A Guide to Cheap Coding Bootcamps 2024

• Coding bootcamps offer a quick transition to a technology career.
• In 2020, BestColleges found that the average cost of a bootcamp was $13,579.
• Both full-time and part-time bootcamps offer cheaper alternatives under $8,000.
• Scholarships, loans, employer reimbursements, and delayed tuition packages can all help you afford a coding bootcamp.

The demand for bootcamps is soaring as students look for quick and less expensive paths to a job in the burgeoning tech market. Designed to take students from novice to expert coders in a matter of weeks or months, bootcamps can be an enticing alternative to a four-year degree.

In 2022, Career Karma estimated 58,756 people graduated from a coding bootcamp. These programs may vary widely in scope, size, and influence, however, making their value and popularity challenging to quantify.

If you are considering applying to a career-focused technology program, take a look at our list of cheap bootcamps below.

What Is a Coding Bootcamp?

Coding bootcamps provide short-term, career-focused educational experiences to train students for a technology-related job. Unlike traditional colleges, bootcamps include only coursework focused on the subject with no liberal arts foundation, minor, or array of electives.

Consequently, coding bootcamps tend to cost less than a four-year degree. But just because they're not an undergraduate program doesn't mean they're affordable. Some bootcamps cost multiple thousands, and they rarely qualify for traditional financial aid packages such as federal grants and subsidized loans.

Choosing cheap bootcamps, therefore, can help you save money as you transition into an exciting new career.

What's Cheap for a Coding Bootcamp?

With people coming from so many different economic backgrounds, descriptors like "cheap" and "inexpensive" can be relative and difficult to define.

In 2020, we looked at the base upfront tuition cost of 624 bootcamps offered by 131 bootcamp providers in the U.S. to determine what "cheap" means in the bootcamp industry.

According to our analysis, in November 2020…

• The average cost of a coding bootcamp was $13,579.
• The median cost was $13,500.
• Lambda School (now Bloom Institute of Technology) offered the most expensive bootcamp at $30,000.
• Nucamp offered the least expensive bootcamp at $1,372.

Prices varied depending on several factors, like discipline, format, and time commitment. There are five popular technical disciplines:

• Web development
• Software engineering
• Cybersecurity
• Data science
• UI/UX design

The two least-expensive technical disciplines were UI/UX design and web development.

UI/UX design bootcamps cost $12,436 on average, whereas web development bootcamps had a slightly higher average cost of $12,617.

In contrast, data science bootcamps ranked as the most expensive, with an average tuition of $15,078. Software engineering bootcamps also skewed on the pricier side, with an average price of $15,036. Cybersecurity bootcamps landed in the middle with an average tuition of $14,442.

Online bootcamps cost about $1,000 less than in-person bootcamps, on average. Hybrid bootcamps that combined in-person and online components tended to be the most expensive format — about $800 more than in-person bootcamps, on average.

In addition, full-time bootcamps cost $2,000 more, on average, than part-time bootcamps. That said, many bootcamp providers offered full-time and part-time programs for the same price.

Coding Bootcamps for You

The Cheapest Bootcamps of 2024

The tables below outline the cheapest coding bootcamps from reputable providers. The two tables are divided into full-time programs costing $8,000 or less and part-time programs costing $5,000 or less. The tables list the bootcamps in ascending order by price.

Does "Cheap" Mean Poor Quality?

All bootcamps are not equal when it comes to cost or quality of education. But "cheap bootcamps" doesn't necessarily mean "poor quality."

Doing research beforehand can help you determine how to get the most for your money. You can get information on graduation rates and find out how many bootcamp graduates found jobs in their field.

If a bootcamp doesn't include the data somewhere accessible, be wary. Bootcamps don't hold accreditation like colleges do, so the best assurance of getting a quality education is verifiable student outcomes.

The Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR) provides a standardized system to measure and report student outcomes. CIRR-verified bootcamps ensure transparent student outcomes data.

Use CIRR outcomes, the bootcamp's website, and bootcamp graduates' reviews to evaluate your choices. You can discover how many students graduated on time and how long it took them to find a job in their field.

The data even includes their starting salaries. A bootcamp might provide this information on its website, but the CIRR ensures it's accurate and verified.

Ways to Make Your Bootcamp More Affordable

You don't have to choose a cheap bootcamp to get where you want to go. Several programs offer financial aid opportunities, including discounts, scholarships, and payment plans. Veterans and military members can also apply their education benefits to many bootcamps.

Types of Bootcamp Payment Plans

While some bootcamps may expect you to pay your full tuition before enrolling, most offer arrangements that let you study now and pay later. While many of these plans can help you start your program, they often require paying more than full tuition in the long term.

Let's take a look at five standard bootcamp payment plans:

• Deferred Payment Plans: These plans let you make an initial deposit and then finish paying your tuition in monthly installments. Deferred payment plans may cost more than the bootcamp's sticker price.
• Income-Share Agreements: ISAs work much like deferred payment plans—only your monthly payments are based on the income you earn from your job after graduation.
• Student Loans: Banks or credit unions sometimes offer loans for bootcamps. These loans are not federally subsidized like college loans are. You will pay the principal, full interest, and possibly additional fees.
• Upfront Payments: Paying 100% of your tuition upfront is the most straightforward—and often the cheapest—way to cover a bootcamp's cost.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cheap Bootcamps

Are cheap coding bootcamps worth it?

Any bootcamp that helps you get from where you are to where you want to be professionally is possibly worth it. However, a cheap bootcamp may offer benefits similar to an expensive one. Be sure to consider a bootcamp's outcomes, not just its costs, when making your decision.

Are there free coding bootcamps?

Yes, you can find free coding bootcamps, although these are not common and generally set strict parameters regarding whom they accept. You may also discover bootcamps that charge nothing until you secure a coding job after graduation. Be sure the bootcamp you choose offers measurable post-graduation benefits along with an affordable sticker price.

Will FAFSA pay for a bootcamp?

The FAFSA is the application form used to access federal student aid such as Pell grants and subsidized student loans. Federal aid does not pay for coding bootcamps. However, your GI Bill or other military-related benefits may help cover your costs. If you qualify, ask your bootcamp's admissions representative to help you secure veterans or active military benefits.

Are bootcamps cheaper than college?

The total cost of a bootcamp is generally much lower than the price of a college degree. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a single academic year at a public university costs $21,337. But some bootcamps can cost $30,000 for the same time period. It all depends on what you want to learn.

When compared credit-by-credit or month-by-month, college tuition could be much cheaper than a bootcamp.

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 website at https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/index.asp.