Claim Academy
Average Rating4.44
169 Reviews
9 Courses
Claim Academy is a 3-month developer coding and software training bootcamp in St. Louis that offers 12-week to 20-week classes in full stack Java, C#/.NET, Javascript, and Cybersecurity analysis. Claim Academy is approved to operate by the State of Missouri Department of Higher Education to train IT professionals. Students can apply with with little to no programming experience, but should be prepared for an in-person or webcam interview, and should complete the In...
Claim Academy is a 3-month developer coding and software training bootcamp in St. Louis that offers 12-week to 20-week classes in full stack Java, C#/.NET, Javascript, and Cybersecurity analysis. Claim Academy is approved to operate by the State of Missouri Department of Higher Education to train IT professionals. Students can apply with with little to no programming experience, but should be prepared for an in-person or webcam interview, and should complete the Introduction to Java Course through Teachable before the first day of class.
Throughout the three-month bootcamp, students complete pair programming, work with mentors and instructors, and produce a coding final project, which they present to potential employers and other interested parties on demo day. New classes are offered every 6 weeks.
Upon graduation, the team at Claim Academy helps place graduates in companies as Full Stack Software Developers in Java and .Net software development. Claim Academy graduates have been hired into major companies like Daughtery Business Solutions, Carfax, Technology Partners, Centene Corporation, Clearent, and OneSpace.
169 Claim Academy Reviews
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- Courtney SamuelsGraduate • Full Stack Java Software Developer Online • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInAug 14, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Do yourself a favor...
Claim Academy was the best decision I could have made. I decided to go to Claim Academy after my first semester of grad school at a 4 year university. The program I am enrolled in is suppose to teach a complete beginner coding skills. My university failed phenomenally, with most of my beginners java class averaging a 68 on an open note open book final exam. I decided to find someone who could teach what I needed to know. Claim Academy not only taught me Java, but also taught me tools I n...Claim Academy was the best decision I could have made. I decided to go to Claim Academy after my first semester of grad school at a 4 year university. The program I am enrolled in is suppose to teach a complete beginner coding skills. My university failed phenomenally, with most of my beginners java class averaging a 68 on an open note open book final exam. I decided to find someone who could teach what I needed to know. Claim Academy not only taught me Java, but also taught me tools I needed to ace interviews and get call backs. I have an interview every day next week from recruiters that reached out to me through my association with Claim Academy. I can't thank them enough. If you're lucky, you'll get to have Brandon or Nife as your instructors and Dannohh as a mentor. This is a solid team of instructors regardless of who you get though. Each of them is dedicated to you understanding the material. You just have to put in the work, and everything will fall into place. Do yourself a favor and choose Claim Academy. - Leticia WeigandSAHM • Student • Full Stack C#/.Net Software Developer Immersive • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInFeb 18, 2022Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Full Stack C#/.Net Developer
Might not be for someone that needs to be hand in hand with instructor. I'm more of that individual but I stuck through it with the help from all the instructors, students and mentors. The mentors do give you that one on one time you might need just need, so take advantage of it. School allows for a lot of self growth and instruction with feedback and direction from instructors. I chose Claim because of the Veteran approved programs they work with such as Vet Tec. This school has de...Might not be for someone that needs to be hand in hand with instructor. I'm more of that individual but I stuck through it with the help from all the instructors, students and mentors. The mentors do give you that one on one time you might need just need, so take advantage of it. School allows for a lot of self growth and instruction with feedback and direction from instructors. I chose Claim because of the Veteran approved programs they work with such as Vet Tec. This school has definitely been a blessing towards a huge change in my life and journey. Looking forward on what else Claim will have to offer in the future now that I have graduated and we have entered the employment phase. I'll be back to update my review of the employment news when it comes up, so stay tuned. - Aaron TriggGraduateVerified by LinkedInDec 23, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Fullstack Java Developer
Having no prior training whatsoever, Claim Academy showed me that anyone can learn coding. This experience was amazing. The instructors were both knowledgeable and patient. My online classmates were so supportive. The help you receive both during and after training is incredible. Claim is hands down one of the best schools I ever attended. - JustinClaim Academy graduate • GraduateVerified by GitHubDec 22, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Java Full Stack Developer Course
