Holberton
Holberton School Overview and Guide
Holberton School is a tech institute dedicated to helping students develop a solid foundation of skills for successful tech careers. The school has campuses on four continents and caters to students worldwide. In this Holberton School review, you will learn how to navigate the bootcamp, from enrollment to your first job.
To learn more about how Holberton School prepares students to meet the greatest tech challenges of today, read on.
What You Need to Know About Holberton School
Holberton School was born in San Francisco in 2016. Its two-year program prioritizes practical rather than theoretical knowledge. Below is the most important information to know before enrolling.
- Cost: United States: $85,000, Other Countries: Varies by location
- Schedules: Full-Time
- Courses Offered: Software Engineering Foundations, Machine Learning, AR/VR, Low Level & Algorithms, Full Stack Web Development, Front End Web Development, Backend Web Development
- Upcoming Start Dates: Varies by course and location
Holberton School Curricula: What Can You Study?
Holberton School has a different approach than other bootcamps. The program consists of two stages. In the first stage, every student takes a year-long Foundations course. In phase two, students choose one of six areas to specialize in. Each stage involves experiential learning, first in classrooms and then at real companies.
Below is an explanation of each year-long program.
Foundations of Software Engineering
In year one, you will learn full stack software engineering from the beginning. You do not need to have any coding skills to enroll in this course. Over nine months, you will learn the basics of programming and software design. To create your course projects, you will learn tools such as MySQL, JavaScript, and HTML.
If you decide to continue at Holberton School after your first year, you will have to complete a tech internship. This will prepare you for the specialization phase of the program.
Machine Learning
In the machine learning specialization, you will learn all about the automatic movements, decisions, and actions of computers. You will use the Pandas, NumPy, and Keras libraries to master Python’s machine learning capabilities. For nine months, you will create projects and get feedback from industry experts.
AR/VR
This specialization introduces students to C# and Unity programming. You will learn concepts such as image detection, augmented reality, and ShaderGraph programming. Possibilities for projects include standard games and cross-platform builds.
Low Level & Algorithms
This specialization is a state-of-the-art engineering program. You will apply your knowledge of C and Linux programming to build a blockchain. You will work with Huffman Coding, CPython, ELF files, and Strace.
Full Stack Web Development
If you choose the full stack specialization, you will learn about JavaScript, Redis, Node.js, SASS, MySQL, MongoDB, and React Redux. For your projects, you will create mobile and desktop versions of websites, CRM dashboards in React, authentication services, and more.
Front End Web Development
Shorter than most of the other options, this three-month specialization consists of an introduction to JavaScript ES6. You will use other common front end tools like HTML and CSS. You will also learn about data structures, algorithms, and all the React Redux functions.
Backend Web Development
If you prefer to study the backend, then you should choose this three-month program. You will learn Python, MySQL, Node.js functions, caching, GraphQL, and authentication services.
Holberton School Campuses: Where Can You Study?
Holberton School has campuses on four continents, as well as a virtual option for students in Peru, Ecuador, and parts of France. You can experience Holberton School in person at any of the cities listed below.
- New Haven, CT
- Tulsa, OK
- Barranquilla, Colombia
- Beirut, Lebanon
- Bogota, Colombia
- Cali, Colombia
- Hauts-De-France, France
- Medellin, Colombia
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Montevideo, Uruguay
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Tunis, Tunisia
Holberton School Schedules: When Can You Study?
Full-Time
For now, there are only full-time programs, which Holberton believes are ideal for time-intensive, project-based learning. Students are expected to spend 80 hours per week on coursework.
Holberton School Tuition
There are several options for paying Holberton School tuition, which varies by location. If you are interested in enrolling, you should know all the financing options available to you.
Holberton School Financing and Payment Options
- Traditional method. If you have the money, you can make an initial deposit and then make payments at regular intervals until the full cost is covered.
- Scholarships. If you belong to a corporate group associated with Holberton School, you can get a $1,500 scholarship. If you are Lebanese or from a Lebanese family, you can apply for a support scholarship at the Beirut campus.
- ISAs. At Holberton School, you can complete the program and pay when you get a job, thanks to its income share agreement (ISA). Under an ISA, Holberton will start taking 17 percent out of your monthly paycheck as soon as you start earning $40,000 or more per year. The most you can owe is $85,000.
