There are many reasons to attend a coding bootcamp, but the number one reason we hear from students is undoubtedly to land a job. Bootcamp students are on the hunt for careers that offer more in terms of salary and upward mobility. Although most bootcamps are motivated to help their students land jobs after graduation, some are so driven by student success that they actually offer a job guarantee. Our comprehensive list includes both online and in-person, full-time, immersive programs that offer their students a guaranteed job after graduation.
So what does a job guarantee actually mean? There are a few different types of job guarantees and each program offers its own stipulations. We have found three main categories that fall under the job guarantee umbrella:
- Schools that refund your tuition if you do not land a job within a certain period of time
- Schools that help you to land a full-time, salaried position
- Schools that help you land job offers or apprenticeships
Note: Job guarantees typically come with conditions and are often paired with a lengthy, detailed contract. Schools may require a certain number of weekly job applications, require you to accept any and every job offer, or include internships and unpaid positions as part of their fulfillment. Make sure you understand all of the terms and conditions before committing to a particular agreement.
What are the benefits of a bootcamp job guarantee?
- Schools that offer a job guarantee are so confident in their program and curriculum that they are willing to refund you your money if you do not succeed.
- Schools that offer a job guarantee will have strong career services and support.
- Schools that offer a job guarantee lessen your chance of unemployment.
Which schools fall into this category?
In recent years, job guarantees have become a popular way for both online and in-person bootcamps to stand out from the competition. Our list below includes programs like Bloc, an online program that guarantees a job within 180 days or your money back, and Codeup which promises a job offer within six months of graduation or a guaranteed 50% tuition reimbursement. If you want a school with a job guarantee, explore our list below.
In-Person Coding Bootcamps with a Job Guarantee
Order is based on school's ranking on SwitchUp. The first school listed has the highest rating as of August 1st, 2018.
Hacktiv8
$1,938 | Full Time | 12 weeks | Jakarta, Indonesia
Subjects: Javascript
Type of job guarantee: Full tuition refund.
The fine print: Graduates who have not found a job 120 days after graduation will get a full refund.
Flatiron School
$15,000 | Full Time | 12-15 weeks | NYC, Washington D.C.
Subjects: Javascript, Ruby
Type of job guarantee: Full tuition refund
The fine print: Receive a job offer in six months or your money back. This job should be a paid full-time job of 35 hours or more per week or multiple part-time offers that make up 35 hours per week.
Ubiqum Code Academy
$8,900 | Full Time | 20 weeks | Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam
Subjects: Algorithms, AWS, Data Science, Data Visualization, Machine Learning, R Programming, SQL Business Intelligence, Statistics & Probability
Type of job guarantee: 50% down, 50% deferred
The fine print: Students pay 50% tuition upfront, and 50% once they get a job. If they don't find a job, they don't have to pay the second 50% installment
Codeup
$17,500 | Full Time | 16 weeks | San Antonio
Subjects: Javascript, Linux, MySQL, PHP
Type of job guarantee: 50% tuition refund
The fine print: Graduates are guaranteed a job offer within six months of graduation or receive 50% refund on tuition
Codaisseur
$800 | Full Time | 10 weeks | Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Subjects: Android, CSS, HTML, iOS, MongoDB, Node.js, NoSQL, PostgreSQL, React.js, Ruby, SQL, Test-driven development (TDD)
Type of job guarantee: No tuition is owed without a job.
The fine print: No tuition fee is owed if you are unable to obtain employment within four months of graduation, or if you are removed from the program. Their job guarantee is limited to the Netherlands.
Byte Academy
$14,000 | Full Time | 14 weeks | NYC, Bangalore, Online
Subjects: Algorithms, Blockchain, Business, Cryptocurrency, Django, Javascript, Python
Type of job guarantee: Full tuition refund
The fine print: Effective for cohorts beginning November 2016. They will refund your tuition if: 1.) ou complete their entire full-time program without repeating and participate fully in their Career Services recommendations, and 2.) You do not get a job within six months of graduation. As part of the bargain, they expect you to be very proactive in your job search and will require you to work closely with their Career Services team.