The Java Full Stack Developer program is a super intensive 12-week fulltime course for those want to do full stack development. It's a great way to learn how websites/apps work from front end (Spring or REACT) to back end (Java) to the sql database. Consider this to be websites/apps A to Z. Because at the end, 'you' will build a full app yourself! Claim is a super Veteran-friendly school with good admin support, and a staff that is not necessarily trying to mold each student to be a cert...The Java Full Stack Developer program is a super intensive 12-week fulltime course for those want to do full stack development. It's a great way to learn how websites/apps work from front end (Spring or REACT) to back end (Java) to the sql database. Consider this to be websites/apps A to Z. Because at the end, 'you' will build a full app yourself! Claim is a super Veteran-friendly school with good admin support, and a staff that is not necessarily trying to mold each student to be a certain way, but rather, helps each student bring out the best that 'they' have to offer (individually). That was my personal experience. But, I will warn those who have absolutely no coding background or previous training, this is a very difficult course and it will demand teamwork, but also alot of solitary time to grasp the concepts. People I thought would most certainly graduate, did not (in a few select cases). Creativity and problem solving skills is what you will need to get through this experience and to graduate. Also, do not enter into a course like this if you cannot literally clear out 12 weeks on your calendar, which will need to be 'distraction-free!' You will need every moment of each day to get through this course! 
Maximo TaverasGraduate • Cybersecurity Analyst Evening • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInDec 22, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceCyber Security Certified
If you know nothing , Maximo.... Go to this class. The teacher is patient and an expert. However , unlike " those who don't know, Teach." attitude.. Claim teachers are in the field and have been for years. You will get the bare knowledge and inside skills that will help you succeed in IT and in life. What are you waiting for? Advance your life NOW! With people that will help you before, during and after you become a master in your field.- Gregory HopkinsGraduate • Cybersecurity Analyst Evening • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInDec 22, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Cybersecurity
I'm a retired military veteran in need. I highly recommend Claims Academy if you want to start a new career in the IT field. The staff phenomenal, knowledgeable and very patient if you have no background in the IT field. - Chris PetersenHelpdesk Analyst • Graduate • Cybersecurity Analyst Immersive • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInNov 16, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Caution
While it is accurate that Cybersecurity is an active and growing industry, do not believe that a Security+ certificate and 0 tech industry experience will reasonably land you a cybersecurity position.
The course helped me pass this difficult exam, and has a great staff, but it is better for a future Cybersecurity professional to get IT help desk experience or a bachelors degree before trying to make the leap into cybersecurity. If you have either of these things, this course is f...While it is accurate that Cybersecurity is an active and growing industry, do not believe that a Security+ certificate and 0 tech industry experience will reasonably land you a cybersecurity position.
The course helped me pass this difficult exam, and has a great staff, but it is better for a future Cybersecurity professional to get IT help desk experience or a bachelors degree before trying to make the leap into cybersecurity. If you have either of these things, this course is for you. - Sarah HayseGraduate • Full Stack Java Software Developer Immersive • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInAug 14, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
There were... problems
During my time at Claim Academy, quite a few things went wrong. At first I blamed the pandemic, but by graduation it was clear that the school was also at fault due to poor management. Here are some things I encountered:
1. This was supposed to be an in-person course. I specifically chose it for this reason because I learn better in person. Due to events below, it was only in-person for the first 3.5 weeks. The remainder of instruction was nothing but zoom meetings. This ...During my time at Claim Academy, quite a few things went wrong. At first I blamed the pandemic, but by graduation it was clear that the school was also at fault due to poor management. Here are some things I encountered:
1. This was supposed to be an in-person course. I specifically chose it for this reason because I learn better in person. Due to events below, it was only in-person for the first 3.5 weeks. The remainder of instruction was nothing but zoom meetings. This was a minor irritation compared to the rest.
2. Our original teacher put in his resignation 1 week in, so we got a new teacher (zoom meetings only) at 3.5 weeks. Our new teacher DID NOT continue the curriculum from 3.5 weeks... he started teaching like it was the beginning of week 5!!! He skipped 1.5 weeks of curriculum and said he'd "touch back on that" as we went along. This left us learning about Spring MVC without knowing a single bit of HTML or CSS. We had barely finished the basics. Also, he didn't stop when we asked questions. He plowed right through like no one spoke. We were actually advised to watch the videos later so we could pause when we needed to. Honestly, I don't know why that teacher is even still employed since they know he is not a quality teacher. Intelligence does not equal teaching ability.
3. When the new teacher started, our scheduled meeting times abruptly shifted from 1pm-4pm to 4pm-7pm. Several in-person students, including myself, continued to use the school's building during class time for the stable internet and a dedicated place to concentrate. As it turns out, however, the office staff leaves at about 530-6 every night. So anyone who decided to stay late was left alone in a fully glass fronted building where they pre-lock the door (i.e. if you go out, you can't get back in). It's not like we could drive home in the middle of a lecture when the office staff left. Eventually I was the last person coming to the building. Since I'm a 5'4" 125 pound woman, I wasn't exactly comfortable sitting by myself in a giant fishbowl in downtown St. Louis for hours, so after two days of that I went home to finish the rest of the course.
4. This new teacher was also a temporary teacher. He was only scheduled to teach us for 2 weeks until our permanent teacher started. The only reason any of us survived those two weeks was because of a single mentor! I won't drop names, but anyone from my cohort knows who I mean. He took it upon himself to hold a 3 hour zoom session EVERY DAY for those two week. He single handedly taught us HTML, CSS, and filled in all the gaps from week 3 & 4. He went above and beyond his 'mentor' capacity and without him, many of us would not have made it. If you're reading this: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your extra time!!!
5. We ALL complained! The program the school uses asked students every week: "Can you rate your class experience this week on a scale of 1-5". During those 2 weeks, reviews dropped from 4-5 stars to solid 1 star. Everyone rated the class poorly and complained to administration, but nothing was ever done to fix the situation! We were simply expected to ride it out and do our best while the temporary teacher taught whatever he felt like for 2 weeks and never bothered answering questions.
6. During the later weeks of class, we started attending company spotlights and alumni interviews, which is all fine. However, we usually weren't told about these events until 1-2 hours before they happened. To put this in perspective, we completed 3 different individual projects during this class, including a full stack capstone, as well as at least 3 group projects. Being pulled away from a programming session with practically no notice is extremely disruptive. It also seemed very unnecessary. Either the office staff constantly planned events at the very last moment, or they didn't bother alerting the actual students until the last moment. Both of which constitute poor planning. Also, these events would often interrupt our scheduled class time (being held at 430-5pm). I understand the importance of these events, but our actual programming instruction should be our #1 priority.
7. However, the best example of a clerical error/utter failure of planning was the fact that when they created the event for our capstone Demo Day presentations... they didn't bother to set the notifications to include the very students scheduled to present their projects OR send us a link to the updated schedule.
Our third teacher was great! He backtracked, he answered questions, and was a brilliant teacher. As I said, the mentor was also amazing. Everyone was very friendly. I did learn quite a bit of programming and I did produce a full stack project at the end. I just graduated, so I can't speak for the job assistance, but it's looking good so far.
My experience with Claim Academy is only worth 2 stars because of the things I explained above; however, it wouldn't take much for them to improve. Most importantly, a better organized events coordinator that is capable of giving at least a 24 hour notification for events and considers student priorities while scheduling. I'm sure other cohorts have a better time, but the one I was in did not have a quality experience.
- David ElfrinkGraduate • Full Stack Java Software Developer Online • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInAug 13, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Full Stack Java Developer Course Review
Claim Academy is amazing at what they do and how they run the program. If you need help they will be there every step of the way. That being said is don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions to both the staff and the other students. There is always something new you can learn from everyone. This course will definitely keep you engaged as long as you are willing to put in the effort. - Daniel GraySoftware Developer • Graduate • Full Stack C#/.Net Software Developer Immersive • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInAug 13, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Good Experience
I learned a lot during the time I attended Claim Academy. I do hope they continue to only get better. . - MatthewGraduate • Full Stack Java Software Developer Immersive • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInAug 13, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Review
Learned JAVA and some React. I had previously attended Digitalcrafts ATL, and it is hard not to compare. Unfortunately Claim doesn't come close to Digitalcrafts in terms of quality. Our instructors(we went through 3) at Claim seemed to be part time while at Digitalcrafts they were full time. We spent about 3 hours a day actually with the professor in a zoom call, any other communication was on Basecamp (and it was horrible). As students we made our own zoom calls with each other to ...Learned JAVA and some React. I had previously attended Digitalcrafts ATL, and it is hard not to compare. Unfortunately Claim doesn't come close to Digitalcrafts in terms of quality. Our instructors(we went through 3) at Claim seemed to be part time while at Digitalcrafts they were full time. We spent about 3 hours a day actually with the professor in a zoom call, any other communication was on Basecamp (and it was horrible). As students we made our own zoom calls with each other to work together. Digitalcrafts on the other hand had a zoom call up for most of the day and the instructor was available along with at least two TAs all day and many times into the late evening.
Overall, I think Claim has alot of potential, but they need to really take suggestions well and be able and willing to improve. - Carl CitchenGraduate • Full Stack Java Software Developer Immersive • St. LouisVerified by LinkedInAug 13, 2021Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Great Opportunity
I believe Claim Academy is a great opportunity for anyone looking to challenge themselves with learning a new skill and possibly a new career path. From an administrative standpoint, Travis Wyrick and Matthew Hook were excellent in helping me find out about the VETTEC program to pay for the course. Training wise Denish Otieno and Lamar Myles were as good as it gets to help new students understand such complex material. They were always helpful and wanted students to learn. Also, your...I believe Claim Academy is a great opportunity for anyone looking to challenge themselves with learning a new skill and possibly a new career path. From an administrative standpoint, Travis Wyrick and Matthew Hook were excellent in helping me find out about the VETTEC program to pay for the course. Training wise Denish Otieno and Lamar Myles were as good as it gets to help new students understand such complex material. They were always helpful and wanted students to learn. Also, your fellow classmates were very helpful in helping you understand problems you are having trouble with. If you put in the work it is incredible what you will receive from this program.
Claim Academy Alumni Outcomes
100%
Employment Rate
99%
Graduation Rate
63,134
Median Salary
Of the students who enroll at Claim Academy, 99% graduated. 97% of graduates were job-seeking and 100% of job-seeking graduates found in-field employment after 180 days and report a median income of $63,134. Below is the 180 Day Employment Breakdown for 132 graduates included in this report:
180 Day Employment Breakdown
| Description | Percentage |
| Full Time, In-Field Employee | 91.7% |
| Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 0.8% |
| Short-term contract, part-time position, freelance | N/A |
| Employed out-of-field | N/A |
Notes and Caveats
Our demo day and hiring events are well attended by regional and local employers. Employers continue to hire more grads from Claim Academy with some having more than 9 alumni.
* These outcomes are not audited by Course Report. In some cases, data is audited by a third party.
Claim Academy Scholarships
$500 Claim Academy Scholarship
Course Report is excited to offer an exclusive Claim Academy scholarship for $500 off tuition!
Eligibility
Offer is only valid for new applicants. Applicants who have already submitted an application cannot claim this scholarship.
Qualifying Courses
- All courses in St. Louis
$500 Claim Academy Scholarship
Course Report is excited to offer an exclusive Claim Academy scholarship for $500 off tuition!
Eligibility
Offer is only valid for new applicants. Applicants who have already submitted an application cannot claim this scholarship.
