Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now industry mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of software engineers to help them land their dream jobs in tech. Check out my review of Byte Academy.
- What does Byte Academy do?
- Who is Byte Academy for?
- What does Byte Academy cost?
- Ratings and reviews of Byte Academy
- Alternatives to Byte Academy
- How does Byte Academy compare to Pathrise?
What does Byte Academy do?
Byte Academy is a tech bootcamp with a number of full-time and part-time courses in software engineering and data science. Students can take their courses on campus in New York City and Houston (coming soon), as well as online.
Intro to software development
Students in the intro to software development program study the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, Flask, Python libraries, Google Firebase, and other important tools. Those who take the intro to data science course learn the basics of object oriented programming, databases, machine learning, neural networks, and application development. In-person and online intro classes last for 4 weeks. They meet Mondays and Wednesday from 1pm-4pm or 6PM-9PM, or Tuesdays and Thursday from 1pm-4pm.
Immersive bootcamps
Students can choose from 2 immersive bootcamps: Python software engineering and data science. Before enrolling in either program, students must take both introductory courses offered by Byte Academy. Alternatively, they can complete the self-paced pre-work that Byte Academy offers for free. This prepares students to take the proficiency exam.
The Python bootcamp prepares students for roles in software engineering, systems architecture, and development (web, front-end, and back-end). In addition to advancing their Python skills, students study object oriented programming, SQL, JavaScript, and React. At the end of the program, students build 2 end-to-end applications (1 team project and 1 individual project). Those who enroll in the data science bootcamp learn the necessary skills to land a job as a data scientist, data analyst, or data engineer. They study Python, SQL, advanced mathematics (including calculus and linear algebra), data visualization, and machine learning.
All students participate in lectures, Q&A sessions, pair programming sessions, and other hands-on activities. There is no recording of the classes. Full-time students meet Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm for 14 weeks. Alternatively, part-time students meet on 2 evenings per week for 24 weeks. The online version is live, so students follow along with their in-person peers. Those who enroll in the full-time and part-time bootcamps have access to career services for the duration of the program. Career coaches provide support with every component of the application, including resume optimization, portfolio building, and interview preparation.
Who is Byte Academy for?
People who have no experience in coding or data science and are looking to develop the necessary skills to land a job as a software engineer or data scientist could benefit from the Byte Academy bootcamps.
What does Byte Academy cost? How much work is involved?
Tuition for the both introduction courses is $1,000. The in-person Python and data science bootcamps cost $14,950, while the remote programs cost $7,475. All students must put down a $500 deposit before enrolling in a course. As for financing options, students can pay the remainder of their tuition on the first day of the program. They can also choose to take out a loan through Climb Credit. Students can use loans to cover tuition and living expenses. But, they should note that rates and loan terms depend on an applicant’s previous credit history.
To apply, students must complete an online application. After their application is reviewed, they participate in a behavioral interview. Then, they take an online assessment to determine their skill level. Students who are not ready for the full-time program can take one of the introductory courses offered by Byte Academy. Another option is to complete their self-paced course preparation program. It is free for those who apply to the bootcamp.
Ratings and reviews
While there are not too many, online reviews of Byte Academy are generally positive.
SwitchUp reviewers, for example, praised the program for its curriculum and job placement services. One grad commended the individualized nature of the curriculum. They said, “The small class size, personal attention, and focus on student designed projects meant that they were able to tailor my experience to my needs”. According to another grad, “I believe everyone in my cohort is employed now in one way or another. I got an internship I wanted directly through connections from the school.”
One Quora reviewer who was “very happy” with the Python bootcamp said, “It’s a good introduction to Python and they go over pretty much all of the basic/some intermediate stuff”. She specifically praised the hands-on curriculum. The student noted that the course prepares people “for real world issues that you will face throughout your career.”
Similarly, CourseReport grads felt that they benefited from the bootcamp but emphasized that the program was rigorous. As one reviewer put it, “the pace at which topics are being covered is fast and there is a lot of hard work/homework required to catch up.”
But, a different CourseReport reviewer felt that the “the instructors seem to be very busy doing many, many other things in the organization and didn’t always have time to walk through a solution, or go over a new concept one more time.”
