How Much Is Coding Boot Camp?

Key takeaways

• The average in-person coding boot camp costs $13,584 and the average online boot camp costs $12,898.

• Community colleges may offer coding boot camps for under $3,000 and some students may be eligible for free boot camp programs, so explore these options first.

• Evaluate the likely job and debt outcomes of any potential coding boot camp before investing your time or money, considering how soon you can make the tuition costs back with your post-graduation salary.

Coding boot camp costs can vary greatly. Programs sponsored through a community college can cost less than $3,000, while private coding schools can cost more than $20,000. Some students may even qualify for a free coding boot camp.

Consider the type of program when looking at boot camp costs. Coding boot camps can last from one day to six months, can have full-time and part-time formats and can teach a variety of coding languages to various depths. Yet, the biggest factors that determine price are usually who sponsors the program and whether it is in-person or online.

The average cost for in-person coding boot camp is $13,584, according to the boot camp review site Course Report. The average cost for an online coding boot camp is $12,898.

» MORE: How to pay for coding boot camp

Make sure to research the potential outcomes of any boot camp before investing your time or money. To do this, check your school’s graduation and salary results with the nonprofit boot camp transparency organization Council on Integrity in Results Reporting, or CIRR, to get a sense of whether it is well-regarded by the tech industry. If your school is not a member of the CCIR, ask it directly about graduation rates and post-graduation salaries. But remember, coding boot camps are not regulated, do not have to answer to an accrediting entity and may not be entirely transparent in their marketing — which can make it tricky to gauge if a program is a good value.

Find out who sponsors the boot camp

Programs sponsored by community colleges can be significantly less expensive than those run solely by private institutions. For example, Estrella Mountain Community College offers an 18-week coding boot camp for $2,900. Like many community college boot camps, this one is administered by a private company and does not qualify for federal financial aid.

Programs that aren’t partnered with community colleges tend to be more expensive. For example, Rithm School’s 17-week program costs $23,000 if you pay upfront and up to $34,500 if you use its deferred payment plan.

Decide which is best for you: In-person or online

Online coding boot camps are typically cheaper than in-person programs. For example, Bottega’s 12-week online program costs $12,000 while Galvanize’s 12-week in-person program costs $17,980.

But there are exceptions. Grand Circus offers a 12-week in-person boot camp for $11,750 before scholarships and early application discounts.

Many online programs align with their in-person counterparts and try to mimic their instruction style and coursework. They do this by using remote collaboration tools like Zoom and Slack. Consider if an online bootcamp will be worth it for you before signing up. Make sure you understand how they will deliver content and that you are comfortable with taking on the workload remotely.

Are there any free coding boot camps?

Some boot camps are free to students who meet certain criteria. These programs may provide the same vigor and career prospects as paid programs, or they may be better suited to help you prepare for a paid boot camp. Ask whether the program offers a certificate or serves as a prep program for the school’s paid boot camp to get a better idea.

Free coding boot camps include: