How to Choose the Right Free Coding Bootcamp in 2023

Your time is a limited yet precious asset that you most likely don’t want to waste, so it’s essential to choose the right free online coding bootcamp for you. The choice comes right down to your personal preference and goals most of the time. However, when you’re faced with the decision of choosing, there are some major factors to consider. 🤔

Do you qualify? Before you even shortlist a bootcamp, you must first consider if you meet the eligibility requirements. Although most bootcamps on this list are relatively easy to get into, there may still be some requirements you need to meet to qualify — mainly because some of the programs are intended for certain people, such as residents of certain cities or states. ✅

Is it an actual bootcamp? You might be enticed to sign up for a free bootcamp only to find out that it’s just an introductory course. Free intro coding courses are a great way to dip your toes into the world of coding, but they are not bootcamps. 📚

Language - There are so many programming languages out there today. You’ll probably hear from many people that this web dev language is better than that one. Regardless of which language others think is best, it’s essential to consider the language(s) you want to learn. Figure out what type of work you want to do and choose the language that suits it best. 💻

Is the bootcamp really free? It’s easy to assume that something is free because you aren’t paying for anything upfront. However, it’s vital to double (and maybe even triple) check. Rather than being free, some bootcamps are set up with deferred tuition, where you pay nothing upfront but pay everything back over time once you graduate and find work. 💸

What else is on offer? Just because the bootcamps you are looking at are free doesn’t mean they are all the same and don’t have unique things to offer. The main aim of coding bootcamps isn’t just to teach you how to code fast, it’s also to help prepare you for your future career as a web developer. Find out what else may be on offer at a bootcamp — will they also be teaching other aspects of being a developer? 🎓

Finally, it’s also good to consider a bootcamp’s format. Sure, you’re getting a free bootcamp, which means you’re probably okay with making some concessions and compromises. However, that doesn’t mean you have to put up with an entire camp in an inconvenient or unpreferable format. If you are happy watching video tutorials to learn, go for that. However, if you enjoy a much more hands-on approach, you may want to find something else that fits. 📹

🌟 Best Free Coding Bootcamps 🚀

There are plenty of free coding boot camps, and the list is just overwhelming. That’s why we decided to compile a short yet comprehensive list of only the best of all the available boot camps. Also, with the COVID-19 taking its own time to settle, it is an excellent choice to take up boot camps online, and all the below are available online: 🌐

1. 42

Description

42 offers its in-person free code bootcamp in Silicon Valley and Paris, France.

Classes at this camp are non-traditional as there are no teachers. Instead, 42 conducts its bootcamp through peer code review and project or problem-based practical “learning by doing” format. Peer code reviews can help to foster a closely-knit community, helping students learn together.

It’s worth mentioning that although there are no teachers, there are some professional mentors who have the industry experience necessary to help guide the students along.

Highlights of the Camp

• Learning at 42 becomes more fun and engaging thanks to its gamified curriculum, where students can earn points that count toward their “mastery points.” Students cannot advance to the next part of the program without enough mastery points
• Applicants from Paris must take a battery of logic tests to shrink the applicant pool
• Applicants from Silicon Valley must participate in an intense basic training program lasting 28 days with daily challenges and coding exercises
• This bootcamp requires a commitment to studying full-time. Some graduates have said living on-campus might just be a requirement to succeed
• At 42, students can learn soft skills, collaboration and working with a team, and communication. They can also improve their problem-solving skills and creativity

Attributes

Cost: FREE

Duration: Intensive 12-month program (Starfleet Academy) or flexible programs up to five years
Location: Silicon Valley, USA and Paris, France

Requirements: Must be able to attend full-time, on-campus

Signup Here

2. Code Tenderloin

Description

Code Tenderloin is more than just a coding bootcamp — it can act as a catalyst for people to make meaningful changes in their lives. Although the programs here are not quite as in-depth as others on this list, Code Tenderloin puts plenty of focus on teaching students the soft skills they need to succeed.

Code Tenderloin aims to remove the barriers that prevent people from finding secure, long-term employment. These barriers can be a lack of soft skills, finances, childcare costs, transportation costs, and legal issues. Code Tenderloin helps students by covering transportation and childcare costs. It is also partnered with the Public Defender’s Clean Slate Program, allowing students to expunge their criminal records if certain conditions are met.

