Chicago’s tech industry is essential to the city’s economy. Chicago is one of the United States leading tech hubs with an 18% growth in tech workers over the past 10 years. The tech community employs over 106,000 people, 8% of Chicago’s workforce.
Top tech companies in Chicago include ActiveCampaign, Project44, LinkedIn, SpotHero, Tempus, Avant, Salesforce and Motorola Solutions. The city of Chicago may be the best city to find a tech job in the next couple years. Chicago is uniting to attract new tech talent to the city as rapidly growing tech companies need more employees. With more and more startups and Chicago growing exponentially, the city is becoming a world-class hub for entrepreneurs. Chicago lacks tech workers and needs world-class tech talent. P33 and World Business Chicago united together with business executives, educational institution leaders, and startup founders to collaborate on how to attract the best tech talent to the windy city.The growth in tech is due to a variety of things like new startups setting up shop in the city, but a key factor is that tech at this day in age cuts into every industry in Chicago. From government to health care, Fortune 500 companies as well as mid and small-sized businesses need more tech workers in Chicago.
So if you’re living in Chicago and looking to get into the tech industry, a great way to leap into your career is by joining one of the bootcamps below:
Best coding bootcamps in Chicago
Actualize
Cost: $14,900
Courses: Web Development
Time Commitment: Part-Time, 16 Weeks
At Actualize, anyone can become a job-ready software developer in 17 weeks with no previous experience required. This Chicago based online coding bootcamp is taught by expert educators that include career support after you graduate. This bootcamp only has 15 students per class for optimal learning experience. Students are able to keep their day job with flexible schedules and evening options. Actualize only hires lead instructors who are both expert educators and experienced software developers. Every Lead Instructor is engaging and genuinely passionate about coding. At Actualize, students get access to Job Hacking, a unique curriculum designed to assist students searching and landing a job. Once students graduate, Actualize continues to meet with students to support them in their job search until they land a job. Students can choose between daytime and night/weekend class schedules. Also, students can choose to pay upfront and get a 500 discount or pay tuition in four installments without paying interest. Students learn HTML, CSS, SQL, API, and JavaScript.
General Assembly
Cost: Full-Time $15,950, Part-Time: $2,800-14,950, On-Demand $950
Courses: Data Science, Digital Marketing, Product Management, Python Program, Web Development.
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-Time, and On Demand
General Assembly has 15 campuses across 4 continents and has a location in Chicago. Students learn new skills and technologies and are pushed to get hired immediately upon graduation. General Assembly helps provide students access to new skills and career paths in tech that can rival any university degree. Some of the languages and frameworks the in-person Chicago program class learns are JavaScript, CSS, Ruby on Rails, Node.js. General Assembly is known for their great techniques and approaches. They are known for making everyday different, from group interactive labs and collaboration from presentations to solo work.Completing a bootcamp with General Assembly can rival a university degree and its wide range of tech courses can be adjusted for a flexible schedule for a full-time worker. Due to each individual students’ time commitment and price, the course catalog varies at General Assembly. Individual students get expert-led training in coding, data, design, digital marketing, and more. General Assembly also offers programs to companies to get their employees up-to-date in the new tech world. For people looking to take the course from home, online classes are available.
Digital Crafts
Cost: Full-Time $14,950, Part-Time $9,950
Courses: Coding, Cybersecurity, UX/UI Design, Data Analytics.
Time Commitment: Part-Time/ Full-Time
At Digital Crafts, you work with live instructors with real world experience who are deeply committed to your success. Digital crafts coding bootcamp produces full-stack web developers by the end of graduation. They have both online offerings and in-person classes. Digital Crafts Web development program studies full stack web development using Javascript, React, SQL, HTML, CSS, Node.js and many more other technologies to help students build professional portfolios. Over 1,000 students have enrolled in Digital Crafts web development bootcamp and is ranked one of the best coding bootcamps by CourseReport and CareerKarma. DigitalCrafts alumni work for some of the biggest names in business such as MailChimp, JPMorgan Chase, Accenture, Home Depot, State Farm, IBM, Slalom, Chick-fil-a, Progressive, Deloitte and many more. They also offer affordable financing and scholarships to students. Digital Crafts also offers automatic award of $1,000 to $1,500 scholarship money to all underrepresented groups including all women, African American, and other underrepresented groups. All students get a WeWork membership included at no additional charge if students need a place to study in the Chicago area. Classes are online but hybrid communities are available in Chicago, Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Tampa.
