You have made the decision to go into web development. Now you are considering the most important decision: coding bootcamp or a degree?
Bootcamps for web developers have become a major part the tech industry. Each tech hub has at most one, and some have many, such as San Francisco. These bootcamps are similar to military bootcamps, which transform ordinary citizens into combat troops. They claim they can help you transition from your current career to a tech-focused career in a matter of weeks.
Does that sound far-fetched? You are not the only one.
From 2012, when the industry was just beginning, programming bootcamps have steadily made their way into mainstream programming. This despite the market’s natural skepticism. They have also become a major contributor to the developer talent pool. Tech firms of all sizes continue hiring more bootcamp graduates every year, in addition to traditional channels like 4-year universities for developing talent.
Coding Bootcamp vs. Computer Science degree
Given the rapid rise of the bootcamp market and the adoption by established tech companies, you might wonder: How do coding bootcamps compare with four-year computer science degrees? This is a question I receive all the time from aspiring developers.
Based on my career path, my experience in the industry, my time with my peers (some bootcamp grads, some computer science graduates), I feel uniquely qualified to summarize five main differences between completing an coding bootcamp and a degree.
There are many other differences that you should consider when comparing the two options. However, I will only focus on the most important ones. If you are looking to become a programmer and make programming your profession (which is very different than computer science), here are the main questions and concerns when weighing coding bootcamps against computer science degrees.
1. Time, Money, & Opportunity
A coding bootcamp is more expensive than a degree with multiple layers. There are three factors that affect the cost of a coding bootcamp vs a degree: the amount of training time, the actual dollar amount spent, and the opportunity costs that accumulate as a result of the latter two. Let’s look at each one separately. A coding bootcamp lasts for 17 weeks, which is a little more than three months. It’s a full-time commitment. This is just an average. Depending on the program and the schedule you choose, bootcamps can last anywhere from six to 28 week depending on what program you choose. The average time to earn a bachelor’s degree as a tech major is four years to five years. Bootcamps can be very appealing from a time perspective.
There is more variation in dollar costs: a bootcamp will cost on average $14,000 while a degree will cost on average $9,650/year or $24,930/year to a university for both in-state and outside-of-state tuition. Multiply this by four years to get a Bachelor’s Degree. We get $38.600 for in-state tuition and $99.720 for out-of state tuition. This is the low end. In 2020, the average computer science degree cost $172k. Bootcamps are certainly cheaper than a four year degree.
Let’s now talk about the opportunity cost. The average bootcamp lasts three to six months, and it takes six months for a bootcamp graduate to find a job. A bootcamp student can graduate and work for three years at an average annual salary of $65,000, within a four year period. A college student will be able to continue their education during the same time period, or close to graduation. This opportunity cost can add up to more than $150,000 in three years depending on what you are looking for.
2. Career Opportunities & Career Growth
Bootcamp and computer science graduates can find lucrative entry-level jobs in the developer market. They also earn similar salaries, approximately $65,000 annually on a national level. Average salaries in larger tech markets like Silicon Valley or Seattle will be closer to $75,000 annually due to higher living costs.
Research shows that computer science graduates are often employed as web developers, computer systems analysts, or software applications developers. Bootcamp graduates are often hired as web developers, front-end web developers, and software engineers. Both are similar in terms of job title and pay after graduation, according to my experience. Many bootcamps openly advertise their job placement numbers to the public. Most bootcamps achieve a 90% placement rate in six months, which is a huge advantage for companies of any size. Large corporations such as Adobe, Google, Cisco and Progressive, to local tech startups that are less than five years old, include large corporations such as Adobe, Apple, Google and Cisco.
Computer science programs available in the