Highlights of the Camp

• Code Tenderloin offers a three-day job readiness workshop online to help prepare students for employment and help them boost their self-perception
• Students who are new to code can join the Pre-Code Ramp introductory bootcamp and learn HTML and CSS
• Code Tenderloin has two short programs, each lasting six weeks. Code Ramp teaches JavaScript and basic programming, while Code Ramp++ looks deeper into JavaScript and helps to prepare students for joining software engineering courses and bootcamps later on
• This program has partnerships with companies for job placements
• All (from Tenderloin) are encouraged to apply, regardless of their past or background

Attributes

Cost: FREE

Duration: 6-week Code Ramp, 6-week Code Ramp++

Location: Tenderloin, San Francisco

Requirements: The program is intended for the disenfranchised in San Francisco’s Tenderloin area

Signup Here

3. Ada Developers Academy

Description

Ada Developers Academy takes its name from Ada Lovelace, the world’s very first female developer. Ada is a non-profit company founded in 2013 with the goal of making the web dev industry more diverse. It conducts its free coding bootcamp online and at its Atlanta and Seattle campuses. A Washington, D.C. campus is coming in 2023.

Ada has some specific eligibility requirements discussed in the requirement section below. Further, the camp prioritizes Latin, Black, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Indigenous American, LGBTQIA+, and low-income people for admission. It is one of the best coding bootcamps for minorities.

Highlights of the Camp

• The program lasts six months, and classes are six hours per day, five days per week. Students learn Python, Flask, SQL, HTML and CSS, and JavaScript on their road to becoming a full-stack developer
• After the six-month program, students embark on a five-month-long internship where they can earn $20/hr working 35 hours per week.

Attributes

Cost: FREE

Duration: One year

Location: Atlanta, Seattle, Washington D.C. (campus coming in 2023), remote

Requirements:

• Ability to commit to full-time studies
• Be in the US during the program
• Must have permanent work authorization in the US (through citizenship or permanent residency, or via employment authorization card)
• Must be 21+ and a woman or gender-expansive individual
• Must submit to a background check (if you are uncomfortable, you can bring it up with ADA as they can discuss background checks on a case to case basis)

Signup Here

4. Careers in Code

Description

Hack Upstate’s Careers in Code was established with a goal: to provide equal access to education despite the poverty in Central New York. This equal access to education can also result in increased employment opportunities in the field. Careers in Code does this by teaching computer programming to help fight poverty. At the same time, the bootcamp aims to bolster the programming industry in the Central New York area, helping potential employers find quality workers.

Highlights of the Camp

• Courses at this bootcamp are hybrid (in-person and virtual), with evening courses held from 5:30 to 8:30 PM
• Students at Careers in Code can learn to become software developers part-time. This flexible schedule allows students to balance their other daily responsibilities
• Hack Upstate states that out of all who enrolled in the August 2021 cohort, 61% graduated from the twenty-four-week program. Out of all those who graduated, 27% had found employment within 180 days of finishing the bootcamp. Employment was either an internship, consulting arrangement, or a full-time position. Graduates’ salaries went up by 82%, with the starting salary around $50,000 on average.

Attributes

Cost: FREE

Duration: 24-week part-time program

Location: Syracuse, New York

Requirements: Prioritizes women and minorities from the distressed areas of Syracuse and Central New York

Signup Here

5. Founders and Coders

Description

Founders and Coders is a non-profit company with community interest in mind. Its main goal is to help people make an impact and get into tech regardless of their background.

F&C offers a sixteen-week full-time bootcamp where they can learn JavaScript, Node.js, aspects of project management, aspects of UX (User Experience) design, and relational databases.

The program features peer-led training, where students can learn all they need to become full-stack developers. In this peer-led program, students take their turns leading workshops, managing projects, and running code reviews.