Northwestern Boot Camps
Cost: $12,495-$12,995
Courses: Coding, Data, Cybersecurity, Fintech, UX/UI
Time Commitment: 12-week, Full-Time, 24-week Part-Time
At Northwestern, their programs prepare students with in-demand skills to advance or start a career in coding, data science, cybersecurity, financial technology, or UX/UI. Taught by experienced instructors in a remote classroom experience, students find paths to success. The classes teach the latest market skills for fields of coding, data science, cybersecurity, fintech, and UX/UI. All of the programs offer part-time schedules for those who wish to stay at their current job while learning valuable skills at night. During the bootcamp, students build a wide-ranging portfolio of projects and applications in coding, data science, fintech and UX/UI programs. Career services are available to help students transition into coding, data science, cybersecurity, fintech, or UX/UI. Coding curriculum includes: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Bootstrap, Express.js, Node.js, databases, MongoDB,MySQL, and Git. The Data Science curriculum course includes: Excel, Python, R programming, JavaScript charting, HTML/CSS, API interactions, SQL, Tableau, fundamental statistics, machine learning. The Cybersecurity course offers training in networking, systems, web technologies, databases, and defensive and offensive cybersecurity. The Fintech bootcamp curriculum covers python programming, financial libraries, machine learning algorithms, ethereum, blockchain, and more. UX/UI course provides instruction on design research, design thinking, visual prototyping and wireframing, interface design, storyboarding, visual design theory, web prototyping. Applicants do not need any prior experience, but one admitted must complete a precourse tutorial.
Codesmith
Cost: $875- $19,950
Courses: CS Prep, Full-time software engineering immersive, Global part-time remote software engineering, JavaScript for beginners, Software engineering immersive program.
Time Commitment: Part-time, Full-Time
Codesmiths remote learning and fully immersive programs offer west, central, and east coast time zones to accommodate students wanting to learn web development from the comfort of their house. Students have a 95% on-time graduation rate with a 83% in field employment rate. At Codesmith students received an average of $116,00 salary upon graduation. Codesmith offers full-time (12 week) and part-time (38 week) courses. The admission process at codesmith is a little harder than other bootcamps and expects students to be somewhat familiar with code. If students are not, they recommend taking the CS Prep or JavaScript for beginners course before enrolling in the immersive software engineering course. The admission process requires an application with coding questions, a nontechnical interview and a technical interview. Codesmith also helps students to get a job after graduation and offers an extensive hiring support program that involves technical interview practice, resume building, profile development, interviewing and networking strategies.
Tech Elevator
Cost: $15,950 with various financing and scholarship options.
Courses: Full-time Java Coding Bootcamp in person, Full-time Java Coding Bootcamp remote, Full-time .Net/C# Coding Bootcamp in-person, Part-time Java Coding Bootcamp remote
Time Commitment: Part-Time, Full-Time
Tech Elevators programs are delivered both remotely and in-person at campuses located in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Wilmington. Tech elevator also offers students programs beyond their in-person campuses with class options through its National Live Remote Program. Tech elevator leads the coding bootcamp industry with in-person and online courses, expert career prep, and instructors who teach from experince. Tech elevator guides and supports people with zero coding experience into high earning careers. Tech elevator has a 90% job placement with 3,000 tech elevator graduates with an average salary increase of $24,000. After the bootcamp, students have everything they need to succeed with credentials, portfolio, and interview skills to get a new job.
Code Platoon
Cost: $18,000 (self-paced program is free to Veterans, Active Duty Servicemembers and Spouses)
Courses: Devops Engineering, Full Stack Web Developer Immersive, Full Stack Web Developer Immersive/Remote Attendance
Time Commitment: Online, Full-time, Part-time, Self paced
Code Platoon is a coding bootcamp in downtown Chicago that is specifically designed to help Veterans, active duty Servicemembers, and military spouses transition into the civilian workforce by providing technical training and career placement. Training programs are designed specifically for members of the military community. Code Platoon combines immersive curriculums with career preparation and coaching, professional networking and opportunities for paid internship. The Code platoon curriculum teaches students Python, Django, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Code Platoon accepts the GI Bill and VET TEC. The majority of students get 80% or more tuition covered through VA benefits.
