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This school is now closed. Although Alchemy is no longer accepting students or running its program, you can still see historical information and Alchemy alumni reviews on the school page.

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Alchemy

Average Rating4.93
67 Reviews
2 Courses
Alchemy offers a full-time, 25-week professional software development course live online. Alchemy is an innovation-driven code school where students learn from industry-experienced instructors. Daily interaction with senior developers means that students graduate proficient in the most in-demand tech stacks at a professional level including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, NodeJS, ExpressJS, Postgres SQL, Jest, and the React ecosystem, while also having the skills and mindset t...
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67 Alchemy Reviews

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  • Darren
    Darren
    Full Stack Software Engineer • Student • Online
    Feb 23, 2021
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    High quality instruction, supportive staff

    I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Alchemy Code Labs! I ended up attending for a bit under two months (I left because I ended up getting a job offer due to a previous job search pre-Alchemy) but can attest to their high quality instructors, commitment on good coding best practices, and impressive depth and speed of topics they cover. . . by 4 weeks you're making a shopping cart checkout-flow using localStorage and TDD!

    My instructor Dani was super helpful and knowled...
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  • Antonella
    Antonella
    Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Jan 24, 2021
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Job Assistance

    Software Development

    Alchemy is a fast paced learning environment but definitely will give you the skills you need to break into tech. Of course you will need to put in the work, stick to coding and market yourself, but Alchemy does a great job at providing you with a network and support system in which you can acquire professional connections that can possibly expand into getting that job, it is all on how you decide to use those resources. If you are coming in with zero coding knowledge it could be very ro...
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  • Dylan
    Dylan
    Sr. Technician • Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Jan 03, 2021
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    Instructors
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    Not worth the time or money

     My experience at Alchemy Code Lab was definitely not worth the time, and especially not worth the money I spent. They put more time and effort into convincing you that you will get a job in tech than actually helping you get a job in tech. The job assistance is a joke and consists mostly of their career person telling you to "be positive", "go to networking events", and having special guest lecturers, who are friends of theirs or previous students, who tell you similar obvious job place...
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    Megan Nelson of Alchemy

    School Director

    Jan 11, 2021

    Hi Dylan,

    Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns, and we hear your frustration. Student experiences vary, and we're always working behind the scenes to keep everyone's experience at the level of the students and alums who have had a great experience.

    We agree that accurate stats and transparency matter; that's why ours are constantly updated, include the methodology, and have been reviewed by a third party. You can always find those stats here:
    https://www.alchemycodelab.com/results. As of this posting it was most recently updated December 2020.

    We definitely read every piece of feedback and take it seriously, and also implement changes when it's clear they will benefit the whole.

    If you'd like to discuss anything here, Marty Nelson, the founder and head of Alchemy, is always open to hearing your perspective. You can reach him directly at
    marty@alchemycodelab.com.

    We sincerely wish you all the best in your career and beyond.
  • Dan Meloy
    Dan Meloy
    Software Engineer II • Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Aug 26, 2020
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    Software Engineer II

    Alchemy is hands-down the best coding boot camp option in Portland. The owner and instructors are all seasoned and experienced software developers, and the TAs are prior students. This is awesome because the instructors are able to answer any questions you have, and the TAs have been through what you're going through so can relate and help you with the specific work as you need. The owner regularly meets with companies around Portland to learn about what technologies are currently in the...
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  • Joe Klause
    Joe Klause
    Software Engineer • Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Aug 20, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Job Assistance

    Fastest and most complete, comprehensive on-ramp to a full time coding job.

    Whichever other school you are considering you can stop. Alchemy has everything you are looking for. An incredibly in-depth program that takes you from knowing nothing (at least in my case) to being hire-able as a full stack software engineer in the MERN stack in less than six months! It's that simple. Super knowledgable and empathetic teaching staff, fantastic career services, and tons of networking opportunities. The best part is probably the group projects. Working with three to five ...
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  • Kamran Ali
    Kamran Ali
    Software Developer • Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Aug 19, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Software Developer

    I decided to join Alchemy Code Lab because, after 4 years of restaurant work, I was fed up with getting people ranch all day. I had a friend take the course, and convince me to try it out. I am so incredibly happy I did, I didn't know how much my life would change after the fact, being in a new career path I love, the incredible community, and the friends made along the way. This program is fast paced, but it's crazy to see where you went in knowledge from just Monday to Monday, almost b...
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  • Janelle
    Janelle
    Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Aug 14, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    worth it

    When I decided to go to code school, it became very clear to me that Alchemy's program was special and unlike any of the other programs that were being offered in Portland. I enrolled initially because of the robust career services support, the in-person learning with a small student/teacher ratio, the relevant and up to date curriculum, and the vibrant, open, and inclusive community. Although my cohort went fully remote halfway through the program due to COVID, Alchemy coached us throug...
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  • Yuval Allweil
    Yuval Allweil
    Front End Developer • Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Aug 14, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Best Coding Bootcamp in Portland

    I attended Alchemy Code Lab and had a phenomenal experience. The teachers are passionate and excellent at explaining difficult concepts, the staff is friendly, and the career services assistance you get is first-rate. Their curriculum is constantly iterated to better teach the material, and they make sure to cover the most in-demand technologies like React in depth.
    In the year since I graduated I have helped build a Yelp competitor app for a local startup, coded A/B tests for one of ...
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  • Tyler Corbett
    Tyler Corbett
    Front End Software Engineer • Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Aug 13, 2020
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    Instructors
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    I wish I came here instead of college

    I've attended regular college in the past but Alchemy takes education to a whole new level.
    In just 6 months I went from someone who knew next to nothing about software to having in depth conversations with industry veterans.
    I was taught by Marty Nelson and Ryan Mehta. Both were some of the best teachers I’ve had in my life.
    I had the chance to work in Alchemy's, "App Lab" upon graduation. I worked with real clients on real projects on a daily basis. This made the interviewing ...
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  • Ian Andrewson
    Ian Andrewson
    Software Engineer • Graduate
    Aug 10, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Job Assistance

    Spectacular Program

    This program is, quite simply, amazing. Having gone into the program with zero knowledge about web and software development, I finished the program feeling extremely competent. The courses are challenging and a lot of work, but all of the effort immensely pays off. While the program has you develop a wide breadth of very in-demand skills, they also teach you how to continue developing as a programmer after the program is finished. The teachers and staff are incredibly helpful, knowledgea...
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  • Cody Brown
    Cody Brown
    Freelance Software Engineer • Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Jul 31, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Elevate your life

    I, like most people, was in an unfulfilling dead-end boring monotonous career living paycheck to paycheck. My long time girlfriend and I were talking about getting married and I knew it was time for a career change if I was to support a growing family. I had interests in engineering and software development but didn't want to wait the 3-4 years for a degree, so eventually I settled on going to a code school/bootcamp. Between in-person (prior COVID) to remote, there are a ton to choose fr...
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  • Danny Suarez
    Danny Suarez
    Graduate • Professional Career Track: Advanced Software Development in Full Stack JavaScript (MERN) • Portland
    Jul 31, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Job Assistance

    The most rewarding experience I've ever had

    I attended a local community college a few years prior to attending Alchemy Code Lab. The curriculum at the community college was behind what was being used out in the 'real world' and it was a pretty boring experience. Once I heard about Alchemy I did my research and met with the staff, after meeting Megan and Shannon I went home and immediately filled out my application.

    The program has great instructional staff with years of industry experience who are able to explain difficult...
    Report

Alchemy Alumni Outcomes

96%
Employment Rate
91%
Graduation Rate
80,000
Median Salary
Of the students who enroll at Alchemy, 91% graduated. 94% of graduates were job-seeking and 96% of job-seeking graduates found in-field employment after 180 days and report a median income of $80,000. Below is the 180 Day Employment Breakdown for 45 graduates included in this report:
180 Day Employment Breakdown
DescriptionPercentage
Full Time, In-Field Employee68.9%
Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position22.2%
Short-term contract, part-time position, freelanceN/A
Employed out-of-fieldN/A
Notes and Caveats
View full data on all students & years at AlchemyCodeLab.com. Important differentiators from typical bootcamp data: All students receive career services support, even after 180 days People are only excluded from data if they explicitly tell us they are not seeking a job
* These outcomes are not audited by Course Report. In some cases, data is audited by a third party.

Recent Alchemy News

Jess Feldman
Jess Feldman
Updated March 29, 2023
Course Report February 2023 Coding Bootcamp News Roundup We re bringing you news of 70M in fundraises and acquisitions this February, and how a few coding bootcamps are making the shift to include apprenticeships. Layoffs at big tech companies continued to loom in the headlines — but are those layoffs actually affecting bootcamp graduates? We dive in! Plus, there was more movement around OPM regulation and a new Pell Grant bill for short-term programs, and 7 bootcamps new to ...
Jess Feldman
Jess Feldman
Updated December 19, 2022
In 2019, Bonnie McNeil was worried that the gap in her resume from being a stay-at-home mom might hold her back in changing careers. Knowing that a tech career would afford her better work-life balance, higher salary, and more job prospects, she enrolled at Alchemy . Now a Senior Software Engineer at Quil, Bonnie shares how Alchemy not only helped her launch a new career, but also continued to support her throughout a tumultuous 2020. Learn why Bonnie encourages other stay-at-home ...
Jess Feldman
Jess Feldman
Updated August 10, 2022
Alchemy is a live, online, immersive bootcamp that helps career changers make a successful pivot into software development. We spoke with Alchemy Co-Founder and Program Director, Megan Nelson, about the Alchemy admissions process. Learn what to expect, from the interview to the technical skills you need in order to get in. Find out how Alchemy is helping coding beginners level up before bootcamp with Developer 101, and why Alchemy truly values soft skills like problem-solving, ...
Jess Feldman
Jess Feldman
Updated May 11, 2022
Marty Nelson, CEO and Chief Alchemist at Alchemy Code Lab modeled their careers curriculum based on what graduates can expect from today s tech industry. Marty shares what the careers curriculum covers and how students can apply their past career capital to their new tech career. Find out the typical job titles and salaries of today s Alchemy grads, and how Alchemy s free Developer 101 course gives students a leg up in the immersive coding bootcamp. Meet Our Expert Marty Nelson, ...
Jess Feldman
Jess Feldman
Updated February 28, 2022
After 10 years as a CNA, Noah Puckett hit a ceiling in their healthcare career and wanted a new career that offered a higher salary, better benefits, and more flexibility. To expedite the career change, Noah enrolled at Alchemy Code Lab and was grateful for the community support, career coaching, and structured learning. Noah became a bootcamp TA and is now a Software Engineer at New Relic, and shares their insights into how to make the most of the Alchemy Code Lab bootcamp experience, ...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated May 10, 2022
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, expanding accessibility to a wider range of students. However, ISAs exist in a regulatory grey ...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated March 30, 2022
Are you preparing to apply for or start a coding bootcamp? Need to brush up on your coding skills and arrive well-prepared and ahead of the game? Then this guide is for you. We have gathered free and paid resources from around the internet, and from coding bootcamps themselves, which will teach you the basic fundamentals of languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript essential knowledge for all aspiring software developers. Doing some learning by yourself is useful for a number ...

Alchemy Alumni Reviews Summary

Overall Experience
4.9
Instructors
4.9
Curriculum
4.9
Job Assistance
4.8
Write A Review
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
Licensing
Licensed as a Private Career School by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Committee (HECC). Open to students in the U.S. only.
FAQs

How much does Alchemy cost?

Alchemy costs around $24,000. On the lower end, some Alchemy courses like (free, online-live) DEVELOPER 101 cost $0.

Where does Alchemy have campuses?

Alchemy teaches students Online in a remote classroom.

Is Alchemy worth it?

The data says yes! In 2020, Alchemy reported a 91% graduation rate, a median salary of $80,000, and 96% of Alchemy alumni are employed.

Is Alchemy legit?

We let alumni answer that question. 67 Alchemy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Alchemy and rate their overall experience a 4.93 out of 5.

Does Alchemy offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?

Right now, it doesn't look like Alchemy 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 Alchemy reviews?

You can read 67 reviews of Alchemy on Course Report! Alchemy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Alchemy and rate their overall experience a 4.93 out of 5.

Is Alchemy accredited?

Licensed as a Private Career School by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Committee (HECC). Open to students in the U.S. only.

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