If you’re thinking about a career in tech, you have more options for pursuing your education than ever before. Between self-taught online classes, a traditional college education, and professional coding bootcamps, you can shape a path that best suits your goals. But not all options are created equal, so we wanted to provide you with some information to help you with making this important decision. Here, we’ll focus on the differences between a traditional college education and a coding bootcamp.
1. Cost
Any time we talk about college, the cost is usually the first thing that comes up. The cost of going to college is rising, and without comparable improvements in likelihood of getting a job or rate of pay, college is becoming more and more difficult to justify. Top Universities reports that the average cost for a four-year undergraduate degree from a public university for the 2016-2017 school year as $20,090 per year. And that’s assuming you’re a resident of the state where the university is located! Goldman Sachs predicts that students graduating now won’t even break even on the cost of college until they are nine years into their career, and that number is rising.
For those seeking a career as a computer coder or developer, there are more affordable options. A coding bootcamp costs significantly less, yet still provides the qualifications, references, and experience necessary to create an impressive resume. Here, at DevMountain, our program costs just $10,900, a mere fraction of what a comparable program would run you at a university.
2. Time
Time should be factored in with the cost of a program because after all, time is money right? Four years is a long time to go with little to no income, especially while you’re forking over expensive tuition every year. Luckily, with DevMountain, you can complete your education and be ready for your first job in as little as 12 weeks!
We know that many of you don’t have as much time as you’d like to dedicate to your education every day. With work, family, and other responsibilities, you can’t always make a traditional education work for you. At DevMountain, we’re determined to make our bootcamp as accessible as possible, so we have a part-time coding bootcamp option that you can complete in just 16 weeks.
3. Experience
Although it’s not a measurable quality, an overall experience is also an important part of any life pursuit. Many people see college as a rite of passage these days, and while the idealized “college experience” rarely measures up to expectations, it’s still an enjoyable and life-enriching pursuit.
However, many of the things people enjoy about college can also be experienced in bootcamp. DevMountain maintains a scholarly environment that encourages teamwork and immersive learning. Beyond what college can provide, DevMountain’s bootcamp is a more intense experience that puts you under the instruction of experienced real-world professionals. Our approach pairs you with full-time professors, part-time in-the-field industry professionals, and personally assigned mentors, giving you more access to quality instruction. You’ll be able to experience learning hands-on with a keystone project that you will complete by the end of the program.
Ready to learn more about what our program can do for you? Our website has all of the information you’ll need to make an informed decision about whether or not our bootcamp is the best option for you. Meet our professional staff, a team of helpful and experienced individuals that we put together to help you get the most out of your education and come away with some pretty amazing references. Or check out our schedule of programs to find the one that is best suited to your needs. You can request a syllabus today on our website.
