Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now industry advisor at Pathrise. I work with hundreds of software engineers to help them land their dream jobs in tech. Check out my review of Coder Foundry.
- What does Coder Foundry do?
- Who is Coder Foundry for?
- What does Coder Foundry cost?
- Ratings and reviews of Coder Foundry
- Alternatives to Coder Foundry
- How does Coder Foundry compare to Pathrise?
What does Coder Foundry do?
Coder Foundry is a coding bootcamp that helps people learn the technical skills necessary to land a job as a web developer or mobile app developer. They offer full-time courses in Greensboro, North Carolina. They also have a remote option, allowing students to participate in live classes with 1-on-1 support from anywhere. In response to Covid-19, courses are exclusively virtual, allowing students to attend live classes with 1-on-1 instruction from anywhere.
Unlike many other coding bootcamps, Coder Foundry has no formal pre-work. However, students who do not have coding experience are often given material to review before beginning the full course. This helps to make sure they don’t struggle.
Web dev bootcamp
The 12-week full-time web development bootcamp meets Monday-Friday from 9:00am to 6:00pm, with Friday being an optional lab day. Students participate in lectures, workshops, programming challenges, hands-on projects, and more. The course focuses on project-based learning. Students graduate with over 600 hours of coding experience, multiple real-world projects for their portfolio, and a personal website that they can use for their job applications.
The web development course teaches students how to build web apps using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MySQL, C#, .NET, SQL, and more. Lectures are short, about 30 to 60 minutes, followed by coding sessions focused on solving real-world problems. Students build practical projects and applications with their new web dev skills.
Students also receive career services and job placement assistance. They get a session with a professional photographer for a LinkedIn headshot, participate in weekly mock technical interviews, and work on their resumes with experts.
Mobile app dev course
The 5-day mobile app development course is also full time, meeting Monday-Friday. The program includes lectures, group exercises, and hands-on project learning. Students graduate with a polished mobile application built with Xamarin (an open source mobile app development platform for .NET) and an Azure service backend.
During the mobile development course, students learn how to build mobile iOS and Android apps using Xamarin, Azure, XAML, and more. The mobile bootcamp is designed for professionals who already have experience building applications using C# and .NET.
Who is Coder Foundry for?
People with little to no experience in web development or mobile development that are looking to move into these careers could benefit from the Coder Foundry bootcamp. The program is especially helpful for people who are based in Greensboro. In addition, people who need to work while learning will likely not be able to benefit from this program. That is because Coder Foundry is an intensive full-time bootcamp with more than 50 hours of work a week.
What does Coder Foundry cost? How much work is involved?
The price of the program depends on the course. Tuition for the full-time web development course is $14,900 on-campus or remote. Students who enroll in the one-week mobile development course pay $3,500.
Financing is available through Mertitize and Climb Credit. Rates and repayment plans depend on an applicant’s credit history. Coder Foundry also offers an income share agreement (ISA) at 15% of student income for no more than 36 months. Students only pay if they land a tech job with a salary above $40,000.
Before applying to Coder Foundry, candidates should familiarize themselves with the basics of their chosen course, especially HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and object-oriented programming. The admissions process includes a written application, a coding assessment, and a behavioral interview.
Ratings and reviews
Coder Foundry has mostly positive reviews. They hold a 4.9/5 star rating on Career Karma and have been listed among CourseReport’s top 48 courses for over 3 years. Coder Foundry graduates praise the program for its practical curriculum and dedicated instructors, but some graduates have mixed feelings about their interview prep.
One graduate on Career Karma was satisfied that all of the “projects that have real-world uses”. However, the lack of interview prep frustrated them. “We were told that we would have WEEKLY interviews with the company founder. The sessions that we did get were helpful but there were several weeks where those didn’t happen.”
Another reviewer valued the fact that the “instructors care about your success” and that the “portfolio looks great with real solutions to real problems”. But, they also felt the program “exaggerates about anyone being able to do this” and remarked that “weekly interview prep does not happen every week.”
