Looking to gain in-demand web development skills in a competitive job market, Vishnu Prasad of Seattle didn’t want to spend the time and money required to earn a full graduate degree in computer science or information technology.
Instead, the 37 year old, who’s currently in between jobs, decided to enroll in a coding boot camp, which helps students learn coding programs and build portfolios of projects to showcase their skills to potential employers. He chose Coding Dojo‘s 20-week online option.
Prasad is one of many students taking this educational route. For some students, experts say, an online coding boot camp might be a better option than an online degree program, and they should weigh the pros and cons of each when deciding.
Many who enroll in online coding boot camps already have at least one degree, usually in an unrelated discipline, and don’t want to pursue another — at least for now, experts say. Unlike degree programs, boot camps focus on developing job-specific skills, rather than exploring tech disciplines in their entirety over a few years. Each approach has its benefits.
[Explore three ways to gain coding skills in online courses.]
In weighing degrees versus boot camps, Shawn Drost, co-founder of the coding boot camp Hack Reactor, suggests asking: “What am I going to learn? What are my odds of getting a job? What is it going to cost?”
Prasad says he chose the online boot camp over Coding Dojo’s on-site boot camp in part because it was cheaper. Regardless of the format, a university education “would cost a lot more than what I’m spending on the online boot camp right now,” he says. “Doing a course in college and coming out with a degree would take a lot longer.”
While more on-site coding boot camps exist than online ones, the latter format has started growing in popularity, says Liz Eggleston, co-founder of Course Report, a website that provides reviews and industry research on coding boot camps.
In addition to online-only boot camps like Thinkful and Bloc, some on-site boot camps that initially didn’t offer a virtual option — like the Flatiron School in New York — are moving into the online space to reach a wider audience, she says.
For online learners, Eggleston says, boot camps provide a middle-ground option between online degrees and free online courses via websites like Codecademy. Experts say online coding boot camps generally last at least a few months and cost several thousand dollars, so prospective students should ask for a free trial to make sure they select a program that’s the best fit for them.
Here are four things that those considering online coding boot camps should know before enrolling.
1. Many online coding boot camps offer learning and payment flexibility. Flexible part-time boot camps allow students to work mostly on their own time and usually pay monthly, Eggleston says, while full-time, instructor-led boot camps more closely mimic the face-to-face classroom experience, though for a flat and sometimes higher cost.
[Discover how to decide between live and self-paced online classes.]
Students enrolled in Thinkful’s flexible boot camp, for example, work primarily around their own schedules, though they still have regular access to mentors, recruiters and student group sessions. This format, which costs $9,000 for those who finish in six months, is “popular with students who have a day job and can’t afford to quit it to go back to school,” says Darrell Silver, co-founder and CEO of Thinkful.
In comparison, Thinkful’s full-time boot camp has a set daily schedule for online students and costs $14,000 for four months.
2. Online coding boot camps are geared toward career changers. Just like much of online education in general, online coding boot camps — whether flexible or full time — help students alter their career paths or advance in their current field.
Along with career services, some online boot camps have a money-back guarantee if graduates don’t find a job within a certain amount of time.
The Flatiron School, for instance, says its online boot camp, which costs $1,500 a month with a $12,000 cap, has a 98 percent employment rate. The boot camp, which promises students a job within 180 days or their money back, also provides interview training, networking opportunities and career coaching, says Avi Flombaum, dean of the Flatiron School.
[Learn how online degrees can help adults switch careers.]
3. Students often leave with a portfolio of projects. “Nothing says that you can do the job of a web developer more than a portfolio of projects you’ve built yourself,” says Clint Schmidt, chief operating officer at Bloc.
In Flatiron’s online program, instructors guide students through several smaller projects, or “labs,” Flombaum says, such as building an Airbnb clone. However, instructors ultimately assess students through larger projects that they complete themselves, Flombaum says.
4. Many online boot camps allow for interaction with mentors and other students. Students in some of the most popular online coding boot camps have virtual access to instructors who guide them and answer questions. Experts say it’s particularly important for prospective self-paced students across time zones to check the hours that mentors are available, since this varies.
In Hack Reactor’s online boot camp, a large portion of the curriculum involves completing projects in collaboration with other students and staff, says Drost, the co-founder.
“It’s very much not what people imagine when picturing online education,” Drost says of the student-to-student interaction.
Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.
More from U.S. News
3 Ways to Gain Coding Skills in Online Courses
Learn to Code in College Without Breaking the Bank
How You Can Get The Most In-Demand Job Skills for Free
4 Things to Know About Online Coding Boot Camps originally appeared on usnews.com