Fullstack Academy
Cost: $18,910
Courses: Full-Time Coding Boot Camp, Part-time Coding Boot Camp, Beginner Coding Boot Camp, Cybersecurity Boot Camp, Data Analytics Bootcamp, Product Management Boot Camp
Time Commitment: Full-Time, Part-time, Online
Graduates from Fullstack Academy have gone on to work for big players in tech such as Google, Amazon, Dropbox, Visa, Venmo, Adobe and many other prominent companies. Fullstack Academy has campuses in Chicago, New York City and online. Students can choose a schedule that works for them and fits into their life with online, full-time and part-time options. Fullstack academy has a job placement rate of 91% among 2019 web developer grads with 5,500 successful alumni and counting. Fullstack offers full support to students every step of the way, taught by industry experts and support from career coaches. Upon graduation, students get hired by top-tier companies. Fullstack students have been hired by Facebook, Amazon and Google. At Fullstack you can get your tuition paid through self-pay, employer pay or government assistance. Tuition is sitting at $18,910 for the full-time immersive coding bootcamp with a $99 deposit and will increase to $19,910 for all cohorts starting in 2023. There is an automatic $1,000 need-based scholarship for all women and veterans who attend the Software Engineering Immersive at Fullstack in Chicago. Veterans can also access certain benefits and scholarships. Fullstack is a trailblazer of a boot camp education and prepares students for many diverse career options in tech.
Thinkful
Cost: Starts at $7,990 and qualified students are eligible for Thinkfuls ISA program and pay nothing until they get a job.
Courses: Software Engineering, Data Analytics, UX/UI Design, Data Science, Technical Project Management, Digital Marketing.
Time-Commitment: Part-Time and Full-Time over 5-6 months
Thinkful is a career accelerator that helps build high-growth careers in data science, web development and design with multiple locations across the United States with one of their campuses in Chicago. Thinkful students don’t learn in a classroom but rather learn via one-on-one mentorship gaining more individualized learning experience and access to a national professional network resulting in a guaranteed job in tech or your tuition back. Some of the languages and frameworks Thinkful offers are JavaScript, React, Node, Data Science, Python, SQL, UX and UI Design.Thinkful provides one-on-one attention from instructors who have industry experience and prepares students to go onto companies like Google, Amazon and IBM. Most Students who study at Thinkful are fully employed and join Thinkful to advance their careers and gain skills for their companies in need of tech contributions and skills that Thinkful boot camps offer. At Thinkful you pay $0 in tuition until you are hired in a qualifying tech position. If you don’t get hired within 6 months, you get a full tuition refund. Employed Thinfkul grads report a salary increase of 17%.
Techtorial Academy
Cost: N/A
Courses: SDET, Salesforce admin and developer, Cybersecurity and Devops online and on-campus
Time Commitment: Full-time for 6 months or 24 weeks
Begin your career in software technology at Techtorial Academy. This Chicago based academy is headquartered in Chicago and has campuses in its home city, Miami and online. Techtorial academy aims to teach its students a basic proficiency level of technical skills. They provide superior high quality IT education with on campus facilities and online learning opportunities. The SDET bootcamps teach Java, Git, SQL and many more. The DevOps bootcamp covers Linux, Github, Google Cloud, Python and more. The Cybersecurity Engineer bootcamps teach Linux, Network for hackers, CompTIA Security+, SOC and threat intelligence.
Coding Dojo
Cost: Full-time: $15,995, Part-Time: $ 4,995-$7,995
Courses: Software Development, Data Science
Time Commitment: Part-Time and Full-Time
Coding Dojo is one of Chicago’s top coding boot camps. 83.8% of 2020 graduates from Coding Dojo found a relevant job within 180 days of graduation. 91.1% of 2020 graduates found a job within a year of graduation. Coding dojo only has offices in Los Angeles and Washington, but their online coding boot camp for Chicago residents is a great option for coding students looking to do a boot camp from the comfort of their own home. Coding Dojo has had over 8,000 graduates since 2012 and 83.8% of 2020 Graduates found relevant jobs within 180 days of graduation. 91.1% of 2020 graduates found a relevant job within a year of graduation. The median salary for all Coding Dojo alumni in December 2020 was $69,478.
Always Remember
No matter what coding bootcamp you choose in Chicago, all of the bootcamps above cover a wide selection of coding courses to help start your tech career in the windy city. When choosing a bootcamp, it’s best to find the one that best fits your schedule, your learning needs, and your career aspirations best. Chicago is one of the fastest growing tech communities so don’t get left behind. Apply to one of these coding bootcamps above today to start your career in tech.