The Best Online Coding Bootcamps of 2023: A Complete Guide

A good computer science specialist is hard to find. They aren’t rare because computer science is an unpopular degree.

In fact, U.S. universities graduated 104,874 computer and information science students in the 2020-21 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). These graduates simply can’t keep up with employers’ demands.

Bootcamps are helping fill the employment gap. Career Karma reported that 115,673 people graduated from a bootcamp in 2021-22 alone. Their top employers included Accenture, Amazon, and JP Morgan Chase & Co.

While many bootcamps enroll students from major urban tech hubs like New York and San Francisco, online bootcamps are bringing technical education to everyone, no matter where you live.

Students across the country can study JavaScript, Python, MySQL, cybersecurity, data analytics, or another career-ready skill.

With so many online programs available, how do you choose which one is right for you? We created this guide to the best coding bootcamps online to help you decide.

Coding bootcamps offer accelerated, intensive technical training in computer programming and other technical skills. They include special career training designed to make students job-ready upon graduation.

They typically offer a variety of scheduling options through full-time, part-time, or self-paced study. Bootcamps may also offer financial support like deferred tuition or income share agreements.

Online coding programs may deliver courses synchronously (live) or incorporate some asynchronous (pre-recorded) course content. Many online bootcamps follow a cohort model.

While the online format cannot replicate in-person learning completely, online coding bootcamps still emphasize project-based learning, collaborative work, and field experience.

Coding bootcamps usually prepare students for web and software developer jobs. Students learn to use the most popular programming languages like Java, JavaScript, and Python. Online coding programs incorporate hands-on projects, real-world experience, and professional portfolio development. They also focus on career skills, especially problem-solving and communication.

Understandably, you may want to know if coding programs are worth the hype. How much a coding bootcamp costs is always a top concern.

You may be debating if you should attend college or coding bootcamp. And, perhaps most importantly, you may be wondering — can a coding bootcamp get me a job?

Exploring the pros and cons can help.

Coding bootcamps can’t guarantee you a job, but some don’t charge you tuition until you land one. Statistics vary by source, but most research agrees that about 80% of bootcamp graduates are employed within 180 days of graduation.

A Gallup poll found that the median salary rose $11,000 per year among graduates employed full time before bootcamp and full-time after bootcamp.

As a bootcamp graduate you can qualify for one of many careers. Those listed below offer a look at top options, but some may require further academic study or certification.

A bootcamp is one way to get started in an exciting computer science career. Is it the right way for you?

An online coding bootcamp can help you pivot quickly, deploying you into a new career in a matter of a few months. For some people, that’s the right choice. If you’re weighing the benefits of bootcamp against college, however, be sure to consider the full array of benefits college offers.

You are, after all, unlikely to secure a job paying $100,000 after 12 weeks of career education. But many people with computer science degrees can command upwards of six figures according to the BLS.

A coding bootcamp is often an excellent choice for software engineers who are changing direction, college graduates who want to get into another field, and people without degrees who need job training fast.

If you choose the best bootcamp you can find, work hard in your courses, and take advantage of every opportunity you are offered, bootcamp can help you get started in your career.

The discussions continue, but the data are clear — employers respect bootcamps. According to a study by Indeed, 84% of employers think bootcamp graduates are equally or better prepared for their jobs than computer science graduates. Of the 1,000 HR managers and technical recruiters surveyed, 80% had hired a bootcamp graduate.

No, coding bootcamps do not hold accreditation like colleges and universities do. However, bootcamps may be affiliated with an accredited educational institution, or they may hold recognition from a professional association like CIRR. While it can signify professionalism, CIRR membership does not strictly correlate with accreditation.

All coding bootcamps are intense experiences, but some are more challenging than others. It all depends on how long the program and how advanced the curriculum is. For example, full-time bootcamps may feel more intense than part-time programs. In general, though, a bootcamp’s difficulty, like its value, depends on how much effort you put into it.

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