Big Nerd Ranch
Big Nerd Ranch Bootcamp Reviews and Complete Guide
What qualities should you be looking for in a bootcamp? And how will you know if a bootcamp is right for you? In this Big Nerd Ranch review, we will highlight everything you need to know, from costs to courses and scholarships, so you can decide if this school has the right bootcamp for you.
Big Nerd Ranch offers full-time training for people who want to advance their careers in tech, with a particular focus on helping students become mobile app developers and web developers. The coding bootcamp is usually attended on-site at its campuses in San Francisco and Atlanta but has now switched to virtual learning due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Let’s look at the tuition, scholarships, and course details of Big Nerd Ranch’s bootcamps.
What Is Big Nerd Ranch?
| Big Nerd Ranch Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Cost | Campus: $4,200 – $5,200 |
| Start Dates | February 6, March 22, April 19, June 12 |
| Locations | Atlanta, San Francisco |
| Courses | Accelerated iOS with Swift, Advanced Android, Advanced iOS, Android Essentials, Front-End Essentials, iOS Essentials with Swift |
| Available Programs | Full-time |
Big Nerd Ranch is an Atlanta-based coding bootcamp that teaches tech skills, often to those who already have some prior web or mobile development experience. Its programs are offered to full-time students who are seeking an immersive, fast-paced coding bootcamp.
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Students of the school will learn to build interactive mobile applications for either iOS or Android, or can learn to create websites.
Is Big Nerd Ranch Worth It?
If you want to learn new tech skills and prefer rigorous training courses, Big Nerd Ranch is worth every penny. Its bootcamps last about a week, but they cover a lot of information in this short timeframe.
Remember that the main focus of these software engineering and development bootcamps is web and app development. So, if you want to learn about other areas of tech, such as data science, you should try another bootcamp. However, if you want a career in Android, iOS, or front end web development, Big Nerd Ranch is an excellent option.
Big Nerd Ranch Job Placement
Currently, Big Nerd Ranch has not published its job placement statistics or any other information on its students’ careers after graduation. However, it is clear that the program imparts students with marketable skills they can use to advance their careers.
Does Big Nerd Ranch Offer a Job Guarantee?
Sadly, Big Nerd Ranch does not offer a job guarantee arrangement. This means students do not get a refund on their tuition fee if they don’t receive a job offer soon after graduation.
How Much Does Big Nerd Ranch Cost?
Tuition fees at Big Nerd Ranch vary. The React Essentials course costs $2,250, while the Kotlin Essentials training is just $1,000.
The iOS and Swift Essentials course fee is $3,000, while the Advanced Android and Advanced iOS courses cost around $4,200. The Android and Kotlin Essentials and iOS and Swift Essentials programs are the most expensive, at $5,200.
How to Pay for Big Nerd Ranch: Scholarships, ISAs, Installments
Big Nerd Ranch has some notable financing options that help students cover tuition costs, such as discounts and loans.
Scholarships
Many bootcamps offer full or partial coding bootcamp scholarships to help cover tuition costs. Instead of scholarships, Big Nerd Ranch provides discounts to select groups. Educators and military personnel are eligible for a 10 percent discount on their courses, as are Big Nerd Ranch alumni who want to explore other curriculums.
ISAs
An income share agreement allows students to delay paying their tuition fee until after they have landed a job in tech. Big Nerd Ranch currently does not offer any income share agreements.
Loan Financing
Big Nerd Ranch does offer loan financing options. The school has partnerships with a few companies so that students don’t have to repay their tuition fees until after they have secured a job.
Installments
Whereas some bootcamps allow students to pay for courses over several months, Big Nerd Ranch only accepts one-time payments for its classes. This is because Big Nerd Ranch’s courses are much shorter than other bootcamps, and are also somewhat cheaper.
GI Bill
Big Nerd Ranch does not offer GI Bill tuition benefits.
Big Nerd Ranch Locations
Big Nerd Ranch is based in Atlanta and has a campus in San Francisco. Its courses are usually offered on-site, but COVID-19 restrictions have forced classes to go virtual for the time being.
Big Nerd Ranch Courses
Big Nerd Ranch offers courses that teach web and mobile app development to those who already have some experience in programming. Some of these bootcamps cover fundamentals of development, while others teach only advanced concepts.
Big Nerd Ranch Prep Courses
Big Nerd Ranch does not have any prep courses. However, it has some introductory courses that students can take if they have limited coding experience.
iOS & Swift Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
This is an introductory course for developers who are new to working in iOS. In this bootcamp, students will learn to write apps for iPad or iPhone with Swift.
