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Top Coding Bootcamps for Women to Launch Your Tech Career

Coding is unquestionably the most important skill in the tech world. Not only can the ability to code lead to high-paying jobs, but it can be quick and easy to learn. There are several educational resources online, as well as bootcamps to join, that provide everything you need to get started.

Even better, technology is becoming more accessible to women, nonbinary people, and people from other underrepresented communities. In fact, many bootcamps today cater exclusively to women, some of which offer coding bootcamp scholarships to women and nonbinary people. This guide will take you through the top coding bootcamps for women to start a career in tech.

Women in Tech in 2021

Like in many fields that have been traditionally dominated by men, there has been a push in recent years to diversify the tech world. Unfortunately, there is still a lot of work needed to create true equal opportunity. Just 25.2 percent of women work in tech and mathematical fields, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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Women fill just 28.9 percent of tech jobs at Google, 24.8 percent at Facebook, and 29.2 percent at Twitter, according to each company’s latest diversity report. This emphasizes the inequality in the tech community and the need for more opportunities for women to be educated and promoted in the field.

The good news is that there are more resources than ever for women looking to start careers in tech. There are coding bootcamps specifically for women, as well as scholarships in mixed-sex bootcamps designed to help women reach their tech career goals.

Are Women Underrepresented in Tech?

Women are underrepresented in tech, making up only a fraction of the industry’s total workers. According to BLS, just 19.4 percent of software developers are women, while women make up only 27.8 percent of web developers. Additionally, the numbers are decreasing because women often leave the industry at higher rates than men.

The situation for women in high-ranking tech positions is almost as grim. A recent report in Forbes notes that only 41 of the CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies are female, and Statista observes that female representation in tech leadership positions is lagging behind the percentage of female leaders in the economy as a whole.

The History of Women in Tech

The tech industry is male-dominated, with men filling the majority of the industry’s high-ranking positions. This can make it easy to forget the profound influences women have made in tech. The industry would not look the same today without the success of some of tech’s female powerhouses. Most notably, tech owes a lot to Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer.

But women have made an impact across STEM. The mathematician Nicole-Reine Lepautre predicted the return of Halley’s Comet. Maria Mitchell was the first American scientist to discover a comet. Anna Winlock helped uncover important astronomical data at Harvard University. And Henrietta Swan Leavitt was integral in the discovery of Cepheid variable stars, which help explain the expansion of the universe.

Why Join a Coding Bootcamp

Coding bootcamps are a faster, more flexible, and more efficient way to learn technology subjects. They are often very affordable, and they can expose you to unique job opportunities. They also provide their students with the necessary skills for a rewarding career in technology. Below are some reasons why you should consider joining a coding bootcamp.

They Are Faster than Traditional Degrees

Completing a college degree in computer science will take a minimum of four years. Bootcamps typically last between three months and two years, depending on the bootcamp and the program. They make it easier for people who have previous education to switch to the tech industry, and in much less time.

College often requires various courses, including some that won’t be applicable to your career. With coding bootcamps, you simply decide on what course you want to take, and it will provide you with comprehensive knowledge and all the skills necessary to excel in that field. You will also learn from experts in the field, ensuring you have all you need to start your career journey.

They Are More Affordable than Traditional Degrees

Bootcamps are generally more affordable than colleges. Most bootcamps cost between $10,000 and $15,000 to attend, but there are also bootcamps that come at no charge. Most bootcamps also offer financial options like scholarships, deferred payments, and ISAs to make tuition more affordable.

They Help You Build a Professional Network

Bootcamps often have a large community of alumni, experts, and hiring partners that give students and graduates a network of professionals to learn from. This can help beginners navigate the job market and land high-profile jobs.

This kind of professional network is a career lifeline, providing access to local startups, mentors, tech companies, and more. The bootcamps value the success of their students and will support them on the path to career success.

Is It Hard to Get into a Coding Bootcamp?

It is easy to get into some bootcamps and difficult to get into others. Some bootcamps require previous knowledge in coding, or will require you to pass tests to be accepted. However, most will accept you as long as you have the right attitude towards learning, show motivation, and meet the requirements of the school.

Bootcamps with high application and job placement rates are usually the most difficult to get into. However, if you take the necessary steps to prepare before applying, you can increase your chances of acceptance. There are resources available online to help with the necessary preparation.

