5 Free or Cheap Coding Bootcamps in NYC

Published on June 26, 2017 at 4:46 am by Gabriela Vatu in Lists

Technology is all around us and knowing how to code has become an extremely desirable skill to have, so we thought people might be interested in finding out more about these 5 free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC.

Learning how to code can be rather challenging, especially if you want to do it on your own, although getting an idea about the topic can be quite beneficial before stepping into a bootcamp. Even the smallest members of our families can start learning the basics with these 6 Free Coding Websites For Kids.

Many of these bootcamps can easily cost you from a few hundred bucks to tens of thousand. This makes sense since coding isn’t easy, and it takes the time to learn the ropes; plus, the investment pays off quickly once you get a job in the field. We were interested, however, in seeing if we can find some that are free of charge, and it seems like there are plenty of these to choose from to0.

It is important, of course, to find a bootcamp that gives results and that teaches the type of coding you’re interested in, whether that means you’re looking to learn how to code computer programs or smartphone apps, or a specific coding language if you want to become an expert in a specific one.

In order to build up our list of free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC, we went looking for bootcamps that have gained some popularity through the success of their students, using simple Google Search and of course, Class Curious’ database. While some of these are, indeed, free, we also included others which will only demand tuition once you find a job, as well as one where there’s a deposit you have to make, which will count towards the final tuition which you also pay after you’ve been employed. The latter strategy is that if they don’t train you properly, you won’t get a job and they won’t get their tuition money. At the same time, it’s also their way of saying they’ll give you the highest levels of training because, the more successful you are in your career, the more money you’ll be paid.

That being said, here are 5 free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC.

5. Project Code – NY Public Library

The New York City Public Library is offering free coding classes to beginners. The bootcamp lasts for 10 weeks, teaching HTML and CSS. The first few weeks are spent on learning about source code and basic tags and tables or website structure, formatting options and so on, while the last three weeks are spent collaborating on various tasks. Each week, there are two-hour sessions, with both day and evening classes being available, depending on the location.

Once the bootcamp is complete, all students are handed a Project_<code> program certificate in a graduation ceremony.

There are multiple locations for those hoping to learn how to code through this New York Public Library bootcamp. One of them is at the Chatham Square Library, another at Columbus, Countee Cullen, Mid-Manhattan, at the Science, Industry and Business Library or at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Now, let’s see what else we have on our list of free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC.

4. Access Code

Another extremely cool coding bootcamp in New York City is Access Code. Before you get accepted, you have to fill out an application with background info and answers to various other questions. Select candidates will go through in-person interviews and problem-solving sessions with engineers and experts from Access Code. Then, the final selected candidates will get to participate in a sample workshop where they can get the idea about how the next ten months would go.

Once the participants are selected, the program is ready to kick off in August. There are two options to choose from – the daily program, or the nights and weekends program. For the former, classes will be held from 10 AM to 6 PM, with two days of the week also listing workshops and lectures from 7 PM to 10 PM. The nights and weekends programs see technical learning and office hours from 7 PM to 10 PM and office hours, workshops and other non-technical learning from 10 AM to 6 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. This is, without a doubt, more than just a bootcamp, but a full coding course.

The best part about this is that it is free of charge. Well, better said, there’s no upfront payment required. In reality, participants commit to paying a percentage of their future earnings so that other students can be supported through next year’s program and so on. The program claims graduates have gone from making $18,000 a year to $85,000 a year, so that may definitely be worth it in the end.

Access Code’s program will have a total of 144 students across four different cohorts – two cohorts for full stack web, one for iOS and one for Android.

Students need to be at least 18 years old, have a strong desire to learn how to code and get a tech job, have an annual salary of no more than $45,000, be a resident of the New York metropolitan area, be eligible to work in the United States, and be able to participate for the full length of the program. No background in coding is required.

3. Mobile Dev Corps

This is a program number three on our list of free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC that’s offered by the NYC Tech Talent Pipeline in partnership with The Flatiron School and lasts for 16 weeks.

The whole program is completely free of charge, offers on-campus training and connection to jobs in technology upon graduation, similar to many of these 5 free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC.

There are some requirements, of course. For instance, you have to live in New York City to be eligible to participate, and be at least 18 years old. You must also earn less than $50,000 per year and be authorized to work in the United States. There is no need to have any experience as a professional web developer because the course guides you through from the beginning.

This is a full-time bootcamp, with classes lasting from 9 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday. The entire course focuses on teaching students how to create iOS apps. The courses cover programming techniques in Objective-C and Swift, teaching students how to create beautiful apps with UIKit, use Core Data and Firebase for data storage, learn about APIs and more.

2. Grace Hopper Program at Fullstack Academy

It is a known fact that there are far fewer women in tech than men and, in the past few years, there’s been a lot of work put into coming up with ways to attract more women to tech, to dispell the myth that coding is just for men. The Grace Hopper Program that ranks second on our list of free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC is one of these programs that was designed with the expressed mission of empowering women in technology through “affordable education, quality instruction, and individualized mentorship.”

Technically, the program is free since you don’t have to pay any money up front. You do, however, have to agree to pay tuition once you secure a job after graduating, which isn’t such a bad idea for those who are seeking to expand their horizons.

The Grace Hopper Program is a 17-week course that kicks off with 4-week part-time courses. Then, for the next 13 weeks, once the basics have been taught, students move on to on-campus classes where lectures, workshops, projects, and more will be held.

Pixabay/Public Domain

1. App Academy

Another prestigious bootcamp is the one provided by App Academy, which seeks to help you become a software developer in no time on our list of free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC. We should mention from the get-go that App Academy practices a rather weird program. It says that it has no upfront tuition, but requires that students make a $5,000 refundable deposit. Upon finding a job, the deposit will count towards the tuition, which is 22% of the student’s first-year salary. That’s quite the sum, but given how much such a program will broaden one’s horizons, it would certainly pay off. There’s also the option of paying the full tuition.

$5,000 as a deposit is far from being free, but it’s in the lower end of what some bootcamps require. Plus, most of the tuition you’ll pay once you have a highly-paid job.

During the 12-week course, students will learn multiple things, starting with Ruby on Rails and SQL, continuing with JavaScript, React and Redux, and ending with algorithms. To help out, they’re also doing trainings regarding salary negotiation, technical interview workshops, resume and cover letter prep and more. The idea behind this is that they’re only getting a lot of money from students if said students end up getting hired. If not, then there’s no way to get back the money they invested in the students’ courses.

That being said, these have been 5 free or cheap coding bootcamps in NYC, which could help you land a better job, broaden your horizons and advance your career.