2024 Best Software Engineering
Bootcamps

Should I Attend a Software Engineer Bootcamp Online or In Person?

You should attend a software engineer bootcamp online if you require the flexibility to study at home and can’t afford to travel to a campus five or more days a week. Remote learning has become a common practice in the bootcamp industry since the pandemic, and almost all of the best software engineering bootcamps have an online option.

What in-person software engineering bootcamps lack in convenience, they make up for in immersive training and face-to-face networking opportunities. Some of the best in-person coding bootcamps with software engineering programs are App Academy, Codesmith, and Flatiron School.

What Will I Learn at a Software Engineering Bootcamp?

The curriculum of a typical software engineering bootcamp is structured around one or two programming languages, a number of frameworks, and common project management strategies and techniques. These software coding programs are designed to help bootcamp students navigate the ins and outs of the software development life cycle as efficiently as possible.

In a Java bootcamp, for example, students learn how to use Java like professional software engineers. After learning about the fundamentals of programming and getting a handle on some basic computer science concepts, they spend most of their time sharpening their technical skills in the areas of front end, backend, and full stack development by working on hands-on projects.

How Much Does a Software Engineering Bootcamp Cost?

According to our 2023 Bootcamp Market Report, the average coding bootcamp costs $13,035. This figure covers both web development and software engineering bootcamp costs, which are roughly equivalent. The price of a software engineer bootcamp boils down to the quality of its instruction, the cost of its facilities, and its investment in career services and graduate outcomes.

If you don’t have upwards of $10,000 lying around, there are several ways to pay for a bootcamp. Most software engineer bootcamps offer some combination of installment plans, loan financing, deferred tuition, and early-bird discounts. Furthermore, some software engineering bootcamps have scholarships that help students defray the cost of their education.

Are There Free Software Engineering Bootcamps?

The few free software engineering bootcamps in the industry include Founders and Coders and Ada Developers Academy. While the former keeps its services cost-free by hiring its trainees as apprentices, the latter offers free training to women and non-binary folks in order to increase diversity in tech. As one might expect, these bootcamps have strict admission requirements.

What Is the Cheapest Software Engineering Bootcamp?

Other than free bootcamps, the cheapest software engineering bootcamps include non-profits like Betamore Academy, CodeStack Academy, and Zip Code Wilmington. Betamore Academy offers its software coding program for $4,000, CodeStack Academy charges $5,000, and Zip Code Wilmington collects $6,000 from each student.

How Long Are a Bootcamp’s Software Coding Programs?

The coding programs at software engineer bootcamps range in length from 12 weeks to a little more than a year. The shortest programs are full-time and require an extensive commitment, sometimes as much as 70 hours per week for the duration of the program. Part-time bootcamps and self-paced software coding programs offer more flexibility but take longer to complete.

To give you a sense of the full range of program lengths, below are three tables that show a sample of full-time, part-time, and self-paced software engineer bootcamps. Note that some schools appear in two tables because they offer the same course in multiple formats.

Full-Time Software Engineering Bootcamps

• Codesmith - Software Engineering Immersive (13 weeks)
• Coding Dojo - Software Development Bootcamp (16 weeks)
• Flatiron School - Software Engineering Bootcamp (15 weeks)
• General Assembly - Software Engineering Immersive (12 weeks)
• Thinkful - Software Engineering Bootcamp (5 months)

Part-Time Software Engineering Bootcamps

• Claim Academy - Full Stack Java Engineering (24 weeks), Full Stack C#/.NET Engineering (24 weeks)
• Codesmith - Software Engineering Immersive (38 weeks)
• General Assembly - Software Engineering Immersive (24 weeks)
• Grand Circus - Full Stack Java (28 weeks), Full Stack C#/.NET (28 weeks)
• Thinkful - Software Engineering Bootcamp (6 months)

Self-Paced Software Engineering Bootcamps

• Coding Dojo - Software Development Part-Time Flex (30 weeks recommended)
• Coding Temple - Software Engineering Flex (6 months recommended)
• Flatiron School - Software Engineering Bootcamp (40 weeks recommended)
• Launch School - Core Curriculum (8-16 months)
• Springboard - Software Engineering Career Track (9 months recommended)

Software Engineer Bootcamp vs Degree: 5 Points to Consider

Software engineering bootcamps and degrees in computer science both credential students to become tech professionals, but they go about it in different ways. To help you make an informed decision, here are the five most important differences.

1. Bootcamps are faster. You can complete a software engineering bootcamp in as little as three months. Most computer science bachelor’s degrees are designed to take four years to complete, and even an associate’s degree will require two years of your time.
2. College degrees are accredited. Despite their high expense, college degrees are often seen as the safer bet because their programs are more likely to be regulated by the US Department of Education. The stamp of approval from an accreditation agency is a fast and easy way for employers to validate a candidate’s credentials.
3. Bootcamps are less expensive. While the average software engineer bootcamp costs about $13,000, the average annual tuition and fees for a four-year degree is $17,251, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Over four years, that comes out to $69,004, over five times the cost of a bootcamp.
4. College degrees are more comprehensive. In a computer science degree program, you will take your time building a wide range of foundational skills and acquiring deep theoretical knowledge of how computers work. The hyper-focused nature of a typical bootcamp curriculum will leave you with a narrower skillset.
5. Bootcamps are more career-oriented. You may learn more in college, but that knowledge only goes so far. Bootcamps are uniquely attuned to what tech companies want, and many of them use career coaches to help students identify potential employers, navigate interview preparation, and handle job offers. Springboard and a few other software engineer bootcamps even offer job guarantees.

Top Software Engineer Jobs for Bootcamp Grads

When bootcamp graduates finish their programs, their newfound software engineering skills qualify them for a range of roles in the tech industry. While most software engineer jobs for bootcamp grads are entry-level junior developer positions, the following five job titles could be within reach, depending on the emphasis of your software bootcamp.

Product Manager

Annual Salary: $103,986

A product manager oversees the development of software products from start to finish. In addition to knowing how to build software from scratch, they should also have strong leadership and time management skills. If you’re really invested in pursuing this career, you should check out the best product management bootcamps as well as the top software coding programs.

Software Engineer

Annual Salary: $91,663

This job is the bread-and-butter of software engineering bootcamps. Like product managers, software engineers should be familiar with every stage of the software development life cycle. Their ability to perform every function in the assembly line makes them a valuable member of any software development team.

Software Developer

Annual Salary: $76,781

If you set your sights a little lower, you can join a software developer bootcamp instead, like the one that Coding Dojo offers. These programs train you to become a developer rather than an engineer, which essentially means you will be asked to play a more specialized role.

Software QA Analyst

Annual Salary: $60,724

Whereas both engineers and developers are integral in creating the software product, QA or quality assurance analysts compare the finished product with the design specifications and the company’s standards. There are even software QA bootcamps for people who are especially interested in this role.

Software Tester

Annual Salary: $56,468

Like QA analysts, software testers are concerned with standards and quality. Their duties, however, have less to do with the big picture and more with the actual process of identifying bugs and removing them. Software testing bootcamps are available for those that this job appeals to.

Are Software Engineering Bootcamps Worth It?

Software engineering bootcamps are worth it for anyone who has the patience and discipline to acquire a highly technical and in-demand skillset at a fast pace. For a relatively low price compared to college, software engineer bootcamp students put themselves in line for high-paying tech industry jobs that are still growing in number.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for software developers are expected to increase by 26 percent between 2021 and 2031. Put another way, 370,600 software developer jobs will be created over the next decade. One of the most efficient ways to give yourself a chance of landing one of these new jobs is by joining a software engineer bootcamp.