Alternatives to Byte Academy
If Byte Academy does not suit your learning goals or career objectives, there are a number of other bootcamps and online resources that teach software engineering and data science.
- You can check out Udacity and Springboard. These are online platforms that students can use to brush up on the basics or advance their current tech skills. They have many options in software engineering and data science. Read more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews.
- One of the most well known bootcamps is General Assembly. They offer full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on a variety of topics like software engineering, data science, UX design, digital marketing, product management, and more. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
- Lambda School, Altcademy, Fullstack Academy, Nucamp, Turing, Codeworks, Launch Academy, One Month, and Pluralsight offer online bootcamps in software engineering and other subjects as well.
- Aspiring software engineers and web developers can also consider CodeX Academy, a self-paced coding bootcamp with mentorship opportunities. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
- Students can also consider Kenzie Academy. A full-time tech bootcamp, Kenzie offers in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design and front-end engineering. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- For people with an interest in data science, Metis has part-time introduction courses as well as onsite and online bootcamp options. Learn more about Metis in our review.
- Current and aspiring data scientists can also consider DataCamp, Dataquest, Promotable, Divergence Academy, and Data Science Dojo. They offer individual courses, as well as in-depth tracks.
- Similarly, 365 Data Science is a low-cost and low commitment option to learn data fundamentals.
- Likewise, QuickStart, Nashville Software School, Codeup, Georgia Tech Bootcamp, Clarusway, and Zip Code Wilmington have courses in web dev, software engineering, and data science.
More alternatives
- If you are starting from scratch, you can consider the self-paced course at Data Science Dream Job. Or, check out K2 Data Science and FourthBrain, which are part-time, online programs.
- If you prefer in-person classes, check out Magnimind or Principal Analytics Prep, which have full-time and part-time data science courses.
- Coding Temple, UC San Diego Bootcamps, and RMOTR have bootcamps covering the fundamentals of Python data science and web development.
- Or, consider Kal Academy, which works with women and underrepresented groups on software engineering, web dev, and data.
- edX is one of the most popular online learning platforms. They have courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT and big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
- Offering courses ranging from free to $25,000, Coursera probably has a low-cost college course that meets your needs.
- With over 100,000 online video courses, Udemy offers individual classes at a cost of around $10 per class through its online learning platform.
- Free online resources, SoloLearn and the Mode tutorials have tracks in SQL, as well as other programming languages.
- There is also freeCodeCamp. This is a free alternative for people looking to learn the basics. But, intermediate software engineers can also brush up on their skills or learn new languages on the platform.
- Another option is Grand Circus, which teaches courses on Java, front-end, and C# .NET. Their campuses are in Michigan, but they also offer online options.
- Likewise, Tech Elevator and Redwood Code Academy are software engineering bootcamps with online and on-campus options.
- Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They provide free courses on many different programming languages. They also offer membership options ranging from $20 to $40 per month for more course options and greater support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
How does Byte Academy compare to Pathrise?
Byte Academy is a bootcamp for people who are interested in learning how to become a software engineer or data scientist from scratch. At Pathrise, job-seekers in our program should already have a background in their field of interest so that they can participate fully in our industry workshops and pair programming sessions, which prepare students for the questions they will see in their technical interviews.
Pathrise is a full service organization that helps people land the best job possible. Our mentors have experience on both sides of the hiring table and work 1-on-1 with fellows on each step of their job search, including resume & portfolio building, behavioral interview preparation, cold emailing & reverse recruiting strategies, salary negotiation, and more. We personalize our curriculum to match each fellow’s specific needs.
Our program is flexible. There only 2-4 hours of sessions per week. Fellows can schedule 1-on-1 sessions when they need support. All of our sessions are live, as well as recorded, so fellows can review previous material and keep learning. The Pathrise income share agreement (ISA) means that fellows don’t pay anything until they start working at a new job they love and we never require upfront payments or deposits.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job in tech through 1-on-1 mentorship. If you are interested in working with any of our mentors to get help with your technical and behavioral interviews or any other aspect of the job search, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
