Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantees: A Complete Guide

A coding bootcamp job guarantee is an intriguing prospect for anyone looking to get a job in tech without a degree. The whole point of coding bootcamps is to teach job-ready skills, and a job guarantee is a way for schools to justify the cost of the coding bootcamp education they’re offering. Some of the best coding bootcamps use job guarantees to demonstrate their commitment to student outcomes. 

The employment rates of Flatiron School, Tech Elevator, and Thinkful, all of which have a job guarantee of some kind, sit between 75 and 90 percent. These coding bootcamps’ job placement rates are higher than the industry average of 71 percent, according to the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR). Guarantees are not a marketing gimmick. They actually work.

Table of Contents

What Is a Job Guarantee?

Simply put, a coding bootcamp job guarantee is an assurance that learners will find work shortly after they complete a program. A bootcamp’s guaranteed job placement program can come in many forms. For example, you might find a coding bootcamp that guarantees a job as part of the required coursework, usually in the form of an externship or apprenticeship. Other bootcamps might offer tuition refunds or deferred tuition.

How Do Bootcamp Job Guarantees Work?

Coding bootcamp job guarantees work differently depending on the type of guarantee offered. For example, if you enroll in a tech bootcamp that guarantees jobs, the bootcamp will find employment on your behalf through various employee partnerships. These are typically entry-level jobs and some bootcamps may offer you paid internships.

One of the most popular options at coding bootcamps that guarantee jobs is deferred tuition. These are usually offered as an income share agreement (ISA). Bootcamps that offer ISAs or another form of deferred tuition have a professional career services department that will help you prepare for and find work. Once a graduate lands a high-paying entry-level tech job, they then repay the bootcamp tuition costs in installments. 

Students should be aware that the details of guaranteed job placement are often buried in long contracts with complex legal terminology. These contracts may be difficult to understand. Others have high barriers such as submitting a certain number of applications per week or no refusal of any job offer.

Online Coding Bootcamps With Job Guarantees

The best online coding bootcamp for job placement guarantees include BloomTech, CareerFoundry, and Launch School. Online coding bootcamps with job guarantees allow students to take advantage of flexible learning schedules but still have the same advantage of career services, deferred tuition, or an employment promise.  

BloomTech

• Upfront Tuition: $21,950
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Full Stack Web Development, Backend Development, Data Science
• Available Formats: Self-paced
• Career Services: 1:1 career coaching, interview prep, negotiation help, personalized job search support

BloomTech, formerly known as Lambda School, is an online tech school that offers part-time and full-time in a variety of subjects such as full stack development and data science. This bootcamp has a tuition refund guarantee. Students who don’t qualify for a job with an annual salary of at least $50,000 get a 110 percent tuition refund. This means they make money if BloomTech fails to get them employed. 

CareerFoundry

• Upfront Tuition: $6,555 – $8,075
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Digital Marketing, UX Design, UI Design, Data Analytics, Web Development, Product Management
• Available Formats: Self-paced
• Career Services: Job search counseling, job prep course, alumni network

CareerFoundry offers students flexible online learning in a variety of tech subjects. Students who attend CareerFoundry are guaranteed employment within six months of graduation, otherwise, they are entitled to a full tuition refund. 

The CareerFoundry job guarantee for its online coding bootcamps requires students to be at least 18 years old, live in a metropolitan area, complete the entirety of the program and pay tuition in full, be open to remote and onsite jobs, and complete the Job Prep course. 

Launch School

• Upfront Tuition: $199/month for Core Curriculum, income share agreement (ISA) for Capstone 
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Capstone
• Available Formats: Full-time
• Career Services: Resume review, job search mentorship

Launch School is an online program designed by software engineers for software engineers. The course uses a slow learning method to teach students software engineering from the ground up. Launch School has a Capstone Placement Program. 

This excellent program connects employers and career-ready Launch School students. The program has a 100 percent placement rate and students find employment within 70 days of graduation.

Springboard

• Upfront Tuition: $4,900 – $11,900
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Data Analytics Career Track, Data Science Career Track, UX/UI Design Career Track, UX Career Track, Software Engineering Career Track, Cybersecurity Career Track, Tech Sales Career Track
• Available Formats: Self-paced
• Career Services: 1:1 mentorship; group coaching sessions; resume, portfolio, and interview support

Springboard is an online and flexible learning platform with a project-focused curriculum. Courses cover all aspects of tech from coding to data to design. The Springboard job guarantee ensures you will find employment in your field of choice within six months or receive a full tuition refund. 