Holberton School Admissions: How to Get In
To enroll in Holberton School, you do not need experience in coding, data science, or software engineering. If you pass the admissions test and give a strong interview performance, you’ll get in.
Holberton School Application
- Register at Holberton School. The application process starts at the Holberton School website. You register, share your personal information, provide your contact details, and indicate your preferred course. Then a school manager will call you.
- Complete mini-challenges. The school manager will give you a series of coding challenges, which you’ll have about two hours to complete.
- Build a website. For one final practical challenge, you will be given two weeks to build a website using standard Linux knowledge.
- Participate in a Q&A session. Before getting into Holberton School, you must answer a round of questions related to software engineering. The questions are administered using artificial intelligence, and the results are processed automatically and efficiently.
If you do well, you will likely be admitted to Holberton School. Your last step will be to find a payment plan that works for you.
Holberton School Interview
During the question and answer period, you should describe your background, explain why you chose Holberton School, and articulate your goals for your tech career. Your answers are important since 10 percent of Holberton School students were admitted based on their interview performance.
Holberton School Admission Rate: What Are My Chances of Getting In?
Holberton School’s acceptance rate is 3 percent. The admission process is competitive due to the school’s unique program and worldwide prestige.
Holberton School Outcomes: Will I Find a Job?
Studying at Holberton School and finishing the programs gives you a clear path into the tech industry. If you complete the two-year program at Holberton School, you have a 99 percent chance of landing a job. Many two-year students end up raking in over $100,000 per year.
Students who complete only the Foundations phase of the program have a 78 percent chance of finding a job in six months, and the average starting salary for these folks is $97,000.
Job Placement Services at Holberton School
Holberton School graduates work for companies like Tesla, NASA, LinkedIn, Facebook, and many more.
During your time at Holberton, you will receive several forms of career support, including mock interviews and help with your job search. You will also be advised on employment agreements, salary discussions, project presentations, and much more.
Should You Apply to Holberton School?
If you think you can become a professional software engineer, Holberton School has everything you need. This school has an impressive track record, and the results speak for themselves. That being said, if you want to study at Holberton School, there are a few additional things to consider.
- Limited online options. If you want to take classes online, you can only do so if you live in Peru, Ecuador, or France.
- Collaborative classes. At Holberton, learning is a collaborative process. Everyone is encouraged to create solutions as part of a team. Holberton School does not believe in traditional teaching methods.
- Practical knowledge. You will apply theoretical concepts to real and useful projects. Holberton prefers students to focus on building problem-solving skills on their own and with their peers. This way, students will be better prepared to adapt their skills to the ever-changing tech industry.
- Flexible tuition. Although Holberton School is not cheap, its ISA allows students to study now and pay later. Also, if your time at Holberton School gets off to a rocky start, you can withdraw in the first 30 days and stop paying.
Holberton School has the support of many companies because of its high-quality program and its focus on hands-on training. For less than the cost of a bachelor’s degree in data science or computer science, Holberton equips students with the skills they need to launch successful careers in the tech industry.
If you want a job as a programmer, Holberton School is a great way to get your foot in the door.
Anonymous
I will make this really simple. I attended the first-year curriculum with Holberton School which is 9 months long. Our 1st programming language is C for 1st semester then Python for 2nd semester. Surprisingly these two primary languages will be required for my job. Even though the curriculum prepares students for Full-stack software engineering, I am living proof that you can be hired as a System Software Engineer which requires much more hardware-level programming. I am grateful for the first semester which focused on Lower Level engineering, Data Structures, and Algorithms. One thing I did not mention to anyone until is that I had two days to prep for the interview onsite. I truly believe this curriculum is very good but to anyone interested, please have a base knowledge of operating systems and computers. With that said, I am super grateful to this program for changing my life. I specifically waited to write this review after getting the job offer and start working next Monday. Total almost 4 months of job searching.
February 20, 2020
Anonymous
Great work, definitively you learn to learn, all from scratch.
It’s no necessary that you knows about tech, here you will learn independent of your previous core.
March 11, 2020
Anonymous
Intense study, on projects where you can become a programr super advanced in little time,
where you can learn all by itself is the motto
April 9, 2020
Anonymous
I started Holberton School in January 2019. Before that I had little experience in coding, I learned some Java, C++, and JavaScript by following tutorials on the Internet and asking some friends. At Holberton, I learned a lot in a short period of time and now I feel more confident in my coding skills. One good suggestion I can make about it is you should have some experience with coding or spend at least 2 months following some basic tutorials on the web because you will have some foundations to rely on.
May 7, 2020
Anonymous
Holberton has been an amazing, intense, and difficult experience. I’m learning a ton, though often times I feel like I’m not absorbing as much information as possible. The curriculum moves at a break-neck speed. If you’re not prepared to dedicate most of your time and energy then you’ll fall behind. Additional outside study and research is absolutely necessary to this program.
This can be both a good and bad thing. The intensity of the program creates strong bonds within and across the cohorts. Students genuinely want to help and support each other. It’s also great that within less than a year, I will have completely enhanced my skillset. Really pleased with my decision.
June 4, 2020
Anonymous
Holberton School has been the most challenging and rewarding curriculums I’ve taken. The peer to peer learning style and the challenges we face together has helped make learning a fun and flourishing experience. The best learning experience is when we have mandataroy days called peer learning days. If you ever fall behind on a topic or material, you can definitely look forward to peer learning day because, it helps everyone review the material we just learned and it also helps reinforce a better understanding of how things work. Holberton will sometimes have special events, these events have also helped me build more connections and get more insight of what is expected from a software engineer. I have 3 months left until I finish my first year, It is scary but also exciting to see what we have in just one year! Some people tend to apply for jobs right after their fist year, I plan to take the second year and specialize in either machine learning or low level programming, which hopes to build a strong foundation
June 13, 2020
Anonymous
I have learned a lot in such a short time.
July 9, 2020
Anonymous
Holberton School is not the easy way to learn to code but nowadays I think it is actually the best option. The most valuable there is that they are teaching you not just how to code but how to learn whatever you want. The hardest is not the curriculum or the projects you are working in, the hardest is actually yourself because you will have to face the failure every single day and the voice in your head telling you to give up is getting louder while you keep learning.
So, take the risk and the chance to challenge yourself with Holberton by your side!
July 18, 2020
Anonymous
Hi, I am currently a student who is about 7 months into the first year here.
I would highly recommend Holberton to anyone who wants a deeper dive into computer science. If you want to learn how to code, there are many options but where I think Holberton really shines is in the depth of the curriculum. Because you spend the first three months in C, you will be working very closely with the kernel and learning lower-level tasks such as memory management/assembly. You will be working in Linux machines from the very first day and be very proficient in Bash and Git. The final project for the first trimester involves using data structures such as linked lists to build a Unix shell from scratch.
In the second trimester, you learn Python and the Object-Oriented Programming. There is a heavier emphasis on algorithms and interview prep. We deep-dived into Big O/sorting algorithms and binary trees. I personally enjoyed this semester as we got to learn SQL and built an Airbnb clone from scratch.
Now I’m in the third trimester which is heavily focused on Dev Ops. The topics we are focusing on are server management with NGINX and Apache. We spend most of our time in SSH and learning about networking. We are also using Docker containers to debug and deploy applications.
Year two offers 4 specializations at the moment: Web Dev, Machine Learning, AR/VR and Blockchain.
If you are considering schools, I would recommend this program if you are looking for an education more akin to a Computer Science degree. If you are interested in the DevOps field, this is also a great option as it is one of the only schools that teaches this topic. If you are an independent person who is comfortable with asking questions and socializing, this is a good fit because you will be working with peers all day long. There is no instructor to keep you on your toes; that is up to you.
I would NOT recommend this program if you want to just learn web development or if you are on a time restraint. Because of the length of the program and the way it is structured, that topic is covered in Year 2 as the priority is on full-stack development in Foundations (Year 1).
At the end of the day, there is no lack of resources to learn how to code these days. It’s about how resourceful you can be. Yes, you can learn to code on your own, but personally speaking, I think you will learn much faster if you are surrounded by intelligent, motivated people every day. What I am happy to pay for is the community, mentors, and people with industry experience who can guide you on your journey. Holberton has given me that so far.
July 20, 2020