Qualifying Courses
- Full Stack C#/.Net Software Developer Immersive (St. Louis)
Recent Claim Academy News
Jess Feldman
Published July 29, 2021
Course Report · Course Report Coding Bootcamp News Roundup - July 2021
This July, we’re reporting on one huge ($850M!) bootcamp acquisition and $35 million in bootcamp fundraises. Two higher ed experts opined about both sides of the debate around expanding federal funding like Pell grants to short-term programs like bootcamps. We’re also covering what bootcamps need to do beyond just tea...
Liz Eggleston
Published March 17, 2020
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
Published October 29, 2019
What Is VET TEC?
VET TEC is a high-tech training pilot program that doesn’t use GI Bill benefits and pays a monthly housing stipend to students in the program. VET TEC stands for Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses. In other words, veterans can attend a coding bootcamp for free without using any GI Bill benefits!
VET TEC vs GI Bill
Of course, many coding bootcamps now a...
Liz Eggleston
Published August 06, 2019
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 2022! Apply today and you could be a developer by the time 2023 rolls around!
...
Imogen Crispe
Published June 29, 2018
In the coding bootcamp industry in June 2018 the biggest trend we saw was coding bootcamps funneling grads into apprenticeships! We also saw two big fundraises by bootcamp-adjacent organizations, we heard about some interesting new legislation which could change how online bootcamps operate, and some bootcamp alumni launched exciting new careers. We also look at the effect bootcamps are ...
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Published March 29, 2018
In our March 2018 technology bootcamp news roundup, we discuss all the industry news that we've been talking about at Course Report! We have some fun celebratory announcements, we looked at news about the positive impact bootcamps are having on individuals and companies, and the debate continued between coding bootcamps and computer science degrees. We heard about some great student exper...
Lauren Stewart
Published January 18, 2017
You’re probably familiar with the term “hacking,” but do you really understand the importance of cyber security? Did you know that cybersecurity jobs will grow 31% through 2029, much faster than average job growth? Cyber security is comprised of technologies and practices to protect networks, computers, software programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. The need for te...
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Published December 30, 2016
It’s that time again! A time to reflect on the year that is coming to an end, and a time to plan for what the New Year has in store. While it may be easy to beat yourself up about certain unmet goals, one thing is for sure: you made it through another year! And we bet you accomplished more than you think. Maybe you finished your first Codecademy class, made a 30-day Github commit streak, ...
Imogen Crispe
Published February 11, 2016
How much do coding bootcamps cost? From students looking for free coding bootcamps to those wondering if an $18,000 bootcamp is worth it, we understand that cost is important to future bootcampers! While the average full-time coding bootcamp in the US costs $13,584, bootcamp tuition can range from $7,800 to $21,000. So how do you decide what to budget for? Here, we break down the costs of cod...
Liz Eggleston
Published January 12, 2015
Alex is the Director of Operations at Claim Academy in St. Louis, and Arjun worked at Starter League in Chicago before moving to Claim to work on their curriculum. Arjun and Alex tell us about the importance of building a developer community in St. Louis, the rising interest in QE and QA classes, the makeup of their ideal student, and their outreach in the wake of Ferguson.
Arjun, te...
Frequently Asked Questions
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Locations
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FAQs
How much does Claim Academy cost?
Claim Academy costs around $15,998. On the lower end, some Claim Academy courses like Full Stack C#/.Net Online cost $10,500.
What courses does Claim Academy teach?
Claim Academy offers courses like Cybersecurity Analyst Evening, Cybersecurity Analyst Immersive, Front-End Javascript Developer Immersive, Front-End Javascript - Evening and 5 more.
Where does Claim Academy have campuses?
Claim Academy has an in-person campus in St. Louis.
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
Licensing
Missouri Department of Higher Education. Department of Veterans Affairs. Missouri Workforce Development and Training.US Department of Labor. Vocational Rehabilitation. U.S Department of Labor. Apprenticeship
Is Claim Academy worth it?
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Employment Rate
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Graduation Rate
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Median Salary
Awards
Recent Claim Academy News
By Jess Feldman
By Liz Eggleston
By Liz Eggleston