Research your chosen bootcamp and make sure you meet its requirements and are properly equipped before applying. App Academy, for example, has an acceptance rate of less than five percent, and the admissions process involves two coding challenges and an interview. To boost your chances, explore the best online coding courses and find the one that’s right for you.

Top Coding Bootcamps for Women in 2021

Top Coding Bootcamps for Women in 2021

Due to the low number of women in the tech industry, there has been growth in women-only bootcamps and bootcamp scholarships for women. Below is a list of the best coding bootcamps for women hoping to build their coding skills and break into the tech industry.

23 Code Street

23 Code Street logo
  • Tuition: $1,500
  • Programs: Web development
  • Location: London

The women-only coding bootcamp 23 Code Street offers 12-week courses in web development. This UK-based school was designed to encourage and support females in the tech industry. It prioritizes career development by offering career counseling and internship opportunities. For every student it gets, the school teaches an underprivileged woman in India to code.

Ada Developers Academy logo
  • Tuition: Free
  • Programs: Software engineering
  • Location: Seattle

Ada Developers Academy is a full stack development bootcamp for women and non-binary people that is both non-profit and cost-free. The school prioritizes Black, Latina, Indigenous, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, LGBTAIA+, and low-income women.

Ada Developers Academy accepts students who are invested in inclusion, social justice, and diversity and who show high learning aptitude, determination, good stress-coping skills, and teamwork. Applicants must have previous experience in programming and must pass a coding challenge to be accepted.

CodeOp

CodeOp logo
  • Tuition: $8,420
  • Programs: Web development, data analytics, product management
  • Location: Kuala Lumpur, Barcelona, online

CodeOp offers women, people who are transgender, and non-binary people part-time and full-time programs in full stack web development, product management, and data analytics. The program is 11 weeks and can be completed online or at the in-person campus in Barcelona.

Grace Hopper Program logo
  • Tuition: $17,910
  • Programs: Software engineering
  • Location: Chicago, New York, online

Through Fullstack Academy, the Grace Hopper Program offers an immersive software engineering course for women. The school partners with Lesbians Who Tech to offer scholarships for non-binary individuals and LGBTQ women. It also offers $1,000 scholarships to individuals who identify as women when they pay their full tuition upfront.

Hackbright Academy logo
  • Tuition: $16,895
  • Programs: Software engineering
  • Location: Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, online

Hackbright Academy is a web development school for women that offers full-time, part-time, in-person, and online courses in software engineering. The school also offers prep courses to show women a look at what their life would be like in coding careers.

To get accepted into Hackbright, applicants need to complete a coding challenge and two interviews. They must show a strong desire to learn software development and have previous coding experience. The school provides its students with career services, mentorship, and tech talks to prepare them for the job market.

Ladies Learning Code

Ladies Learning Code logo
  • Tuition: Free
  • Programs: Coding, web development
  • Location: Canada, online

Ladies Learning Code, an offshoot of Canada Learning Code, offers coding courses and workshops to empower women and fill the gender gap in the tech sector. Although it is designed for women and transgender individuals, men are also allowed to attend.

PyLadies

PyLadies logo
  • Tuition: Free
  • Programs: Python programming
  • Location: 124 cities around the world

PyLadies focuses on offering support and networking to women in the tech industry, as well as spreading awareness. It is open to all experience levels and each branch has a different method of training. Some do formal classes while others prefer hosting social or virtual events. What they all have in common is a desire to help women learn Python.

Rails Girls

Rails Girls logo
  • Tuition: Free
  • Programs: Web development
  • Location: Worldwide

Rails Girls offers Ruby on Rails classes for women that last only a day or two. The workshops are free, and they take place around the world. You can check for upcoming events on the Rails Girls website, which also contains materials for how to get started with Ruby.

Skillcrush

Skillcrush logo
  • Tuition: $549
  • Programs: Web development
  • Location: Online

Skillcrush is an online coding bootcamp that is open to all genders but prioritizes empowering people from diverse backgrounds, including women. Women make up the majority of the enrollees, but it also trains people of color, LGBTQ+ groups, people with disabilities, parents, unemployed people, and more.

