Updated in 2023
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of software engineering jobs will increase 21% between 2018 and 2028. When you compare that to the average increase of 5%, you can tell that there is a lot of demand for software engineers and that won’t be changing any time soon.
So, if you are looking to learn software engineering, need to brush up on your skills, or want to practice more advanced topics, we compiled a list of resources that can help. Or, before diving in, check out our article to learn what does a software engineer do?
- Udacity
- Springboard
- Udemy
- Codecademy
- Coursera
- freeCodeCamp
- Hack Reactor
- Kenzie Academy
- App Academy
- Thinkful
1. Udacity
Classes on Udacity range from introductory level to advanced. They are most well known for their nanodegree programs, which they offer in a variety of programming topics like front end and full stack development, data structures & algorithms, and iOS & Android development.
The nanodegree programs require students to work 10-15 hours per week on their courses. The length varies from 3 months on the low end to 7 months on the high end. They cost between $1100-$1500. Learn more about Udacity in our review.
2. Springboard
Springboard is an online education platform that aims to that aims to bridge the world’s skills gap. Students learn through Springboard Career Tracks. Each program includes technical 1-on-1 sessions with an expert mentor and access to career coaching and feedback. Upon completion of a Springboard course, students get a six-month runway to secure a role in their industry of choice. If they don’t get a job after six months, they receive 100% of their tuition back.
Springboard also offers prep courses for students who want to learn software engineering but need to brush up on their skills. Learn more about Springboard in our review.
3. Udemy
Udemy is an online platform with courses in a variety of subjects. They have 10000 programming resources, ranging in topics. The majority of their language courses are in Python, but there are also Javascript, Java, and Unity courses. You can also filter their courses by level to match your background.
The courses include pre-recorded videos as well as related articles and resources to help students understand what they are learning. After completion, students are given a certificate of completion. Courses on Udemy range in price, from around $50 to $200, though they often have coupons available online as well as large discounts, often bringing the price down for courses to $9.99.
4. Codecademy
Codecademy is an online educational tool with both free and paid resources. For students who want to learn software engineering, they have career paths are in the following topics: coding foundations (computer science history, career exploration, applications), computer science (Python, data structures, command line, git), and web development (HTML, CSS, Javascript, React). These paths take 20-35 weeks, with the exception of the foundations path, which is introductory and only takes 2 weeks. Students can only participate in career paths on the Pro membership.
They also offer skills paths, in which students can learn how to build websites, create back-end or front-end apps with Javascript or React. These range from 6-10 weeks and all require Pro membership to be completed. The last option is the least commitment – courses can take between 1 hour and 20 hours to complete, depending on the subject. Some courses are free and some require the Pro membership.
Students learn by watching pre-recorded videos, taking quizzes, practicing problems, and creating projects. The Pro membership for Codecademy is $19.99/month when on a 12 month subscription, $29.99/month when on a 6 month subscription, and $39.99/month when paying month-to-month. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
5. Coursera
Similar to Codecademy, Coursera has various types of programs. Courses are a mix of recorded video lectures, assignments, and community discussion forums, which teach a new skill in 4-6 weeks. Specializations are focused on career-specific skills through a variety of courses on the subject over 4-6 months.
Students who complete the courses and specializations receive shareable certificates. Many of their classes are verified by universities, like Princeton, UCSD, and Stanford. They also offer professional certificates, which last between 50-85 hours, and online degrees (master and bachelor) from universities like Penn, Arizona State, and University of Illinois. They also offer free courses that do not come with a certificate, so people who are just interested in learning new skills could benefit from these.
Courses on Coursera range from $29 to $99, depending on the subject. Specializations range from $39 to $79 per month, meaning the maximum amount someone could pay for a Specialization would $475. The online degrees require an application and admissions process and cost between $15k and $25k.
6. freeCodeCamp
A registered nonprofit, freeCodeCamp offers certifications in responsive web design, JavaScript algorithms and data structures, front end libraries, data visualization, APIs and microservices, and information security and QA, all for free. Users participate in 300 hours for each certification, which is only completed if they finish the 5 final projects.
7. Hack Reactor
Hack Reactor is a bootcamp that helps people learn the technical skills necessary to land a job as a software engineer. They offer a full-time onsite bootcamp as well as a full-time or part-time online bootcamp that takes 12 weeks to complete with class from 9am-8pm. They make use of Galvanize campuses in Austin, Boulder, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle. Before participating in the course, though, students are required to do 80 hours of pre-work on their own. The full-time and part-time bootcamps cost the same: $17,980.
8. Kenzie Academy
Kenzie Academy is a full-time tech bootcamp that offers in-person and online courses in 2 tracks: software engineering & UX design and front-end engineering. Students can take the program at the Indianapolis campus or participate online alongside the on-campus class via video conferencing. The software engineering program spends the first 6 months on front-end development and the next 6 months on back-end development. Software engineering students cover the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as SQL, React, Python, and Django. Learn more about Kenzie Academy in our review.
9. App Academy
App Academy is a bootcamp that helps people learn the technical skills necessary to land a job as a software engineer. They offer full-time immersive classes on campus in New York City or San Francisco as well as online. If students wish to participate on campus, the immersive program teaches the fundamentals of coding through popular frameworks like Ruby on Rails, Javascript, and SQL, in 16 weeks. Online, the curriculum is the same, but the program takes 24 weeks. In both courses, the students work 45 hours per week.
10. Thinkful
Thinkful is a bootcamp for people interested in learning the skills necessary to become a full stack software engineer. They offer full-time and part-time options for software engineering courses. The full-time courses require 50-60 hours a week while the part-time options require 20-30 hours per week. Participants receive a written curriculum and the opportunity to meet with their program managers and mentor to discuss what they read and work through the problems. They do not have informational videos or live lectures.
There are a lot of options for tuition at Thinkful. Students can choose to pay $16,000 upfront or $3,520 month-to-month. They can also defer payments and pay fixed monthly payments or through an income share agreement (ISA). Finally, they can choose to pay $17,600 through an interest-only or immediate repayment loan.
11. Flatiron School
A well known program, Flatiron School offers a software engineering bootcamp online and onsite in many cities. They offer courses on software engineering, UX design, data science, and cybersecurity analytics. Students can choose between full-time immersive or part-time courses. The full-time courses on campus last from 12-24 weeks. Online, they are varied in length. Flatiron also offers free pre-bootcamp courses for software engineering, data science, and UX design.
12. General Assembly
With courses in software engineering and other topics, General Assembly in-person and online options. Students can choose between full-time immersive or part-time courses, though for online, the only full-time course is in software engineering. The full-time program has class from 7am to 3pm or 9am to 5pm Monday-Friday for about 3 months. Part-time classes are typically held twice a week for 3 hours and the course lasts 10 weeks, though it does vary somewhat by program. Learn more about General Assembly in our review.
If you are looking to take learn software engineering so you can start a career in the field, these tools can help you get the necessary background you need to succeed. You can also check out how Career Karma ranks coding bootcamps to help you make a decision.
If you are ready to find a great job in software engineering, Pathrise is a career accelerator that works with students and professionals 1-on-1 so they can land their dream job in tech. If you want to work with our industry and career mentors to get help with your software engineering job search, join Pathrise.
Apply today.
