[Part 2] The Best Alternatives to Expensive Bootcamps
Let’s check out some of the best options out there to help you learn better risk-free. (Updated: 2019 Q2)
Pay only when you earn
Lambda School
Lambda School trains people to be software engineers at no up-front cost. Instead of paying tuition, students can agree to pay a percentage of their income after they’re employed, and only if they’re making more than $50k per year. If you don’t find a job or don’t reach that level of income, you’ll never pay a cent.
Medium of Training: Remote (Online)
Fee Structure:
- $0 up-front + 17% of salary for two years ($30k maximum total payment) This payment option is currently only available to US/EU citizens.
- International students are required to pay tuition up-front.
- $20k up-front + no income-based repayment
Courses: Full-stack web / Data Science / UX Design / Mobile App Dev
Program Length: 9 months full time/ 18 months part-time
Thinkful
With 1-on-1 mentorship and a dedicated team that includes a career services manager who offers 6 months of support, Thinkful provides every student the structure and support needed to break in or break through to the next level in the career they want.
Medium of Training: Remote (Online)
Fee Structure: $0 up-front + 15% of salary for three years ($22k maximum total payment)
Courses: Full stack Web Dev / Data Science / Product Design
Program Length: 5 months+ additional 6 months of career prep, 7 months part-time(25 hrs/week)
Hack Reactor
While they have the premium paid version, this is specifically for the prep material which is almost ~90hours of structured JS learning.
Here you will find A LOT of exercises. I really mean a lot. Most of them are simple, but this is a great way to write some basic JS stuff into your muscle memory. But you need to know some JS basic syntax to start it. Also, it has some valuable articles about interview prep, writing tests etc.
This comprehensive and free program will help you learn software engineering essentials and master the basics of JavaScript.
Medium of Training: Remote (Online)
Fee Structure: Free
Courses: Web Dev
Program Length: (60–90 hours)
Flatiron School
Just like Hack Reactor, this one too has a free “prep” to their bootcamp which prepares you for a life and career you love as a developer. Scrolled through the reviews and curriculum, definitely impressive!
Medium of Training: Online / In Person (US, UK)
Fee Structure: Free
Courses: Software Engineering (Includes JavaScript, Ruby, and Interview Prep lessons), Data Science
Program Length: 75+ hours (at your own pace)
Flatiron also have a 5-month full-time software engineering Bootcamp. It’s ideal to start with Bootcamp after completing the free material. With 1000+ hours of curriculum, a graduate will be job ready for a career in software engineering.
Medium of Training: Online
Fee Structure: 10% of the monthly income for 4 years if the graduate is making over $40k. Capped at $22.5k.
Courses: Online software engineering
Location: New York, NY, Washington, D.C., London, UK, Online
The Access Labs Initiative is designed to be a catapult for economic mobility for students earning less than $35,000 annually and requires no upfront tuition. Only after students have successfully finished the program and accepted a job as a developer will they begin to pay back their tuition.
Fullstack Academy
50+ hours. JavaScript only. In fact, there are two courses. First is the JavaScript Jumpstart, which costs $49, but now it is free with the following promo code FS-PREP-JUMPSTART. With JS Jumpstart you can start from complete zero, I would say it is a Codecademy analogy, with some interesting exercises included. And their main prep course is here. There are many nice samples of coding interview questions with video solutions, which can be valuable for your learning, too.
Medium of Training: Online / In Person (US)
Fee Structure: Free / Paid
Courses: JavaScript
Program Length: 50+ hours (at your own pace)
App Academy
App Academy is a twelve-week intensive computer programming school founded by Ned Ruggeri and Kush Patel. Students focus on Ruby on Rails and JavaScript. The school boasts a 98 percent job placement rate.
Location: New York, NY, San Francisco, CA
App Academy offers a variety of deferred tuition programs including $9000 down and $14000 after job placement for a total of $23000 or $5000 down and $23000 after job placement for a total of $28000.
Medium of Training: Online
Fee Structure: 2999$ / 17000$
Courses: Bootcamp Prep(Node.js, HTML, JavaScript, CSS, Algorithms), and Full-
Stack Web Development (JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, Algorithms, SQL, CSS, Design
Principles, HTML, UX, Ruby, jQuery, Algorithms). Second one not available online
Program Length: Bootcamp Prep(4weeks, 10hours/week), and Full-Stack Web
Development (80 hours/week for 12 weeks)
Grace Hopper Program (Launched by Fullstack Academy)
Fullstack Academy is an immersive software engineering coding Bootcamp located in New York City and Chicago. Students of the full-time flagship course learn full stack JavaScript over the course of a 13-week, on-campus program.
