Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now software engineering mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of job-seekers to optimize their job search and get results like 3x more responses to their applications, 2x higher interview scores, and 10-20% increases in compensation through negotiation alone. Check out this article where I compare Springboard vs General Assembly.
- Similarities and differences between Springboard vs General Assembly
- Courses offered on Springboard vs General Assembly
- Prices for Springboard vs General Assembly
- Ratings and reviews of Springboard vs General Assembly
- Alternatives to Springboard vs General Assembly
- How do Springboard and General Assembly compare to Pathrise?
Similarities and differences between Springboard and General Assembly
Springboard and General Assembly both offer courses in data science, software engineering,
UX design, machine learning/AI, digital marketing, and data analytics.
Similarities
- People can take their courses online.
- Students who enroll in General Assembly full-time bootcamps and Springboard career tracks receive 1-on-1 sessions with an industry expert, as well as career coaching.
- Springboard & General Assembly have courses that prepare people for full-time bootcamps in software engineering and data science at places such as Flatiron School and Lambda School.
- To apply, candidates must fill out an online application, as well as complete a behavioral interview and a technical assessment.
- Both provide networking opportunities and have active alumni networks.
Differences
- Springboard is an online learning tool. On the other hand, General Assembly is a tech bootcamp that offers courses onsite in San Francisco, New York City, and other tech hubs.
- If you enroll in a Springboard Career Track, you should expect to work 15-20 hours per week for 6-9 months. Courses are self-paced, so you can set your own schedule.
- Full-time General Assembly bootcamps last 10-12 weeks and meet Monday-Friday for 8 hours each day. Online courses are held live, so daily attendance is required.
- Springboard graduates who do not land a job within 6 months of completing their program receive 100% of their tuition back.
- General Assembly students can defer making tuition payments through an ISA (income share agreement) or finance their bootcamp tuition through fixed-rate, low-interest loans.
Courses offered by Springboard and General Assembly
Both Springboard and General Assembly offer courses that cover the following topics and much more:
- UX design
- Data science
- Machine learning
- Artificial intelligence
- Software engineering
- Data analytics
Prices for Springboard and General Assembly
Springboard offers prep courses in data science and software engineering that cost $490 and take 4-6 weeks (on average) to complete. Those who continue onto a career track receive a $490 tuition credit. Career tracks cost $5,900-$8,500. Most students put in 15-20 hours of work per week and finish the program in 6-9 months.
Full tuition for General Assembly’s full-time bootcamps is $16,450. Students who pay upfront get a $450 bootcamp. Part-time courses cost $4,050 and students can choose to pay this upfront (with a $250 discount) or with loans. Discounts and scholarships are also available. Through our partnership with general assembly, you can get access to a series of exclusive program offerings, including $1500 off any of their bootcamps or short-courses. If you’re interested in launching a career in tech, schedule a call with the GA Admissions team and ask them for the free workshops, events and discounts.
General Assembly offers a wide variety of payment options. Probably their highest profile option is the “income share loan” (ISL) — this option allows full-time bootcamp students to pay once they land a job. Made possible via Edaid, students pay only $500 upfront. Then they pay nothing until they land a job paying at least $40,000.
A simpler option might be paying installments. General Assembly allows students to divide tuition into two, three, or four easy payments while in the program. Interest free loans are available as well via Climb. Students can choose to start paying immediately (over 18 or 24 months), or pay 12 months later over 36 months with $500 down payment. Students can also take out interest loans through Ascent, Climb, or Meritize. Students who pay via loans can choose to repay immediately, defer payments, or choose an interest-only option. Interest rates range from 6.5-15%, with terms from 3-5 years. While Launch Academy invites some of their hundred hiring partners to free networking events, General Assembly connects students with 19,000+ hiring partners including top tech companies like Facebook, Microsoft, and Google.
