The Coding Bootcamp Handbook - How Do Bootcamps Work and Are They Right For You - PDF

9/7/2019 The Coding Bootcamp Handbook: How Do Bootcamps Work and Are They Right for You?
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30 AUGUST 2019 / #CODING BOOTCAMPS
The Coding Bootcamp

Handbook: How Do
Bootcamps Work and Are
They Right for You?
Quincy Larson
The teacher who founded freeCodeCamp.org.
Before you spend thousands of dollars and several

months of your life on a coding bootcamp, spend 30
https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/coding-bootcamp-handbook/ 1/51
minutes reading this handbook. Menu
Who is this handbook for?

Anyone considering attending a bootcamp
Any developer considering founding a bootcamp or teaching at

one
Any journalist writing about bootcamps
For the people who think

they're too busy to read
this handbook...
My advice to you boils down to this: Do your research.
Apply for lots of developer jobs rst. Go through some job

interviews. You may be able to get a developer job without needing to
attend a bootcamp.
Don't blindly trust bootcamps' testimonials or employment

statistics. Use LinkedIn to reach out to their alumni directly.
Prepare yourself. Make sure you have enough money. If you're ready
to enroll, make sure you have enough cash to pay tuition. And make
sure you have enough cash to survive during the bootcamp, and for 6
months after while you apply for jobs.
Bootcamps aren't magic. Bootcamps can only help prepare you. You Menu
have to learn everything. You have to go through the developer job
interview process. You have to put in the work.
A note on objectivity
I've designed this handbook to be as objective as possible. To this end,
I do not mention any bootcamps or their founders by name. I do not
link to any of their websites.
I didn't write this handbook to help bootcamps. I wrote this handbook

to help you.
As the teacher who founded freeCodeCamp, I am in a unique position

to write about bootcamps for three reasons:
1. A lot of bootcamps use freeCodeCamp for their curriculum

and course prepwork. I've helped coach a lot of bootcamp
founders on how to prepare people for developer careers.
2. I learned to code in San Francisco in the early 2010's, when

bootcamps rst came onto the scene. I didn't attend a
bootcamp, but I hung out with many bootcamp founders and
attended student "demo days."
3. Over the past 3 years, I've conducted signi cant primary

research. I've published several datasets containing responses
from thousands of bootcamp alumni.
freeCodeCamp's mission is to help as many people learn to code as

possible. Bootcamps help a lot of people accomplish this. So they are
helping freeCodeCamp in our mission. Menu
This said, freeCodeCamp has never received any compensation from

bootcamps. Several of the big bootcamp chains have approached us
about sponsorship. We have always refused.
Why did I write this

handbook?
When you Google "coding bootcamp" or "coding bootcamps in [city
name]", you nd a lot of bootcamp review websites. But there are
fundamental problems with these review sites.
First, these review sites are sponsored by the bootcamps themselves.

Bootcamps pay for advertisements. They pay to rank higher in the
search results. They pay for "paid placement" blog articles, op-eds,
and other publicity.
This is a con ict of interest.
Second, many of the reviews on these sites were coerced. I've heard
stories from graduates of several bootcamps who were pressured to
leave positive reviews. In some cases, bootcamps made students write
reviews as a mandatory in-class activity.
There are also a lot of fake reviews written by marketing departments.
It's impossible to know which bootcamps are playing by the rules and
which are cheating. So all that these review sites accomplish is to help
cheaters drown out the more ethical bootcamps.
Instead of relying on websites full of dubious reviews, you should Menu

think for yourself. There are no shortcuts to making a decision this
important.
"The #1 marker of quality of a bootcamp is how hard it is to get
in. Online reviews are completely and 100% gamed. Job
placement statistics are also ruthlessly gamed. The only thing
that's ungameable by a bootcamp is how hard it is to get in." -
one of the former bootcamp managers I talked to while
researching this handbook
This handbook will give you a framework you can use to understand
how bootcamps work. It will help you research your options and plan
the path to your rst developer job.
What exactly is a
bootcamp?
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Bootcamps are schools where you learn to code full-time - usually in

person.
Most bootcamps are around 12 weeks long, though some are as long
as a year.
Most bootcamps cost between US $10,000 and $20,000.
Some bootcamps offer loans - either directly or through a nancing

company.
Some bootcamps offer "Income Share Agreements" where instead of

paying up front, you pay a percentage of your pre-tax income (usually
17%) for several years (usually 2 years). This is not "free money" - and
I'll explain it in detail below.
The goal of a bootcamp is to take a classroom full of people who have

never worked in tech before and help them get their rst developer
job.
That's a tall order. And there's a lot of money on the line. Which leads
us to the next question.
Do bootcamps actually Menu
work?
In many cases, yes. Every year, thousands of bootcamp grads get their
rst developer jobs.
"The best bootcamps take people with raw ability and turn
them into (lightly) experienced programmers. Most of what
they do in some ways is selection, and then put people into
pressure cookers of learning." - a former bootcamp manager I
talked to
But there are also bootcamp grads who fail to get a developer job and
end up going back to their past careers.
Success comes down to a few factors:
How selective the bootcamp is
How capable the teachers are
And whether the people running the bootcamp care about

their employment statistics or are just in it for short term
nancial gains.
Most bootcamps don't publicly share their numbers. And the

bootcamps who do may use non-standard metrics. This makes it
dif cult for you to make apples-to-apples comparisons.
But there's a growing transparency movement within bootcamps.

They are pressuring one another to be more accountable.
Some bootcamps want to self-regulate the industry before the

government is forced to step in and regulate it for them.
Menu
Bootcamps have only existed as a form of post-high school education
for a few years. They aren't yet regulated like colleges and
universities. That is, through accreditation.
Are bootcamps accredited?

The short answer is no, they aren't accredited.
But rst, what does it meant to be accredited? And why's that so
important for colleges and universities?
In the US, most universities are regionally accredited. And some

academic programs are nationally accredited, such as English
preparation schools.
There are two major reasons for this:
accredited schools can help students get a US visa
accredited schools can help students get federal grants or

federal student loans
In order to get accredited, schools have to undergo an audit by

independent educators. These auditors dig through les and make
sure the school is following all the laws. They also make sure students
are getting jobs after they graduate.
If graduates from the school aren't able to get jobs in their eld of
study, that's a red ag. The school may lose its accreditation.
You may have heard the term "diploma mill". These are colleges and
universities that have lost their accreditation (or never got accredited
in the rst place). They sell worthless courses and worthless diplomas. Menu
In the US, public universities are run by the government. These are
accredited. And most private universities are run by nonpro ts - often
by religious organizations. These are usually accredited, too.
But there's a third category of university: private for-pro t

universities. And this is where things get a little sketchy. Some of these
universities are accredited, but some of them aren't.
These private for-pro t universities advertise heavily on late-night TV

and buy lots of Facebook ads. They trick unsophisticated students into
enrolling.
"A foole and his money is soone parted." - Dr. John Bridges, way
back in 1587
In some cases, these schools qualify for federal student loans, the GI
Bill, and other forms of government assistance.
Plainly put, most of these private for-pro t universities are a scam.

The US government is slowly shutting them down. But many people
still fall for their marketing and end up thousands of dollars in debt
with a worthless degree.
Even so, word of these scams spreads slowly. And even when a school
sounds too good to be true, people still want to believe.
This brings us back to coding bootcamps.
Without some form of accreditation, a few bootcamps who are

focused on short term nancial gains - rather than the long-term
health of the bootcamp model - can ride a wave of bootcamp
popularity. They can get rich while serving up sub-par results for Menu
students.
A bootcamp accreditation system could help prevent this.
As I mentioned, most bootcamps don't have the resources to get

accredited. Or they haven't existed long enough to qualify. This is
where self-regulation comes into play.
The Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR) is a joint effort by

bootcamps to publicly share the employment statistics of their
graduates in a way everyone can understand.
Menu
Many prominent bootcamps are a part of this initiative. But some

prominent bootcamps aren't participating or have stopped sharing
their data.
A bootcamp's membership in the CIRR isn't the same thing as getting

accredited, but it's a good start.
What kind of salaries do

bootcamp graduates get?
Based on public
This is data, bootcamp
a standardized CIRRgraduates earnfor
outcomes report the same starting
a bootcamp.
salary as other entry-level developers. This includes computer science

majors and other university graduates who learned to code on their
own.
The biggest factor in how much money you get paid as an entry-level
developer is the cost of living of the city. A junior developer in San
Francisco can make twice as much as a junior developer in the middle Menu
of America.
If a bootcamp says their graduates get higher starting salaries than

the graduates of other bootcamps, that means most of their graduates
get jobs in more expensive cities like San Francisco.
How long does it take

bootcamp graduates to
get a job?
This depends on the bootcamp. Some bootcamps have extensive
career coaching. Others have close ties to local industry and can help
you line up job interviews. Both of these can signi cantly shorten the
number of months you spend applying for jobs afterward.
The post-bootcamp job search takes about 6 months on average.
What is the completion

rate for bootcamps?
A majority of people who start bootcamps go on to nish them.
Most good bootcamps are selective. If they don't think you'll be able
to get a developer job after the program, they won't accept you.
Bootcamps have a short-term incentive to accept you so they can get
your tuition dollars. But they also have a long-term incentive not to Menu
accept you if they think you could hurt their employment statistics.
This said, not all bootcamps care about their employment statistics.
Some may focus on short term cash, due to nancial desperation. (A
lot of high-pro le bootcamps have shut down in recent years.)
In some cases, bootcamps may kick out students half way through
their program.
If the bootcamp is a "cash up front" bootcamp, they've already reaped

the short-term bene t of enrolling you. Even if you're under-
performing, it may make sense to try to salvage you rather than give
you a refund.
These bootcamps do still want the long-term bene t of you boosting

their employment statistics. But this bene t is more abstract than the
cold hard cash you've handed them.
On the other hand, wage-garnishing bootcamps (remember those

Income Sharing Agreements) have a bigger incentive to kick you out if
you're under-performing. This is because they only bene t over the
longer term (17% of your salary over the next 2 years).
Also, some bootcamp students decide to drop out for a variety of

reasons. These may have nothing to do with the bootcamp itself, such
as major life events.
How often do people

graduate from bootcamps
but fail to transition into Menu
tech?
Usually by the time people enroll in more selective bootcamps,
they've already spent a lot of time coding, and are close to being able
to get a developer job. So it's less common for these bootcamp
graduates to fail to nd a job.
But regardless of your skills, nding a developer job is inherently

dif cult. Bootcamps can aid you in this process, and many of them
have career counselors to help.
It is not uncommon for graduates of even selective bootcamps to have

to apply to hundreds of developer jobs (and interview at dozens of
companies) before getting a satisfactory job offer.
"Sometimes people put in all the work, and are talented, but
just don’t get lucky for a long time. Other times, many people
spam click job applications job boards. This rarely works.
The best thing (by far) to do is make industry connections and

meet real people. And then ask other developers for help on
preparing, on seeking jobs, and on referrals. Internal referrals
are generally the best bet." - another former bootcamp
manager I talked to while researching this handbook
So in many cases, when people fail to transition into tech, it's not really
the bootcamp's fault. Some people just underestimate how arduous
the job search process can be and give up before they nd success.
What types of bootcamps Menu
are there?
Some bootcamps focus on particular stacks, like Ruby on Rails, Python

/ Django, or Java / Android. Some even focus on speci c technical
careers, like User Experience Design.
But it's more helpful to think of bootcamps in terms of their

ownership structure. What are their incentives?
Privately-Owned Local
Bootcamps Menu
These are often founded by one or more local developers. The
founders may teach some of the classes themselves. (This is usually a
good thing.)
Most bootcamps start out as locally-owned, single-campus schools

like these.
Privately-Owned Bootcamp
Chains
As locally-owned bootcamps grow, their founders may open
additional campuses in other cities.
By operating more than one campus, owners get the advantages of

economies of scale and economies of scope. They can spread the
burden of xed costs (like marketing and curriculum) across several
schools.
This said, it's hard to offer consistent quality across multiple schools.
My advice to prospective students is to treat each city campus as its

own school. Don't rely on the overall reputation of a bootcamp chain.
Instead, do your research. Seek out alumni from that speci c campus
and interview them.
University-based bootcamps
Most university-based bootcamps aren't run by the university itself.
They are run by for-pro t education companies.
Universities contract with these private companies to run the

bootcamps. These bootcamps pay the university a hefty fee to use Menu
their classroom space and - more importantly - their prestigious name.
It's a controversial practice.
When you look at a university-based bootcamp, don't rely on the

reputation of the university itself. Instead, do your own research.
Free Nonprofit Bootcamps

Nonpro t bootcamps are similar to their locally-run for-pro t
counterparts. The main difference is these have no pro t incentive.
With traditional 501(c)(3) nonpro ts, there is no ownership. Nobody

owns stock. Instead, they're owned by the public.
This is how The Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and

freeCodeCamp are all incorporated.
And some bootcamps use this structure as well.
Some nonpro t bootcamps are completely free. They are donor-

supported, or supported through grants from the government.
There are several of these programs aimed at retraining military

veterans and refugees.
Free For-Profit Bootcamps

Surprisingly, there are a few bootcamps that are for-pro t but still
free. And these programs don't use Income Sharing Agreements to
garnish your wages, either.
These programs are selective. They may require applicants to have a Menu
Ph.D. or other advanced degree.
These programs make 100% of their money from employers. The
program charges employers a recruitment fee when they place you at
their company. These recruitment fees can be as high as 33% of your
rst year's salary.
But you as a student don't pay anything. Your future employer covers
the expense of the bootcamp for you.
Online bootcamps
I mention these last because they are new and experimental.
It's one thing to take a student who is new to coding and prepare them
for their rst job in a matter of months. It's another thing to do this
completely online.
"Learn to code" style websites can teach you online because they are
designed for long-term use. If you practice coding online several times
each week for a year or two, your skills will steadily improve.
But online bootcamps expect you to do all this intensively, over a

much shorter period of time.
Much of the value of a bootcamp comes from sitting shoulder-to-

shoulder with other learners. You help one another get past errors
and failing tests. You build projects together. You form interpersonal
relationships.
All this is much harder to accomplish online, and in such a short period
of time.
The main reason companies offer online bootcamps is simple: they're Menu
dramatically more pro table.
The company doesn't need to rent of ce space to serve as a

campus.
They don't have to worry about housing.
They can hire instructors from all around the world. This is
much cheaper than hiring instructors in, say, San Francisco.
They can dump students into a big chat room together and let
them gure things out with minimal supervision.
Voilà - a coding bootcamp for 1/10th the cost. And a lot of these online
bootcamps still charge as much as in-person bootcamps.
So before you enroll in an online bootcamp, you should do extra

diligence. See whether there is a comparable in-person option in your
city.
What kind of people

generally go to
bootcamps?
All kinds of people attend bootcamps.
But the most common demographics are:
Recent university graduates who haven't entered the Menu

workforce yet and can afford to wait another 6 months to do
so.
Wealthy working professionals who want to switch industries

and can afford to not work for the next 6 months.
Less common, but still notable, are:
Military veterans retraining for civilian careers
People who are unemployed and using loans to nance the

bootcamp (or are signing "Income Share Agreements")
High school and college students learning to code over

summer break (and not planning to enter the workforce
immediately afterward)
The average age of a bootcamp student is 28, but it's common for
people much older than that to enroll in bootcamps.
Menu
Most of them have at least 1 parent who graduated from university.

