Best Software Engineer Bootcamps 2023

Software engineering bootcamps are popular, but how do you pick which one is the best fit for you? Here we break it all down for you.

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Updated May 11, 2023

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Software engineering is a rapidly growing field that is critical to nearly every aspect of modern society. According to a report by Grand View Research, the software development market was already worth $24.46 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow by 22.3% from 2022 to 2030. Basically, it's a very good bet if job security is important to you.

Every forecast predicts the number of software engineers to grow rapidly in the future, and with the rapid acceleration of AI and generative content, growth rates might be even higher than predicted.

In recent years, bootcamps have emerged as a popular pathway for people looking to start a software engineering and development career. These intensive, short-term training programs provide practical, hands-on experience. Software engineer bootcamps typically focus on teaching coding languages, software development practices, and other essential skills required for a career in the field.

This guide provides an overview of the best software engineering bootcamps and what students can expect when they enroll in one.

Software Engineering Bootcamps for You

10 Best Software Engineering Bootcamps

App Academy

Location: Remote, New York, San Francisco
Program Cost Starting At: $14,000
Learning Format: In Person, Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-Time

Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options
Start For Free

In the 24-week full-time and 48-week part-time programs, students learn the fundamentals of basic programming, web development, and back-end and front-end programming.

Students are expected to already have some degree of computer science knowledge, but if you are a total beginner, you can enroll in App Academy’s bootcamp prep course for $995. The prep course will also help with interview prep and application assistance for enrolling in the full bootcamp.

Visit App Academy Bootcamp

Codesmith

Location: Remote, New York City
Program Cost Starting At: $20,925
Learning Format: In Person, Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-Time

Career Services
CIRR Member
Evening & Weekend Options

This JavaScript-focused bootcamp aims to prepare students for mid-to-senior-level software engineering roles. This is one of the few software engineer bootcamps that offers in-person classes, but its only location is in New York City.

According to its CIRR report from 2021, around half of students secured an engineering role within 90 days of graduating, with 80-90% finding work within 180 days. Median base salaries ranged from $124,000 to $140,000, depending on cohort/location data.

Visit Codesmith Bootcamp

Coding Temple

Location: Remote
Program Cost Starting At: $7,000
Learning Format: Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-Time, Self-Paced

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

Coding Temple's software engineering bootcamp focuses on tools and technologies like React, Node.js, and SQL. The full- and part-time programs are cohort-based and provide live instruction. Meanwhile, the self-paced option is mostly asynchronous, but you'll have access to live technical coaching and peer sessions.

All students receive lifetime access to career support services. Additionally, Coding Temple offers a money-back guarantee to eligible graduates of the full-time program.

Visit Coding Temple Bootcamp

Flatiron School

Location: Remote, Denver, New York City
Program Cost Starting At: $17,900
Learning Format: In Person, Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-Time

Accepts GI Bill®
Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options

Flatiron School's program is designed for beginners with little to no coding experience. However, you must complete 40 hours of prep work covering the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript prior to the first day of class.

The curriculum is broken down into two courses on front-end development and two on back-end development, followed by a capstone project. The full-time program is only 15 weeks long, while the part-time program is self-paced at around 40 weeks.

Visit Flatiron School Bootcamp

Fullstack Academy

Location: Remote
Program Cost Starting At: $19,910
Learning Format: Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-Time

Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options

This software engineering bootcamp is designed for both beginner and intermediate coders. The JavaScript-based curriculum covers front- and back-end development, databases, development libraries, and full-stack development over the course of 16-28 weeks.

In addition to technical skills, the program helps students prepare a portfolio of apps, and a stand out LinkedIn and GitHub profile.

Visit Fullstack Academy Bootcamp

Galvanize

Location: Remote
Program Cost Starting At: $17,980
Learning Format: Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time

Career Services

Galvanize, which acquired Hack Reactor in 2018, offers an immersive software engineer bootcamp for beginners. The 19-week program teaches you several tools and languages, including Python, JavaScript, React, and MongoDB. You will learn how to build web applications and complete projects for your GitHub portfolio.

Career services are built into the program and include one-on-one coaching, workshops, and mock interviews.

Visit Galvanize Bootcamp

Kenzie Academy

Location: Remote
Program Cost Starting At: $20,000
Learning Format: Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Self-Paced

Career Services

Kenzie Academy from Southern New Hampshire University offers a 12-month software engineering certificate with specialization in back-end Java. While it is an online program, you have the option to attend live courses or watch on-demand recordings.

The program is co-developed with Amazon Technical Academy and is designed to help graduates land a software engineering role at Amazon or another tech company, though there are no guarantees.

Visit Kenzie Academy Bootcamp

Momentum

Location: Remote
Program Cost Starting At: $15,500
Learning Format: Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-Time

Career Services
Evening & Weekend Options

Momentum offers a 16-week immersive course and a 24-week part-time course in software engineering. The curriculum is divided into four phases that cover web development, back-end development, web applications, and Agile development.

Momentum tries to make its programs as flexible as possible to help students balance the difficulty of studying and everyday life. New courses start every eight weeks, and if you need to take a break and brush up on some skills or deal with life things, you can pick up where you left off in the following cohort.

Visit Momentum Bootcamp

Thinkful

Location: Remote
Program Cost Starting At: $9,975
Learning Format: Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-Time

Career Services
Money-Back Guarantee
Start For Free

The full-time software engineering bootcamp can be completed in five months, but requires 50 hours a week. The part-time program, on the other hand, lasts six months and requires between 20-30 hours a week. Also, admittance to the full-time program is dependent on the successful completion of a self-paced prep course, but not the part-time.

Thinkful offers a few free, beginner-friendly practice exercises, so students can play around and get a feel for the program.

Visit Thinkful Bootcamp

TrueCoders

Location: Remote
Program Cost Starting At: $4,500
Learning Format: Online
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Self-Paced

Career Services

The software engineering bootcamp at TrueCoders is targeted toward students with little to no coding experience. There is a full-time, nine-week program with live courses and a self-paced program that you can complete according to your schedule.

After completing the program, students get lifelong access to their career services which can be a helpful bonus.

Visit TrueCoders Bootcamp

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.

Other Notable Software Engineering Bootcamps

What Is Software Engineering?

Software engineers often plan and manage an entire software project, including organizing a variety of tasks and teams to meet the project's objectives. They often guide the work of software developers, testers, and quality assurance analysts to complete the full development life cycle of a software program or system, from planning to production.

Software engineers understand the multiple components necessary to ensure that products like web browsers, operating systems, and software applications function quickly and seamlessly. They manage the design, configuration, programming, testing, and maintenance required to successfully engineer new software products. Software engineering bootcamps teach critical programming skills, including Python, Java, C++, and JavaScript.

Software Engineering vs. Software Development

While software engineers and developers perform some of the same tasks, software developers may work within a more limited scope than software engineers. Furthermore, software engineers create various types of software, but web developers specialize in designing web applications.

Software engineers may create software for Windows, Mac, or Linux operating systems and web-based apps or programs. Software developers may focus on one particular software product or function, such as a virtual reality video game or an app that captures email addresses and adds them to a mailing list.

Software Engineer Career Paths and Outlook

Aspiring professionals can attend a software engineer bootcamp to pursue lucrative jobs in tech. Graduates can apply for multiple high-paying, high-growth computer and IT occupations, with software engineering among the top earners.

While many employers require applicants to hold a software engineering bachelor's degree, bootcamp graduates may find entry-level employment to build experience. With experience, software engineers can also become computer or information systems managers.

Software developers (including software engineers) earned a median annual salary of $120,730 in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS projects a 26% increase in software developer jobs between 2021 and 2031, which is much higher than the projected 15% increase across all computer and IT occupations.

Find Other Bootcamps Available

Coding Bootcamps

Full-Stack Bootcamps

Software Development Bootcamps

Web Development Bootcamps

Frequently Asked Questions About Software Engineering Bootcamps

How much do software engineering bootcamps cost?

While costs vary, the average bootcamp tuition was about $13,500 in 2020. This figure represents bootcamps that offer full-time, intensive programs and thorough career preparation.

Software engineering bootcamps still require a significant financial investment but can provide major savings of time and money compared to earning a four-year degree. Even the priciest bootcamps that charge up to $20,000 cost less than a typical four-year degree, which totals over $66,000, according to 2020-2021 data from the National Center for Education Statistics.

How long are software engineering bootcamps?

Every program is different, but generally, you can expect bootcamps to last 4-6 months. It can be tempting to try and go through a program as quickly as possible to get back into the job market, especially if you just paid a lot of money for the program. However, it’s important to actually invest in yourself and learn the skills and tools that are going to help you get and be good at your new job. Cutting corners isn’t going to help.

Can I get a software engineering job from a bootcamp?

Yes, software engineering bootcamps often prepare graduates for immediate entry-level employment. Some bootcamps offer money-back guarantees if graduates are not able to find in-field employment within a set time period after graduation. Bootcamps typically also provide extensive career support services, such as career coaching, resume review, interview prep, and networking opportunities.

Are software engineering bootcamps worth it?

Yes, software engineering bootcamps provide an alternative to a four-year degree for aspiring IT professionals. While a bootcamp does not impart the same depth of knowledge and experience as a degree, it can provide a faster, potentially more affordable path to entry-level tech employment.

Software engineering bootcamps suit students seeking a broad introduction to common programming languages, project management skills, and career resources in tech and IT fields.

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

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