Coding bootcamps are a quick option to jump-start your career as a Software Engineer, Data Scientist, Web Developer, or another tech career. The rigorous and current curriculum of a coding bootcamp will teach you the technical skills needed to succeed in a tech career. Some schools offer "job guarantees" that ensure their students who meet certain criteria will land a job after graduation.
What Is a Job Guarantee?
Coding bootcamps with job guarantees offer graduates full or partial tuition refunds if they cannot attain a job in a specified amount of time. These financial agreements are provided to legitimize the career outcomes of coding bootcamps and ensure prospective students of their career prospects after graduating from a coding bootcamp.
How Do Job Guarantees Work?
There are a few different ways that coding bootcamps offer job guarantees. Generally, the coding bootcamps agree to provide graduates with full or partial tuition if they do not land a job that meets a minimum income after bootcamp completion.
Job guarantees typically come with specific terms that the graduate must meet to qualify for a tuition refund. Terms differ across coding bootcamps; however, most will provide partial or full tuition reimbursement if a student does not find a job within six months. Other terms may include a required amount of engagement with career services, a minimum number of job applications per week, a requirement to live in or close to a city with higher job prospects, and an obligation to accept the first job offer.
Coding bootcamp provides students with deferred tuition plans that allow them to pay tuition once they graduate and attain employment. Income Share Agreements (ISA) are a popular option that would enable students to pay a certain percentage of their future salary once they meet a certain monthly income threshold. Other coding bootcamps offer guaranteed apprenticeships or employment with their parent company or other partners.
Benefits of Attending a Coding Bootcamp with a Job Guarantee?
There are several benefits to choosing a bootcamp that offers job guarantees, including:
- Integrated Career Support: Coding bootcamps with job guarantees offer career services integrated into their program curriculums early in the bootcamp process. Career support can be beneficial in helping students get a leg up in the job market and support them in attaining gainful employment.
- Risk-free and Affordable Education: Job guarantees, like ISAs, allow many students the opportunity to attend coding bootcamps without having to fork over thousands of dollars. They also provide a security blanket to students who cannot risk being unemployed, especially if they have invested money upfront in their coding bootcamp.
- Access to High-Quality Curriculum: By offering a job guarantee, coding bootcamps are signaling that they are confident in their curriculum and their ability to land graduates a well-paying job in the field.
Questions to Consider When Reviewing Job Guarantees?
Before you enroll in a coding bootcamp offering a job guarantee, here are some questions to consider as you review the terms of their agreements.
- Does the coding bootcamp offer a job through a company-sponsored apprenticeship or employment through a parent company, or a job offer from an external company?
- Are there any career services or job search requirements to qualify? What specific terms must be met by the student?
- What prerequisites, if any, are needed for eligibility?
- Do you have to accept the first job offer that you receive? What type of employment (contract, part-time, non-technical, etc.) count as employment under the job guarantee?
- If you are using an an ISA or deferred tuition payment plan, you should check whether you will still need to pay upfront cost, such as a deposit. Additionally, you should learn how much time you will need to pay and the income threshold required for repayment.
Coding Bootcamps that Offer Job Guarantees
If this guide piqued your interest in job guarantees, you might be interested to know what coding bootcamps offer job guarantees. A few popular coding bootcamps with job guarantees are:
CodeUp
CodeUp is an award-winning Tech Career Accelerator designed with an immersive curriculum to help you build your in-demand skills in web development, data science, systems engineering, and AWS training.
Job guarantee: Codeup will refund 100% of received tuition to graduates who do not receive an offer of “in-field” employment within six months of graduation.
Eligibility Requirements: To qualify for a Tuition Refund, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old or over
- Legally authorized to work in the United States.
