19 November 2014
Coding boot camps: Programming immersion with a future
“A lot of people who graduated boot camps … with a couple years of experience, they’re competitive with top computer science undergrad majors.”Is the popularity of traditional four-year degrees in danger of falling? Most likely not, but the variety of alternatives is increasing.
Coding boot camps are one of the alternatives that have received a lot of attention in recent years.
The programs generally consist of a relatively short, intense, immersion-style education, in which participants are taught to write computer code in one of the many programming languages. Upon completion of the program, students apply to work at the same high tech companies that traditional degree holders are apply at.
Not only are camp graduates applying to work at the same places as university graduates, but they’re getting the jobs, and better off in some aspects.
There are a growing number of companies teaching people how to code. One such firm, Hired.com, has become a leader in the field since its start in 2012.
In an interview with Mic.com, a technology website, Hired co-founder Allan Grant touted the $2 billion marketplace where companies compete to hire talented developers.
“A lot of people who graduated boot camps … with a couple years of experience, they’re competitive with top computer science undergrad majors,” said Grant. “And what we’re seeing now will continue to feed that loop. ... It works.”
Many of the academies boast near 100% job placement rates, and average salaries around the six-figure mark. One of the programs, App Academy, reports a 95% job placement rate, and an average salary of $90,000.
To add credibility to their claim, they provide an innovative alternative to paying tuition: Graduates pay back a portion of their first year’s salary if they succeed in getting a developer job.
Mic offered a hypothetical comparison of ROI for two students: one who earns a Harvard law degree, and one who completes a coding boot camp. The result: the camp graduate has a 208% higher ROI.
To read the full Mic article, click here.
A division of UC San Diego Extension, the Center for Research on the Regional Economy (CRRE) analyzes the ever-evolving trends that shape local, national, and international economies. Josh Shapiro, Ph.D, serves as director.