Best Coding Bootcamps to Learn Coding

What Is a Coding Bootcamp?

A coding bootcamp is a postsecondary educational institution that offers short-term, immersive, and intensive training for a career in tech. An affordable alternative to a college degree, coding bootcamps help both beginners and professionals who want a career change by giving them access to an industry-led curriculum, career services, an alumni network.

Coding bootcamps give prospective students many flexible options to choose from. There are in-person bootcamps and online bootcamps, and students can often choose between a part-time program and a full-time program. A typical immersive program lasts between three and six months whether you attend your coding bootcamp online or in person.

Is a Coding Bootcamp Worth It?

Yes, a coding bootcamp is worth it if you want to learn specific skills quickly with lots of career support. Learning coding is worth it wherever you study, of course, but whereas most computer science degree programs teach coding in a theoretical way, coding bootcamps focus on giving you the practical skills you need to start your career in the tech track of your choice.

But are coding bootcamps worth it in the eyes of the people take courses there? Judging by the proliferation of positive coding bootcamp reviews written by former students of schools like Flatiron School and Hack Reactor, the answer is a resounding yes. The many bootcamp graduates who have gone on to earn high average salaries in the tech industry speak for themselves.

How Do I Apply for a Coding Bootcamp?

You apply for a coding bootcamp by first choosing the best bootcamp for coding that you can find. Once you have done that, go to the school’s website and begin the coding bootcamp application process. From there the process is relatively straightforward, and usually entails the following steps:

1. Fill out your coding application online for the bootcamp you wish to attend. You will be asked to provide details such as your name, location, education level, and program of interest. You may also be asked to provide information about your professional experience and your familiarity with coding.
2. An admissions representative will contact you about next steps, which will likely involve a virtual coding challenge, an admissions interview, or both. You qualify for coding bootcamp admission by passing these coding assessments, which evaluate your problem-solving skills, your general aptitude, and your chances of success.
3. If you pass these coding assessments, you will be invited to submit another coding application online. The purpose of this second set of forms is to finalize your course selection, start date, and your preferred tuition payment method.
4. Before you officially enroll in your bootcamp, coding preparatory courses may be required, especially if you are a beginner. These self-paced, online programs ensure that you have the proper foundation to be successful once your main bootcamp starts.

It is not hard to get accepted into a coding bootcamp as long as you prepare for your interview and have the basic knowledge to pass the coding challenges. Keep in mind that some coding bootcamps keep their admissions pretty selective. If you want to attend one of the more selective bootcamps, be patient and apply as many times as necessary.

How Long Are the Best Coding Bootcamps?

The length of coding bootcamps ranges from two months to one year. Most coding bootcamps have programs that run between three and six months, but this depends on the program and bootcamp you choose. The typical bootcamp coding regimen is rigorous, which it needs to be to fit inside this tight window.

A coding bootcamp is usually eight to ten hours a day of lectures and project-based training, though this assumes a full-time schedule. The class duration for a part-time coding bootcamp is usually a few hours in the evenings and up to eight hours on the weekends. It takes about three months to fully learn coding if you study full-time six days a week.

All told, the best coding bootcamps will get you in and out in about six months. The coding bootcamp application process takes a couple of weeks, followed by another two weeks for online training and prep work. Once the course itself starts, you can expect to spend six to ten weeks learning hard skills through hands-on projects, and another two to three weeks brushing up on soft skills for success on the job market.

Will a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Job?

Yes, a coding bootcamp will help you get a job. One of the reasons coding bootcamps exist is that coding jobs are plentiful, and most of them offer career support to help students build an outstanding resume, practice before interviews, and learn how to negotiate a higher annual salary when you start your new job. A coding bootcamp can get you a job without a degree because there are more coding jobs than there are qualified college graduates.

It is not hard to get a job after a coding bootcamp, largely due to their outstanding career services. Flatiron School, arguably the best coding bootcamp in the United States, sprinkles career coaching and job preparation throughout its curriculum. This approach gets results, as evidenced by the fact that 86% of students who graduate from its software engineering program find jobs within one year of graduation.

How Much Does a Coding Bootcamp Cost?

