Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now industry mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of web developers and software engineers to help them land their dream jobs in tech. Check out my review of CodeBoxx.
- What does CodeBoxx do?
- Who is CodeBoxx for?
- What does CodeBoxx cost?
- Ratings and reviews of CodeBoxx
- Alternatives to CodeBoxx
- How does CodeBoxx compare to Pathrise?
What does CodeBoxx do?
CodeBoxx is an intense bootcamp that teaches people the technical skills they need to land a job as a front-end developer, full stack developer, or mobile app developer. The flagship full-time bootcamp can be taken online or in-person at their Quebec, Montreal, and Tampa Bay campuses. All in-person learners are guaranteed a job upon graduation.
Their flagship bootcamp runs for 16 weeks and requires a minimum of 50 hours of work per week. The first 2 weeks are called the “Genesis” phase. They serve as an extended selection process. The Genesis phase teaches students the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Javascript, and even some Node.js that they can use to create simple websites. Students who pass the Genesis phase move onto the full Odyssey phase, which is even more intense and business-oriented.
The curriculum simulates the corporate environment, with a fictional company sending students new requests each week like a real client would. Students work with coding languages like HTML, Javascript, Python, Go, C #, Ruby, and .NET as they complete hands-on assignments and projects. The curriculum also covers Github, Amazon Web Services, Azure, information systems, APIs, databases, Cloud, Blockchain, DevOps, TDD, and mobile development. Students even learn about artificial intelligence and machine learning. All students are ranked weekly on both their technical and soft skills, with a minimum ranking required to graduate.
The course format is extremely hands-on. In fact, there are no lectures or slideshows. Students are paired with experienced coaches who mentor them throughout the program. Coaches assess students on both technical and professional skills and offer feedback along the way. The project work is done by students in teams of 5 to 6 as well as on their own. A typical day consists of 2 scrum standups, question periods, huddles, coding tutorials, lots of individual research, and team project work. With rankings for students and a 50+ hours per week commitment, the program is extremely intensive.
CodeBoxx also includes job support for all students. In addition to offering 1-on-1 coaching, professional skills training, and formal certificates, the program also connects students with their network of hiring partners. In-person grads only pay for the program if they land a tech job. If they cannot find one on their own, they are guaranteed a $25 per hour position at Codeboxx’s project agency. Both online and in-person students get lifetime access to the community as well. Grads can come back at any time to ask for help with a specific coding challenge or to get help with their job search. 
Who is CodeBoxx for?
People with no experience in front-end development, full stack development, or mobile development who are looking to move into these careers could benefit from CodeBoxx. The program is extremely intensive and requires 50+ hours of work per week, so people who need to work while learning would not be a good fit. People seeking a business-oriented course with 1-on-1 coaching on both their technical and professional skills could also be a good fit for this bootcamp.
What does CodeBoxx cost? How much work is involved?
Online learners pay the full $10,000 tuition upfront. However, an income share agreement (ISA) is available to in-person students If they choose that option, they owe 20% of their first year salary after landing a job. In-person grads are also guaranteed a job working for Codeboxx’s digital solutions company. If grads accept Codeboxx’s job offer, they still pay 20% of their $25 per hour income for their first year. In-person grads who become freelancers pay $14,000 in tuition.
Although everyone who registers is admitted, the process can be fairly labor intensive. Candidates begin by filling out an online application form that automatically enrolls them into the cohort. Next, prospective students take technology, English, and personality quizzes. However, these 3 quizzes can’t actually disqualify students from the program. After paying the refundable $2,000 security deposit, students complete some minimal theoretical and practical pre-work. The final hurdle is the first 2 weeks of the course, which serve as a trial period. Students who pass the first 2 weeks move on to the full course. Although students who don’t pass or don’t want to continue get a refund, they still have to finish the entire 2 weeks to get their money back. Applicants who withdraw before the Genesis phase ends do not get a refund.
Ratings and reviews
As a new program with only 89 grads, there are not too many online reviews of CodeBoxx. However, so far reviews have been very positive. They hold a 4.9/5 star rating on Switchup, where grads praise the hands-on curriculum and job guarantee. One student appreciated how the course “represents a day to day in a life of developer” by basing their curriculum and experience on real professional environments. Another grad also liked that the course was “set in a business simulation” with a good mix of individual and group work. However, the student warned that course can be very intensive and prospective students shouldn’t “expect everything to be handed to you.” Many other grads also described the program as “hard work” and “challenging”, although to some this was a major draw.
