General Assembly Reviews

General Assembly (GA) was one of the first coding bootcamps on the market. It has a well-established reputation for providing high-quality online and in-person programs that have stood the test of time. General Assembly coding bootcamps are expert-led and comprehensive to ensure students have the tools they need to start successful tech careers.

This General Assembly review covers everything you need to know about the school, including its program offerings, application process, tuition, and payment options. Read on to discover what makes General Assembly worth it and how this school can help you kickstart a new career in your chosen tech field.

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What Is General Assembly?

General Assembly is one of the oldest and most established coding bootcamps in the market. Since 2011, this coding school has set up over 30 campuses around the world and graduated more than 97,000 students. It offers online and in-person bootcamps on a plethora of topics, from software engineering and data science to digital marketing and UX design. Due to the school’s vast partner network, grads are able to land jobs at the likes of Google, the New York Times, and Adobe.

What Do General Assembly Reviews Say?

The vast majority of students who take the time to review General Assembly are satisfied with their experience. The two most highly praised items in General Assembly reviews are the relevance of the curriculum and the quality of the career services. The in-demand tools and skills and friendly career coaches ensure that General Assembly classes are worth it.

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Some reviewers do see room for improvement. The rare negative review of General Assembly’s bootcamp programs criticizes the disorganized presentation of course material and the lack of opportunities for cross-functional collaboration. Overall, however, the General Assembly review that sums it up best does so in one word: “Amazing.”

General Assembly Job Placement

General Assembly’s job placement rate is 74.4 percent within 180 days of graduation, according to the schools 2020 outcomes report. This number does not take into account students who opted not to benefit from the school’s comprehensive career services. We detail General Assembly’s job placement rate for each of it’s full-time immersive programs in the table below. 

What Career Services Does General Assembly Offer?

Career services are an important part of all full-time General Assembly coding bootcamps. This training begins from day one and continues after graduation to ensure all students have the resources they need to stand out on the job market and feel confident in their abilities. Some aspects of this expert career training include:

• Personalized career coaching
• Personal branding training
• Access to General Assembly’s hiring network
• Mock interviews
• Portfolio workshops

Does General Assembly Offer a Job Guarantee?

No, General Assembly does not offer a job guarantee. Instead, it provides professional career services including personalized career coaching, access to an employer network, and assistance with resume writing, personal branding, interviewing, and communication skills. While there is no General Assembly job guarantee, the school does have impressive job placement stats and countless positive student reviews.

How Much Does General Assembly Cost?

The cost of General Assembly tuition depends on the type of course you sign up for. General Assembly’s immersive bootcamps cost $16,450. For a less immersive experience, you can take a part-time course for $2,800 to $3,950, or an on-demand course for $950. Most reviews of General Assembly indicate that the school is worth the money. Keep in mind that there are various payment methods you can use to cover General Assembly tuition, including scholarships.

How to Pay for General Assembly: Scholarships, ISAs, Installments

If you are wondering how to pay for General Assembly, look no further. GA offers quite a few different financing options, from scholarships to ISAs. As you can see below, there are quite a few ways to pay for a coding bootcamp.

Scholarships

There is one General Assembly scholarship, which is available to members of underrepresented groups. Called Break the Glass, it entitles recipients to a tuition discount of up to $1,500 for the data science or software engineering bootcamp. GA is particularly focused on diversity, so no General Assembly merit scholarship exists at this time.

ISAs

You can also pay for General Assembly with an income share agreement, or ISA, through Catalyst. If you choose this payment method, you pay for General Assembly when you get a job, and nothing except for a $250 deposit until then. Popular among bootcamp students as a kind of job insurance, it requires you to pay 10 percent of your income for 48 months.

Loan Financing

You can take out a loan for General Assembly using one of GA’s lending partners. Because these are student loans, General Assembly is able to offer low-interest loan financing. Your interest rate depends on whether you partner with Climb, Ascent, or Meritize. To find out more about how to take out a loan at General Assembly, speak to a financial advisor.

Installments

With an installment plan, you will pay a deposit for your course upon registration. Then you’ll make monthly payments until the course is paid off. You can work with one of General Assembly’s advisors to come up with the best plan for you.

GI Bill

Veterans will be pleased to know that General Assembly accepts GI Bill benefits. This means that qualifying members of the military community can apply their GI Bill benefits to GA courses. For more information about how veterans can finance their bootcamp studies with the GI Bill, General Assembly’s advisors or a VA representative can help. 

General Assembly Locations

General Assembly has a worldwide footprint. You can join an online coding bootcamp from anywhere in North America, and you can attend classes in person at the New York City location. There are also physical locations in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Every in-person General Assembly location is listed below.