A coding bootcamp costs anywhere from $0 to $30,000, depending on the program and your payment method. On the low end are cost-free bootcamps like Ada Developers Academy, which you have to be woman or gender-nonconforming person to attend. On the high end is BloomTech, formerly Lambda School, which charges California residents $30,000.

You should pay as much as you can afford for a coding bootcamp. If efficiently learning coding is worth it to you, the coding bootcamp cost is a sensible investment. A $15,000 coding bootcamp price compares favorably to a four-year degree program, the average tuition cost of which is $16,647 per year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Can I Work and Go to a Coding Bootcamp?

Yes, you can work and go to a coding bootcamp. While some bootcamps require a full-time commitment, you can find a coding bootcamp for working professionals, something that offers part-time schedules and flexible study options. You should consider a part-time coding online bootcamp, which will allow you to study from home on nights and weekends.

More and more coding bootcamps appreciate the need for people in career transition to be able to study while continuing to work. To accommodate as many students as possible, many bootcamps offer both part-time and full-time courses. You may even be able to sell your current employer on the benefits of a coding bootcamp. Instead of quitting your job, you should ask your boss to let you take time off to attend a bootcamp program.

How Can I Pay for a Coding Bootcamp?

You can pay for a bootcamp with a single upfront payment or with a number of alternative financing options. These include deferred tuition, private loans, tuition discounts, installment plans, and tuition discounts. People from marginalized groups can also save money on their program’s coding price by applying for a bootcamp scholarship.

One popular form of coding bootcamp deferred tuition is the income share agreement (ISA), which allows the student to wait until after they find a high-paying job to pay the bulk of their tuition cost. An ISA stipulates that the student will pay a fixed percentage of their monthly income after they start earning a certain amount. Some ISAs come with a money-back guarantee if the student fails to find a job within a specified timeframe.

Here is a list of the most typical ways to pay for a coding bootcamp:

• Upfront payment
• Monthly installments
• Private loans
• Income share agreement (ISA)
• Scholarship funding
• Tuition discounts

Can Anyone Learn Coding?

Yes, anyone can learn coding if they can find the best coding bootcamp for them. Many of the top coding bootcamps are beginner-friendly, accepting applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. It is a common misconception that you need to know advanced math to acquire coding skills. Regardless of your learning style, there are programming bootcamps for you.

You will probably find coding easier to learn if you are good at solving problems and recognizing patterns. The good news is that there are classes you can take to develop these skills, with many coding bootcamps offering prep courses to streamline the learning process. This valuable resource will prepare you to tackle your first coding project with ease.

How Do Coding Bootcamps Compare to Coding MOOCs?

Coding bootcamps compare favorably to coding MOOCs in terms of the hands-on experience and career support they can offer students. MOOCs may be able to teach you a particular coding skill, but they won’t help you build a strong portfolio of projects or prepare you for your job search the way that the best coding schools will. And a MOOC certainly won’t give you a job guarantee, which is something that the best coding bootcamps offer.

The superiority of bootcamps remains clear even if we compare a coding MOOC to a coding online bootcamp. Most MOOCs are made up of recorded video lectures, whereas online coding bootcamps make sure that their virtual classes occur in real time. Online coding bootcamp students also often have the option to meet face to face with career advisors, something that’s denied to students of massive open online courses.

The one clear advantage that MOOCs have over bootcamps is that their coding courses are cheaper. At a bootcamp, coding comes at a price, with the typical coding bootcamp cost ranging from the high four figures to the low five figures. MOOCs, meanwhile, are often free. But you get what you pay for, and the chance that bootcamps give you to work for top tech companies after graduation more than makes up for the steeper coding price they charge.

Learn Coding: Is a Coding Bootcamp Right for You?

A coding bootcamp is right for you if you want to learn coding and become a tech professional. By attending a coding bootcamp, you can quickly learn the skills you need and start a job shortly after. Coding bootcamps are good for beginners, recent high school graduates, people in unskilled professions, people dissatisfied with their current jobs, and people looking to upskill.

The best bootcamp for coding is different for everyone. There are in-person programs, online programs, full-time programs, and part-time programs, with different bootcamps specializing in different sets of coding skills. Many bootcamps are also beginner-friendly. A coding bootcamp is hard if you’re not prepared to work. Those who are committed to an intensive study schedule, however, will find it easy to learn coding in three to six months.