A visualization of age data from freeCodeCamp New Coder Survey respondents who
have attended coding bootcamps.
Most of them had learned to code on their own for more than 6
months before starting the bootcamp.
Most bootcamp students already have a university degree - though

not usually in computer science.
Is a bootcamp right for

me?
This comes down to several factors:
1. How much time you have
2. How much money you have Menu
3. Whether you are currently working
4. And how much experience you have with coding
Let's talk about all of these factors, starting with money.
Can I afford a bootcamp?
Given in nite time and in nite money, my advice to 100% of people

would be: yes - do a bootcamp.
Menu
But since time and money are scarce, we should discuss this in more
detail.
How much is bootcamp tuition?

As we discussed, some bootcamps are completely free, but these are
not representative of the eld.
Most bootcamps cost between US $10,000 and $20,000. The longer

the program is, the more it usually costs.
Some bootcamps don't require you to pay tuition up-front. Instead,

they garnish your future wages through something called an "Income
Sharing Agreement."
What are Income Sharing

Agreements (ISAs)?
Basically, you sign a contract with these bootcamps. These bootcamps
then work closely with the US Internal Revenue Service. They gure
out exactly how much money you make, then garnish a percentage of
your pre-tax income (usually 17%) for a number of years (usually 2
years).
If your rst job out of a bootcamp pays $50,000 per year, that means
you would pay:
($50,000 * 17% = $8,500) * 2 years = $17,000 total
If you get paid $80,000 per year: Menu
($80,000 * 17% = $13,600) * 2 years = $27,400 total
If you get paid $100,000 per year:
($100,000 * 17% = $17,000) * 2 years = $34,000 total
Most of these ISAs won't kick in until you make at least US $50,000
per year. And if you earn less than $50,000 per year for ve years,
these ISAs will go away and you won't owe anything anymore. And
some ISAs have a "cap" - a maximum amount you have to pay back.
But the important thing to note with ISAs is they are a new form of
debt. Unlike other forms of consumer debt - like student loans - ISAs
exist in a legal gray area.
ISAs are a new form of " nancial engineering". They seem to be legal,
but none of this has been tested in a court of law.
It's also unclear what happens if you take out an ISA, and then the
bootcamp goes bankrupt. (This happens often - even to big bootcamp
chains). You would have no control over who gains ownership over
your debt. It's unclear how aggressively they could pursue you to pay
them back.
So again, do your research.
How much are living expenses Menu
during a bootcamp?
Your living expenses will depend on which city the bootcamp is in, and
that city's cost of living.
Living at home with your parents in the midwest? Your costs will be
much lower than if you are moving to San Francisco and renting an
apartment.
You should save enough money to last you through the bootcamp, plus
6 months. This way, you have enough time to nd the right job and to
cash your rst paycheck.
What is "opportunity cost"?

Opportunity Cost is a concept from economics that roughly means
"foregone earnings."
To get the true cost of attending a coding bootcamp, you should factor
in opportunity cost as well.
Example: You currently earn $3,000 per month. You're moving to San
Francisco, where it can cost $2,000 per month just to rent a bedroom.
You'll attend a 12-week bootcamp that costs $15,000.
Here is your true cost, assuming an additional 6 months until you get a
job and cash your rst pay check:
Bootcamp Tuition: $15,000
Cost of Living: (9 months * $2,000) = $18,000
Opportunity Cost of Foregone Wages: (9 months * $3,000) = $27,000

Menu
True Economic Cost: ($15,000 + $18,000 + $27,000) = $60,000
As you can see, in this case, the coding bootcamp tuition was only
1/4th of the true cost.
So a $20,000 bootcamp that helps you get a job in 4 months can be

cheaper than a $15,000 bootcamp that helps you get a job in 6
months. That is, once you factor in cost of living and opportunity costs.
The lesson is simple: don't get too hung up on the cost of coding
bootcamp tuition itself. It is only part of the true cost.
Are my coding skills good

enough for a bootcamp?
Menu
A naive answer would be "just apply and see if you can get in."
But instead, let's think in terms of the bootcamp's incentives.
There's a Goldilocks Zone for coding bootcamps: not too beginner, not
too advanced - just right.
Scenario #1: Your skills are too

advanced for you to learn much
from a bootcamp
If you're a strong candidate, the bootcamp is con dent you will get a
job afterward. Their only rational decision is to accept you. Even if
they don't think you'd learn much from their program.
Why?
The bootcamp will get your tuition money.
They won't have to teach you much.
And then when you get a job afterward, you'll boost their
employment statistics.
From their perspective, they should admit you.
Menu
Scenario #2: You are too new to
coding to get much out of the
bootcamp
If you're a weak candidate, then it comes down to the decision maker
at the bootcamp. Are they focused on the long term or the short term?
How much do they care about their employment statistics?
If the bootcamp is focused on the long term, they should reject you. Or
assign you additional pre-coursework, then ask you to come interview
again in a few months.
But bootcamps who are struggling nancially don't have the luxury of
worrying about their employment statistics. They may not be around
for the long term. Their rational decision might be to just accept you
anyway - regardless of your preparedness.
"In the long run we are all dead." - John Maynard Keynes in
1923
Maybe you rise to the occasion and succeed against the odds. Maybe
you don't. Either way, the bootcamp gets their tuition money and is
able to stay solvent a few months longer.
Scenario #3: You are "just right"

