They’re popular due to an increase in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistics careers. As a result, data science bootcamps in Chicago have become a trendy choice for people looking to fast-track their careers in a high-demand field. They create a powerful way to learn data science skills in a short amount of time. Before signing up for them, it’s crucial for students to know how much they’ll need to invest and what factors influence their tuition costs.
Average Cost of Data Science Bootcamps in Chicago
Top-ranking data science courses in the Windy City allow learners to master essential lessons in a structured way. They’ll not only learn things like general data theories but master Python, SQL, and other tools that make it easier to manage and understand databases professionally. All these lessons help students walk away confident in what they’ve mastered here.
Costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars, these programs give students the powerful opportunity to master critical concepts quickly. Comprehensive courses, in particular, give learners the insight that they need to thrive. Before diving into a class, it’s essential to know the median expenses that learners might run into when researching their educational options.
Overview of Typical Price Range
Like all bootcamps, data science courses have varying costs that might surprise many learners. For example, some cost as little as $1,500, which makes them reasonably affordable for most people. Others might run for as much as $16,500, though that’s on the high end for this subject. That’s a pretty high swing between extremes, though generally, expenses are more balanced.
Typically, learners can anticipate tuition costs ranging from about $3,000 to $5,000, with lots of variance depending on the program or school. Later on in this article, they’ll learn about some financing options that can significantly reduce their initial course expenses and avoid issues. In this way, it should be easier for graduates to afford their learning and feel comfortable with it.
Comparison of Average Costs Between Different Bootcamps
High-quality data science courses in Chicago come in many lengths and styles. Some include in-person education, while others are entirely online. Even Chicago-based schools provide virtual training that might work well for people who don’t want to deal with traffic. Here are a few different examples of high-quality facilities that learners can use to thrive in their education:
- Noble Desktop: This great tech team started in 1990. As a New York City provider, they offer virtual courses on subjects like data science in Chicago and elsewhere. Classes range between $1,500 and $4,000, depending on the data science subject studied.
- General Assembly: As a nationally recognized training team, this group runs Chicago-based classes as well as online learning for anyone who wants it. Their data science courses are about $16,500 but typically run longer for comprehensive education.
- University of Illinois Chicago: A famous university in the Chicago area with high-quality courses, UIC also offers adult education for specialized subjects. Their data science bootcamp typically costs about $15,000 and lasts a couple of months.
- Practical Programming: People who can’t afford higher-cost classes might like this school. Courses typically last no more than 30 hours and rarely cost more than $2,000. That makes them a good primer for a complex subject like data science.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Data Science Bootcamps
When learning data science in Chicagoland bootcamps, learners must understand what impacts their costs and whether it’s worth paying a little more. Spoiler alert: higher-priced classes are honestly a bit more valuable to learners in this subject. That said, it’s still a good idea to know precisely why programs cost what they do so that graduates feel happy with their overall results.
Duration of the Program
Full-time immersive programs that last 12-16 weeks tend to cost more than part-time options. It makes sense because these more intensive courses are usually packed with a lot of exercises and activities. While shorter classes typically have a packed curriculum with full-day learning and projects, they’re usually nowhere near as comprehensive as these extended programs.
Curriculum and Specializations Offered
Bootcamps that offer specialized tracks usually ask for a little more money. After all, data science might cover things like machine learning, artificial intelligence, or big data, which generally come at a premium. Think about it from this angle: these advanced topics require more in-depth training and may cost more because they’re trickier and demand more attention.
Reputation and Ranking of the Bootcamp
Bootcamps with a strong reputation, high graduation rates, and solid job placement services tend to be more expensive. After all, they’ve shown that they offer real value to learners and stand out due to their excellence. Furthermore, their alumni network, connections to industry professionals, and established partnerships with tech companies make them more worthwhile.
Location and Facilities
It’s costly to run a business in Chicago, even for data science bootcamp that offer remote or hybrid learning. After all, they probably still have physical locations in the city. As a result, their on-site and digital classes may charge higher tuition to cover operational costs. Thankfully, they usually have well-equipped classrooms, technology labs, and additional learning resources.
Instructor Qualifications
Data science schools in Chicago typically have the money to hire highly experienced professors with real experience in the field. They often not only work in data science currently but also have advanced degrees. They ask for more money so, naturally, schools must charge more. As they bring valuable real-world experience and can offer deeper insights into the field, it’s worth it.
