scholarships: It’s not as common as it has been in the past, but some coding bootcamp programs offer tech scholarships. These scholarships are generally geared toward underrepresented groups, those with a financial need, military veterans, and those who are looking to make a career transition. Some of these scholarships require full written essays or short-form written responses during the admissions process—in addition to other requirements.
- Payment plans: For those looking to break up their tuition into smaller installments, several coding bootcamps offer interest-free recurring payment plan options to their students. While these come with no credit check and no interest, they typically span a shorter time period than other financing options, so your monthly payments will be higher.
- Third-party loan options: If you’re projected to earn a high-paying tech salary, partnering with a student loan provider may be a smart option for you. Third-party financing options provide loans for bootcamp tuition. It’s important to note that, although the monthly payment amounts are smaller than with payment plans, they often come with both a credit check and an interest rate—so you’ll ultimately pay more overall.
- Income share agreements: Certain programs will offer an income share agreement (or ISA for short). These ISA agreements stipulate that the tuition cost for the bootcamp will be deferred until after you land a job. This generally means that there is no cost upfront, and a portion of each of your paychecks will go toward paying back your coding bootcamp experience. The tradeoff is that in return for a deferred future payment, the tuition will be elevated to a higher cost.
Decide on a coding bootcamp
Now that you have thoroughly researched what you want out of a coding bootcamp and what the ideal program will help you accomplish, you’re in a position to decide on the right coding bootcamp for you. When choosing between immersive, online, or part-time bootcamps, consider your learning style to ensure the program format matches your preferred way of learning and fits your schedule. You may also prefer bootcamps located in large tech hubs, as these cities can sometimes offer better networking and job opportunities within the tech industry.
Apply to your coding bootcamp
After you’ve decided on a coding bootcamp that meets the needs of your desired career path—from technical skills and schedule availability to tuition threshold and career support—you may want to take one more step before enrolling. Most coding bootcamps offer an informal information session on how the bootcamp works and what it takes to be successful. For example, Hack Reactor by Galvanize offers an informational session, otherwise known as an open house, where prospective students can get answers to questions about the curriculum, job placement after becoming a bootcamp grad, and other career services the bootcamp may offer.5
Before you apply, it is wise to brush up on the basics—programming fundamentals of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Some online coding bootcamps provide free or low-cost foundational courses that you will be expected to complete prior to your start date. In the application and technical interview, which may include a coding challenge, most bootcamps require you to demonstrate a basic understanding of coding so you’re up to speed on the basic programming languages. It’s in their long-term interest to ensure students graduate feeling job-ready.
The application interview typically is split into two parts: One that tests how committed you are to your desired career path and another part that usually includes a coding assessment. Sites like Codeacademy and Khan Academy can help prepare you for an assessment that can typically be completed in 30 minutes.6,7
Enroll and begin your coding bootcamp to gain practical skills
Congratulations—you’ve been accepted into a coding bootcamp! You are now on track to become a software developer, data science professional, cyber security professional, or UX designer, along with your class of future coding bootcamp graduates
Get excited about the projects you’ll be assigned. Begin to work with others in your class to solve problems, and get answers to any questions you may have. Before you know it, you and your class will be bootcamp graduates ready to enter the workforce. Ensuring you’ve built lasting relationships and graduating with a network are as important as anything you’ll learn in the classroom. Remember: While many schools provide a new software developer with career services, you are your own best advocate when it comes to building a career.
Sources
Sources
2 https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?subtitle=en
3 https://dev.to/bkthemes/ai-and-the-full-stack-developer-in-2025-2flo
4 https://careerkarma.com/blog/state-of-the-bootcamp-market-report-2024-statistics-and-share-analysis/
5 https://www.hackreactor.com/
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
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