Thinkful

• Upfront Tuition: $5,341 – $16,000
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Software Engineering, Data Science, Data Analytics, UX/UI Design, Technical Project Management, Digital Marketing
• Available Formats: Full-time, part-time 
• Career Services: 1:1 career coaching, interview prep, exclusive access to job opportunities, LinkedIn and resume support

Thinkful offers online learning across a variety of subjects such as software engineering, data analytics, and UX/UI design. The Thinkful job guarantee allows students to claim a full tuition refund if they don’t find employment within 180 days of graduation. Interested students should conduct a thorough review of the Thinkful job guarantee terms before signing up.

In-Person Coding Bootcamps With Job Guarantees

There are plenty of in-person coding bootcamps with job guarantees. Students who study on campus can meet directly with the career services team to discuss career opportunities and also review their resumes and portfolios.

Codeup

• Upfront Tuition: $27,500
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Data Science, Full Stack Web Development
• Available Formats: Full-time
• Career Services: LinkedIn and resume support, job search assistance, career coaching, interview prep

Codeup allows students to learn in person at either the San Antonio or Dallas campus. Students who enroll in the full stack development or data science bootcamp program are entitled to a full tuition refund if they do not receive a qualifying job offer after a 180-day job search period. 

Flatiron School

• Upfront Tuition: $17,900
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, UX/UI Product Design, Data Science
• Available Formats: Full-time, part-time
• Career Services: 1:1 career coaching, career prep curriculum, Get Hired Game Plan, networking opportunities

Flatiron School is one of the best coding bootcamps around. Students can enroll in a variety of online programs or study on campus in New York or Denver. The Flatiron School job guarantee connects students with dedicated career services for 180 days or until a student receives a qualifying job offer.  

Le Wagon

• Upfront Tuition: €6,500
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Web Development, Data Science, Data Analytics 
• Available Formats: Full-time, part-time
• Career Services: Personalized coaching, extensive hiring network, job fairs

Le Wagon offers web development and data bootcamps both online and in person. Students who study at the Madrid or Barcelona campuses are entitled to the Le Wagon job guarantee. This guarantee is offered in the form of an ISA. Students do not pay any tuition costs until they earn at least €16,000 a year. Monthly payments are based on a percentage of your income.

Tech Elevator

• Upfront Tuition: $16,500
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Java, C#
• Available Formats: Full-time, part-time
• Career Services: 1:1 career coaching, personal branding services, employer network, interview prep

Tech Elevator offers a wide variety of tech bootcamps across multiple locations, such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. The programs are designed to turn learners with no coding experience into industry professionals. The Tech Elevator job guarantee is an ISA program. As part of this program, students can defer their tuition and pay it back as a percentage of their income. Students who don’t find work pay nothing.

Ubiqum Code Academy

• Upfront Tuition: €6,500 – €9,500
• Courses That Guarantee Job Placement: Web Development with Java, Data Analytics & Machine Learning, Web Development with JavaScript
• Available Formats: Full-time
• Career Services: 1:1 mentorship, portfolio development

Ubiqum Code Academy offers in-person intensive programs at the Barcelona campus in Spain. The programs are focused on web development and data analytics. The Ubiqum Code Academy job guarantee allows students to pay half their tuition upfront, and the second half when they find work. Graduates who don’t find work do not have to pay the second half of the tuition.

Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantees: Understanding the Fine Print

Overall, a job guarantee or deferred tuition program is a great way to find a job after bootcamp, but not all bootcamp job guarantees are created equally. These are some questions you should consider before applying to a bootcamp that advertises a job guarantee:

• Is the guarantee focused on a job or a job offer?
• What are the graduation requirements?
• What happens if you fail to meet an objective during the course?
• Can you repeat a section of the course or the entire course if you’re not successful the first time?
• Do you fully understand the prerequisites and job search requirements?

Benefits of Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantees

There are numerous benefits of coding bootcamp job guarantees. These bootcamps are highly confident in their ability to teach the skills you need to succeed. Additionally, they have a dedicated career services department to help you prepare for and find employment. This gives you a tremendous advantage over attending a school with no guarantee.