Benefits of Attending Data Science Bootcamps
Anyone debating data science bootcamp costs in Chicago may feel dubious about their worth. After all, these classes can’t be that great, can they? Well, the finest courses will not only reinforce critical thinking skills but provide many other unique advantages. Here are four reasons why these programs are such an excellent investment in an individual’s personal future.
Structured Learning Environment
Bootcamps provide a structured, focused learning environment that helps students build foundational and advanced data science skills quickly. They’re almost always designed in a “step-by-step” manner that teaches in-demand tools and techniques. As learners master skills like Python programming and machine learning, they’ll gradually build their expertise correctly.
Access to Experienced Instructors and Mentors
Bootcamps often give students direct access to instructors who have extensive experience in the field. Rather than hiring people with only theoretical knowledge, they find mentors who can guide students through projects, career transitions, and learning challenges. Universities and colleges, for all their value, don’t always have the same hiring standards for their professors.
Networking Opportunities with Peers and Industry Professionals
Networking is a crucial benefit of attending a bootcamp, one that isn’t always an option in universities and colleges. Setting them up to learn alongside peers and meeting with industry professionals, students can quickly build vital relationships with real Chicago-area data science experts. These connections may lead to internships, job opportunities, or collaborative projects.
Career Services and Job Placement Assistance
Most bootcamps offer extensive career services, such as resume reviews, interview coaching, and job placement assistance. Colleges rarely do, which can limit their appeal to some learners. Even if university courses provide a strong degree, bootcamps emphasize job readiness. Some even provide job guarantees, meaning graduates can get a refund if they don’t find a job quickly.
Why Paying for a Data Science Bootcamp is Better Than Learning For Free
People who want to save money on their learning might be tempted just to attend free seminars or even watch YouTube videos. Sure, that can help with some basic data science techniques, but it isn’t enough for true mastery. They’re simply not comprehensive enough, which makes bootcamps even more essential. Here are a few reasons why they stand out so efficiently.
Accountability and Motivation
When learners invest in a bootcamp, they’re more likely to stay committed and motivated to complete the program for a few reasons. First, free resources, while abundant, often lack the structure and accountability that a paid program provides. Put more simply, people who pay for a class feel more urgency to complete it and will more likely pay close attention to their work.
Hands-On Projects and Real-World Experience
Bootcamps emphasize practical, project-based learning in ways that seminars or free courses do not. These low-cost alternatives usually have some theoretical knowledge but not much real hands-on support. By contrast, bootcamps let students work on real-world problems, often in collaboration with local companies or through case studies, to build a portfolio of their work.
Immediate Feedback and Personalized Support
Having access to experienced instructors and mentors allows for immediate feedback on work in ways that free courses do not. In fact, most no-pay models actually don’t have teacher support, meaning that learning to debug code or improve a data model can be truly challenging. Bootcamps give personalized support to mastering complex data science concepts.
Community and Collaborative Learning
Learning in a bootcamp setting encourages peer collaboration, including the chance to craft authentic databases together. This setup mirrors the teamwork environment typical in the tech industry and teaches essential teamwork skills. In this way, learners can build communication and collaboration skills, which are critical components of success in all data science roles.
Financing Options for Data Science Bootcamps
Balancing boodcamp tuition with day-to-day expenses might challenge even the sharpest person. After all, these courses can often cost thousands of dollars, and not everybody has that kind of capital to spend. However, there are multiple financing options available that may make this process easier. Here are a few for learners to utilize to take their careers to the next level.
Scholarships and Grants
When available, scholarships and grants provide low-cost financing that learners never need to pay back. Instead, bootcamps offer scholarships for people who they think deserve it. Often, these include underrepresented groups in tech, veterans, or those with financial need. High achievers may also qualify for scholarships that really reduce the overall cost of the bootcamp.
Income Share Agreements (ISAs)
Some bootcamps offer income share agreements, which are powerful financing options that work uniquely. With them, students pay little to no upfront cost and instead agree to give a percentage of their future income once they secure a job in data science. This option reduces financial risk upfront and also encourages the school to provide job placement support tools.
