If you’d like to set your life on a trajectory toward a more lucrative, productive career, it’s hard to do that more quickly than by attending a coding bootcamp. They have become so popular and so widely-known that it can be hard to believe that the first bootcamp opened less than a decade ago. Now there are bootcamps aimed at everything from web development to AI, all churning out the high-quality workforce needed to fill open technology jobs. In this piece we’ll compare two of the most popular bootcamp programs, Hack Reactor and Coding Dojo.
Hack Reactor vs. Coding Dojo: Curriculum and Course Offerings
Hack Reactor is unusual in focusing entirely on software engineering, with a syllabus that covers Javascript, the popular Angular.js framework, Node.js, MongoDB, React, and various other relevant technologies. The program is split into 4 large parts. In weeks 1-6 you’ll spend basically every waking hour learning new skills
(mostly related to Javascript) and applying them by working on individual and group assignments. Week 7 is a solo week without any scheduled lectures during which you can advance your own projects. Weeks 8-13 have you working in teams to build applications and, in the final week, starting your job search. There is a last, optional Blockchain module with which you can finish off your Hack Reactor experience.
Coding Dojo is pretty similar in most respects, though its curriculum is broader. It’s roughly the same length — Hack Reactor is billed as being 12 weeks long, but in reality both programs last closer to 14 weeks. Coding Dojo also has an on-site and an online program, the latter of which has full-time and part-time tracks.
Coding Dojo seeks to foster skill in the front end, backend, and full technology stacks. This means you’ll finish with a strong working knowledge of every step involved in building web applications. They also cover some of the most in-demand languages, including Java, Python, C#, Javascript, and Ruby
Typical hours in both programs will vary enormously by person and by day. But as with most bootcamps I’ve looked into, you’ll have a choice between working 9-5 and working from 9 until you fall asleep at night.
Hack Reactor vs. Coding Dojo: Program Cost and Tuition Model
Hack Reactor charges $17,980 for attendance. It has financing options through Ascent Funding and Climb, and a range of scholarships available, some for any applicant and some set aside for underrepresented groups.
The Coding Dojo price varies a little bit by region, but is typically between $10,000 and $14,000, from what I’ve seen. You can finance through Ascent Funding, and they have small partial scholarships available for veterans, women of color, recent high school graduates, and various other groups.
Hack Reactor vs. Coding Dojo: Outcomes and Reviews
Hack Reactor boasts a 99% job-placement rate six months after graduation. Hack Reactor also does a great job of breaking down the median salary of their graduates by region, and in every case their graduates are doing well compared to the norm.
Coding Dojo cites a 92% job-placement rate for graduates (I’m not sure of the timeframe), who earn $72,286.50.
Depending on your goals, experience, and budget, either of these programs could be right for you!
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
