What Are the Best Chicago Coding Bootcamps in 2021?
If you are looking to make a career switch and become a web developer or a data scientist, learning to code at a bootcamp is the way to go. And Chicago, one of the world’s largest cities, has some of the best coding bootcamps around. Keep reading to discover 10 of the best Chicago bootcamps.
What makes a good bootcamp? Most of the time, people assume the higher the tuition fee, the better the education. However, that isn’t always the case. There are many factors to consider when looking for the right one. As you browse the bootcamps below, pay attention to the various curricula, job placement services, and scheduling and payment options.
The 10 Best Coding Bootcamps in Chicago
There are over 20 coding bootcamps in the Windy City, but our list focuses on 10 of the best. These bootcamps differ in many ways, from the types of offerings to the level of intensity to the teaching practices.
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Actualize is a Chicago coding bootcamp that offers a robust full stack web development course. Because of COVID-19, only the online version of the course is available currently.
Actualize’s program includes four weeks of prework, 12 weeks of live training, and career support. Along the way, you will learn Ruby, Python, JavaScript, HTML, Git, SQL, and CSS.
Tuition: $13,900
Code Platoon is a Chicago-based non-profit organization that offers coding courses to military veterans and their spouses. The school aims to help individuals successfully change careers by providing technical training in programming and job placement services.
Code Platoon is ideal for students with little to zero background in coding. It offers training in full stack software engineering, starting with the basics. By the end of the 14-week immersive program, you will have learned several programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, PHP, HTML, and CSS, just to mention a few.
Students can choose between full-time and part-time course schedules. The school also offers a live remote program for students outside Chicago.
Tuition: $15,500
Coding Dojo is a programming school with campuses in 10 cities across the US, including Chicago. The school offers immersive software development courses for Chicago-based students, who will learn Python, the MERN stack, and C#/.NET.
Software development is the only on-site program offered in Chicago, but students can also take this course online. It runs for 14 weeks.
The school has churned out over 6,000 graduates since 2012. Not only that, but the school has an 89 percent rate of success at placing graduates in jobs within six months.
Tuition: $15,995
Flatiron School is a New York-based coding bootcamp founded in 2012 by Adam Enbar and Avi Flobaum. Since then, the school has opened campuses in Chicago, London, Houston, Seattle, Austin, Dallas, and Denver.
The school offers immersive courses in data science, web development, software engineering, and cyber security analytics. For students in Chicago, the options are data science and software engineering. Both are 15 weeks long, and students can attend in-person or online. All courses are currently online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What makes Flatiron School an ideal coding bootcamp is the rate of employment for its graduates. The school boasts an 86 percent global employment rate with an average starting salary of $75,000.
Tuition: $16,900
Full Stack Academy is a bootcamp with a remote coding program that students in Chicago can enroll in. As a full-time student, you can learn to code web-based apps in 17 weeks. You will learn HTML, JavaScript, and CSS in the online course.
Fullstack Academy is best suited for intermediate programmers. The bootcamp also features top-tier career services to help students get jobs. Its career prep includes help with showcasing your portfolio of apps and writing your resume.
Tuition: $17,910
Based in San Francisco, General Assembly is a coding bootcamp that offers a wide range of short and long web development, product management, and data science courses. The school has over 30 campuses, which have collectively churned out over 4,000 graduates.
General Assembly’s online data science bootcamp runs for about 20 weeks. In general, the school’s immersive programs will equip you with the skills needed to break into the career of your choice, regardless of your prior experience. You get to work with seasoned career coaches, who will help you update your resume and prepare for job interviews.
Tuition: $13,500 – $15,950
Nucamp is an excellent option for aspiring programmers, as it offers several extensive courses in web and mobile development. The bootcamp is mostly online, but it also has a footprint in several cities around the United States, including Chicago.
Nucamp offers courses for beginners as well as for more experienced programmers. Courses include web development fundamentals, front end web and mobile development, and full stack web and mobile development. The programs range in length from four weeks to 22 weeks.
You should strongly consider Nucamp if you aspire to become a web designer, web developer, or mobile app developer. The school boasts a 78 percent job placement rate, owing in part to the career services it offers as part of its immersive courses.
Tuition: $349 – $1,880
As the name suggests, Product School is a top provider of product management courses and training. Founded in 2014, the school offers various product management courses, ranging from four to 24 weeks in length, and all of them online.
There are many paths to having a successful career in product management, but Product School’s bootcamp is one way to accelerate the process at a fraction of the cost of a degree. At a time when universities are struggling to prepare students for the workforce, Product School has your back.
Tuition: $4,199 – $9,999
Tech Elevator is a coding school with intensive and immersive courses. Founded in 2015, the school has helped many students become professional software developers.
In Chicago, you can take Tech Elevator’s 14-week bootcamp online. You will learn JavaScript, SQL, HTML, and CSS, among other topics. Tech Elevator also helps with job placement to the tune of a 92 percent job placement rate.
Tuition: $15,500
Thinkful is an online coding bootcamp that offers a wide range of programming-related courses, including data science, software engineering, data analytics, UX/UI design, digital marketing, product management, and technical project management.
Thinkful has hiring and support networks in many cities, including Chicago. Depending on what course you take, you can learn JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python, Ruby on Rails, Angular, and more. Most programs run for five months on a full-time schedule or six months on a part-time schedule.
Thinkful has a 77 percent job placement rate. The school also has a job guarantee, meaning it will refund your money if you are not hired within six months of completing your course.
Tuition: $4,900 – $18,500
Should You Attend a Chicago Coding Bootcamp in 2021?
Yes, you should attend a Chicago bootcamp because of all the tech opportunities available in the city. Most bootcamps will help you land a job, but only Chicago-based coding bootcamps provide job assistance geared toward the tech economy in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Benefits of Coding Bootcamps in Chicago
Top-Tier Coding Programs
Chicago is home to some of the best coding bootcamps in the world. These bootcamps have a team of teachers and experienced developers who will help you get through your coursework. Furthermore, these bootcamps will help you learn the most in-demand tech skills.
Career Counseling and Job Assistance
Unlike colleges, bootcamps in Chicago will help you ace your next job interview. Chicago coding bootcamps are adamant about teaching students what they need to know to compete in the job market.
Exposure to Ready-Made Professional Networks
Bootcamps will help you build meaningful relationships and networks. When you attend a bootcamp, you get to meet people who can share information with you and help you build your career.
If you live in Chicago and aspire to work as a programmer in the tech industry, consider joining any of these bootcamps. Not only will they equip you with the necessary technical skills, but most of them will help you land your dream job.
