A review of Codeup as a tech bootcamp

Hi, I’m Olga! I have years of experience in data science, most recently at eBay. Now I work as an industry mentor at Pathrise, helping data scientists land great jobs through technical workshops and 1-on-1s. Check out my review of Codeup.

What does Codeup do?
Who is Codeup for?
What does Codeup cost?
Ratings and reviews of Codeup
Alternatives to Codeup
How does Codeup compare to Pathrise?

What does Codeup do?

Codeup is a bootcamp that teaches people the skills they need to land a job as a web developer, data scientist, or data analyst. No prior experience is necessary. However, all students complete 30 hours of pre-work before starting a course. Typically, students can choose between part-time and full-time options in Dallas and San Antonio, but all courses are currently remote due to Covid-19.

Web dev

The web development bootcamp lasts 20 weeks. Classes meet Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Students participate in lectures, hands-on exercises, coding labs, workshops, and speaker events. The curriculum covers full stack development with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Git, JUnit testing, and some web design. Students also learn to work with JQuery, Java, SQL, and other in-demand software. Throughout the program, students build polished full stack projects, like a working Twitter clone, that they can add to their portfolios.

Data science

Students in the 22-week data science course also meet Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. The curriculum includes lectures, workshops, daily student presentations, speaker events, and hands-on projects. The course teaches students to collect, clean, analyze, model, and communicate data. Students learn to work with Python, SQL databases, regression algorithms, and much more. Students graduate with polished projects that they can add to their data science portfolios to help them land entry level data science jobs.

Throughout the program, students also work on their resume writing, online branding, and interviewing. The course also features 1-on-1 mentoring as well as on-site employer interviews and job offer negotiation assistance. Students also develop their soft skills, which are important to their success once they land a job. Codeup offers a job guarantee, meaning if students don’t land a tech job in 6 months after graduating, they get a full refund.

Who is Codeup for?

People with no experience in web development or data science who are looking to move into these careers could benefit from the bootcamp. The program is especially helpful for people who are based in Texas. Given its length and time commitment, people who work full-time would not be good fits.

What does Codeup cost? How much work is involved?

Tuition for any bootcamp course is about $27,500. Financing is available through SkillsFund, Meritize, and Climb Credit. Rates and repayment plans may depend on the student’s credit history.

Students who are unemployed, underemployed, underskilled, veterans, or under the age of 25 may be eligible for grants. Scholarships up to $5,000 are available to students from underrepresented groups in tech.

The rolling admissions process usually takes 2-3 weeks. Candidates begin by filling out a brief application. Next, they have a 30 minute behavioral interview. Web development applicants then take a technical assessment to test their problem-solving skills. Similarly, data science applicants take a technical assessment that checks basic math, Python, and statistics knowledge. Because many applicants do not have prior knowledge of stats or Python before applying, Codeup recommends resources that they can study beforehand.

Ratings and reviews

Codeup has mostly positive reviews. They hold a 4.64/5 star review on Course Report. One grad praised the “great course material” and “knowledgeable instructors” and they were excited that students got “great outcomes.” Another grad was impressed with the supportive atmosphere, commenting that the course “felt like an actual school, not a for-profit business” and “instructors are incredibly dedicated.” He also appreciated Codeup’s network, remarking “the program has such strong connections in the tech community that finding potential employers was incredibly easy.” However, the top review was more critical, describing the program as “disorganized.” Although the grad felt “instructors and staff are wonderful people”, they felt the course was “better at networking and parties than teaching.”

Codeup holds a perfect 5/5 star rating on Switchup where they are listed among the best bootcamps of 2021. One student raved about the program’s “extensive professional network” and the “job placement for all of their students.” However, the student also described the course as “the most expensive bootcamp I know” and felt that classes were “too long”. The bootcamp is rated 4.7/5 stars on Career Karma, where grads were impressed with the program’s instructors and job support. One student appreciated that the staff “kept their word on getting me a job” and “really fought to get me opportunities.” While the student still thought the bootcamp was well worth it, they felt the class schedule and workload “can be exhausting.” Overall, most grads were satisfied by the course’s supportive staff and career services, but some would have liked a less intensive class schedule.

