A review of Vanderbilt Bootcamps as a tech bootcamp

Hi, I’m Polina! Formerly, I worked as a senior digital marketing manager and now I am the marketing mentor at Pathrise. I help job-seekers prepare for their future in digital marketing. Check out my review of Vanderbilt Bootcamps.

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

What do Vanderbilt Bootcamps do?

Vanderbilt Bootcamps offer full-time and part-time courses to aspiring digital marketers, web developers, data analysts, and cybersecurity professionals. They teach full-time and part-time courses with both in-person and online options. No prior experience is needed. But, all students complete self-paced pre-work before starting a bootcamp. In response to Covid-19, all courses are now offered remotely.

Digital marketing

The 18-week part-time digital marketing course teaches students the skills they need to become a digital marketer. The bootcamp meets two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. Students participate in live lectures, office hours, hands-on assignments, team projects, and workshops. The curriculum teaches students brand strategy, brand building, lead generation, funnels, SEO, and more. Students use in-demand marketing technologies like Google Ads, Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, and WordPress to put together real campaigns. Graduates leave the program with a polished digital marketing portfolio to show employers.

Web dev

The web development program teaches people the skills they need to start a career as a full stack web developer. Students in the 12-week full-time course meet Monday-Friday from 10am to 2:30pm. The 24-week part-time program meets two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm and Saturdays from 9m to 1pm. Students are also responsible for homework and assignments outside of class time. The curriculum includes live lectures, team assignments, hands-on workshops, projects, and networking opportunities. Students learn to build full stack web apps using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Node.js, C#, and React.Js. The curriculum also includes bootstrap, ASP, Heroku, MySQL, MongoDB, and more.

Data science

The part-time data science course lasts 24 weeks and meets two weekdays per week from 6:30pm to 9:30pm, with additional Saturday classes from 9am to 1pm. Students learn to analyze and visualize data using Excel, Python, JavaScript, Tableau, SQL databases, and more. They participate in live lectures, 1-on-1 coaching sessions, hands-on workshops, team projects, and more. For their final project, students work in teams to build a data visualization application that can be added to their portfolios and help them get entry level data science jobs.

All Vanderbilt programs include career services. Students participate in portfolio reviews, resume workshops, mock interviews, and networking events. Career coaches work 1-on-1 with students to prepare them for the job search.

Who are Vanderbilt Bootcamps for?

People with little to no experience in digital marketing, web dev, or data analytics who are looking to move into these careers could benefit from Vanderbilt Bootcamps. The program is especially helpful for people based in Tennessee and for those interested in an intense, hands-on curriculum.

What do Vanderbilt Bootcamps cost? How much work is involved?

Tuition for the full-time web dev course is $11,995. All other courses cost $10,995. Interest-free monthly payment plans are available. Vanderbilt alumni are eligible for a $500 discount. Students who pay upfront or register early also get a discount.

The admissions process begins with a brief written application or a call to the admissions office. Next, candidates have a behavioral interview over the phone. Select candidates take a final critical thinking and problem-solving assessment. Prior technical experience is not necessary.

Ratings and reviews

Vanderbilt Bootcamps has received fairly positive reviews. The program is rated 4.82/5 stars on Course Report. In addition, they have a 3/5 star rating on Switchup. Graduates praised the program for its hands-on learning and support, but some students had mixed feelings about the pacing and job placement.

The top review on Course Report says they were impressed with “the amount of support I had when running into issues and tackling a new learning curve”. And, they felt the program was “a great investment… I don’t regret a single minute of it.” However, they had concerns about the pacing, warning “be prepared for long hours” and that the program “is not for the faint of heart!”

Another top review raved about the support, commenting “instructors and TAs were very supportive and encouraging” and “guidance from experienced developers were very appealing.” The grad also felt the pace was intense, remarking that the “curriculum was challenging yet attainable.” Another student would have liked more job support, commenting “it is entirely upon you to keep up with the Career Services side” and only rating job assistance 3/5 stars.

On Reddit, one student felt their “instructor is amazing” but warned about the pacing, saying “They have shoved a lot into my brain and I’ve pulled a lot of late nights.” Some grads on Reddit had mixed feelings about Vanderbilt Bootcamps’ parent company, Trilogy. One Reddit user commented, “no one has had anything positive to say about Career Services.”