• Career Services. Dedicated career service teams will offer services such as mock interviews, resume writing, networking, and portfolio training to help students prepare for employment. This career services team will do everything it can to help graduates find the best job for them.  
• Bootcamp Employee Partnerships. Bootcamps with job guarantees typically have extensive bootcamp employee partnerships. These companies will trust that students are trained to a high standard and have developed a strong working relationship with bootcamp graduates. 
• Tuition Refund. Some bootcamps offer full or partial tuition refunds to students who fail to find within three to six months of graduation. These bootcamps will do everything in their power to find work for their graduates because it benefits them. This type of job guarantee can come in the form of an income share agreement.
• Less Stress. Coding bootcamp job guarantees take away unnecessary stress for students. Bootcamp programs are intensive and time-consuming. By taking away the worry of finding a job, students will be less stressed and can fully concentrate on their studies.  
• More Free Time. Finding a job is time-consuming. By attending a coding bootcamp with a job guarantee, students will have the help they need to find jobs that suit their strengths. This will give bootcamp graduates more free time to work on their skills and prepare for job interviews and not spend hours searching for jobs. 

Downsides of Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantees

While a job placement guarantee may sound like a dream to most students, there are downsides to coding bootcamp job guarantees. Students must put the time in and research the details of these job guarantees. Below are some of the downsides and pitfalls of job guarantees to look out for.  

• Unfulfilled Promises. The formulas used to calculate job placement rates for some bootcamps can be a little complex. As a result, you should always assume that even if there is a job placement guarantee, the outcome may not be as favorable as you would like. Be prepared to work with the career services department when it comes to finding suitable jobs.
• Subpar Jobs. Some bootcamp grads may only find part-time work, low-pay jobs, or other less desirable offers after graduation. These subpar job offers might fulfill the bootcamp’s guarantee. 
• Tricky Job Interviews. When you’re ready for that first interview, do a little research about the company’s hiring practices. Not all career services teams will do this research for you. If the company uses a complicated hiring process, you may want to hold off on the interview until you have more experience.
• Complicated Terms. Some coding bootcamp job guarantees have complicated and tricky terms, especially when it comes to deferred tuition or tuition refunds. You must carefully read and understand what you are getting into to avoid accumulating debt you can’t repay. 
• Lack of Career Options. Some bootcamps may have limited employee partnerships or resources when it comes to finding work for graduates. You may be forced into taking work in a field that does not interest you to fulfill the requirements of job guarantee terms.

What If There Is No Job Placement Guarantee?

If the coding bootcamp you are considering doesn’t have a job guarantee, you must be prepared. Before you even decide on which online coding bootcamps you want to apply to, it is a good idea to take a step back and think about which field you want to work in first. For instance, if you’re interested in software development, take a look at the current job market for development jobs.

If the posted jobs don’t fit with what you are looking for, consider searching for similar jobs to see what interests you. The market demands for each position will sway, but starting your tech career by first knowing what is in demand will help you avoid the pitfalls of entering a saturated market.

How Do I Choose a Bootcamp With a Job Guarantee?

If you want to learn the technical and soft skills necessary for a successful tech career, you should ensure your school of choice offers a coding bootcamp job guarantee, extensive career services, or both. The best coding bootcamps for job placement have reputable employee partnerships, excellent job placement rates, and alumni success stories. You can use school reviews on reputable sites or talk to the school’s admission department to find out more about what is on offer.

Coding bootcamps with job guarantees take away the stress of finding employment. They can also reduce the worry of high debt for recent graduates. There are various coding bootcamp job guarantees available, from employment promises to deferred tuition to tuition refunds.

Conclusion: How to Take Advantage of a Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantee

You can take advantage of your coding bootcamp’s job guarantee by using the career services to their fullest extent. Get leads on opportunities from the bootcamp’s hiring network, talk to your career coach as often as possible, and participate in as many interview practice sessions as you can. If you do your part, the guarantee will take care of itself. 

While coding bootcamps with job guarantees are generally safer than bootcamps without guarantees, they tend to come with strict terms and requirements that ensure students take their job search seriously. That’s why, when choosing a coding bootcamp, job placement rates are the decisive factor. A tuition refund may be a nice thing to fall back on, but a job is the real prize.

Coding Bootcamp Job Guarantee FAQ