The program is rated 4.83/5 stars on Course Report, where most grads rave about the practical curriculum and passionate environment. However, the top review is more critical. The student was frustrated by the pace and communication, describing the program as “definitely not for beginners.” The student wanted more support, annoyed that “You are on your own” until you graduate and “when you get the job they will take 20% of your salary.” However, most students loved that the course was “based on real life problems” and with a pace that “motivates you to give your 100%.” Most grads agreed that the course “is not easy”, with a 50+hour per week workload that may be too much for some. Overall, students seem very satisfied with the practical curriculum and the job guarantee, even if some students felt the course required too much time and too much of their first-year salary.
Alternatives to CodeBoxx
If you decide not to enroll in CodeBoxx, there are many alternative bootcamps and courses that can help you land a job as a front-end developer, full stack developer, or software engineer.
- The tech bootcamp Kenzie Academy offers both in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design and front-end engineering. Like CodeBoxx, their students get a 6-month job guarantee. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- Another popular bootcamp, General Assembly offers 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. They have 19,000+ hiring partners and a very hands-on curriculum. Learn more about General Assembly in our review.
- Aspiring front-end web developers can also check out Bloc, a self-paced program that offers courses in both web dev and design. Their program features 1-on-1 mentoring and a chance for students to build portfolio projects.
- The remote program Thinkful has tracks in web development, software engineering, and more. Like CodeBoxx, their program features mentoring and a job guarantee.
- Similarly, Springboard is a flexible online learning program that teaches software engineering, machine learning, and other subjects. Students in their career tracks build 14 portfolio projects and participate in weekly meetings with experienced mentors. Like CodeBoxx, they offer a 6-month job guarantee. Learn more about Springboard in our review.
- The popular bootcamps Lambda School, Holberton School, and Rithm School all teach software engineering courses with ISA options for those looking to defer payments.
- Similarly, CodeX Academy is a remote, self-paced bootcamp for aspiring software engineers and web developers. Like CodeBoxx, they offer an income share agreement (ISA) so grads don’t pay until they land a job. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
- The tech bootcamp BrainStation has tracks in web development, web design, data science, marketing, and product management. Their curriculum is project-based and features lots of collaborative learning, with both on-campus and remote options.
- For students looking to land an entry-level software job, Coding Dojo is a bootcamp that focuses on fundamental software skills to help students with little to no experience break into the industry.
- One of the most popular online learning programs is Codecademy. They teach dozens of programming languages and even data science. While many of their courses are completely free, Pro members pay $20-$40 monthly for expanded course options and support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
- The massive online learning platform edX hosts courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Their courses cover a wide variety of tech and even humanities subjects, including web dev, software engineering, and more. Find out if edX fits your career goals in our review.
Students seeking a remote program with 1-on-1 mentoring can check out Udacity. They offer both free and paid courses on a wide variety of tech topics, including web development and software engineering. Students in their nanodegree meet 1-on-1 with both a technical mentor and a career coach as they build projects they can add to their portfolios. Many of their courses come from top tech companies like IBM and Google. Learn more about Udacity in our review.
How does CodeBoxx compare to Pathrise?
CodeBoxx is a bootcamp that helps people launch new careers in web development or software engineering. Their 16-week program is extremely intensive and requires 50+ hours of work per week. The Pathrise program is flexible. There are only 2-4 hours of group sessions per week and fellows can schedule 1-on-1 mentoring sessions as needed. And while CodeBoxx’s bootcamp is designed for beginners, Pathrise job-seekers should already have a background in their chosen field to benefit fully from the technical curriculum.
Both CodeBoxx and Pathrise offer income share agreements (ISA), but the percentage is different. At CodeBoxx, students have to pay 20% of their first-year income when they land a job. On the other hand, the Pathrise income share agreement is only 9% of a fellow’s first year salary. On average, fellows in our program find jobs in just 3-5 months.
Our experienced mentors help fellows at each phase of the job search including resume and portfolio optimization, cold emailing and reverse recruiting, technical and behavioral interviewing, and negotiation.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps you land your dream job through 1-on-1 mentoring and training. Fellows in our program have seen their interview scores double and their application responses triple. If you are interested in working with one of our mentors to optimize your job search, join Pathrise.
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