The Best Coding Bootcamps of 2021
Whether you want to pursue a career in software development or product management, coding bootcamps are the best way to get your tech career started. The bad news is that there are hundreds of coding bootcamps in existence, making the process of determining which bootcamp to attend difficult. The good news is that we’re here to help with a list of the best coding bootcamps worth considering.
With training programs designed to prepare you for a range of tech careers, you are sure to find the right coding bootcamp for you in our list below.
What Are the Best Coding Bootcamps in 2021?
While there are dozens of coding bootcamps out there, not all are created equal. These are our top 10 picks for the best coding bootcamps in 2021, including popular choices such as Fullstack Academy, Ironhack, and Tech Elevator.
Actualize is a Chicago-based coding bootcamp that offers a software engineering program that can be taken onsite or online. You can choose between two schedule options for this bootcamp.
One option is the daytime schedule where you study from 11am to 4pm on weekdays for 12 weeks. The other option is a nights and weekends program where you study from 9am to 5pm on Sundays and from 6pm to 9:30pm from Monday through Friday for 12 weeks.
Both options cost $13,900, which can be paid upfront, via monthly installments, or by taking out private loans. This tuition covers the cost of live instruction, one-on-one mentoring, a project-based software engineering curriculum, and post-graduation career services.
Alchemy Code Lab is based in Portland, Oregon, and offers a software development course that can be taken onsite in its Portland campus or online. This course is only offered on a full-time schedule and costs $24,000.
Tuition can be paid upfront, with private loans, via monthly payments, and with an income share agreement (ISA). Students may also be eligible for a scholarship or GI Bill benefits.
This program consists of four courses and takes roughly 19 weeks to complete. During that time, you will learn about data structures and various programming languages, focusing primarily on full-stack JavaScript. You’ll also get to build powerful web applications using React, JavaScript, Node.js, and more.
With Code Fellows, you can choose to enroll in either the Software Development Program or Ops and Cybersecurity Program. Both are offered in full-time, part-time, and self-paced schedules, and can be taken onsite at the Seattle campus or remotely.
Each program is made up of four to five courses, which you can pay for separately or in bundles. The courses cost anywhere from $99 to $12,000, though you do get a course bundle discount if you purchase them all together.
While enrolled in the software development course, expect to learn how to code in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and ultimately build impressive software applications. As an ops and cyber security program student, you will focus on learning cyber security in Windows and Linux. It takes roughly eight to 10 months to complete the programs at Code Fellows.
For international bootcamp students, Codeworks has campuses located in Barcelona, Berlin, London, and Toronto, as well as online. Codeworks has several immersive programs specializing in software engineering and web development. It also has a free Intro to JavaScript prep course for complete beginners.
The Web Development Immersive develops your fluency in several programming languages like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. You also learn how to navigate the frameworks used in backend and front end web development. By the end of the program, you’ll have a strong grasp of full-stack web development.
Students of the Software Engineering Immersive similarly learn about advanced JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The difference lies in the program’s increased emphasis on hands-on training. For nearly five weeks, students simultaneously build software applications individually or in groups.
Expect to pay between $7,480 and $15,800 depending on the immersive program you enroll in and which campus you choose.
Fullstack Academy is a New York-based coding bootcamp offering full-time and part-time programs in coding, web development, and cyber security. Attending a part-time program will cost you $14,980 while a full-time program costs $17,910. This can be paid upfront, through an ISA, or with private loans.
All programs at Fullstack Academy are immersive and designed to help you land a job in the tech industry. The coding program focuses solely on teaching students to code, while the web development program mixes coding essentials with web and computer science fundamentals. Finally, the cyber security program goes in a different direction and teaches about systems administration and cyber hacks through hands-on projects and simulations.
At Hack Reactor, you can enroll in an onsite or online immersive software engineering program either full-time or part-time. Regardless of which program format or schedule you choose, the tuition is $17,980. You can pay upfront, with loans, or by using scholarships.
The course curriculum focuses primarily on full-stack JavaScript, which is taught through pair programming. You also get to develop the most in-demand software engineering skills while building real applications.
With nine campuses around the world and a remote setup, Ironhack offers four of the most versatile bootcamp programs out there. At this bootcamp, you can choose to learn web development, UX/UI design, data analytics, or cyber security.
All of the courses are offered full-time and are available at all of the Ironhack campuses. Tuition varies based upon the campus you choose, and it can be paid either upfront or via private loans. Each program is designed to teach the most important skills necessary to find employment in your chosen field.
Ironhack’s web development program focuses on learning programming languages. Its UX/UI design program equips students with the skills necessary to optimize online user experience.
The cyber security program teaches systems administration and ethical hacking. Lastly, Ironhack’s data analytics program not only trains you to become a data analyst, but also how to craft the perfect data analyst resume through its career services.
Rithm School offers a JavaScript and Python web development program that can be taken onsite in San Francisco or online. This program is only offered full-time and takes 16 weeks to complete. Tuition costs $24,000, payable upfront, through loans, or with a deferred payment plan.
You can also enroll in any of Rithm School’s eight free prep courses to learn anything from Flask and SQL to advanced JavaScript. The immersive program focuses more on building upon JavaScript, Python, and React fundamentals to teach full-stack web development, so the prep courses may help you prepare more for it.
Software Guild is an online-only coding bootcamp offering an introductory course to web development as well as immersive programs in .NET/C# and Java stacks. Each program costs $10,000 and can be paid upfront or through private loans.
The introductory web development course builds your foundations in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The .NET/C# program and the Java program both include two major projects to complete. One is completed five weeks through the course while the other acts as a capstone project that’s completed during the last few weeks of the program.
With $15,000, you can enroll in Tech Elevator’s full-stack coding bootcamp program. This program is offered at all nine Tech Elevator onsite campuses, as well as online, on a full-time schedule only. You can pay the tuition upfront, take out private loans, or use your GI Bill benefits if applicable.
The program begins with an introductory course to programming in JavaScript or C#. Then, it moves to more advanced subjects such as database programming, using APIs, web programming, and eventually, portfolio projects.
Tech Elevator strives to help prepare students for work in the real world, so career services are included in the tuition. These services have helped 92 percent of Tech Elevator graduates to find employment after completing the program.
What Is a Coding Bootcamp?
A coding bootcamp is a skills-training school for individuals who aspire to launch a tech career at a fraction of the time and cost it takes to complete a traditional four-year education.
While most college degrees take roughly four years to complete, coding bootcamps and data science bootcamps can be completed in just a few weeks or months. The curriculum jumps right into the skills you’ll need with no time wasted on general education classes and electives unlike in a traditional college curriculum. Because of this, the tuition is often much less expensive at coding bootcamps.
How Much Do Coding Bootcamp Programs Cost?
All coding bootcamps vary greatly in terms of price, but there are a few patterns to be aware of. Though it is not the case for every coding bootcamp, it is common to see part-time programs being offered for lower tuition than full-time programs. You will also likely notice that online programs are offered at a lower price point than onsite programs.
The coding bootcamps on this list range from $7,480 to $24,000, though there are many others out there for more and less than these prices. That said, it’s important to keep the quality of your education in mind when debating if the cost is worth it.
Are Coding Bootcamps Worth It?
Coding is the foundation of almost every skill needed to launch a tech career, and coding bootcamps are some of the best ways to learn how to code. Most coding bootcamps take the time to teach multiple coding languages at once, which helps speed up the learning process.
If you prefer to learn on your own, there are plenty of books you can purchase to learn or platforms that you can visit for quick online courses. However, if you prefer a more traditional learning format with instructors, peers, and assignments to help you learn, coding bootcamps are completely worth it.