• General Assembly London
• General Assembly Manama 
• General Assembly New York City
• General Assembly Paris
• General Assembly Singapore
• General Assembly Sydney
• General Assembly Online

Each location offers the same variety of courses and program types. There is a similar success rate at all locations, meaning you get the same quality of education everywhere.

General Assembly Courses

General Assembly offers a wide array of courses for students to choose from, including full-time programs that are instructor-led and cover a range of topics, and shorter part-time classes that are available on-demand. Read below to learn more about the top General Assembly courses and General Assembly curricula.

Data Science

• Format: Part-Time, Full-Time
• Locations: Online, London, Manama, New York City, Paris, Singapore, Sydney
• Cost: $16,450
• Skills covered: Python, data analysis, machine learning, statistical modeling

Offered both part-time and full-time, this data science course prepares you to become a data scientist. You will learn about data analysis, statistical modeling, and machine learning through hands-on projects. Both beginners and intermediate learners who’ve reviewed General Assembly’s data science course say that the material is easy to digest. 

Front End Web Development

• Format: Part-Time
• Location: Online
• Cost: $4,500
• Skills covered: HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Git, Github

This course is part-time, and it focuses on not only coding for front end development but also web design. If you review General Assembly’s Front End Web Development curriculum and are still skeptical, you can apply for a more specific part-time program in JavaScript, React, or Python. That said, Front End Web Development is the most well-rounded option. 

Product Management

• Format: Part-Time
• Location: Online
• Cost: $4,500
• Skills covered: the product life cycle, Agile best practices, stakeholder management, data analytics

This course can work both for beginners and experienced product managers. It is a part-time course with portfolio projects and up-to-date lessons, making it perfect for anyone hoping to ace their next job interview. As one reviewer of General Assembly’s Product Management course put it, “this was possibly the best course I’ve taken in the last decade.”

Software Engineering

• Format: Full-Time, Part-Time
• Locations: Online, London, New York City
• Cost: $16,450
• Skills covered: JavaScript, React, Python, Django, DevOps

When looking at your coding bootcamp options at GA, make sure to review General Assembly’s Software Engineering Immersive as well as its part-time counterpart. The immersive course is even available in a 24-week flex format. You will learn everything about full stack development, from APIs to in-demand programming languages and frameworks.

User Experience Design

• Format: Full-Time, Part-Time, On-Demand
• Location: Online
• Cost: $16,450
• Skills covered: Wireframing, prototyping, user research, usability testing, service design

The UX design course is offered full-time, part-time, and on-demand. Based on the high number of reviews of General Assembly’s UX bootcamps, it is one of the most popular topics that GA teaches. In any of the three UX design programs, you will learn about UX/UI design concepts and research. You will also build an impressive professional profile and portfolio.

Data Analytics

• Format: Full-time
• Location: Online
• Cost: $16,450
• Skills covered: Statistics, SQL, data interpretation with Excel, Tableau, PowerBI, Python

This data analytics course is taught live online with plenty of opportunities for students to interact and connect with their instructors and peers. Outside of class hours, students receive frequent feedback and have access to one-on-one check-ins. The curriculum was designed by experts to ensure that, in 12 weeks, you will learn all the skills you need to launch a new data analytics career.

General Assembly On-Demand Courses

If you want to work at your own pace and pay less for tuition, there are plenty of good General Assembly courses to choose from. These on-demand courses from General Assembly only cost $950 and can teach you tech basics.

• Learn to Code. This course is meant for total beginners who want to learn the basics of coding for free. It will have you using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in no time.

• Data Analysis. If you want to start learning data analytics, this course might be right for you. Working from home at your own pace, you can learn as fast or as slowly as you want.

• Digital Marketing. This course can help you get familiar with the basic concepts of digital marketing. It’s perfect for people who need a refresher or want a crash course in the fundamentals. 

• UX Design. Especially good for self-employed designers, this UX design course helps you build your skillset. You will cover everything from user research to visual design. 

What Is the General Assembly Schedule?

General Assembly programs are available on a part-time or a full-time schedule to accommodate the needs of as many students as possible. Read below to learn more about the course schedules for General Assembly’s online bootcamps and in-person programs.

Full-Time

A full-time program at General Assembly can be taken either in person or online, and it will take around 12 weeks to complete. Students typically need to put in eight hours of study five days a week to succeed in these courses. It has the same commitment as a full-time job, but you’ll graduate with valuable skills.