Alternatives to Vanderbilt Bootcamp

If you decide not to enroll in a Vanderbilt bootcamp course, there are a number of alternative courses and resources that can help you launch a career as a web developer, digital marketer, or data analyst.

Aspiring digital marketers and web developers can check out CodeX Academy, a self-paced bootcamp with 1-on-1 mentorship opportunities. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
The popular bootcamp General Assembly offers in-person and online options for students interested in digital marketing, as well as software engineering, UX design, and other tech subjects.Read more about General Assembly in our review.
Similarly, Flatiron School is an intensive bootcamp that teaches data analysis, data science, cybersecurity, and software engineering. Students can choose part-time or full-time options, both on-campus or online.
The full-time tech bootcamp Kenzie Academy has in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design with front-end engineering. Like Vanderbilt’s bootcamps, Kenzie Academy features a hands-on curriculum with industry mentorship. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
Aspiring digital marketers also can look into GrowthX Academy, a tech bootcamp with courses in growth marketing, sales, and business development.
Similarly, Highway Education, NJIT Digital Skills Bootcamp, Palm Beach Code School, SDSU Bootcamp, UC Davis Bootcamps, and One Month have online courses in digital marketing and other topics.
The online learning platform Simplilearn offers a paid digital marketing specialist master’s program, as well as other technical courses.
UC Berkeley Bootcamp, UC Irvine Bootcamps, KU Bootcamps, Rice University Bootcamps, Georgia Tech Bootcamp, and University of Denver Bootcamps have digital marketing, web dev, and data courses with both online and in-person options. They are also managed by the Trilogy, the same company that manages Vanderbilt’s bootcamp. That means that they have similar curricula and job support.

More alternatives

The popular bootcamps BrainStation, Nashville Software School, allWomen Academy, GW Bootcamps, and Ironhack offer programs in data science, web dev, product management, and more.
Women, GNC people, and trans people can check out CodeOp, which has courses in web dev, data, and product management. Or, consider Kal Academy, which works with women and underrepresented groups on software engineering, web dev, and data.
Similarly, Plural s ight, DeltaV Code School, Bootcamp Digital, Digital Creative Institute, Kellogg Executive Education, Pepperdine Graziadio Bootcamps, Somerville Academy, and InternStreet offer tracks in digital marketing.
Aspiring data analysts can check out DataCamp, which is an online resource offering over 300 courses.
Similarly, Metis is a bootcamp with introductory data analytics courses. They feature a project-based curriculum with both on-campus and remote options. Learn more about Metis in our review.
If you prefer in-person classes, check out Magnimind or Principal Analytics Prep, which have full-time and part-time data science courses.
Students seeking 1-on-1 mentorship and ISA options may consider Thinkful, a bootcamp that teaches courses in data science, digital marketing, and more.
Similarly, Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They offer membership options ranging from $20 to $40 per month for more course options and greater support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
Another affordable program with self-paced learning, Coursera hosts low-cost digital marketing courses taught by professors at accredited universities.
edX is another popular online learning platform with university courses. Their self-paced courses come from top schools like Harvard and MIT, and even big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
Similarly, online educational resources Udacity and Springboard offer low-cost, self-paced courses in digital marketing, web dev, data analytics, and many other tech topics. Learn more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews.

How does Vanderbilt compare to Pathrise?

Vanderbilt Bootcamps offer courses to help people launch a career as a digital marketer, web developer, cybersecurity professional, or data analyst. While an interest in tech is recommended, most Vanderbilt Bootcamp students do not have any experience. Pathrise job-seekers should already have a background in their chosen field to get the most out of the technical curriculum.

Vanderbilt’s courses are intense and fast paced, even their part-time programs can require work outside of class. Pathrise is a flexible program. We have only 2-4 hours of sessions per week and fellows can schedule 1-on-1 sessions as needed. All of our sessions are live and recorded, so fellows can review previous material at their own pace

Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job in tech. Our mentors work 1-on-1 with fellows on their resumes & portfolios, reverse recruiting and cold emails, behavioral interview preparation, salary negotiation, and more. We’ve helped 1,000+ people land great jobs in tech. Fellows in our program see their interview scores double and their application responses triple, find a tech job within just 3-5 months of joining our program on average.

Pathrise optimizes the job search through 1-on-1 mentorship and personalized training. If you are interested in working with any of our mentors to land your dream tech job faster, join Pathrise.