The bootcamp should accept you in this situation, and it will be a win
for both parties.
But again, you don't know which scenario this is. Is this Scenario #3
where you're "just right"? Or is the bootcamp just saying it is? Are you
actually in Scenario #1 or Scenario #2? Menu

So bootcamps have a strong incentive to accept you even when you're
not good t.
This is why I said the approach of "just apply and see if you can get in"
is naive.
Here's what I recommend you do instead.
Step #1: Spend a few months

learning to code on your own.
Try earning the freeCodeCamp Responsive Web Design certi cation.
Then earn the Algorithms and Data Structures certi cation.
These will ensure you understand the fundamentals. And a lot of

coding bootcamps require these as part of their pre-coursework
anyway.
Step #2: Apply for developer jobs.

How do you handle employers' resume screens and phone screens?
Can you advance to their on-site coding interviews? If so, you may just
want to keep applying for jobs. You may not need a coding bootcamp.
Step #3: Apply for coding

bootcamps.
If you've made it to Step #3, you now know with con dence that you
have some basic skills. And you know that you're not yet ready for a
developer job.
Menu
You can now apply to coding bootcamps with con dence. You won't be
too advanced. If they accept you, you can be con dent that you're not
too beginner, either.
If they don't accept you, you can just continue your self study and
apply to the bootcamp again later.
How do I choose a
bootcamp?
The rst consideration should be: are there any coding bootcamps in
your city? If so, I encourage you to visit them and learn as much as you
can about them.
By staying in your current city, you can reduce your cost of living. You
can also reduce your stress. You don't have to spend your time
shopping for an apartment or learning a new neighborhood. You can
spend that time coding.
Do I need to move to San

Francisco for my
bootcamp?
You might think: "But shouldn't I move to San Francisco, where all the
developers are?"
It's true that the San Francisco Bay Area - which includes Silicon Menu
Valley - is the tech mecca of the western hemisphere.
San Francisco is home to several excellent bootcamps. It also has tons
of employers. And a huge ecosystem of evening tech events,
hackathons, startup communities, and recruiters.
But San Francisco is an expensive, stressful place to live. I worked

there as a developer for 4 years, and I don't plan on moving back any
time soon.
The important thing to remember is: software is still software -

regardless of where you are in the world.
You can learn a lot from most experienced developers who have
worked in tech for 5 or 10 years. Almost as much as you could learn
from an elite developer at a San Francisco tech company.
(And the most elite developers can earn millions of dollars a year. You
probably won't nd them teaching at bootcamps anyway.)
What tools should

bootcamps be teaching?
Menu
This may sound counter-intuitive, but I'm going to come right out and
say it. The tools don't matter.
Some bootcamps teach Ruby and Rails or Sinatra. Despite their

declining popularity, these are still good tools for new developers.
Some bootcamps teach Full Stack JavaScript with Node.js. This is the
most widely used toolchain for new projects. But it may be a bit
harder to learn.
Some bootcamps teach Python and Flask or Django. Some teach the
.NET ecosystem. Some may go straight into mobile development with
Android and Java or Kotlin. Some go close to the metal with C.
Again, the tools don't matter. What matters is that you learn one set of
tools really well.
Learn one set of tools and understand how everything ts together at

a conceptual level. Then you can easily learn new sets of tools.
You can sum up most of what you'll learn in a coding bootcamp as:
Computer Science fundamentals Menu
Programming itself (lots of practice coding)
Other skills you'll need as a developer. Like software

development methodologies, debugging techniques, testing,
reading documentation.
Understanding the job application process itself.
So don't dismiss a bootcamp because "they teach Rails and I want to

learn Node" or "I want to be a mobile developer" or "I don't want to
learn front end development."
You'll learn the same basic things regardless of which tools the
bootcamp teaches.
How important is a
bootcamp's track record?
If a bootcamp that has been around for a few years, you should pay
close attention to their track record.
Older bootcamps
First, nd out whether the bootcamp is part of the Council on
Integrity in Results Reporting. If they aren't, ask them why not.
You should ask for their employment statistics. If they're reluctant to

show you these - or can't share numbers from the past year - that's a
red ag.
Either way, you should nd their graduates on LinkedIn. Reach out to Menu
them to ask them about their experience there.
Newly-opened bootcamps
If the coding bootcamp is new, there will be much less information
available. You will have to rely much more on your intuition.
Ask for the names of the bootcamp's teachers. Pull them up on