Alternatives to Codeup

If you decide not to enroll in Codeup, there are a number of alternative bootcamps and courses for aspiring web developers and data analysts.

The popular bootcamp BrainStation offers courses in web development, web design, data science, and other tech subjects. Like Codeup, BrainStation emphasizes project-based learning.
Another popular tech bootcamp, General Assembly has full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on data science, web development, software engineering, and more. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
Students seeking on 1-on-1 mentorship can also check out Thinkful, a bootcamp that teaches courses in data science, software engineering, and more.
Aspiring software engineers and UX designers who are looking for a full-time bootcamp can consider Kenzie Academy. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our program review.
Bloc offers online courses in web development and web design. The program emphasizes student support. Or, consider UC San Diego Bootcamps, UC Davis Bootcamps, Kal Academy, DevPoint Labs, Rutgers Bootcamps, and Clarusway, which have courses in data and web dev.
The tech bootcamps Lambda School and Byte Academy have tracks in web dev, data science, and software engineering. They offer students an income share agreement (ISA), allowing them to pay for the program after they land a tech job.
Metis has introductory data science courses with both onsite & remote bootcamp options. Learn more about Metis in our review.
Aspiring data analysts can also look into Divergence Academy and Principal Analytics Prep, bootcamps that offer full-time and part-time courses in data science and data analysis.
People interested in self-paced learning can consider Data Science Dream Job. They offer flexible, remote courses for aspiring data analysts.
Similarly, DataCamp is an online resource with over 300 courses on data science subjects.
If you prefer in-person classes, check out Magnimind, which has full-time and part-time data science courses.

More alternatives

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.
Flatiron School, allWomen Academy, Eleven Fifty Academy, GW Bootcamps, and Georgia Tech Bootcamp teach courses on data science, software engineering, UX design, and cybersecurity analytics. Students can choose part-time or full-time options, both remote or on-campus.
Women, GNC people, and trans people can check out CodeOp, which has courses in web dev, data, and product management.
Students on a budget can also check out Udemy, an online program hosting thousands of affordable self-paced video courses on web dev, cybersecurity, data analysis, and much more.
Busy students who want part-time and self-paced courses can check out edX, one of the most popular online learning platforms. 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.
Similarly, 365 Data Science is a low-cost and low commitment option to learn data fundamentals. In the same vein, FourthBrain has part-time, online machine learning courses.
The Menon Labs fellowship helps people learn the skills to become web developers, data scientists, and product managers.
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.
Likewise, Coursera is an online learning platform that hosts thousands of videos in a wide range of tech subjects.
The online educational resources Udacity and Springboard offer courses in web dev, data analytics, and many other technical subjects. Learn more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews.

How does Codeup compare to Pathrise?

Codeup is a good option for people interested in learning the skills needed to start a new career as a web developer or data analyst. While some students have a little tech knowledge from school or self-studying, most Codeup students start from scratch. Pathrise job-seekers should already have a background in their chosen field so they can get the most out of our technical curriculum.

Pathrise optimizes the job search through 1-on-1 mentoring and personalized training. Our experienced mentors have helped 1,000+ people land great jobs in tech. Fellows work in group sessions and 1-on-1 with expert mentors on all phases of the job search including resume and portfolio optimization, cold emailing and reverse recruiting, technical and behavioral interviewing, and negotiation. The curriculum is tailored to the needs of each individual fellow in our program so that they can get the exact help that they need.

Our program is flexible and can be done along with school or work. There are only 2-4 hours of group sessions per week and fellows can schedule 1-on-1s as needed. The Pathrise income share agreement (ISA) means that fellows don’t pay anything until they land a job they love and start working. Plus, we never require upfront payments or deposits.

Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job in tech. With our training and guidance, fellows in our program see their interview scores double. If you are interested in working with one of our mentors to land your dream job faster, join Pathrise.