The top review on Course Report praises the program’s instructors and curriculum. They raved “I really like the one on one level of attentiveness that is offered.” However, another top reviewer felt he needed more experience going into the program. He worried, “there is nothing that being a Coder Foundry Master Class graduate has done to help me stand out” from other applicants.
Alternatives to Coder Foundry
If you decide not to enroll in Coder Foundry, there are many alternative bootcamps and courses that can help aspiring web developers and mobile app developers.
- The full-time tech bootcamp Kenzie Academy offers both in-person and online courses in full-stack software engineering & UX design and front-end engineering. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
- Fullstack Academy, devCodeCamp, Eleven Fifty Academy, UC San Diego Bootcamps, and Code Fellows teach part-time and full-time programs on software engineering.
- Another well-known bootcamp General Assembly offers full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on topics like software engineering, data science, UX design, product management, and much more. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
- Flatiron School is a bootcamp that teaches courses on software engineering, UX design, and more. Students can choose part-time or full-time options, both on-campus or online.
- Similarly, Launch Academy has full-time software engineering courses in Boston or online. Or, consider Zip Code Wilmington, which has courses online or in Delaware.
- Another option is Grand Circus, which teaches courses on Java, front-end, and C# .NET. Their campuses are in Michigan, but they also offer online options.
- Likewise, Tech Elevator, Epicodus, DevPoint Labs, and Redwood Code Academy are software engineering bootcamps with online and on-campus options.
- edX is one of the most popular online learning platforms. They have courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
- Aspiring web developers can also check out Bloc, which has courses in web development as well as web design.
- The bootcamp BrainStation, Codeup, One Month, Georgia Tech Bootcamp, Clarusway, and Nashville Software School offer courses in web development, data science, and other topics.
More alternatives
- Lambda School has 9-month courses in web development and data science. Like Coder Foundry, Lambda School students can finance their education with an income share agreement (ISA).
- Similarly, Holberton School and Thinkful offer software engineering courses with an ISA option.
- Those looking for online learning platforms can consider Springboard and Udacity, which both host thousands of courses on a variety of tech subjects. Learn more about Springboard and Udacity in our reviews.
- For students seeking lower-cost web development courses, Simplilearn, Treehouse, and Pluralsight could be worth pursuing. While they may not have the same level of instructor support as full-time bootcamps like Coder Foundry, these programs offer a wide range of courses to learn the skills needed to start a career in tech.
- Another option is Austin Coding Academy, which has online and onsite courses in full stack web dev.
- Merit America is a nonprofit that teaches tech sales and software engineering to people without college degrees.
- Women, GNC people, and trans people can look into CodeOp, which has courses in web dev, data, and product management. Or, consider Kal Academy, which works with women and underrepresented groups on software engineering, web dev, and data.
- You can also check out Bubble no-code bootcamps to learn how to make products without coding. Learn more about Bubble in our review.
- Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They provide free courses on many different programming languages. They also offer membership options ranging from $20 to $40 per month for more course options and greater support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
- Students on a budget may also consider Udemy, which has affordable video courses on web development and mobile development. Individual classes cost around $10 each.
How does Coder Foundry compare to Pathrise?
Coder Foundry is a bootcamp for people interested in learning the skills needed to start a career as a web developer or mobile app developer. Although some background and interest in tech is recommended, many Coder Foundry students start with little or no experience.
Pathrise job-seekers should already have experience in their chosen field to get the most out of the technical curriculum. A full-service organization, Pathrise assists fellows with each step of the job search including resume and portfolio optimization, cold emailing and reverse recruiting, technical and behavioral interviewing, and negotiation. Through workshops and 1-on-1 mentoring, Pathrise tailors the curriculum to meet each fellow’s specific needs.
Coder Foundry is a full-time program, requiring more than 40 hours of work every week. Our program is flexible. There are only 2-4 hours of sessions per week and fellows can schedule 1-on-1 sessions as needed. The Pathrise income share agreement (ISA) means that our fellows never pay until they land a job they love and start working. Plus,we never require upfront payments.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that helps people land their dream job in tech through 1-on-1 training and mentorship. If you are interested in working with one of our mentors to optimize your job search, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