DecodeMTL
$9,995 | Full Time | 8 weeks | Montreal
Subjects: Javascript
Type of job guarantee: Full tuition refund
The fine print: Graduates are guaranteed a job within six months of graduation or receive a full tuition reimbursement
Revature
Free | Full Time | 12 weeks | Reston, VA; Scottsdale, AZ; NYC
Subjects: .NET, Java, Data Structures
Type of job guarantee: Job placement guarantee
The fine print: Students who successfully complete the program are guaranteed employment with Revature in an enterprise setting.
Online Coding Bootcamps with a Job Guarantee
Order is based on school's ranking on SwitchUp, with the first school having the highest rating as of August 1st, 2018.
Springboard
(Data Science Career Track Only)
$7,500 | Flexible | 24 weeks | Online, San Francisco
Subjects: Data Science, Data Structures, Data Visualization, Python
Type of job guarantee: Full tuition refund
The fine print: Full refund if you don't get a job within 6 months of completion. Must be eligible to work in the United States and Canada and follow job coaching and mentor requirements.
Bloc
$8,500 | Flexible | 32 weeks | Online
Subjects: AngularJS, CSS, HTML, Javascript, jQuery, Node.js, React.js, Ruby on Rails, UI Design, UX, UX Design, UX Testing
Type of job guarantee: Full tuition refund
The fine print: Tuition Reimbursement Guarantee if students do not get a paying job in the industry within 180 days of graduating.
CareerFoundry
$6,999 | Flexible/Part Time | 6-10 months | Online
Subjects: Design Principles, UX, UX Design, Bootstrap, CSS, Git, Heroku, HTML, jQuery, Ruby, Ruby on Rails
Type of job guarantee: Full tuition refund.
The fine print: Find a job in your new career within 6 months of graduating, or get your money back. You must complete their extra career services course in its entirety to be eligible for this guarantee.
Thinkful
$7,990 - $16,000 | Full Time | 20 weeks | Online
Subjects: CSS, Git, HTML, jQuery, Node.js, React.js, Algorithms, Data Science, Hadoop, Machine Learning, Python, SQL
Type of job guarantee: Full tuition refund
The fine print: Students are guaranteed to get a job or get their money back within 6 months of graduation.
Deferred Tuition
Another type of job guarantee can include deferred tuition programs, in which schools will defer your tuition until after graduation. Not all deferred tuition programs guarantee a job, but some only require tuition repayment after you have accepted a job offer or begun working. Examples of deferred tuition programs include Lambda School, App Academy and Holberton School.
Lambda School
$0 Upfront | Full Time | 30 weeks | Online
Subjects: Algorithms, C, Career Coaching, CSS, Data Structures, Git, HTML, Javascript, MongoDB, Node.js, Operating Systems, Personal Finance, React.js, SQL, Technical Leadership
Type of job guarantee: Deferred tuition
The fine print: Lambda School trains people to be software engineers at no up-front cost. Instead of paying tuition, students can agree to pay a percentage of their income after they're employed, and only if they're making more than $50k per year. If students don't find a job or don't reach that level of income, they do not pay any tuition.
*Lambda School will receive access to your income taxes to verify your income
Holberton School
$0 Upfront | Full Time | 104 weeks | San Francisco, CA
Subjects: Algorithms, CSS, Cyber Security, Database design, Data Structures, HTML, Javascript, Linux, Machine Learning, Python, Web Services
Description: Holberton School offers a two-year higher-education program to become a full-stack software engineer. Through project-based and peer learning, Holberton students unleash their creativity and naturally learn how to work as a team to solve practical challenges. The school aims to disrupt education via technology and community.
The Fine Print: Through Venmo Education, Holberton School charges students no upfront costs while they are enrolled in the 2-year program and only begins to collect payments once the student completes the program and begins working. The payments made are income-based payments set at a fixed percentage of the student's salary for 3 years.
App Academy
$0 Upfront | Full Time | 12 weeks | New York, NY; San Francisco, CA
Description: App Academy is a twelve-week intensive computer programming school founded by Ned Ruggeri and Kush Patel. Students focus on Ruby on Rails and JavaScript. The school boasts a 98 percent job placement rate.
The Fine Print: App Academy offers a variety of deferred tuition programs including $9000 down and $14000 after job placement for a total of $23000 or $5000 down and $23000 after job placement for a total of $28000.
If you would like to know more about deferred tuition bootcamps, take a look at this guide: Deferred Tuition and ISAs.
