Coding Bootcamps with Job Guarantees

Want a guaranteed return on your coding bootcamp investment? Get a job after finishing these coding bootcamps with job guarantees — or get your money back.
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Nalea J. Ko has worked as a journalist in Hawaii, Los Angeles, and New York covering news and entertainment. She currently writes about tech, with a focus on coding. Nalea received her MFA degree in fiction from Brooklyn College and bachelor's in jou...
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Updated on April 14, 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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There may be no guarantees in life —except if you go to coding bootcamps with job guarantees. For nearly two decades, coding bootcamps have provided a faster pathway into tech than a college degree. While a bachelor's degree takes four years, you can complete coding bootcamps in 4-6 months.

Coding bootcamps teach web development, cybersecurity, and UX/UI design, among other disciplines. Many also help you build a coding portfolio and develop career-ready skills to get a job. And you can also find bootcamps with job guarantees.

Coding bootcamp job guarantees mean you get a refund if you do not get a qualified job offer within a set time after graduating. However, you need to meet the requirements. Find out more about bootcamp job guarantees in this guide, and see what it takes to get admitted into a bootcamp.

What is a Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantee?

A job guarantee is a money-back guarantee offered by a bootcamp provider that says you can get your tuition refunded if you don't get a job within a certain amount of time. For example, a bootcamp provider may guarantee that you will find a job paying at least $40,000 per year within 180 days. Bootcamp providers with job guarantees may have requirements that you must meet to qualify.

Most bootcamp providers that offer job guarantees require that you live within a certain distance of a major city. They are usually not willing to guarantee that you will find a job in the middle of nowhere. There are also other requirements you must meet, such as applying for a certain number of jobs and participating in the career services offered by the bootcamp provider.

The bootcamp provider might require you to meet with a career counselor regularly or attend group meetings with others in your cohort. Each bootcamp provider has its own requirements. Read the fine print carefully to ensure you know what you need to do to qualify for the job guarantee.

Coding Bootcamps You Should Consider

Best Bootcamps With Job Guarantees

Awesome Inc

  • Location: Remote, Kentucky
  • Program Cost: $13,500
  • Technical Disciplines: Web Development
  • Learning Format: In Person, Online
  • Time Commitment: Full Time, Part Time
  • Calendar
    Evening & Weekend Options
  • Thumb Up
    Job Guarantee
  • Cash
    Money-Back Guarantee

The Kentucky-based Awesome Inc, which has trained both kids and adults since 2009, offers job guarantees for its web development bootcamps. If you do not get a job offer within six months of graduation, Awesome Inc will return your tuition.

Students enrolled in the web development bootcamp study part time online for four weeks and then for 12 weeks in person on a full-time schedule. You'll train in programming fundamentals and learn to use HTML, CSS, Python, SQL, and React.

Visit Awesome Inc Bootcamp . External link

Bloom Institute of Technology

  • Location: Remote
  • Program Cost: $21,950-$23,000
  • Technical Disciplines: Data Science, Web Development
  • Learning Format: Online
  • Time Commitment: Full Time, Part Time
  • Briefcase
    Career Services
  • Cash
    Money-Back Guarantee
  • Cash
    Start For Free

The Bloom Institute of Technology offers coding bootcamps that come with a 110% money-back guarantee, whether you pay upfront or through a deferred payment plan.

The curriculum covers data science, full-stack web development, and back-end development, which takes about 960-1,440 hours to complete. You can opt for self-paced or live courses.

Within 365 days after graduation, if you do not get a job paying at least $50,000 a year, you can get your money back, plus an extra 10%. You must meet the job search criteria to be eligible.

Visit Bloom Institute of Technology Bootcamp . External link

Career Foundry

  • Location: Remote
  • Program Cost: $6,210-$8,500
  • Technical Disciplines: Data Analytics, Data Science, UX/UI Design, Web Development
  • Learning Format: Online
  • Time Commitment: Part Time
  • Briefcase
    Career Services
  • Thumb Up
    Job Guarantee
  • Cash
    Money-Back Guarantee

Career Foundry's coding bootcamps prepare you for tech careers in 5-10 months with self-paced courses. And every coding bootcamp — data analytics, digital marketing, product management, UX/UI design, and web development —offers a six-month's job guarantee or your money back.

To qualify for the job guarantee, you must complete the entire program and the job preparation course, plus apply for five jobs a week. These bootcamps come with personal mentorship and career services, including access to the alumni community and career support center.

Visit Career Foundry Bootcamp . External link

Springboard

  • Location: Remote
  • Program Cost: $9,900-$13,500
  • Technical Disciplines: Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Data Science, UX/UI Design, Software Engineering, Web Development
  • Learning Format: Online
  • Time Commitment: Part Time
  • Briefcase
    Career Services
  • Thumb Up
    Job Guarantee
  • Cash
    Money-Back Guarantee

Springboard's online job-focused coding bootcamps, in operation since 2013, come with a job guarantee.