LinkedIn.
Do they have any past cohorts? Find their graduates on LinkedIn and
ask them about their experience there.
Being one of the rst students at a coding bootcamp is an exercise in

high risk / high reward.
Like all kinds of small business, bootcamps may shut down quickly if
they don't get traction. If this happens, you will nd yourself
explaining the school to future employers in the past tense. Awkward.
But at the same time, new coding bootcamps have something to

prove. Their teachers and staff will work like crazy to ensure the
school succeeds. They'll try their hardest to train you. They'll help you
get a good job so they can get a win under their belt and onto their
testimonials page.
In the face of sparse data, you need to decide for yourself. Do the
people running this bootcamp seem like they know what they're
doing? Are they passionate about this?
Should I visit the campus

9/7/2019 p
The Coding Bootcamp Handbook: How Do Bootcamps Work and Are They Right for You?
before I enroll? Menu
Yes. You are about to make a decision that - when you factor in cost of
living and opportunity cost - is tens of thousands of dollars and
months of your time.
By all means, book a ight. Even if you're only ying in for a day trip.
Talk to the teachers and the staff. Scope out the school. Observe the
students.
This is an important decision. And in the grand scheme of things, this

trip is a small investment of your time and money.
Should I reach out to past

alumni?
The answer is always yes. Don't skip this step.
Find them on LinkedIn. If they don't respond to your LinkedIn message

after a few days, nd their email or message them on Twitter. See if
you can get them on a phone call.
Ask them to be as candid as possible. Assure them that everything

they share with you will be in con dence.
Tell them your circumstances. Tell them how important this decision is
for you.
I recommend reaching out to several alumni like this.
This is the most dif cult part of the bootcamp research process. You
may be thinking "I'm an introvert." Or "I don't want to bother these Menu
busy people."
But these people are where you will be a year from now. They are the
best window into what you can expect from this bootcamp.
If you end up going to the bootcamp, these people will be your fellow
alumni. This is an opportunity to also make them your mentors.
Are there free bootcamp

alternatives?
There are a lot of ways you can learn to code without paying anything.
Some of these have been around for decades, like the computer
section of your local library.
Others free resources can help a motivated novice ramp up their skills
and get hired as a developer.
Most developers consider themselves at least partially self-taught.

They have used a variety of these learning resources.
Menu
What are learn-to-code

A chart from websites?
Stack Over ow's annual developer survey.
There are websites where you can learn to code right in your browser.
Some of them - like freeCodeCamp - are completely free.
Some of these learn-to-code websites cost money. But you may be

able to use them for free through your local library.
These websites cover many of the same concepts and tools as coding
bootcamps.
Bootcamps are focused on high-touch in-person instruction. They

operate a campus with classrooms and instructors.
By contrast, learn-to-code websites use instructional design to teach
people inexpensively at scale. Menu

These learn-to-code websites have forums and may even have local
study groups.
Still, many people prefer the traditional classroom environment that

bootcamps provide.
What are "Massive Open Online

Courses"?
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free courses usually
taught by university professors. These tend to be lecture-based, and
may have homework assignments or exams.
MOOCs gained popularity in 2012, and remain an excellent way to

learn concepts. There are hundreds of MOOCs on programming and
computer science - many of which are self-paced.
Some of these MOOCs also offer certi cations, though you may have
to pay for them.
The important thing to note here is that you can learn almost any topic
- straight from world-class professors - at your convenience.
Always keep this fact in mind when you're considering paid learning
resources. They have a high bar to clear to justify their cost.
Are there free coding textbooks?

There are thousands of free programming and computer science
textbooks. Many of these are Creative Commons licensed or even
public domain.
Menu
Developers have also sold books that they've since decided to make
freely available.
Also, some developers release digital versions of their books for free,
and sell physical copies of them.
What are some paid

bootcamp alternatives?
Of course, if you have the money, you can put it to use. There are a
wide range of career training options to consider.
Should I go back to university?

If you already have a university degree, you probably shouldn't go
back to university.
Yes, there are Masters in Computer Science programs. But these are
designed for already-working developers to further expand their
skills.
I don't recommend enrolling in an undergraduate computer science

program to do a second bachelor's degree. This would take years of
extra study. And most undergraduate computer science programs
focus more on math and conceptual knowledge than they do on
hands-on coding.
Coding bootcamps are a much faster way to get coding practice. They
can help you establish the conceptual baseline you need to work as a
developer.
Menu
Can night school courses help me

learn to code?
You may be able to nd a program in your community that helps adults
learn computer skills at night.
Check your local community colleges, libraries, and adult education

programs. See whether they teach software development courses.
Be aware that many of these programs focus on more rudimentary

computer skills. You may not need a course on operating systems,
spreadsheets, or touch typing.
Before you enroll in any courses, ask them about past alumni who are
now working as developers. If they can't provide any, the program may
be too basic for you.
Can I hire a tutor to help me?

