The 10 Best Self-Paced Bootcamps 2023
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Do you have the itch to switch careers? You’re not alone if you want to change your occupation. In 2021, about 53% of workers who quit their job in the United States changed their careers, according to Pew Research Center. If you want to break into tech, you can start your new occupation fast —and keep your current job — through a self-paced bootcamp that offers asynchronous learning.
Coding bootcamps cannot guarantee anyone’s success, but they give you the potential to join an industry that provides higher-than-average job security. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer jobs are projected to increase by 18% from 2020-2030.
Ready to make a career switch and break into tech? Learn more about the best self-paced bootcamps, what they cost, and how long it takes to graduate.
How to Choose a Self-Paced Coding Course
How can you choose the best self-paced coding bootcamp? Consider what matters to you most. Self-paced coding bootcamps differ in what they offer in terms of time commitment, style of learning, and tuition.
For instance, a self-paced bootcamp may provide continual feedback from mentors and instructors while you work on your own when your schedule allows. A self-paced bootcamp’s format provides flexibility to people who cannot go to a traditional college because of their busy family or work lives.
Many self-paced bootcamps combine on-demand classwork and live self-paced coding courses offered on the weekends or in the evenings. Many self-paced bootcamps provide job placement assistance, with career coaches providing help with interviews, resumes, and social profiles.
All of these variables influence how you learn and, ultimately, your success in tech. Think about what each coding bootcamp offers in terms of:
- The program’s affordability
- Financial services, such as loans, scholarships, or payment methods
- Learning format
- Career resources and job placement assistance
- Class size, including the availability of mentors and instructors
- Reputation —what do graduates say?
- Evening and weekend options
- Technical disciplines offered
- Employment partnerships and networking opportunities
- Free resources, such as workshops and seminars
Methodology
Bootcamp Ranking Guidelines
At BestColleges, we believe the best bootcamp is the one that fits your schedule, your learning needs, and your career aspirations. That's why we often present our recommendations in alphabetical order -- because the real best bootcamp is the bootcamp that's best for you.
Best Self-Paced Coding Bootcamps
CareerFoundry
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $6,900
- Technical Disciplines: Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, Full-Stack Web Development, Product Management, UX/UI Design
- Learning Format: Online
Career Services
Job Guarantee
CareerFoundry’s self-paced coding bootcamps give you the training to work in tech in 5-10 months. You set the program’s pace, picking a part-time or full-time option. For instance, you can study 10 hours a week or up to 40 hours per week. Programs target people switching careers. Plus, CareerFoundry provides a job guarantee that graduates will find a job within six months or they can get their money back.
If you want personal insight into this bootcamp provider, check out our student story from a real CareerFoundry graduate.
Codecademy
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $39.99 a month
- Technical Disciplines: Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning, UX/UI Design, Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
Career Services
Start For Free
Codecademy has operated on a subscription-based basis since 2011. It offers a large catalog of self-paced bootcamps, including free beginner courses and pro courses for intermediate and advanced students. You can choose from basic, pro lite, and pro plans that have different price points, levels of community support, and learning resources.
Career path groups connect students while they progress through their programs. Students earn certificates of completion after each course.
Coding Temple
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $5,000
- Technical Disciplines: Data Analytics, Software Engineering
- Learning Format: Online
Accepts GI Bill®
Career Services
Money-Back Guarantee
Income Share Agreement/p>
You can complete Coding Temple’s self-paced coding bootcamps in as little as 10 weeks. In the project-based programs, you build your portfolio by working in teams. The alumni Slack channel provides industry updates, while instructors and technical coaches offer continued assistance throughout bootcamp.
Incoming students complete an interview, a technical assessment, and 40 hours of pre-work before starting a program. And if you don’t get a job within nine months after graduating, Coding Temple will refund your money.
Launch School
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $199 per month
- Technical Disciplines: Software Engineering
- Learning Format: Online
Career Services
Launch School’s format lets you focus on slowly mastering the basics of software engineering, beginning with a top-down approach. The initial curriculum focuses on the big picture of software engineering and then slowly gives students the building blocks.
The program builds toward mastery-based learning. Each course ends with an assessment. Launch School’s self-paced bootcamps take 8-16 months to finish, not including the 4-7 month capstone project. You can also take free workshops that explore topics such as data types and variables in Javascript, flow control and loops in Ruby, and Git/GitHub.