Payment Plans and Deferred Tuition
Many bootcamps provide flexible payment plans that allow students to pay tuition in installments over time. These typically last about 3-6 months in concentrated cycles that limit a student’s financial burden. By contrast, deferred tuition options allow students to delay payments until they graduate and secure a job in data science. Both options work well for many learners.
Loans and Financial Aid
Private loans explicitly designed for data science students come through partnerships between bootcamps and lending institutions. Federal loans typically aren’t available, which might seem limiting. However, more personalized and specialized bootcamp loans offer lower interest rates and repayment terms than traditional funding options to make them more affordable for most.
Available Data Science Bootcamps in Chicago
Chicago provides many in-person and online bootcamps for data science that can help students become true experts in this field. In fact, the sheer number of options can be daunting for some learners, particularly if they don’t have a lot of experience. The following three schools and classes provide a powerful learning experience that will work well for many different people.
Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop provides award-winning training in various topics, including data science, programming, and marketing. Since 1990, they’ve led the industry with high-quality in-person and virtual courses that make sense for learners from all walks of life. Hands-on support, 1-on-1 mentoring, and portfolio-building exercises make them the learning team of choice for many.
Data Science & AI Certificate
Data Science & AI Certificate is a 114-hour course that costs only $4,000. That’s practically a steal for its value. In this class, students learn about Python, machine learning models, web scraping, and SQL manipulation. Utilizing these unique techniques can streamline a learner’s knowledge and make it easier for them to move into a thriving and exciting data science field.
General Assembly
General Assembly runs out of many cities nationwide, including in Chicago. They offer part- and full-time courses either in person or online. Subjects covered include data science, software engineering, and user experience design. Classes typically last a little longer than other programs but provide in-depth learning that helps students transition in their careers
Data Science Bootcamp
Data Science Bootcamp lasts 12 weeks and costs $16,500, making it one of the most costly Chicago classes. It includes hands-on training exercises in SQL, Excel, Tableau, Power BI, and Python. Learners get the chance to work with actual databases, analyze large amounts of information, and complete a portfolio that highlights their knowledge to potential employers.
University of Illinois Chicago
University of Illinois Chicago is a popular school right in Chicago that offers community learning programs for multiple groups. These include undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as smaller-scale courses focused on various tech skills. This option works well for people who live downtown or anyone who wants to get university-style education at reasonable prices.
Online Data Analytics Bootcamp (Full or Part Time)
Online Data Analytics Bootcamp (Full or Part Time) is a 10- or 26-week course costing $15,000 that can provide expansive training in this field. Students learn about Excel, SQL, and Python alongside other vital skills. Learners get experience with hands-on exercises that improve their knowledge, expand their comprehension, and ensure that they feel comfortable professionally.
Skills Learned in Data Science Bootcamps
When learning data science and related careers, like IT, it’s essential to know what skills learners will master in these courses. Often, these programs include extensive courses with detailed sessions that highlight many vital techniques. Thankfully, these abilities quickly transfer to other tech-related careers, ensuring that they can find a job that they’ll enjoy after graduation.
Core Programming Languages
Data scientists and professionals in this field must know a few coding languages to thrive. For example, Python and R are the most commonly taught languages in the world due to their widespread use in data science, such as crafting databases and managing information. However, even SQL (one of the oldest still-used data tools) is critical to master in bootcamps.
Problem-Solving and Algorithmic Thinking
Data experts typically must master critical thinking and algorithmic skills to thrive in their field. These skills are essential for data analysis, modeling, and machine learning because they can help professionals better handle complex problems. Just as importantly, they create uniform concepts and standards that ensure data is dealt with effectively across multiple platforms.
Software Development Methodologies
Agile and Scrum frameworks are commonly taught in many Chicago data science bootcamps. While they might not seem relevant at first, that’s not the case at all. These powerful and adaptable tools help students manage complex data science projects efficiently, especially when problems come up. Knowing them also makes transitioning to other fields even easier to do.
Version Control with Git and GitHub
Do data scientists really need to know Git and GitHub? Absolutely, because version control helps them handle collaborative work and better understand various code changes between database updates. While they’re not as commonly used in this field as they are in coding and other skill sets, understanding them can make this a much easier market to grasp fully.
Collaboration and Teamwork
Throughout data science bootcamps in Chicago, learners will study using group projects that perfectly mirror real-world data science work. They’ll collect information, store it in databases, and analyze it to create new databases from scratch. Knowing how to work together like this to complete these tasks can help students improve their collaboration and communication skills.