UI Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
This course teaches learners how to make easy-to-use apps. It also teaches students to think about what a user wants in an app. The coursework emphasizes design team collaboration as the key to creating a successful app.
React Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
This program takes only three-and-a-half days, but attendees will learn to build responsive sites in that time using CSS3, HTML5, ReactJS, and ES6.
Advanced Android – In-Person | Virtual
This course is for experienced developers. In it, students will learn how to prepare their apps for submission on an app store. They will also study the methods they can use to keep their app in optimum condition.
Advanced iOS – In-Person | Virtual
The Advanced iOS course focuses on maximizing the performance of both new and existing iOS apps. It involves learning the programming languages used in Swift for iOS.
iOS Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
This course is for students who need a fast-paced iOS introduction. In the course, attendees will learn to set up text input fields, pull data from web services to use in apps, and configure user interfaces so they can be used on more than one device.
Android & Kotlin Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
This training teaches principles of the Kotlin programming languages, as well as the development techniques you should use when building with Kotlin. The class also covers basic Android development principles and how to migrate Java Android applications to Kotlin.
Android Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
This training prepares students to build apps with multiple fragments and activities, use REST APIs to integrate with web services, communicate within Android apps, and animate views.
Kotlin Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
The Kotlin Essentials course lasts seven days, during which time students will learn Kotlin principles and development techniques for creating new Android apps.
Python Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
This four-day course is an introduction to the Python programming language that is suitable for beginners who have some basic programming knowledge.
Swift Essentials – In-Person | Virtual
This course is the shortest at Big Nerd Ranch, lasting just two days. It covers the basic syntax of Swift. Students will learn to handle errors using the throw/catch method, organize data, and define custom structures and classes.
What Is the Big Nerd Ranch Schedule?
Since Big Nerd Ranch courses are short-term, the school only offers full-time learning options.
Full-Time
Full-time programs are the only way to go at Big Nerd Ranch, since its courses are usually offered in person. The programs last three to five days, depending on the course.
How to Get Accepted Into Big Nerd Ranch
Big Nerd Ranch is very different from other bootcamps. It does not utilize any placement tests or interviews. However, most of the courses require some coding experience.
Big Nerd Ranch Acceptance Rate
Big Nerd Ranch does not provide information on the percentage of applicants it turns away from its bootcamps.
Application Process
Big Nerd Ranch has a simple application process that does not involve any written application or interview.
- First, register on its website by filling in your details and meal preferences.
- Proceed to checkout to secure a seat for the bootcamp.
- Make your payment, and you’re all set.
Interview Questions
Since Big Nerd Ranch does not conduct bootcamp interviews, the coding bootcamp does not expect students to answer any questions before enrolling.
Is Big Nerd Ranch Right for You?
Big Nerd Ranch coding bootcamps are very popular in Atlanta and San Francisco. These are immersive, fast-paced courses that allow students to become experts in certain web and mobile app development techniques in just a few days. The school offers tuition discounts and provides meals for students during these full-time courses.
If you’ve been looking for a lightning fast coding bootcamp, Big Nerd Ranch may be right for you. However you will get the most out of these courses if you already have a background in the app or web development. If you want a bootcamp that offers courses in data science or digital marketing, this school may not be ideal.
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Anonymous
Without a doubt, I highly recommend BNR’s iOS Essentials with Swift course. As an experienced developer that was looking for a springboard into iOS / Swift, this course was great. During the course of the program, we were exposed to important topics on iOS and Swift and were encouraged to think outside of the box and ask questions beyond the course material. At the end of the course, I had not only a large portfolio of working code examples, but also experience and knowledge beyond what could be found in just the book.
Location and amenities were great as well.
Helpful hints: 1) Make sure to be fully focused on the training while there. Do your best to avoid work emails, etc, unless required. 2) Have a project or idea to play around with during office hours in the evening. This is a great way to expand on the knowledge you have learned on a daily basis and will allow you to ask questions beyond what is covered in class, and the instructors will be helpful in answering your questions.
Only downsides are that it can be tough to get away for that long and cost can be high if your company is not covering the training.
I’ve attended the Android course as well, and it was great. Really looking forward to the Kotlin course in May!
January 7, 2020
Anonymous
I attended the iOS Essentials with Swift bootcamp in Monterey. The Asilomar Conference center is beautiful and very comfortable. I was new to iOS programmng and so, for me, the pace was very fast. The course proved to be an excellent foundation for me to build upon. I am looking forward to attending an Advance course when I feel like I have progressed enough to benefit from it. I had wanted to attend a Big Nerd Ranch bootcamp for quite some and was not disappointed at all.
My instructor was excellent. Very knowledgeable and able to explain difficult (for me) concepts. Small class size and a wonderful group of fellow students made for an excellent learning experience.
January 20, 2020
Anonymous
I attended the iOS 7 day class with Objective-C.
I have been to literally dozens of training classes over the years and 90% of the bore me.
This was the best training class I have been to by far for the following reasons.
1. Immersion – If you can find the time, please try to. Being dedicated helps focus and results. There are a lot of online courses available and they are really good. This experience is world-class.
2. Instructors – My instructor was world-class. I was looking for industry expert which is what I got
3. Teaches you how to learn – Many classes and online sites tell you how to do things. BNR does some of that but more importantly they teach you how to use the Apple docs properly and find the correct answers yourself instead of relying on search engines
4. Classmates – You will find that all your classmates are very motivated because they also are dedicating the time. I love learning from others and since you eat and train together all day you get to learn a lot from many different angles.
(Please note my class was iOS with Objective-C but that was not an option in the drop-down list)
February 12, 2020
Anonymous
I took this 7 day bootcamp when it was iOS Essentials with Objective-C at the Historic Banning Mills location as did a couple of the other reviewers. The course was excellent. The instructor was awesome. The food was great. The accommodations were cool. The ziplines were a new experience. The mosquitoes were legion.
I didn’t really believe it when the instructor told us to plan to spend some late nights, but most of us were there every evening until 10:00pm or so. Worth every penny. Most technical training classes I attend usually end up with me sitting around fiddling with stuff that is not a part of the assignment because I complete assignments quickly. The instructor picked up on a few of us who were a little more advanced and gave us additional stuff to try. It was refreshing to be continually challenged. The instructor had also built apps for BNR clients, so he had enough experience with the pain points of development (and of Xcode) to give us additional information to minimize those potholes. The fact that there was almost literally nothing else to do there at night encouraged a lot of extracurricular studying.
BNR books are great, and you should have the collection regardless for reference and refreshing purposes, but if you can in any way make it down to one of the bootcamps you will not regret it. It is an intense, superior learning experience.
March 16, 2020
Anonymous
Just like Big Nerd Ranch’s books, their bootcamp courses are top notch. This was my first development bootcamp and I can say without a doubt it was the perfect introduction to both iOS programming and bootcamps in general. The instructors were very versatile, delivering a curriculum that they real-time adjusted to suit each student (we had some first time programmers and some seasoned developers in our class). There’s a reason BNR has been around for all these years and on a continued growth path, their attention to quality sets the bar for other educational companies to aspire to.
April 22, 2020
Anonymous
I was deeply impressed with the Big Nerd Ranch bootcamp. Our company was interested in expanding our IT systems into mobile applications and we decided to attend an iOS bootcamp at Asilomar. BNR does a great job at pairing excellent teaching with a retreat style getaway. The grounds look like you’re taking a vacation but the 12-14 hours a day of instruction and lab time ensured the material became second nature. The instructor was highly knowledgeable and was able to address any question we had. He sprinkled nature walks and other activities throughout the week so that our brains were able to decompress from the rigorous learning. While the overall course doesn’t cover everything required to launch an app of your own, you get a great level of knowledge that let’s you tackle the remaining learning much easier.
May 10, 2020
Anonymous
Big Nerd Ranch knows how to put on a bootcamp!
The curriculum was thorough and easy to follow. The instructors were engaging and very knowledgeable. If they didn’t know an answer off the top of their heads they would help me find the answer.
The location, Stone Mountain Resort, was breath taking and extremely comfortable. All of my needs were taken care of and provided the perfect environment to focus on learning.
I cannot recommend this bootcamp enough to anyone who is looking to jump into the Swift and iOS world. I was able to take the skills I learned from this bootcamp to launch my first iOS app!
July 13, 2020
Anonymous
The complete immersion into the subject matter is fantastic. I attended the iOS Dev and by the end of the course, I was not only skilled but confident in those skills. I am now a fulltime iOS dev.
I have recommended BNR to colleagues that have gone and loved it as well. I will be going back shortly to add Kotlin to my bag of tricks.
The format is well thought out and the material builds on itself nicely.
August 25, 2020