College has gotten something of a bad reputation over the last few years.
People have started to realize that putting in four years and racking
up tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt only to find
yourself out of a job (or working as a barista at Starbucks) is a raw
deal.
Some entrepreneurs and academics have decided to do something about
it. They're looking to give quality education for free online, or job
training in fields that actually pay enough to afford their tuition.
Several of the programs have over 90% of graduates working as
software engineers, making an average salary of over $80,000 per year,
for instance.
Hack Reactor
Where: San Francisco
How much it costs: $17,780, with $1,000 scholarships available for women and underrepresented minorities.
Hackbright Academy
Hackbright Academy
Where: San Francisco
How much it costs: $12,000, with a $4,500 refund if you are hired by one of Hackbright's partners.
edX
edX
Where: Online
How much it costs: Free, though some courses require textbooks.
Coursera
Coursera
What it is: Like edX, Coursera lets users take college courses from a wide range of schools
around the United States. Topics of classes include humanities,
medicine, biology, social sciences, mathematics, business, computer
science, and more.
Where: Online
How much it costs: Free
What it is: An 11-week program
that aims to teach participants how to code in HTML, CSS, JavaScript,
and Ruby on Rails. During the program, you work at building a portfolio
of projects like a custom Content Management System and an e-commerce
site. Plus, it take place in a massive facility full of local startups,
letting you build great connections as you learn. Additional programs
teach User Experience and visual design.
Where: Chicago
How much it costs: $8,000
What it is: Like edX and Coursera, Udacity lets you take a variety of classes online for free
in subjects that currently include computer science, cryptography, and
physics. Udacity plans to let users get college credit for completing
their courses. Interestingly, some courses are taught by famous
instructors like Steve Huffman, one of the creators of Reddit.
Where: Online
How much it costs: Free
What it is: A 12-week program
for those with prior programming experience. Those in the program work
40 hours each week to improve their skills in whatever programming
language they wish and at the end Hacker School will help land you a
job. On-site mentors can help guide you if you're feeling stuck. The
program is free, but they charge 25% of your first year's income if you
accept a job that they helped you get.
Where: New York City
How much it costs: Free, with $5,000 need-based grants available for women.
What it is: An intensive nine-week program
that teaches through videos, books, tutorials, and application through
group projects. Participants learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails,
and agile development practices.
Where: San Francisco and Chicago
How much it costs: $12,000, with a $3,000 refund if you get hired by one of the program's partners.
What it is: An intensive nine-week program
that aims to give participants the skills they need to get a job as a
software developer or to create their own startup. Skills learned
include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, and interview preparation.
The program is free, but if you get a job after completing the program
you're expected to pay 15% of your first year's salary over your first
six months on the job. 93% of graduates have gotten a job as a software
developer with an average salary of $83,000.
Where: San Francisco and New York City
What it is: A 12-week program
aimed at giving participants an advanced understanding of Ruby on Rails
and using those skills to create full-functional projects using Twitter
Bootstrap. With small class sizes and close collaboration with
employees at Spotify, this program aims to make graduates ready to work
from day one.
Where: Toronto and Ottawa
How much it costs: $3,200
What it is: A not-for-profit aimed at providing "a
free world-class education for anyone anywhere." Subjects include
physics, biology, chemistry, math, computer science, economics, history,
and more. Classes are taught via instructional videos and interactive
assessment tools.
Where: Online
How much it costs: Free
What it is: Founded by Peter Thiel, the first outside investor in Facebook, the Thiel Fellowship gives $100,000 to 20-year-olds to drop out of school
and pursue their big dreams. The application process is arduous, but
recipients are connected to mentors and the resources they need to
accomplish their goals.
Where: San Francisco
How much it costs: Absolutely nothing - they give you $100,000.
Where: Online
How much it costs: Free
The Starter League
The Starter League
Where: Chicago
How much it costs: $8,000
Udacity
Udacity
Where: Online
How much it costs: Free
Hacker School
Hacker School
Where: New York City
How much it costs: Free, with $5,000 need-based grants available for women.
Dev Bootcamp
Dev Bootcamp
Where: San Francisco and Chicago
How much it costs: $12,000, with a $3,000 refund if you get hired by one of the program's partners.
App Academy
App Academy
Where: San Francisco and New York City
HackerYou
HackerYou
Where: Toronto and Ottawa
How much it costs: $3,200
Khan Academy
Khan Academy
Where: Online
How much it costs: Free
Thiel Fellowship
Thiel Fellowship
Where: San Francisco
How much it costs: Absolutely nothing - they give you $100,000.
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