LoginFor those looking to improve their prospects in the programming industry, coding boot camps may provide a valuable addition to – or in some cases substitute for – a traditional education. A survey from Course Report showed that these short, intensive programming courses may increase the chances of finding a job or boost salaries for those who are already employed.
According to the report, 48 percent of programming boot camp students were working full-time jobs before the course. This figure jumped to 63 percent after these individuals attended a boot camp. Only 18 percent of students said that they had programming experience at work before the boot camp, and just 5 percent started as full-time programmers. More than one-third of applicants to programming courses had no experience coding, either at work or for personal projects.
Those who had jobs before starting the course also benefited. The average salary of boot camp applicants was $52,809. After completing the course, the average pay rose to $75,965, a 44 percent increase. On a scale of one to 10, students reported an average satisfaction level of 8.1 with the courses.
According to the Taulbee Survey, just 14.2 percent of graduates from bachelor's degree programs in computer science are female. Women make up 38 percent of boot camp classes.