Chicago-based Code Platoon offers two coding bootcamps for veterans and their spouses. The 14-week, in-person program is held in the school’s downtown classroom. It focuses on full stack development, and students are eligible for paid internships and full-time work as web developers. For those who cannot attend in person, a 14-week live remote program is offered with similar assignments, class discussions,... Read More
Chicago Coding Bootcamps
Best of 2021: Rankings, Reviews, and Courses
By: The SwitchUp Team
Last Updated: September 21, 2020
Chicago’s tech scene has been steadily growing for some time. This year, it made KPMG’s list of top 20 up and coming tech innovation hubs worldwide. It’s also home to some of the best bootcamps in the country to help students kickstart a tech career in one of Chicago’s many sectors.
SwitchUp has been a trusted resource for coding bootcamp rankings since 2014. These rankings are a great resource to find out which bootcamp best fits your needs. Below is our list of the top coding bootcamps in Chicago ranked by student reviews. This list includes only programs that received average ratings of at least 4 out of 5 stars after being evaluated by 5 or more graduates.
Click here to learn more about our methodology, or continue reading to learn more about career opportunities for software developers in Chicago. For more information on coding bootcamps, see our list of the Best Coding Bootcamps. For more flexible online learning options, check out our list of the Best Online Coding Bootcamps.
1. Code Platoon
Locations: Online, Chicago
Courses: Full-Stack Software Engineering: Immersive
Subjects: AWS, Django, Git, JavaScript, Python +3 More
The cohort-based bootcamp at Chicago-based Actualize is available as both an online and in-person program. It is divided into two parts: 4 weeks of at-home prework and 12 weeks of instruction. The prework section consists of instruction videos and exercises that are submitted via a student portal. Classes for the main program are held either Monday-Thursday evenings and all day Sunday, or five hours... Read More
3. Fullstack Academy
Locations: Online, Chicago, NYC
Courses: Software Engineering Immersive, Summer of Code, Web Development Fellowship at Fullstack Academy, +1 More
Subjects: A/B Testing, CSS, Cyber Security, Digital Marketing, Express.js +8 More
The curriculum at Fullstack Academy teaches students frameworks and programming languages. It helps them develop a strong theoretical foundation and gain a comprehensive understanding of the latest technologies in software development for the web. Fullstack JavaScript is the basis of instruction. The school offers a 13-week, full-time Software Engineering Immersive in which students work with tools... Read More
2021 Best Chicago Coding Bootcamps received an average 4.92 of 5 based on 691 reviews.
Job Outlook for Coding Bootcamp Graduates in Chicago
What is the job outlook for software developers in Chicago?
In recent years, Chicago has been one of the best places for software developers, software engineers, web developers, UX/UI designers, and other coding professionals to find work. Ranked as one of the top five tech innovation hubs in the U.S., Chicago employs approximately 345,000 technology professionals who represent about 7% of the city's workforce, and regional organizations have been adding an average of several thousand new tech jobs each year. Despite setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, skilled and persistent coding professionals can still find rewarding employment opportunities in the city's thousands of tech companies.
What is the average salary for software developers in Chicago?
According to Indeed, the average base salary for Chicago-based front-end web developers is $116,718, for software engineers is $119,808, and for junior software engineers is $91,829—all on par or even slightly higher than national averages. Approximate ranges for front-end developers across the U.S. is $76,929 to $119,224, for software engineers $85,750 to $92,046, and for junior software engineers $64,056 to $74,148.
What companies hire software developers in Chicago?
Chicago is home to the second largest concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters. Software developers, software engineers, web developers, and UX/UI designers in the Chicago area are apt to find jobs with some of the city's largest employers, usually located downtown or in the northwest suburbs of the city. This includes the pharmacy chain Walgreens, food supplier Archer Daniels Midland, professional services provider Accenture, and insurance giant Allstate. The healthcare industry is also quite strong in Chicago, as it is home to such health services corporations as Advocate Aurora Health, Amita Health, and Northwestern Memorial Healthcare, as well as pharmaceutical companies AbbVie Inc. and Abbott Laboratories.
Coding professionals may also want to consider working in small or startup software development service providers like ELEKS, Cubix, Light IT, and Table XI. Bento for Business, for example, provides a financial operating platform used by small businesses to manage daily expenses, virtual payments, and cashless workflows, and the company employs front-end, back-end, and full-stack engineers to keep the platform running smoothly. Similarly, SurePayroll provides an online payroll service for small business owners, so software engineers are needed to develop app and system code and to create technical specifications for the firm's clients.
SwitchUp Rankings Methodology
SwitchUp's rankings are based on over 20,000 reviews from verified students and alumni, across over 500 bootcamps in operation. Because student and alumni feedback and ratings are indicative of bootcamp quality, rankings are ordered by review score. The order of the ranking is based on data at the time of publishing, but the ratings and review counts will change as more reviews come in.
To be considered for the 2021 rankings, bootcamps must help students land jobs in tech through excellent instructor support, curriculum, and career resources; each review left on SwitchUp evaluates the bootcamp on all of these aspects.
All bootcamps considered for the Best Chicago Coding ranking were required to meet the following criteria at the time of publication:
- Offer an immersive or part-time Coding program in Chicago
- Have at least 5 verified reviews of Coding programs in Chicago
- For those Chicago Coding program reviews, average at least 4/5 stars
Please see our full ranking methodology to see requirements for other rankings.
Bootcamp Highlights
Looking for a school with specific qualities? We've awarded merit badges to schools in several key areas:
Available Online
Offer either part-time or immersive courses that are available online. This includes courses that are offered temporarily online due to COVID-19.
Verified Outcomes
Offer a job outcomes report that was independently verified by a third-party auditor.
Flexible Classes
Offer self-paced, part-time, or evening classes.
Job Guarantee
Offer guaranteed job placement after graduation, or the student's tuition is refunded. Visit the official school site for related terms and conditions.
GI Bill
Approved to accept GI Bill funds according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
VET TEC Provider
Approved as a VET TEC Provider according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
References
- Baker, M. (2019). Chicago a target for tech expansion. [online] REjournals. Available at: https://rejournals.com/chicago-a-top-target-for-tech-expansion/ [Accessed 2 September 2020]
- Chicago is an emerging hub for technology. [online] World Business Chicago. Available at: http://www.worldbusinesschicago.com/key-industries/info-tech/ [Accessed 2 September 2020]
- Hariman, K (2020). Chicago’s largest employers 2020. [online] Crain’s Chicago Business. Available at: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/crains-list/chicagos-largest-employers-2020 [Accessed 2 September 2020]
- Midwest Information Office. [online] Bureau of Labor Statistics. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/news-release/areaemployment_chicago.htm [Accessed 2 September 2020]
