Coding Bootcamps in Chicago

Did you know that Chicago is one of the fastest growing tech hubs in the country? Find top coding bootcamps in Chicago to launch a new tech career.
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Alison Plaut has been writing for educational nonprofit organizations and financial publications for more than 15 years. She is passionate about helping people empower themselves while making a positive impact on society. She is qualified to help ind...
Updated on August 10, 2023
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Kelly Thomas is an editor with BestColleges and specializes in alternative education. She covers topics like coding bootcamps and the tech industry, as well as skilled trades and certifications. She holds a BA in political science from the University...
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Chicago is a growing hub for the tech industry. According to Forbes, Chicago has over 6,150 tech companies and the highest percentage of women-owned startups in the world. As of July 2021, Chicago was setting a record pace for startups reaching a valuation of at least $1 billion. The growing list of Chicago startups valued at over $1 billion includes ShipBob, G2, ActiveCampaign, Enfusion, Bringg, Relativvity, Cameo, and Amount.

Chicago makes a conscious effort to bring together startup founders, executives, and educational institution leaders with World Business Chicago and P33 to attract and create world-class talent. According to the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the median salary in the Chicago tech industry is one and a half times the median salary across all industries. This guide highlights the top Chicago coding bootcamps. These diverse programs offer ways to enter Chicago's growing tech industry in just a few months.

Coding Bootcamps in Chicago

Actualize

  • Programs Starting At: $15,900
  • Technical Disciplines: Web Development
  • Time Commitment: Part Time, Self-Paced

Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options

Actualize's bootcamps center on personalized cohort-based instruction with skilled educators who are also developers. They offer online classes and hybrid courses in Chicago. Students can pay in three installments or monthly payments as low as $450 per month.

Students get job hunting support from the first day of class, and that support continues even after graduation. Graduates have found jobs at companies of all sizes, including competitive tech jobs at Bosch, Amazon, Braintree, Salesforce, Allstate, and Twitter.


Code Platoon

  • Programs Starting At: $16,500
  • Technical Disciplines: Software Engineering, DevOps Engineering
  • Time Commitment: Part Time, Self-Paced

Accepts GI Bill®
Career Services
CIRR Member
Evening & Weekend Options

Code Platoon offers 15-week, in-person and online coding bootcamps to veterans and their spouses. Students have opportunities to attend Chicago-based networking events and workshops and benefit from apprenticeship opportunities after graduation.

Code Platoon has a variety of scholarships, including for veterans and spouses, African Americans, Latino/a Americans, women, transgender veterans, and more.

According to data reported to the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting, 60% of graduates from Code Platoon's H2 2020 Chicago full-stack web development bootcamp were employed within 180 days of graduating with a median salary of $72,800.

For Code Platoon's H1 2020 Chicago full-stack web development bootcamp, 80% of graduates were employed in the field after 180 days with a median salary of $77,400.


Coding Bootcamps for You

Coding Temple

  • Programs Starting At: $6,000
  • Technical Disciplines: Software Engineering, Data Engineering
  • Time Commitment: Full Time, Part Time, Self-Paced

Accepts GI Bill®
Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options
Money-Back Guarantee

Coding Temple offers top-rated online bootcamps in software engineering, Python, and data engineering. Coding Temple's project-based curriculum focuses on individualized attention, student relationships, and a strong alumni network. Students can pay with an income share agreement, installments, loans, or scholarships.

Coding Temple has an 86% graduation rate and reports that 97% of students find employment within 180 days. The average salary of graduates is $77,500. Graduates have been hired by top companies, including Amazon, LinkedIn, Deloitte, Yale, Cisco, and more. They offer a no-risk job guarantee.


DigitalCrafts

  • Programs Starting At: $9,950
  • Technical Disciplines: Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, UX/UI Design, Web Development
  • Time Commitment: Full Time, Part Time

Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options

DigitalCrafts offers flexibility along with live expert instruction. The program is available online and in a hybrid format in Chicago and five other cities. Students get a WeWork all-access membership and can choose to stream classes from a Chicago WeWork location.

DigitalCrafts offers prospective students a transparent and audited job search outcome report. Students can pay with installments, scholarships, or special discounts.


Evolve Security Academy

  • Programs Starting At: $12,500
  • Technical Disciplines: Cybersecurity, OSCP Bootcamp
  • Time Commitment: Part Time

Evening & Weekend Options

Evolve Security Academy offers both in-person and online courses and bills itself as the #1 ranked bootcamp in the world. Students benefit from hands-on labs in live online classes and opportunities for real-world work as security apprentices. No previous coding experience is required.

Evolve Security Academy reports that 95% of cybersecurity bootcamp graduates are hired within six months of course completion. Students can pay in installments or with loans or scholarships.


General Assembly

  • Programs Starting At: $2,800
  • Technical Disciplines: Data Analytics, Data Science, Digital Marketing, Software Engineering, UX/UI Design, Web Development, Product Management
  • Time Commitment: Full Time, Part Time

Accepts GI Bill®
Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options

General Assembly aims to cultivate diverse tech talent for both individuals and companies through immersive training. They offer seven bootcamps, both in-person in Chicago and online. Students can pay through an income share agreement, payment plans, or employer scholarships. They also offer tuition discounts for diversity.

General Assembly claims to have placed more graduates in high-paying, high-growth tech careers than any other coding bootcamp. They have 19,000 hiring partners. General Assembly has helped more than 12,000 people get hired at companies including Nike, Disney, IBM, Costco, and Bloomberg.


Northwestern University

  • Programs Starting At: $12,495
  • Technical Disciplines: Cybersecurity, Data Science, UX/UI Design, Web Development, FinTech
  • Time Commitment: Full Time, Part Time

Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options

Northwestern's bootcamps give students access to exceptional Northwestern faculty both online and in-person in Evanston, Il. Skilled instructors help prepare students with both technical and soft skills for high-growth jobs.

The 12- or 24-week immersive curriculum simulates a professional work environment and helps students practice new skills on complex projects.

Northwestern offers various career services, including soft skills, coaching, and job matching. Students may be eligible for a $500 scholarship.

Get the Qualities You Want in a Bootcamp

We use icons to make browsing bootcamps easy for you. Use this breakdown to quickly identify program qualities you are looking for.

Accepts GI Bill®

Accepts the GI Bill® as funding for tuition.

Also Available In Person

This online bootcamp also offers in-person options.

Career Services

Offers career services to help you land your dream job after graduation.

CIRR Member

This bootcamp is a current member of the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting. Learn more at cirr.org.

Evening & Weekend Options

Bootcamps are offered during convenient evening and weekend hours.

Job Guarantee

Employment is guaranteed as soon as you finish your bootcamp.

Money-Back Guarantee

Tuition is refunded if you don't land a job within a given time frame after graduation. Visit the bootcamp website for terms and conditions.

Start for Free

No deposit is required to get started. Begin your bootcamp for $0.

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.

Our Methodology

The Bootcamp Team at BestColleges has collected data for over 150 bootcamps to help you find the best bootcamp.

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.

At this time, our recommendation round-ups feature only immersive bootcamps designed to prepare students for job placement upon graduation.

To be included on our lists, bootcamps must meet the following criteria:

  • Must offer at least one bootcamp in the United States.
  • Must offer at least one bootcamp that is a minimum of 4 weeks long.
  • Must require at least 15 hours of work per week if the bootcamp is part time.
  • Must encourage at least 10 hours of work per week if the bootcamp is self-paced.

Pricing disclosure: The prices listed were collected from product websites in 2022. However, given the dynamic, fast-paced nature of the tech space, prices are subject to change throughout the year. To get the most up-to-date information about pricing, contact providers directly.

Methodology for Recommending Cheap Bootcamps:

  • The bootcamp must meet all of the general criteria listed above.
  • The bootcamp must cost less than $8,000 if it is offered full time, and less than $5,000 if it is offered part time. These numbers were chosen based on data collected by BestColleges in 2020 that determined the average cost of a coding bootcamp is $13,580.

Job Outlook for Bootcamp Grads in Chicago

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Chicago ranks fourth for the highest employment of computer network architects and fifth for highest web developer employment among U.S. metropolitan areas. Chicago also ranks seventh for metropolitan areas with the highest employment for database administrators and architects and ninth for software developers.

Within the Chicago metropolitan area, average salaries according to the BLS are:

  • Web developers: $89,790 (as of May 2021)
  • Database administrators: $99,960 (as of May 2021)
  • Software developers: $114,000 (as of May 2021)
  • Computer network architects: $127,660 (as of May 2021)

Across the state of Illinois, as of May 2021, BLS identified these top tech careers:

The BLS projects positions for web developers and digital designs to grow 23% between 2021 and 2031 nationwide. Software developer careers are projected to grow 25% in the same period.

Computer network architects are projected to grow slower than the national average, with a 4% increase from 2021 to 2031. Computer programmer jobs are projected to decrease by 10% during the same timeframe.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coding Bootcamps in Chicago

Are there self-paced coding bootcamps in Chicago?

Yes, there are several highly rated self-paced Chicago coding bootcamps. Some of the top-rated self-paced bootcamps in Chicago include Actualize, Code Platoon, and Coding Temple. Each program reports excellent student outcomes while offering a flexible course structure.

Self-paced coding bootcamps in Chicago give students the flexibility to work full time or fulfill personal commitments while working towards a new lucrative career in tech. Many of these bootcamps have good student reviews and high employment rates after graduation, making them a good choice for students who need flexibility while studying.

Are there cybersecurity bootcamps in Chicago?

Yes, there are several top-rated cybersecurity bootcamps in Chicago. Prospective students can look at DigitalCrafts, Evolve Security Academy, and Northwestern University for comprehensive cybersecurity bootcamps.

At Evolve Security Academy and DigitalCrafts, students also earn a CompTIA Security+ voucher with course completion. At Northwestern, students earn skills applicable to certification such as CompTIA Security+, Network+, Linux+, Server+, Cloud+, and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).

These programs are designed to help students launch new careers in cybersecurity. At all three bootcamps, students benefit from developing real-world problem-solving skills.

Which Chicago bootcamps accept the GI Bill®?

The GI Bill® allows veterans to enroll in high technology courses like coding bootcamps and use GI Bill benefits to pay tuition and fees. Popular Chicago coding bootcamps Code Platoon, Coding Temple, and General Assembly all accept the GI Bill.

Code Platoon is exclusively for veterans and spouses and offers bootcamps in software engineering and DevOps engineering. Coding Temple has coding bootcamps in software engineering and data engineering in Chicago.

General Assembly has the most diverse offering with seven coding bootcamps: data analytics, data science, digital marketing, software engineering, UX/UI design, web development, and product management.


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: Photograph by Asim Bharwani / Moment / Getty Images