Highlights of the Camp

• Students have the opportunity to build real portfolio projects through Founders and Coders’ non-profit app development program called “Tech for Better”
• Graduates of the bootcamp are encouraged to “pay it forward” by making a voluntary contribution after their graduation (or by finding work with an employer partner, a company that will cover their attendance costs)
• Graduates of the bootcamp are expected to mentor current students for a minimum of a week after they graduate

Attributes

Cost: FREE

Duration: 16-week full-time program

Location: London, United Kingdom

Requirements:

• Must be 18+
• Ability to commit to full-time studies
• Must have completed the pre-requisites (such as Codewars and freeCodeCamp) before admission
• A 20-minute interview to determine whether you fit into the community

Signup Here

6. Recurse Center

Description

The Recurse Center, formerly known by its old name “Hacker School,” proclaims itself as a programmer’s educational retreat for those wanting to become significantly better with others who desire the same. The Recurse Center has been around for a decade and continues to bring together intelligent, flexible, and hard-working people.

At this free 12-week bootcamp, which is currently operated online, you get a self-guided education in coding. There are no teachers or instructors. Rather, this bootcamp thrives on a peer-learning environment that fosters collaboration and teamwork. To help this goal, The Recurse Center gives students the space, time, and freedom they need to work on the stuff they are interested in and passionate about.

Highlights of the Camp

• Many open-source projects come to be at TRC and continue long after students have graduated
• The extensive network of alumni from this bootcamp makes it easy to continue any open-source projects and establish personal and professional relationships
• Potential students are free to apply, regardless of their experience level (as long as they can pass the interviews)

Attributes

Cost: FREE

Duration: 12 weeks

Location: New York, New York

Requirements:

• Submit a written application
• First interview to determine whether you are a culture fit in the bootcamp
• Second technical interview

Signup Here

7. Mississippi Coding Academies

Description

Founded by Innovate Mississippi and the Mississippi Governor’s office in 2017, MCA aims to provide a free coding education that can potentially lead to a successful career in the field. The free programming bootcamps at Mississippi Coding Academies are meant for residents of Mississippi, particularly those who are disadvantaged.

MCA operates its eleven-month-long bootcamps like a work environment, where you will have to attend classes five days a week. During the camp, there are site visits to local companies. Speakers and mentors also come from these local companies. Completing your bootcamp means you can become a full-stack developer with everything you need to get started in the field.

Highlights of the Camp

• Multiple campuses located in Mississippi: Biloxi, Jackson, South Jackson, Starkville
• The Biloxi campus bootcamp program is affiliated with the University of Southern Mississippi
• Veterans code program available (five days a week for two hours in the evening)
• There are employer evaluations that function as performance reviews where employers give direct feedback to coders’ projects
• There is a work release -style program where you can get on the job experience by becoming an intern

Attributes

• Cost: FREE
• Duration: 11 months (44 weeks)
• Location: Mississippi, US
• Requirements: Must be a Mississippi resident

Signup Here

Bonus: Additional Paid Coding Bootcamps

1. Coding DOJO

Description

Coding DOJO is a place to jumpstart your new career in just 14 weeks. You can take up the courses online (part-time), or you can choose to take up the courses in any of their ten campuses. Their alumni work at companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, and the likes. They have different courses for software development, data science, mobile development and also have MIT boot camps for innovation. This is also a online coding bootcamps as well.

Highlights of the Camp

• Updated course curriculum based on the top programming languages of 2023 listed in the TIOBE index.
• Hybrid learning option available – a mix of on-demand onsite and online learning.
• Three full-stacks covered in 14 weeks.
• Dedicated career services team for job-hunt.
• One-on-one mentorship for the career.
• Complete access to workshops covering aspects like pay negotiation, networking, and behavioral interview techniques.

Tools Needed: Laptop with an internet connection, Windows

Attributes

Cost: $24,495 which can be paid in 3 installments or as one full payment

Duration: 14 weeks + additional on-campus learning for virtual learners.

Signup Here

2. Ironhack

Description

Ironhack provides intensive boot camps in Data analytics, UX/UI design, and web development. They recently started the option for live remote boot camp due to COVID-19. Students from Ironhack have been placed in top companies like Google, Twitter, Orange, Capgemini, Twitter, BBC, etc. Ironhack has a vast network that connects all its campuses to provide a wholesome experience.