Location: New York, NY Chicago, IL
This is a deferred-tuition model exclusively for women. The Grace Hopper Program is the nation’s first women’s coding school to require tuition payment only once a graduate has secured full-time work. In addition to its unique tuition model, the new Grace Hopper Track at Fullstack also offers women-only community-building opportunities within Fullstack Academy’s top-of-the-line co-ed learning environment.
Students on the Grace Hopper Track pay a $3,000 deposit, then pay back the remainder of their tuition in installments only once they’ve accepted a full-time offer in their field. Full tuition is $17,610.
Medium of Training: Online
Fee Structure: 17910$/ 15980$/ 250$
Courses: Full-Stack Web Development( Node.js, JavaScript, Express.js,
React.js, PostgreSQL), Flex immersive (JavaScript, React.js, Express.js, Node.js,
PostgreSQL) — not online and Bootcamp Prep(Node.js, HTML, JavaScript, CSS,
Algorithms)
Program Length: Full-Stack Web Development(17 weeks, 50hours/week), Flex
immersive (24 weeks, 10hours/week) and Bootcamp Prep
Function Camp
Function Camp is a remote (online) Full Stack web & app boot camp that offers deferred tuition, so students only pay once they’re earning. Taught by instructors with real-life programming experience, the Function Camp course teaches students how to make websites, apps and ‘backends’ using some of the latest tech. Upon graduation, students will be able to apply for Full Stack developer roles.
Function Camp also offers career support and 1 to 1 coaching. Participants need to have no prior coding experience and have the right to work in the UK.
Location: Online
The Fine Print: Repayments are not due until 3 months after completion. Repayments are based on income so if you’re not earning, you’ll not be making repayments. There is no penalty for not making repayments while you’re not earning. Once you’re earning, you’ll pay back 10% of your salary. You pay monthly, so if you earn £36,000 a year after you graduate, you’d repay £3,600 a year in tuition — that’s £300 a month.
Medium of Training: Online
Fee Structure: 20721$
Courses: Full-Stack Web Development(JavaScript, React.js, Node.js
Program Length: Full-Stack Web Development (24 weeks, 40hours/week)
Hackbright Academy
Hackbright Academy offers various programming courses designed to empower women to become Software Engineers. Hackbright Academy teaches the fundamentals of modern web development, then introduces graduates to Silicon Valley companies looking to expand their engineering teams. All students are matched with up to three seasoned software engineers as mentors, as well as given customized career coaching support throughout the program.
Location: San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA
Medium of Training: in Person
Fee Structure: 16895$/16895$/ 1895$
Courses: 12-week full time (Python, JavaScript, Django, HTML, Git, CSS, SQL) /
24 week part time software engineering (Django, Git, CSS, AJAX, HTML, AJAX,
JavaScript, Python, SQL), hackbright prep course (CSS, HTML, Python)
Program Length: 40hr/week, 14hr/week, 11 hr/week for 4 weeks
General Assembly
General Assembly is creating a global community of individuals empowered to pursue work they love, by offering full-time immersive programs, long-form courses, and classes and workshops on the most relevant skills of the 21st century — from web development and user experience design, to business fundamentals, to data science, to product management and digital marketing.
Location: Washington, D.C.
Medium of Training: in Person (Dallas, Providence, San Diego, San Francisco,
Seattle, NYC, Washington, D.C., Austin, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Denver, Chicago,
London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Boston, and Santa Monica) /
Online
Fee Structure: 3950$ — 14950$
Courses: Web Development Immersive, Front-End Web Development, Digital
Marketing, Product Management, Python Programming, JavaScript Development,
Visual Design, Product Management Remote, Digital Marketing Remote, User
Experience Design Immersive, React Development, User Experience Design,
Data Analytics, Data Science Immersive, Data Science, User Experience Design
Remote
Program Length: 12 weeks — 50hr/wk/ 10 weeks — 6hr/wk/ 10 weeks — 4hr/wk
Holberton School
Holberton School offers a two-year higher-education program to become a full-stack software engineer. Through project-based and peer learning, Holberton students unleash their creativity and naturally learn how to work as a team to solve practical challenges. The school aims to disrupt education via technology and community.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Medium of Training: in Person (San Francisco, New Haven)
Fee Structure: Free
Courses: 2-year full time (which includes 9 month of training of software
engineering, 6-month internship, 9 months of remote study in a specialization)
(Python, JavaScript, Algorithms, Machine Learning, Data Structures, Linux,
Database design, Web Services, Cyber Security, HTML, CSS)
Program Length: 104 weeks — 60hr/week
Launch School
Launch School (formerly Tealeaf Academy) is an online school for developers offering a professional grade curriculum designed to teach students to build production-quality apps and become ready for jobs as developers at leading tech companies. Launch School offers students constant support from teachers, teacher assistants, and a community of peers around the world.