Jobs Available After Data Science Bootcamps
Finding data science jobs in Chicago after completing a program shouldn’t be hard. Even if students aren’t 100% prepared for a new position, many employers take risks on skilled entry-level graduates and work them up to success. Many of these positions have six-figure salaries and include many fascinating duties that make them worth trying. They include:
- Data Analyst: As a Data Analyst, learners will take large amounts of information, summarize, analyze, and visualize it for their clients’ usage. Average salaries include a US median of $79,000 and a solid income of around $86,000 in Chicago.
- Business Analyst: A Business Analyst uses data to analyze a company’s issues and find solutions. They might even create project plans to help companies thrive. Expect median salaries of $85,000 in the US and about $88,000 in the Chicagoland region.
- Data Scientist: Graduates moving into a Data Scientist position will collect, organize, and analyze large amounts of information to help organizations make big decisions. They make about $122,000 on average nationally or around $108,000 in Chicago.
- Machine Learning Engineer: In a Machine Learning Engineer role, students will use computer programs to handle and automate large amounts of data for AI models. These experts earn around $161,000 nationally or about $160,000 in the Windy City.
Why Learning Data Science is Rewarding for Chicago
Anyone looking for classes near them in Chicago for data science may also wonder what sets this subject apart from other tech-related fields. For example, computer science, coding, programming, and other skill sets are all fascinating. However, data science is uniquely rewarding and can help prepare learners for a staggering array of potential life changes.
High Job Demand for Data Science in Chicago
Chicago’s job market is heavily invested in tech and adjacent skill sets. That means there are many data science professionals in the region who are ready to hire people like you. Even if you’re not quite prepared to work immediately after completing a bootcamp, knowing that these skills open you up to new (and high-earning) work is enough reason to try them out in Chicago.
Great Opportunities for Creativity
The word “creativity” might not seem applicable to data science for some people. However, it’s actually an exciting and continually expanding market with lots of room for imaginative thought. For example, experts must know some coding languages to use when they craft databases and tools like SQL to produce charts and visualizations that capture their information’s meaning.
Remote Work Options
While Chicago provides plenty of unique data science employers for bootcamp graduates, this field often utilizes remote work environments very well. For example, experts in Chicago can usually work for companies located in New York City, Los Angeles, and beyond. The internet helps to bridge these communication gaps and opens data scientists up to many great jobs.
Satisfaction and Learning Chances
Since data science is such a complex and unique skill set, learners get the chance to expand their knowledge continually. For example, just mastering some early lessons will help them get started. But as innovations emerge and change the industry, learners get the chance to stay on top of them, master more exciting fields, and become experts in a surprising range of subjects.
How Easy Is It to Learn Data Science?
While data science can be challenging, it is accessible to individuals with a strong analytical mindset. It’s probably high-mid to lower-high in difficulty. In other words, it’s not something most people will immediately jump into without help. Thankfully, Chicago data science bootcamps help streamline the learning process by providing a focused, step-by-step approach for learners.
They’ll introduce basic subjects first, help learners acclimate to them, and slowly build up their knowledge until they’re ready to graduate. By working through these early classes and mastering these foundational abilities, students will walk away competent and ready to go. Even if they have to practice for a few months, that extra work is more than worth the effort.
How Long Will It Take to Learn Data Science?
Most bootcamps take between 3 and 6 months to complete, depending on whether the program is full-time or part-time. Now, serious students need to know that completing a bootcamp doesn’t guarantee competency. Since data science continually evolves, professionals must commit to lifelong learning to stay up-to-date with the latest tools and know how to use them in this market.
Just as importantly, the complexity of this subject makes it hard to perfect in just a few months. Through regular practice (including hands-on projects for a portfolio), specialists can easily feel comfortable with this subject in about a year. Once they get to this level, they can build on their already-mastered skills to become even more competent and advance higher in their careers.
Author Bio
Eric Benac is an experienced writer with over 15 years of experience covering multiple subjects. He has written extensively about education, addiction, the financial industry, art, music, travel, and golf carts. In his spare time, he writes electronic music, reads, writes fiction, and swims. Eric continually seeks new experiences and looks to constantly expand his writing portfolio.