Highlights of the Camp

• 10% off for women on web development and data analytics boot camps.
• One-to-one mentorship and support for online and onsite coaching.
• Ironhack conducts a short personal and technical interview to assess your skills.
• You can choose various financing options based on your location choice.
• Dedicated career advice and guidance team with an 89% placement rate.

Tools needed: Laptop with Windows or Mac depending on the course

Attributes

Course	Cost	Duration	Syllabus
iOS mobile Bootcamp	$10000	Eight weeks	XCode, Swift, Objective-C
Web Development Bootcamp	$10000 – onsite $12000 – online	Eight weeks – onsite Six months – online	HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, Sinatra, Rails, Git, Github

Signup Here

3. The Tech Academy

Description

Tech Academy boot camps are full-stack, well-rounded, and teach the latest programming languages based on industry requirements. Students have the option to learn online, attend in-person classes, or take up hybrid training, i.e., a combination of online and onsite training! Students can choose their schedules and move at their preferred speed.

Highlights of the Camp

• Train junior developers in the latest technologies and full-stack programming.
• Job placement training with proper assistance.
• Flexible schedule and open enrollment – students can enroll at any time and start learning.
• Wide range of boot camps – software developer, C# & .NET framework, Python developer, data science, front-end web developer, UI/UX designer, etc.
• Free introduction class with online self-learning module.

Tools needed: Laptop with an internet connection, installation of software needed for each program.

Attributes

Course	Full-time cost	Full-time Duration	Part-time cost	Part-time Duration
Software Developer	$13,980	22 weeks	$19,980	40 weeks
C# & .NET Framework	$9,980	15 weeks	$14,980	28 weeks
Python Bootcamp	$9,980	15 weeks	$14,980	28 weeks
Data Science	$10,980	16 weeks	$15,980	30 weeks
Front-end Web Developer	$5,980	Eight weeks	$8,980	14 weeks
UI/UX design	$9,980	15 weeks	$14,980	28 weeks

Signup Here

4. Thinkful

Description

Thinkful provides one on one mentorship and guidance. You can choose study schedules as per your choice. Their students are hired by big companies like Google, IBM, Amazon, WalmartLabs, Boeing, etc. There are immersive as well as flexible courses for software engineering, digital marketing, data science, and more.

Highlights of the Camp

• Good placement rate with an average starting salary of $60k-$73k.
• Great community across the US.
• Dedicated career support and advice.
• Free online courses to get your journey started.
• You can enroll without up-front payment (for select students).
• Flexible payment options – income share agreement, month-to-month, a loan, or up-front payment.

Tools needed: Laptop

Attributes

Course	Cost	Duration
Engineering Immersion	$16000	5 months, full-time
Engineering Flex	$7000	6 months, online, part-time
Data Science Immersion	$18,500	5 months, full-time
Data Science Flex	$7000	6 months, part-time
UX/UI design immersion	$12,150	5 months, full-time, career coaching
UX/UI design flex	$7000	6 months, online, part-time
Data analytics immersion	$12,250	4 months, full-time
Data analytics flex	$4500	6 months, part-time
Digital marketing immersion	$7500	6 weeks
Digital marketing flex	$4500	3 months
Product management flex	$4500	6 months, online, part-time

Signup Here

5. Bloc

Description

Bloc programs are not just for beginners but also for experienced developers who want to up-skill themselves. They offer three levels of programs for jobs in web and software development. Bloc also offers complete career guidance with one-to-one coaching for technical interviews, resumes, Github, LinkedIn profile and has an extensive employer network.

Highlights of the Camp

• Online full-time as well as part-time courses.
• Scholarships and financing options available.
• Job guarantees as a full-time developer.
• Three paces of learning – 24, 36- and 72-weeks programs.

Tools needed: Laptop (Windows, Mac), phone (Android/iOS) with an internet connection

Attributes

Course	Cost	Duration (parttime-fulltime)
Android development	$4999	12-38 weeks
Front-end development	$4999	12-38 weeks
Part-time web developer track	$8800	27-54 weeks
iOS development	$4999	12-38 weeks
Rails web development	$4999	21-38 weeks
Software engineering track	$24000	48-144 weeks
UX/UI design	$4999	12-38 weeks
Designer track	$9800	24-72 weeks

Signup Here