Some developers will tutor on the side. You can nd them on online
classi ed ad listings.
There are also websites that specialize in pairing students with online
tutors.
This can be quite expensive. But if you're able to learn to code on your
own, this may be a good option for you. You get the bene t of weekly
tutoring session for the fraction of the cost of a bootcamp.
What is the future for

bootcamps? Menu
The rst coding bootcamps were founded less than a decade ago. This
is still a young industry.
This said, the industry is consolidating. Several bootcamp chains have

been acquired by traditional for-pro t education companies. Textbook
companies, for-pro t university systems - and even a coworking space
startup.
And some coding bootcamp chains have gone out of business.
But it's not like these failures represent a fundamental aw in the

coding bootcamp model. There are hundreds of bootcamps out there
still going strong. And developers are opening new bootcamps all the
time.
But there's less money in running bootcamps than there is in nancing

student debt. And that is where we're seeing the most innovation - in
the area of " nancial engineering."
"The study of money, above all other elds in economics, is one

in which complexity is used to disguise truth or to evade truth,
not to reveal it." - John Kenneth Galbraith, Harvard professor,
in 1975
It's hard to predict what will happen with bootcamps. Here are a few
possible directions - with some of them less positive for students than
others.
Will going to a bootcamp become

as common as going to a Menu
university?
In their current form, bootcamps are not a substitute for a university
education. They are a supplement to it.
Most bootcamp students have already graduated from university.

They are mid-career and enrolling in a bootcamp to learn new skills.
Universities cover a lot of things outside the scope of bootcamps.

Everything from English composition to history to mathematics.
Coding bootcamps cover - well - coding. They also touch on some

computer science concepts and workplace soft skills.
If you see a bootcamp marketing itself as an alternative for college,

that's a huge red ag.
We have centuries of data on universities. We know how effective

they are at increasing your lifetime earnings. A bachelor's degree with
the right major can double or triple your earning power.
Coding bootcamps are new. There isn't much data. And there's even
less data about bootcamp graduates who didn't nish university.
Instead of looking at coding bootcamps as an alternative to university,

look at them as an alternative to vocational college.
If you weren't going to go to college anyway, a bootcamp is better than

nothing. And the skills you'll learn may be more relevant than
traditional trade schools.
In the future, coding bootcamps may indeed become a place more

people go to straight out of high school.
Menu
But we need a lot more ef cacy data rst. I wouldn't send my kids to a
bootcamp instead of a university, and I urge similar caution to you.
By the way, if you're in high school and reading this, here's my advice
to you: go to the best university you can afford without student loans.
Before you take out student loans, look into community colleges.
There are also accredited ultra-low-cost university programs. You can
do many of these online while working. As always, don't trust their
marketing and do your own research.
Will bootcamps eventually

qualify for federal student loans?
Bootcamps are expensive. There aren't many people who can afford to
attend them.
Bootcamps may try to remedy this is the same way universities did. By
lobbying the federal government.
Bootcamps may succeed in opening the government's coffers. This

could be in the form of subsidized student loans. Bootcamps may also
target the GI bill and other programs designed to help people
graduate from college.
Americans hold $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. That's a million

million dollars. That's $16,000 for every man, woman, and child in
America. Student loan debt is the main reason young Americans can't
afford to buy houses anymore.
Should we let bootcamps create even more of this student debt?
It would be a disaster for consumers. Menu
But that doesn't mean it couldn't happen.
Look who's running the US Department of Education right now.

Anything is possible, no matter how damaging it may be over the long
term.
There's an alternative to nancial complexity. Bootcamps can nd new

ways to make it more affordable to people paying cash.
Will bootcamps conglomerate

into a few big chains?
This has already happened to an extent.
Bootcamps can save money by spreading their xed costs across

multiple campuses. They get economies of scale and economies of
scope.
But there are diminishing returns to these bene ts. Some of these
chains have gone out of business. Others - no longer able to operate
on their own - got acquired by education conglomerates.
There is a right size to any operation. It's unclear what the right size
for a coding bootcamp chain is.
Some of the best bootcamps only have one location. Others are able
to keep quality high across multiple campuses. A lot of their success
comes down to the quality of their leadership.
Will the bootcamp model spread Menu
into non-coding fields like law

and accounting?
Software development is a unique profession. It is unencumbered by
regulatory bodies.
Other elds have bureaucracies in place to shut people out. For

example, in the US:
To become a lawyer, you have to go through 4 years of college,

3 years of a law school, then get certi ed by the American Bar
Association through your state's bar exam.
To become an accountant, you have to go through 4 years of

college, attend a bunch of graduate-level courses, get certi ed
by the American Institute of Certi ed Public Accountants
through a long series of exams, then work as a low-wage
apprentice for a year.
To be a doctor, you have to go through 4 years of college, 4

years of medical school, then work as a low-wage "resident" for
3 to 7 years, then get certi ed by the American Medical
Association by passing your state's board certi cation exam.
Without major changes, bootcamps won't work for heavily regulated

elds like these.
Will bootcamps merge with

traditional university programs to
create a new kind of school?

There are already programs that take inspiration from both
Menu
universities and bootcamps.
This said, most big-name universities are hundreds of years old.

Shifting to a much shorter learning period will be dif cult for them to
do. Stranger things have happened, though.
Here's a more likely scenario: bootcamps (and their for-pro t

education conglomerate parent companies) buy accredited colleges
and rebrand them. This way they can skip the long process of
becoming accredited themselves.
For the record, I'm against the mixing of university programs with
coding bootcamps. These are two different education modalities
designed for two different sets of learners.
Instead, we need new types of educational institutions. Preferably low

cost with a stronger emphasis on life-long education and on-the-job
training.
Imagine a school with nonstop internships, where you work in your

desired eld. You have enough money to live on without needing to go
into debt.
There are already programs like this in Europe. And over here in the
US - well, we can dream, can't we?
What are your final words

of advice?
Your developer job search will come down to 3 things:
Menu
1. Your skills
2. Your reputation
3. Your network
Don't make the mistake of focusing on only one or two of these. Think
about ways you can build all three at the same time.
Going to a bootcamp can be the best decision you ever made. Or it can
be an awkward nancial setback.
Do your research. Save up your money. Learn coding fundamentals

rst.
Bootcamps aren't magic. They aren't going to do the work for you.
In the end, the experience is what you make of it. So make the most of
it.
Menu
5 replies
ArielLeslie (totally not a bot) 30 Aug
I don’t recommend enrolling in an undergraduate computer science

program to do a second bachelor’s degree. And I don’t know anyone
outside of academia who would recommend that, either.
I did this and have no regrets.
1 reply
jeremy ▶ ArielLeslie 31 Aug
How did you finance your degrees?
1 reply
ArielLeslie (totally not a bot) ▶ jeremy 31 Aug
My first degree was mostly combination of scholarships and family support.
I got my second degree in my 20s. My first year I had to rely on student

loans while working a job that barely covered my small expenses. For the
next two years I worked internships year-round and was able to pay as I
went (my school let you pay your tuition in a couple instalments per
semester). My signing bonus upon graduation was enough to pay off my
remaining student loans within a couple months of graduation.
I was in a very lucky situation. I’m under no delusion that most people could
do what I did. I had about half a dozen non-traditional classmates who in a
similar situation, and we had a very different experience than most students.
1 reply
jeremy ▶ ArielLeslie 31 Aug
Never knew anybody that got a signing bonus.
MustaphaMusaAduragbe 6 Sep
Am a fresh university graduate who is considering enrolling to a bootcamp.

This handbook has really been useful in helping to make an informed
Countinue reading about Menu
Coding Bootcamps
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9/7/2019 The Coding Bootcamp Handbook: How Do Bootcamps Work and Are They Right for You?

30 AUGUST 2019 / #CODING BOOTCAMPS

The Coding Bootcamp

Before you spend thousands of dollars and several

minutes reading this handbook. Menu

Who is this handbook for?

Any developer considering founding a bootcamp or teaching at

Any journalist writing about bootcamps

For the people who think

Apply for lots of developer jobs rst. Go through some job

Don't blindly trust bootcamps' testimonials or employment

I didn't write this handbook to help bootcamps. I wrote this handbook

As the teacher who founded freeCodeCamp, I am in a unique position

1. A lot of bootcamps use freeCodeCamp for their curriculum

2. I learned to code in San Francisco in the early 2010's, when

3. Over the past 3 years, I've conducted signi cant primary

freeCodeCamp's mission is to help as many people learn to code as

helping freeCodeCamp in our mission. Menu

This said, freeCodeCamp has never received any compensation from

Why did I write this

First, these review sites are sponsored by the bootcamps themselves.

This is a con ict of interest.

There are also a lot of fake reviews written by marketing departments.

Instead of relying on websites full of dubious reviews, you should Menu

Bootcamps are schools where you learn to code full-time - usually in

Most bootcamps cost between US $10,000 and $20,000.

Some bootcamps offer loans - either directly or through a nancing

Some bootcamps offer "Income Share Agreements" where instead of

The goal of a bootcamp is to take a classroom full of people who have

Do bootcamps actually Menu

Success comes down to a few factors:

How selective the bootcamp is

How capable the teachers are

And whether the people running the bootcamp care about

Most bootcamps don't publicly share their numbers. And the

But there's a growing transparency movement within bootcamps.

Some bootcamps want to self-regulate the industry before the

Are bootcamps accredited?

In the US, most universities are regionally accredited. And some

There are two major reasons for this:

accredited schools can help students get a US visa

accredited schools can help students get federal grants or

In order to get accredited, schools have to undergo an audit by

But there's a third category of university: private for-pro t

These private for-pro t universities advertise heavily on late-night TV

Plainly put, most of these private for-pro t universities are a scam.

This brings us back to coding bootcamps.

Without some form of accreditation, a few bootcamps who are

A bootcamp accreditation system could help prevent this.

As I mentioned, most bootcamps don't have the resources to get

The Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR) is a joint effort by

Many prominent bootcamps are a part of this initiative. But some

A bootcamp's membership in the CIRR isn't the same thing as getting

What kind of salaries do

salary as other entry-level developers. This includes computer science

If a bootcamp says their graduates get higher starting salaries than

How long does it take

The post-bootcamp job search takes about 6 months on average.

What is the completion

Bootcamps have a short-term incentive to accept you so they can get

If the bootcamp is a "cash up front" bootcamp, they've already reaped

These bootcamps do still want the long-term bene t of you boosting

On the other hand, wage-garnishing bootcamps (remember those