Part-Time

If you need a lighter workload, a part-time program may be a better fit. General Assembly’s course schedule for these online bootcamps consists of 10 weeks of studying at 20 hours per week. These part-time tech bootcamps are accessible to anyone.

On-Demand

General Assembly’s unique on-demand programs can be completed online at your own pace. You will have access to live support if needed and have up to 12 months to complete your course of choice.

How to Get Accepted Into General Assembly

Though this can be a difficult bootcamp to enter, it is not impossible to get accepted into General Assembly. As long as you are qualified and prepared, you have a decent chance of getting in. Read below to find out how to get into General Assembly.

General Assembly Acceptance Rate

General Assembly’s acceptance rate varies by program type. Members of GA’s admissions team have estimated that the acceptance rate for General Assembly’s immersive courses is between 60 and 70 percent. While the rate of admission for part-time and on-demand courses is likely much higher, the exact number is unknown.

Application Process

The General Assembly application process is straightforward but extensive. Read the following steps to learn how to apply to General Assembly.

1. Complete your application. This can be done online, but you are not allowed to use any outside help. 
2. Schedule a phone interview. If the interview goes well, you will be asked to await further instructions regarding the next stage of the General Assembly application process. 
3. Schedule an admissions assessment. This is your chance to prove your abilities as a coder. You will be given a project and a limited timeframe to complete it. Once you’re finished, you will have the opportunity to explain the reasoning behind your choices. If you have a solid enough foundation of skills, you will be admitted. 
4. Wait to find out if you have been accepted. Once General Assembly reviews your application, will be notified of its admission decision.

Interview Questions

During the initial General Assembly interview and follow-up admissions assessment, you will be asked a wide range of coding bootcamp interview questions. In your initial phone interview, you will be screened on your background and prior training. The content of the technical assessment, meanwhile, depends on which program you applied for.

Below is a general overview of the topics covered throughout the General Assembly interview process. Note that the interview questions General Assembly asks are not set in stone, so you need to stay on your toes. And because your General Assembly admissions interview varies by course type, we’ve included topics for multiple immersive programs.

• Technical skills background. This part of the General Assembly interview occurs during your initial screening call with the admissions team. Remember to be honest, but don’t sell yourself short either. You should feel free to mention any relevant skills or experience related to the topic you wish to study.
• Reason for course selection. General Assembly only wants to admit applicants who are clear-eyed about their career goals. The more specific you can be about where you want to be in five years, the more likely that GA will find a place for you.
• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. If you applied for Software Engineering Immersive, your admissions assessment will cover these three languages. To increase your likelihood of getting in, try taking a crash course to master the fundamentals.
• Python and statistics. The admissions project for Data Science Immersive will test you on Python programming and introductory statistics. You’ll definitely want to learn the basics of Python before filling out your application. 
• User-centered design. You are unlikely to get into User Experience Design Immersive without some prior experience interacting with customers. To pass this admissions project, you need to understand the design principles that keep users engaged.

Is General Assembly Worth It?

Yes, General Assembly is worth it for any dedicated coder who wants to advance their skills. General Assembly offers many courses of varying types, all at great prices. Though this coding school can be difficult to get into, GA has top-level bootcamp instructors who will teach you the tech skills you need to land your dream job, even if you’re still new to the field.

Best of all, General Assembly boasts a high job placement rate for its graduates. As many General Assembly reviews attest, each bootcamp is an incredible experience, and each program comes with an effective array of career development services. As long as you are career-driven and have a passion for tech, General Assembly has a program for you.

General Assembly Reviews FAQ

Are there free General Assembly courses available?

Yes, General Assembly’s catalog includes a few different types of free educational content. General Assembly’s free courses include a sleek introduction to coding, called Dash, which is available on the GA website. It covers HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. There are also a number of free workshops, most of which can be attended online via a live stream.

Is General Assembly good for beginners?

Yes, General Assembly is for beginners and intermediate coders alike. All of GA’s courses and coding resources are designed to be beginner-friendly. Even if you get into one of its intensive and immersive courses, you will be given a selection of pre-work modules, which will bring you up to speed on everything you need to know once classes start.

How many students does General Assembly have?

The number of General Assembly students varies by location and course modality. At many locations, in-person courses are capped at 30 students per cohort, and the headcount for online courses typically does not exceed 35. Since its founding in 2011, General Assembly has graduated over 80,000 students across 30 countries worldwide.

Which companies hire General Assembly graduates?

Countless companies hire General Assembly graduates. In fact, over 16,000 graduates of GA’s immersive programs have landed high-quality jobs relevant to their chosen fields of study. Some of the most high-profile companies that have hired GA grads are Walmart, IBM, Microsoft, and Grubhub.