Nucamp
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $1,925
- Technical Disciplines: Full-Stack Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
Career Services
Deferred Tuition Plan
Nucamp’s self-paced coding bootcamps let you study part time and graduate in 16 weeks. Throughout the week, you study at your own pace —watching videos, doing coding exercises, and taking quizzes for about 2-4 hours a day — and then meet live on Saturdays for four hours. Self-paced coding courses have no more than 15 students.
An important part of the program includes curating your LinkedIn and GitHub profiles. You also practice interview whiteboard mockups on data structures and algorithms.
Product Gym
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $6,000
- Technical Disciplines: Product Management
- Learning Format: Online
Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options
Product Gym trains beginner and junior-level product managers through more than 30 courses. It offers the flexible option of attending live lectures or watching recordings later. Courses focus on fishbowl interviews, product marketing, and product road mapping. Others emphasize product strategy, UX design, and whiteboarding.
In these bootcamps, you’ll train for over 10-12 weeks, going at your own pace. Career coaches track each student’s progress and provide ongoing feedback. About 85% of graduates in 2021 got job offers within 90 days, according to Product Gym.
Springboard
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $7,000
- Technical Disciplines: Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Data Science, Software Engineering, Tech Sales, UX/UI Design
- Learning Format: Online
Job Guarantee
Money-Back Guarantee
Springboard’s self-paced bootcamps offer a job-focused curriculum and a career guarantee. If you don’t secure a job within six months of graduating, Springboard will offer your money back.
These bootcamps let you work independently at your own pace over six months. But you’ll have the support of a student advisor, mentor, career coach, and an online community of peers.
Each career track includes mini projects and capstones designed to help students build a portfolio and land a job. Hiring managers edit your resumes and social profiles. About 93% of graduates from the August 2021 class reported getting job offers within one year.
True Coders
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $4,500
- Technical Disciplines: Software Engineering, Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
Career Services
Deferred Tuition Plan
Income Share Agreement
True Coders trains developers through flexible self-paced bootcamps that take 9-24 weeks to finish. Each week, you complete assignments and career development seminars through Zoom and Slack. Self-paced bootcamps include exercises, quizzes, and videos, but you can do them on your own time.
Mentors guide you throughout the program. And while completing the program, you interview for potential careers. You need a computer, a stable internet connection, and a webcam to start.
Udemy
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $99
- Technical Disciplines: Data Science, Web Development
- Learning Format: Online
Evening & Weekend Options
Money-Back Guarantee
With more than 200,000 courses, Udemy features on-demand programs that you can start and complete whenever you want. At Udemy, instructors own and run programs, providing self-paced bootcamp resources such as videos, exercises, and articles.
Students get lifetime access to materials. Udemy lets you preview courses and get your money back within 30 days if you are not satisfied.
V School
- Location: Remote
- Programs Starting At: $12,000
- Technical Disciplines: Web Development, UX Design
- Learning Format: Online
Accepts GI Bill®
Start For Free
V School has trained students since 2013 using a self-paced format based on each learner’s background and availability.
You can spend as much time as you want learning new skills and working on projects for your portfolio. The “mastery-based” programs feature live-streamed videos and asynchronous lessons that allow you to progress by completing each lesson at your own pace.
The development team screens new applicants with aptitude tests and evaluations. The full-time program takes 12 weeks to complete.
Frequently Asked Questions About Self-Paced Bootcamps
Is a coding bootcamp enough to get a job?
Yes. But what you need to land a job in tech depends on the employer and the position. Several big-name companies often hire people right out of coding bootcamps with no prior work history.
That said, coding bootcamps do not provide a magic formula to get a high-paying career. Expect to put in the work to train in your chosen tech discipline.
What is the most respected coding bootcamp?
This answer depends on what metrics you use. Some of the longest-running bootcamp providers include the 2011-created General Assembly, the 2012-founded Flatiron School, and Fullstack Academy. Coding bootcamps often publish students’ outcomes, which include job placement rates and average graduate income.
Use this data to inform your decision, but take notice of the information that remains unverified by the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR). Unlike non-members, CIRR members must adhere to standardized regulations to audit and report student outcomes.
Can you fail out of a coding bootcamp?
Yes. Coding bootcamps typically do not grade students. However, self-paced coding bootcamps require you to complete lessons or modules before you can move on. If you cannot demonstrate your aptitude, you cannot move forward. This is why most coding bootcamps require skills assessments and pre-work before enrolling.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/index.asp.
Feature Image: Juan Algar / Moment / Getty Images
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