The bootcamp offers a wide range of courses in web development and web design with the aim of teaching its students digital skills to kickstart their careers. Students learn technical skills while creating projects to add to their portfolios. Skillcrush also offers career services to its students, as well as mentors to assist them in securing good jobs after graduation.

TechLadies

TechLadies logo
  • Tuition: $405
  • Programs: Software development
  • Location: Singapore

TechLadies offers a 15-week program to teach women to become professional developers. The bootcamp requires 15 hours per week and the school also offers prep courses for applicants. During the application process, applicants are required to build a personal website using Ruby on Rails.

Coding Bootcamp Scholarships for Women

There are now many bootcamps that offer scholarships to female-identifying individuals. Some scholarships are even awarded automatically to any accepted female applicant. This list includes some of the best bootcamp scholarships for women.

Alabama & Michigan Digital Skills Initiative - Flatiron School

Amount: $16,900 (full tuition)

Eligibility Requirements: For the software engineering, data science, and cyber security engineering programs in Alabama; for the data science and software engineering programs in Michigan; available for individuals who identify as female, genderqueer, or non-binary

Application Process: Eligible Alabama and Michigan residents can fill out an online application through the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT).

Women in Technology - Code Platoon

Amount: $16,000 (full tuition)

Eligibility Requirements: Awarded to a female veteran in honor of Rear Admiral Grace Hopper; to be used towards Code Platoon’s in-person bootcamp

Application Process: Women can complete a two-part application process through the school’s website. In the first part, you will provide some information about yourself and your background, after which you will be sent a link via email to the second part of the application.

Women’s Scholarship - Codesmith

Amount: $4,837.50 (25% off tuition costs)

Eligibility Requirements: Available to anyone who identifies as a woman

Application Process: Women can apply via the bootcamp’s regular application process.

Women in Technology Scholarship - BrainStation

Amount: Varies by course

Eligibility Requirements: Automatic scholarship for all women

Application Process: Students should express interest in the Women in Technology Scholarship when they apply for the bootcamp program of their choice.

Diversity Scholarship Fund - Code Fellows

Amount: Varies by course (40% – 70% off tuition costs)

Eligibility Requirements: Awarded to members of groups that are underrepresented in tech; priority given to those in most need of financial assistance

Application Process: You can apply for this scholarship once you begin your bootcamp application. You will have to contact the admissions advisor to inform them of your decision, and they will guide you through the process. This will include answering short essay questions. The school’s admissions team will reach out to you two weeks before the program begins to inform you of their scholarship decision.

Women’s Scholarship - DevPoint Labs

Amount: Varies by course (50% off tuition costs)

Eligibility Requirements: Available to all female students who show empathy and a passion for learning

Application Process: Students interested in this scholarship will answer essay questions when applying for either the Full-Time Web Development or Front End Night Class program.

Codeworks + GirlCode Scholarship - Codeworks

Amount: Partial or fully funded tuition

Eligibility Requirements: Available to all women who apply to Codeworks and are members of the GirlCode community

Application Process: Applicants must first register at GirlCode’s website before proceeding with the school’s application process.

Women in Tech Scholarship - Coding Dojo

Amount: $2,000

Eligibility Requirements: Available to all female applicants

Application Process: Applicants need to make a note on their bootcamp application form to receive a separate form for the scholarship.

Ada Lovelace Scholarship - Fullstack Academy

Amount: $1,000

Eligibility Requirements: Available to anyone who identifies as a woman; not available to women who choose the deferred payment option

Application Process: Women get this discount simply by paying their tuition upfront.

Women and Veterans Discount - LearningFuze

Amount: $500 – $1,000

Eligibility Requirements: Available to all women who register early for their bootcamp program

Application Process: Applicants must submit an application to the school two weeks before the program begins.

The Bottom Line

As the statistics show, women in tech are highly underrepresented. Luckily, many bootcamps are stepping up to redress this inequality and help women start careers in technology. Many women are now encouraged to take tech courses and and change the status quo.

Whether you are looking for affordable coding classes for beginners or a full-time program with an advanced curriculum, there are plenty of options for you. We may have a long way to go, but with female-only bootcamps and scholarship opportunities, the statistics are sure to change soon.

Find a training program that will help you start your tech career journey.

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