The data analytics, data science, UX/UI design, software engineering, cybersecurity, and tech sales career track bootcamps offer job guarantees. However, the data engineering and machine learning coding bootcamps do not have job guarantees.

Admissions directors determine at admittance if you are eligible for a job guarantee. You must be 18 years old and may need a bachelor's degree. To qualify, you also need to complete the program, which requires about 380-800 hours of curriculum work.

Bootcamps feature individualized learning plans, thanks to career coaches, mentors, and student advisors. According to Springboard September 2022 data, graduates boosted their earnings, on average, by about $25,000 a year.

Visit Springboard Bootcamp . External link

Thinkful

  • Location: Remote
  • Program Cost: $5,000-$10,000
  • Technical Disciplines: Data Analytics, Data Science, Software Engineering, UX/UI Design, Web Development
  • Learning Format: Online
  • Time Commitment: Full Time, Part Time
  • Briefcase
    Career Services
  • Cash
    Money-Back Guarantee

Thinkful's full-time and asynchronous part-time coding bootcamps offer you a 100% tuition refund if you do not get a qualifying job offer within 180 days. Each Thinkful bootcamp has specific eligibility requirements for the tuition refund. For instance, data science bootcamps require that you have a bachelor's degree in a STEM-related major.

Bootcamps offer training in data analytics, data science, and digital marketing. Other options include software engineering, UX/UI design, and technical project management.

According to Thinkful's September 2018 through February 2020 survey results, graduates reported an 80% hire rate.

Visit Thinkful Bootcamp . External link

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.

Pros of Job Guarantee Bootcamps

The promise of a better job is a popular motivator to attend a coding bootcamp. Coding bootcamps with job guarantees can reduce job-search stress because these bootcamp providers have a stake in finding you a career. To ensure you get a job, coding bootcamps with job guarantees often have strong employment partnerships and dedicated career coaches. You may even get to use the career services after you graduate.

That said, you need to qualify for a bootcamp job guarantee. Before enrolling, read the coding bootcamp job placement policy to verify you can meet the criteria.

What Career Services Do Bootcamps Offer?

You might be wondering, What career services do bootcamps offer? Most of them offer resume preparation services and mock interviews. Some help you set up your portfolio to show off the projects you have completed. Others have hiring partners that consider the bootcamp provider's graduates for their open positions.

Career services can be very helpful, even if your bootcamp provider does not offer a job guarantee. Most bootcamp providers want to see you succeed. It makes their bootcamp more desirable when their graduates have good outcomes.

If you're wondering, Can a bootcamp get me a job? the answer is yes. However, you shouldn't expect to have a job handed to you. You will need to get your resume in shape, prepare a portfolio of projects, and practice for job interviews, including tech interviews. You still need to do some job searching and preparation on your own.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coding Bootcamps

Do all coding bootcamps guarantee you a job?

No. Coding bootcamps do not always come with job guarantees, and not every policy is the same. Be sure to read the terms of a bootcamp job guarantee to understand specific qualifications. Sometimes, a coding bootcamp may offer a money-back guarantee instead of a guaranteed career position.

What are some bootcamps that offer money-back guarantees?

Some bootcamp providers that offer money-back guarantees include Awesome Inc, Codeup, and Springboard.

Money-back guarantees and job guarantees are similar, but they are not the same. Usually, the terms of a money-back guarantee are different from those of a job guarantee. For example, some money-back guarantees may allow you to get a refund if you are not satisfied with the program. Job guarantees have very specific terms and only apply if you fail to receive a qualifying job offer within a certain period.

What are ISAs and Deferred Tuition?

Income share agreements (ISAs) and deferred tuition are programs bootcamp providers offer to make it easier for students to finance their education. A bootcamp with an ISA allows you to pay a percentage of your income for a certain amount of time after completing the bootcamp instead of paying an upfront fee. The downside of this agreement is that the total amount paid can end up being much higher than the upfront tuition would have been.

A third-party loan company typically offers deferred tuition. The company agrees to allow you to wait until a certain number of months after completing your bootcamp to start making payments. This allows you a few months to search for a job before you have to start paying back your loan.

What are some employers who hire bootcamp graduates?

Many bootcamps claim that big tech companies, such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Zoom, hire their graduates. Some other companies that hire bootcamp grads include Vimeo, Scribd, Vroom, and Thinkful.

Many companies that hire tech employees, such as web developers, data scientists, and cybersecurity specialists, hire bootcamp graduates. Employers often find that there are not enough college-educated candidates available and that many bootcamp grads are just as qualified as their college-educated peers.

Do employers take coding bootcamps seriously?

Yes. Employers regularly recruit graduates from coding bootcamps for data analytics, cybersecurity, UX/UI design, and web development jobs. Bootcamps with job guarantees, like CareerFoundry, report that graduates have joined worldwide offices at Google, Netflix, and PayPal. Other coding bootcamps offer local opportunities. For example, Awesome Inc offers a direct pipeline for graduates to find work at Kentucky-based startups.


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