Location: Online
Medium of Training: Online
Fee Structure: 610$/475$/ 1485$
Courses: Rapid Prototyping with Ruby on Rails, Introduction to Ruby and Web Development, Build Production Quality Applications
(Ruby on Rails)
Program Length: 4 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks
Learners Guild
Learners Guild offers a life-changing 6-month learning experience that supports you in preparing for a career as a web developer and entering the tech industry. No other program is as holistic, apprenticeship oriented or rigorous.
Location: Oakland, CA
When graduates get a job earning more than $50,000 per year, they pay 12.5–20% of their salary for 3 years.
Medium of Training: in Person (Oakland)
Mayden Academy
Mayden Academy is an employer created, commercially designed, the intensive training program for aspiring software developers. Their 16-week course is designed to equip you with knowledge of the fundamentals of coding, software design, and project management. You’ll contribute to real, commercial development projects using the latest technologies, with the help and guidance of experienced trainers and mentors.
Location: Bath, UK
Medium of Training: in Person (Bath, Bristol)
Fee Structure: 8000$
Courses: 16-week full-time software development ( AngularJS, Bootstrap,
Command line, CSS, Cyber Security, Database design, Data Structures, Express.js, Git, HTML, JavaScript, jQuery, Linux, MongoDB, MySQL, Node.js, NoSQL, PHP, React.js, Responsive Design, SaaS, Scrum, SQL, Test-driven development (TDD))
MissionU
MissionU is a one-year program that aims to give students the skills and experience needed to launch a successful career in tech. Unlike traditional college or online schools, MissionU focuses on education that delivers an immersive, collaborative, and efficient learning experience.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Medium of Training: in Person(San Francisco)
Fee Structure: Free
Courses: Data Analytics + Business Intelligence (Data Science, Data Visualization)
Program Length: 52 weeks — 40hr/week
New York Code + Design Academy
The New York Code + Design Academy offers full-time and part-time courses in web development across the United States. NYCDA combines classroom instruction from experienced software developers and UX designers with a supportive community to take your ideas from theory to reality.
Location: New York, NY, Washington, D.C., Salt Lake City, UT
Medium of Training: in Person ( Philadelphia,)
Fee Structure: 15000$/ 999$/15000$/ 10000$/15000$/999$/10000$
Courses: Web Development Intensive (JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, jQuery, Algorithms, Web Services, PostgreSQL, Git, Database design, Responsive Design, Command line),
Web Development 100, UX Design Intensive, Evening Javascript Intensive, Software Engineering Intensive, UIUX Design 101, Evening UX Design Intensive
Program Length: 12 week — 50 hr/weeks, 8 weeks-10hr/wk, 12 week — 50 hr/wk, 24
weeks-20hr/wk, 14weeks — 60hr/weeks, 8 weeks-10hr/wk, 20 week — 50 hr/wk
Turing School
Turing School of Software and Design’s mission is to unlock human potential by training a diverse, inclusive student body to succeed in high-fulfillment technical careers. Our vision is a world powered by technology where the people building it represent the people using it. Turing offers a 7-month, full-time training program in Denver, CO turning driven students into professional developers. Students who take our Back End Engineering Program or our Front End Engineering Program will be surrounded by a supportive team dedicated to their career success. Our Back End program focuses on Ruby and Ruby on Rails. Our Front End program focuses on HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Location: Denver, CO
Medium of Training: in Person (Denver)
Fee Structure: 20000$
Courses: Back end engineering, front end engineering
Program Length: 28 weeks — 60hr/week
V School
V School is Human-Centered Edtech headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. V School’s programs are online and across three continents, both part time and full time. Offering FREE student housing, discounted public transit, a laptop rental program, and creative funding options; including an income share agreements that allow students to start paying back tuition only after they get a job are just a few ways that V School shows their commitment to student success + timely job outcomes.
Location: Salt Lake City, UT, Online
Medium of Training: in Person (Salt lake city) / Online
Fee Structure: 14900$/5400$/54000$
Courses: Full Stack Javascript, Front End JavaScript Web Development, Big Data+ Machine Learning, iOS Programming, Project Management, Digital Marketing, Blockchain, Data Science, Experience Design
Program Length: 12 weeks 40hr/week, 12 weeks -8hr/week
Do check out Part 1 (free-code camps) and Part 3 (India specific!) of this series as well in case found this useful!
Would love to hear your feedback/connect/collaborate:
