Other than superhero movies, I’m not sure how many things I could name from the 2010s that generated a gigantic industry as quickly as coding bootcamps in web development.
I’m being hyperbolic, of course, but consider this: the first coding bootcamp opened its doors in 2011. By 2014, there was an industry worth roughly €60 million, which less than 10 years later is worth almost €1.7 billion. And that figure could triple again by 2028.
So yeah, at this point Disney may be buying the franchise.
Because the industry of coding bootcamps has now become as wide as the waters, those same waters are getting harder to navigate. So, today we’ll be doing a little bit of good old summarising & updating, and putting down some yardsticks for the beloved industry of which our own school is very much part.
We will be looking at which coding bootcamps in web development – of the hundreds if not thousands on the global market – are the main players today, and we will also be answering a few recurring questions, like what exactly is a bootcamp and are they actually worth it when it comes to finding a job.
In fact let me start with a contents section, so we all know what we’re getting into with this article.
CONTENTS
What exactly is a coding bootcamp – and what is the difference with a programming course?
Ok, but what do you actually learn in coding bootcamps?
Top coding bootcamps as of 2023
How to pay for coding bootcamps: a quick guide
How much do coding bootcamps cost?
Are coding bootcamps worth the price – even in the age of tech layoffs?
Can you get a job with a coding bootcamp?
What exactly is a coding bootcamp – and what is the difference with a programming course?
By now, everyone in the world of education – universities, schools, governments, probably even the old sage in Kill Bill – has understood that the global software developer shortage is not a problem we can afford to ignore.
As a result, options for learning how to code, from free self-learning platforms like freeCodeCamp to accelerated certification programs in universities, have sprung up like mushrooms.
How, if at all, is a coding bootcamp different from any of these other programming courses?
The answer is, in three simple ways. The first is duration, which usually ranges between two and six months – considerably faster than, say, a university degree.
The second is support, most notably that of qualified instructors, but also that of other auxiliary staff (a competent career service department, for example, is a staple of the modern bootcamp). There exist some self-learning programs out there that sell themselves as ‘coding bootcamps’, but let’s be clear – if you’re left alone throughout, it’s not a bootcamp.
The third and most important way that a coding bootcamp distinguishes itself is by its intensity. The term ‘bootcamp’ comes from the training camps for US Marines, and while you won’t be asked to roll in the mud, a web development program of this kind will push you to your limits. You’ll be inundated with difficult problems and often feel overwhelmed with information as you spend all day studying a whole new world, which is normal – but by the time you’re done, mark my words, you will have learned!
Ok, but what do you actually learn in coding bootcamps?
Next stop, semantic ambiguity station, all aboard.
The earliest coding bootcamps only taught web development, which is among the largest fields in programming and, still today, among the most popular for learners. Because of this, coding bootcamps have retained a special association with web development – and this is why our focus in this article is on this particular segment of the industry.
However, the term ‘coding bootcamp’ doesn’t have to be exclusive to web development, and indeed in the last decade we have seen a proliferation of bootcamps in other fields of tech as well, perhaps most prominently in Data Science, but also in things that are not primarily about coding, such as Marketing Analytics and Digital Product Design. No doubt many other worlds are due to be explored!
In other words, search for ‘coding bootcamp’ on Google and the first results will probably be mostly web development programs. But almost anything that makes for a vibrant field of work with some significant relation to the world of programming can fall under the umbrella of the term ‘bootcamp’.
Top coding bootcamps as of 2023
Now as promised – here is a schematic approach of all the most important coding bootcamps available today. We did our best to adopt an international outlook and we indicated the country of origin, but note that all of these bootcamps are in English, offer online options and have no restrictions by nationality.
The columns “Funded” and “ISA” refer to modes of payment made available by the bootcamp itself – see the next section of the article for a detailed explanation.
| Provider | Program Name | Price | Funded | ISA | Full Time | Part Time |
| WBS CODING SCHOOL (Germany) | Full-Stack Web & App Development Bootcamp | €10,500 | Yes | Yes | 15 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Coding Dojo (USA) | Software Development Bootcamp | $16,995 | Yes | No | 16 weeks | 18-34 weeks |
| Le Wagon (France) | Web Development Course | Variable | Yes | Yes | 8 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Ironhack (Germany) | Web Development Bootcamp | €8000 | Yes | Yes | 9 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Springboard (USA) | Coding Bootcamp Online | $16,200 | Yes | No | N/A | 36 weeks |
| Wild Code School (France) | Web Development Course | €6000 | Yes | Yes | 12 weeks | 20 weeks |
| Flatiron School (USA) | Software Engineering Bootcamp | $17,900 | Yes | No | 15 weeks | 40 weeks |
| Altcademy (USA) | Full-Stack Web Development | $1490 | No | No | N/A | 20-25 weeks |
| Spiced Academy (Germany) | Web Development Coding Bootcamp | €8500 | Yes | No | 12 weeks | N/A |
| General Assembly (USA) | Software Engineering Immersive | $15,950 | Yes | Yes | 12 weeks | 24 weeks |
| Primathon Academy (India) | Frontend Developer | ₹75,000 | No | Yes | 24 weeks | N/A |
| CareerFoundry (Germany) | Full-Stack Web Development Program | €8990 | No | Yes | 20 weeks | 40 weeks |
| upGrad (India) | Full Stack Development Bootcamp | ₹225,000 | Yes | No | N/A | 48 weeks |
How to pay for coding bootcamps: a quick guide
As our chart above includes two options which will not be self-explanatory to everyone, namely “Funded” and “ISA”, we’ll explain what we mean by them here, and also look more broadly at how coding bootcamps can be paid for.
All of the coding bootcamps we listed are examples of private and not public education, meaning they require tuition fees to be paid. For those who have the option to pay them from their own savings, it’s normally possible to either pay the full amount in one go (sometimes this leads to a discount), or to pay it in instalments spread out over the duration of the bootcamp and sometimes beyond.
For those who cannot afford to pay the tuition fees privately, several options exist.
Sponsored funding (column: “Funded”) represents a case in which the tuition fees are paid by a third party. The classic example is that of a government agency, such as an employment office, assisting learners with picking up new skills. They pay for the learner’s education, and then indirectly recoup their money in the form of taxes when said learner has become a high earner. For example here in Germany the most common such resource is the Bildungsgutschein voucher, but sponsorship can take many forms depending on the country.
Note that in the chart above, the box “Funded” indicates which bootcamps already have the resources and infrastructure in place to assist prospective students in finding a sponsor. It does not mean that the other bootcamps will necessarily refuse a sponsor if you can find one by yourself!
“ISA” refers to Income Sharing Agreement schemes. These are cases in which you are loaned the funds to cover the tuition fees, but only have to pay the money back once you are employed and earning above a certain amount. Said schemes are quite variable, especially from one country to another, and may sometimes require you not to repay the exact amount you were loaned but instead an agreed percentage of your future income (meaning if the bootcamp leads you to earning more than you expected, you’ll also be paying back more than you expected).
As above, the box in the chart refers to those bootcamps that can already refer you to ISA schemes, but it may be possible to find and apply to said schemes independently for the other options.
One final funding option is that of scholarships, meaning grants awarded to special groups or individuals, such as students who accomplished something particularly noteworthy, or underrepresented demographic groups. You may notice we did not include scholarships in the chart, and that’s because scholarships are impossible to categorize – there are usually dozens if not hundreds of types of scholarships in every country. We can safely assume that for every bootcamp in our list there exists at least one scholarship, although of course it will only be available for members of its target group.
How much do coding bootcamps cost?
The price of tuition fees for coding bootcamps typically goes from €6000 to just short of €20,000. This figure can vary greatly depending on the international region where you sign up for a bootcamp, the duration of the bootcamp, whether it’s on-site or remote, and perhaps most importantly the level of professional support that you can expect to receive throughout the course.
Are coding bootcamps worth the price – even in the age of tech layoffs?
Prior to 2022, when even a modest knowledge of PHP would have employers stalking you à la Joe Goldberg, asking the above question would have earned you the same looks as if you’d asked Should I cash in my winning lottery ticket? The answer would have been yes, compounded with a few Are you crazy or what?
The phenomenon now known simply as ‘the tech layoffs’ of 2022, which is sadly still ongoing in 2023 and which saw even the most prestigious tech companies all over the world firing tens of thousands of their employees, has certainly forced assessments to become more sober.
It has to be acknowledged that it’s not as easy to find a job in tech today as it was a few years ago (when it used to be remarkably easy). Competition has become sharper, as many of the skilled professionals who recently lost their jobs are now back among the candidates.
In spite of this, the answer is still very much yes – coding bootcamps are definitely worth it, at least if you’re looking to work in tech. The layoffs only slowed down the constant growth of tech, at a point when that growth seemed admittedly out of proportion – but they certainly did not arrest or revert it.
Moreover, technology continues to seep into other fields of work, like tourism, entertainment, marketing, finance, health services, and many, many more. In all of these fields, professionals who understand new technologies and how to use them will have an edge over the rest.
Thus, any educational path that allows you to develop some tech skills is guaranteed to reward you, usually quite quickly, but if not, for sure in the long run. And coding bootcamps remain the fastest option out there to learn those skills.
Can you get a job with a coding bootcamp?
Yes, very much so. Having said that, and once again, finding a job is admittedly not as easy now as it used to be. Where a coding bootcamp certificate used to be enough to open all sorts of doors, now it is more important to be selective about what you learn.
Look at the list we provided above, and compound it with a little bit of further research to find out where it is that each bootcamp carries prestige. A bootcamp certificate you pick up in Brazil might not carry a lot of weight if you’re applying for jobs in the UK, for example.
As well, before choosing your bootcamp, make sure you try your hand at a few, basic coding exercises, and think carefully about what kind of work it is that you want to do. If you’re certain that backend development is your jam, for example, find a bootcamp that specialises in that.
Above all, show initiative. Graduation should always be seen as the beginning of the journey, not as the end. Once you’re done with your bootcamp, work on your portfolio and keep expanding your skills even as you start looking for jobs. Coding skills go rusty quickly – so keep them well-oiled.
The state of the industry in 2023 means that even a Masters degree from a university, by itself, will not translate into an immediate and guaranteed job offer.
But for those with the skills and the drive, finding a job in a continuously growing industry like that of tech is certainly very doable. You bring the drive – the coding bootcamp will give you the skills.