- No criminal history and ability to pass a background check
- Graduate with no more than three unexcused absences or 10 tardies and with a cumulative grade of 70% or higher
- Maintain compliance with Codeup placement standards, by:
- Pursuing all job opportunities provided by Codeup Placement Office to completion of interview cycle (offer or rejection)
- Submitting a minimum of 5 job applications per week
- Completing a minimum of 5 GitHub commits per week, containing evidence of newly written code post-graduation date
- Meeting with the Codeup Placement Office at minimum once per month
Flatiron School
Founded in 2012, Flatiron School trains passionate, creative people so they can launch a new career in code, data science, or cybersecurity.
Job Guarantee: Flatiron School offers a job guarantee in the form of its money-back guarantee. Students have 180 days after the start of their job search to find a “qualifying job offer,” or they are eligible to receive a full-tuition refund or a tuition waiver.
Bloom Institute of Technology (formerly Lamda School)
Bloom Institute of Technology (BloomTech) is pioneering a new model of accessible higher education with no upfront costs and where the school invests in the students instead of the other way around.
Job guarantee: If you follow their program and still don't get a job paying at least $50,000 a year (or $4,166 per month) within 365 days of graduation, you don’t have to pay tuition. That means a full refund of your tuition. And, they will directly pay you 10% of the tuition.
Eligibility Requirements: To qualify for a Tuition Refund, you must:
- Be authorized to work in the United States
- Be in an applicable payment plan, which includes an outcomes-based loan or upfront tuition payment plan
- Graduated from the BloomTech program and received a Certificate of Completion.
- Complete the Weekly Career Commitments for 365 days. Weekly commitments include: Applying to 10 jobs, reaching out to 10 professionals for networking, and posting at least 5 GitHub contributions.
Springboard
Springboard is an online learning platform that prepares students for the tech industry’s most in-demand careers with comprehensive, mentor-led online programs in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, UI/UX design, and more.
Job guarantee: Springboard offers students a six-month runway to secure a role in their industry. If students don’t secure a position within six months, Springboard refunds 100% of tuition. Springboard also offers a deferred tuition program that allows students to pay a flat tuition fee only after landing a new job.
Eligibility Requirements: To qualify for a Tuition Refund, you must:
- Be proficient in spoken and written English, as determined by initial interactions with the Admission team
- Must be 18 years or older and be eligible to legally work in the United States or in Canada if applying for positions in Toronto
- Must be able to pass any background checks associated with jobs that you apply for
Thinkful
Founded in 2012, Thinkful is an online education platform with career support that aims to get its students new jobs and lifelong careers. With 1-on-1 mentorship, living stipends, portfolio workshops, interview training, a strong employer network, and a job guarantee, their bootcamp puts the success of its students above all else.
Job guarantee: If a graduate is not offered a full-time and in-field position within 180 days of graduation, Thinkful will refund 100% of the tuition and cancel any remaining owed payments
Eligibility Requirements: To qualify for the Tuition Refund Program, you must:
- Complete all required courses, including career services checkpoints
- Graduated within the expected duration of your program
- Be 21 years of age at the time of graduation
- Be a U.S. citizen, green card holder, or be permanently authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship
- Proficient in spoken and written English
- Able to pass a criminal background check by employers
- Not be enrolled in an income share agreement plan
- Live in or within a one-hour commute of an approved city
- If enrolled in Data Science Program, students must have earned a four-year degree in a STEM field and have at least two years in a technical role.
A Final Word
Job guarantees can be valuable for those interested in a more affordable and risk-averse bootcamp experience. While there are many benefits to enrolling in a coding bootcamp with a job guarantee, you must do your research and understand the terms and conditions of your options. The best coding bootcamp is the one that meets your needs, so take your time to find which will offer you the best career prospects and financial options.
Ready to start your coding career?
Are you interested in finding the coding bootcamp that’s right for you? Check out Noble Desktop’s coding bootcamps. You can take in-person classes at Noble’s location in NYC or attend a live online coding bootcamp from anywhere in the world. You can also find other coding bootcamps in your area using Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool.