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Launch School

Average Rating4.84
95 Reviews
2 Courses

Launch School is an online program for studious beginners whose goal is to become professional developers. The program focuses on fundamentals of programming and software engineering including core problem solving, programming language fundamentals, object-oriented programming, networking, databases, and guides students through a structured path of building up proficiency in software development.  The program consists of two main phases: Core Curriculum and Capstone. The Core Curriculum uses a mastery-based learning pedagogy to teach fundamentals of software development. It takes approximately 1200-1800 hours (8-16+ months) to complete, and students can choose either a Ruby or JavaScript focused track through Core. After that, there is an optional and admissions-based Capstone Program that's focused on helping students acquire career-launching opportunities. The Capstone Program takes 4 months full-time and employs an Income Sharing Agreement where students pay after they get a job offer.

The Core Curriculum is open to everyone, and the only requirement is that people complete Launch School’s free preparatory courses. Students who complete the Capstone Program will receive career guidance, and be exposed to algorithmic thinking that employers demand. 

Launch School offers a Deferred Payment Program (DPP). Students pay nothing upfront, and will begin to pay back tuition only once they land a job that pays at least $60,000.

95 Launch School Reviews

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  • Julius Zerwick
    Julius Zerwick
    Software Engineer at DigitalOcean • Graduate
    Verified by GitHub
    May 11, 2020
    Overall Experience
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    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    From Little Experience to Software Engineer II at DigitalOcean

    My journey toward software engineering started in August 2016 after feeling unsatisfied in my job and looking to make a change toward a more fulfilling career. After several months of self-study with online resources that didn’t give a clear outline of how to progress as a developer, I chose to enroll in an online bootcamp to learn Ruby, Rails, and JavaScript in 3 months with guarantees of finding a good “junior role” by the end.

    However, after finishing the bootcamp in March 2017...
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  • Sunny Beatteay
    Sunny Beatteay
    Software Engineer @ DigitalOcean • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Apr 30, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    The Wisest Decision I Ever Made

    In August 2016, I had been exploring web development for 6 months but without any clarity. I knew I wanted to become a software developer but I did not know how. That is when I found Launch School and the answer became clear. While the pricing and pace drew me in, the mastery-based learning philosophy is why I excelled.

    From first glance, it was apparent that Launch School had been founded by industry veterans. I have never encountered a curriculum more in-depth and ri...
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  • Max
    Software Engineer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Apr 30, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    The Results Speak For Themselves

    Dissatisfied with my previous non-technical career, I started looking for online programs to learn web development and programming, and after several months trying out several programs, decided Launch School was the best fit for me.

    For someone who is a life-long learner and is curious about understanding concepts at a foundational level, Launch School is the perfect curriculum. It does not promise quick, easy wins or make grandiose claims about transforming your life ...
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  • Nick Miller
    Software Engineer • Graduate • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Apr 30, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Landed a Job as Backend Software Engineer

    I got laid off from a startup that was on a sharp downward trajectory in early 2017. After looking in the market for jobs doing what I had been doing and coming up dissatisfied all around, my wife realized it was time for me to take a look at the bigger picture. We sat down and brainstormed a list of ideas of things I wanted to try doing, learning about software making the top of the list. It quickly became the only item on that list after getting a taste from an Intro to Computer Scienc...
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  • Will M.
    Software Developer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Apr 30, 2020
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    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Investing in yourself

    There are shorter and easier paths to getting a job in tech, but there are good reasons why I stuck on the slow path at Launch School. I didn’t just want a job, I wanted a rewarding career where I could meaningfully contribute and grow for years to come. With the baseline knowledge and habits established in the core curriculum and the intensity of the Capstone program, I feel well prepared to stay relevant across an ever-changing industry for decades to come.

    When I st...
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  • Jacob C.
    Software Engineer • Graduate • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Apr 29, 2020
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    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Launch School is Everything I Had Hoped it Would Be

    I knew I wanted to be a software engineer, but before Launch School I never had a path to get there. I had tried various online courses but would inevitably hit a wall. I researched boot camps but I never felt like they could give me the depth I needed for the kind of engineering jobs I wanted.

    Choosing Launch School was easy: the pedagogy of a slow path to mastery followed by the promise of in depth coaching through the Capstone program matched with what I thought it ...
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  • Chian Yee
    Chian Yee
    Graduate • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 10, 2019
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Launch School- a life changing experience !

    Hello there. My name is Chian Yee and completed the course at Launch School from 2016 to 2018. Recently I went for 5 programming interviews and got 5 job offers, even one from IBM Hong Kong. I even got admitted into the University of Pennsylvania Master in Computer and Information Technology program. I really want to thank Launch School for the life-changing experience and education they gave me.

    A Unique Approach

    LS has a unique approach to teaching so...

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  • Adrian Carroll
    Graduate • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 21, 2018
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    N/A

    A better way to learn

    Mastery Based learning is a concept that is easy to understand, accept and even embrace but I think it is only after experiencing its true power can you learn to fully trust it.   When I began my Launch school journey I read all the MBL related literature that Launch School throw your way. I accepted it at face value. I understood the logic and was ready to apply it. And i did... to an exent. I remember working through the back end and still having a slight feelin...
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  • Alex Henegar
    Full Stack Developer • Graduate • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 15, 2018
    Overall Experience
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    N/A

    An Invaluable Program for Those with Dedication

    I learned a little programming while in school but I thought I was too far along in physics to make the switch to computer science. After getting my doctorate in physics, I still had an itch to learn programming so I started looking for a way to learn. After six months of researching my options: more school, boot camp, books & tutorials; I stumbled upon Launch School. While listening to the podcast Learn to Code with Me, by Laurence Bradford, she was interviewing a founder of Launch ...
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  • Tannr A
    Tannr A
    Software Engineer II • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jul 10, 2018
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    Radically changed my life

    Soon after starting Launch School, I dropped out of college to study full-time with Launch School. I was a senior and close to graduation when I dropped out. Many people I knew called me crazy and doubt was thrown at me left and right. Despite this, I knew it was the right decision and I knew that if I persevered through Launch School's rigorous curriculum, I could prove to everyone else it was the right decision, too. Today, my life is proof that I made the right decision to trust Launch ...

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  • Patrick B
    Patrick B
    president • Graduate • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jun 04, 2018
    Overall Experience
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    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Simply the Best Value Anywhere.

    I came into Launch School previously as a "dabbler" & finally decided to get serious about learning web development & programming. I did a ton of research before choosing Launch School, and I'm so glad I found them. You can just take my word for it: if you want to learn programming or web development, there really is no better way! I believe it's because of their core philosophy that mastery-based learning & fundamentals are the foundation to a successful technical career...

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  • Steven Fischer
    Graduate • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jun 02, 2018
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Life-changing

    I started Launch School with zero coding experience, and I am now gainfully employed as a programmer. I finished the core curriculum in just under a year. The transformation is long and certainly hard, but I don’t know of any curriculum – other than Launch School’s – that can teach web development fundamentals so well. Launch School is in a league of its own. I highly recommend it.

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Launch School Alumni Outcomes

Recent Launch School News

Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated December 26, 2023
Schools and universities may be scrambling to figure out remote learning, but coding bootcamps have essentially been preparing for this since 2013. Online coding bootcamps already use Zoom video, Slack, GitHub, and VS Code Live Share for pair programming, online lectures, and to connect mentors and instructors with students. Of course, you can learn to code online – but it doesn’t stop there!...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated October 03, 2024
As summer meanders into its final weeks, does back-to-school season make you long to be back in the classroom? It’s not just high schools and colleges that are about to reboot their classes in fall – these coding bootcamps all have upcoming courses online and in-person to jumpstart your new career starting in Fall 2024! Apply today and you could be a developer by the time 2025 rolls around! ...
Lauren Stewart
Lauren Stewart
Updated October 21, 2020
Sun-Li Beatteay studied Oceanography in college, but after bouncing between jobs as a research tech, a barista, and a firefighter, he was ready to start a new career in tech. After a nudge from his wife who works in tech and some research online, Sun-Li found Launch School, a year-long online software engineering school. Learn how to stay motivated when learning online, whether the longer...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated October 03, 2024
Deferred tuition and income share agreements (ISAs) are becoming more widely available and can be attractive to students who don’t have $20,000 in the bank. ISAs and Deferred Tuition align a school’s incentives with those of their students – essentially, a school isn't successful unless their students get jobs. Plus, deferred tuition and ISAs remove the barrier of an upfront tuition, expandin...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated February 18, 2020
For some students, the traditional 12-week, full-time coding bootcamp may not seem like enough time to acquire the skills that employers want. As the coding bootcamp industry has evolved, longer coding bootcamps such as Turing, Galvanize, C4Q, Ada Developers Academy, Learner's Guild, CODE University, Holberton School, Make School, We Think Code, and 42 have emerged with courses ranging fr...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated December 24, 2014
NOTE: This Q&A may be outdated. Tealeaf Academy is now Launch School.  Matthew Barram had done some website development for his side-business, but had doubted his ability to be a full-time web developer. Based in Brisbane, Australia and too far from in-person developer bootcamps, Matthew decided on Tealeaf Academy, the online, mentored Ruby on Rails bootcamp. Find out what convince...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated August 14, 2014
Online, mentored coding bootcamps offer convenience and structure without forcing you to quit your job or move to a new city. But not all online programs were created equally, so which one is right for you? We'll learn from alumni at each online coding bootcamp, ready to answer your questions about their experience during class, how they found mentorship and community online, and how thei...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated July 12, 2018
NOTE: This Q&A may be outdated. Tealeaf Academy is now Launch School. Tealeaf Academy is an online, Rails bootcamp that offers three robust courses in web development for students with varying levels of experience. We talk to Kevin Wang, a cofounder of Tealeaf, about what makes their online program effective and the types of students who excel in their courses.  How did Tealeaf star...

Launch School Alumni Reviews Summary

Overall Experience
4.8
Instructors
4.9
Curriculum
4.8
Job Assistance
4.8
Write A Review
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
FAQs

How much does Launch School cost?

Launch School costs around $199. On the lower end, some Launch School courses like The Capstone Program cost $0.

What courses does Launch School teach?

Launch School offers courses like Core Curriculum, The Capstone Program.

Where does Launch School have campuses?

Launch School teaches students Online in a remote classroom.

Is Launch School worth it?

Launch School hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 95 Launch School alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Launch School on Course Report - you should start there!

Is Launch School legit?

We let alumni answer that question. 95 Launch School alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Launch School and rate their overall experience a 4.84 out of 5.

Does Launch School offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?

Right now, it doesn't look like Launch School offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.

Can I read Launch School reviews?

You can read 95 reviews of Launch School on Course Report! Launch School alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Launch School and rate their overall experience a 4.84 out of 5.

Is Launch School accredited?

While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Launch School doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.

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