Ratings and reviews of Springboard and General Assembly
Online reviews of Springboard are generally positive. Many grads benefited from having weekly 1-on-1 calls with their mentors, who provide advice on individual capstone projects, as well as useful insights and tips for working in the tech industry. Others enjoyed using the message board to connect with their peers and ask questions. But, some people did note that much of the program’s curriculum is available for free online, though they appreciated that everything was organized into easily digestible lessons.
Even though General Assembly grads usually found roles that related to what they studied in their bootcamp, the reviews are mixed. Some recommended the program for its hands-on curriculum and in-depth career prep services, whereas others struggled to keep up with the rapid speed of the curriculum. Also, some grads were disappointed that their instructors did not have much industry experience.
Alternatives to Springboard and General Assembly
If you decide not to enroll in Springboard or General Assembly, you might consider one of the alternatives listed below instead:
- Aspiring software engineers and UX designers can check out Kenzie Academy, a full-time tech bootcamp that offers in-person and online courses. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- Aspiring web developers and software engineers can also look into CodeX Academy, a self-paced coding bootcamp with mentorship opportunities. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
- You can also check out Bubble no-code bootcamps to learn how to make products without coding. Learn more about Bubble in our review.
- Tech bootcamps, BrainStation, Thinkful, and Flatiron School offer programs in software engineering, data science, and other fields.
- Lambda School, The Tech Academy, and Galvanize are tech bootcamps, with programs in software engineering and data science.
- Other options for software engineering bootcamps include Rithm School, Hack Reactor, Codesmith, and The Software Guild.
More alternatives
- Aspiring data scientists with some experience can consider Metis. Learn more about Metis in our program review.
- If you’re interested in taking an online product design bootcamp that is self-guided or instructor led, take a look at DesignerUp. Read about DesignerUp in our program review.
- Designlab is an online bootcamp that teaches the necessary skills to land an entry-level UX designer job. See if Designlab meets your needs by reading our program review.
- An alternative to Springboard, Udacity is an online learning platform with offerings in programming, data science, and much more. Discover how Udacity can help you advance your current tech skills in our program reviews.
- Like Springboard and Udacity, Coursera, Pluralsight, and Simplilearn are online learning tools with hundreds of courses.
- Another online learning platform that offers degree certificates and collaborates on courses is edX. They host courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
- People on a tight budget can also consider Codecademy, one of the most popular free learning platforms online. They host full self-paced courses on data science and dozens of programming languages for free. Students can upgrade to a $20 to $40 monthly membership for greater course options and support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
How do Springboard and General Assembly compare to Pathrise?
Springboard and General Assembly offer courses that teach people the necessary skills to land a job as a software engineer or data scientist from scratch. While both offer part-time courses in UX design, machine learning/AI, product management, and other subjects, General Assembly has full-time bootcamps for aspiring UX designers, digital marketers, and product managers as well.
Pathrise fellows should have some background in their field of interest before entering our program so that they can fully benefit from our industry workshops and 1-on-1 sessions, which prepare people for the questions they will likely encounter in their technical interviews. We have tracks in software engineering, product design, data science, digital marketing, and product, strategy & ops.
While we require fellows to have technical skills, we don’t necessarily require them to have job experience. You may benefit from completing a program like General Assembly first, then joining Pathrise to get placed at a job. To help you get the skills you need to join our program, we offer $1500 off any General Assembly bootcamps or short-courses, as well as other exclusive offerings to get you up to speed. Schedule a call with the GA Admissions team and ask them for the free workshops, events and discounts.
A full service organization, Pathrise helps people land their dream job in tech. Our mentors, who have years of experience on both sides of the hiring table, provide 1-on-1 assistance on every component of the job search. We place a great deal of emphasis on technical interview preparation, but we also support job-seekers on resume & portfolio building, cold emailing & reverse recruiting strategies, behavioral interview preparation, salary negotiation, and more.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that works with students and professionals 1-on-1 so they can land their dream job in tech. With our tips and guidance, we’ve seen our fellows interview scores double.
If you are interested in working 1-on-1 with any of our mentors to optimize your job search, become a Pathrise fellow.
Apply today.
