Code Fellows
Code Fellows is a technical skills training academy in the Pacific Northwest that offers full- and part-time software development, ops and cybersecurity courses online and in-person from their Seattle, Washington location. Code Fellows guides people from all backgrounds to change their lives through fast-paced, career-focused education. Since their first cohort in 2013, Code Fellows has taught over 1,600 graduates and iterated on their curriculum and format to ensu...
Code Fellows is a technical skills training academy in the Pacific Northwest that offers full- and part-time software development, ops and cybersecurity courses online and in-person from their Seattle, Washington location. Code Fellows guides people from all backgrounds to change their lives through fast-paced, career-focused education. Since their first cohort in 2013, Code Fellows has taught over 1,600 graduates and iterated on their curriculum and format to ensure students receive the most industry-relevant training as effectively and efficiently as possible. Code Fellows shapes passionate learners with immersive training to meet industry needs and improve diversity. Students are immersed in their learning with daily lectures, pair programming, weekly presentations from full-time instructional staff who are seasoned industry professionals, one-week project sprints, and more. Code Fellows graduates work at Amazon, Microsoft, Zillow, Expedia, XBOX, NIKE, Amazon, Starbucks, Nordstrom, and over 800 other companies.
The modular style of the Code Fellows program allows students to test into the course level that is most appropriate for their current skill level. In addition, the modular class structure allows students to choose the schedule and timing that meets their needs.
Code Fellows believes everyone should have the opportunity to succeed. Code Fellows offers scholarships to help individuals who come from underserved and underrepresented backgrounds find rewarding careers in tech. They are committed to breaking down systemic barriers and ensuring all people are treated with respect and dignity. They are united with their staff, students, alumni, and partners in the fight against systemic racism and injustice.
Code Fellows supports both domestic and international licensing partners through its Powered by Code Fellows program. Code Fellows also offers a tutoring program and platform to both students and non-students, technical instructor certification, and corporate training.
223 Code Fellows Reviews
AdamStudent • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • OnlineOct 25, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceCode Fellows Javascript 401: Awesome.
I just completed the CF JS 401 course last month. I've been involved with a few different code bootcamps, and this one was by far the best, for 3 reasons: - Instruction staff. Their teachers are incredible. Our lead instructor was extremely attentive to each student's experience and comfort level. He listened to feedback and was extremely responsive in tailoring lectures or scheduling impromptu review sessions of topics that were taking longer for us to sink...I just completed the CF JS 401 course last month. I've been involved with a few different code bootcamps, and this one was by far the best, for 3 reasons: - Instruction staff. Their teachers are incredible. Our lead instructor was extremely attentive to each student's experience and comfort level. He listened to feedback and was extremely responsive in tailoring lectures or scheduling impromptu review sessions of topics that were taking longer for us to sink in. He was very good about setting expectations about where we should be when, and did a good job of pushing us when we needed to be pushed and comforting the class when we were struggling. - The emphasis on QUALITY code. I had been doing a bunch of self-taught coding before enrolling, and I had to unlearn a lot of what I learned on Stack Overflow... which I was very happy to do, because the instructors were really good about explaining the WHY behind all current best practices. Now when I look up answers to questions I'm able to identify good and bad patterns.. it really feels like I have a stronger grasp than most FS devs out there. Also, Test-driven development! I thought I would hate this, but we were introduced to it in such a way that we saw how incredibly value it was for both Quality Control and thinking through design challenges. - The environment. CF values diversity and it shows. The atmosphere feels very warm.. hard to pin down what, but everyone's friendly, and it has a 'homey' (non-institutional feel). Very refreshing coming from a huge college campus where you feel like a cog. Overall, CF was really an incredible experience. I learned more in 2 months than I probably would in 1 year of self-teaching. Well worth it and highly recommended.- KYLE E SCHNIRRINGOwner / Penetration Tester • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript (Nights + Weekends) • OnlineOct 18, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
My Year Long Journey At Code Fellows
My year long journey at Code Fellows was nothing shy of amazing. I’m 36 and was looking for a career change. Information Security has always been a passion of mine, I’m the IT guy at work but in information security the tools you use will only get you so far. I needed to learn how to code.
Code Fellows was my savior. The atmosphere there is amazing; being surrounded by like minded people that want to see you succeed is priceless. The teachers and T.A’s are ver...
My year long journey at Code Fellows was nothing shy of amazing. I’m 36 and was looking for a career change. Information Security has always been a passion of mine, I’m the IT guy at work but in information security the tools you use will only get you so far. I needed to learn how to code.
Code Fellows was my savior. The atmosphere there is amazing; being surrounded by like minded people that want to see you succeed is priceless. The teachers and T.A’s are very knowledgeable and make you feel like the priority. The work was definitely challenging; you’re going to be coding a lot, like at least 20 hours a week a lot and that is just for the night classes.
In the end, my experience at Code Fellows was unforgettable. They provided me with the confidence to start my own cyber security consulting firm; Semtex Security Inc. and now I know if I have any questions I’d always be welcome back with open arms. If you’re thinking about a career change and getting into programming I highly recommend Code Fellows.
You can check Semtex Security out at http://www.semtexsecurity.com and look for our first security app [tattle] coming to Android early 2018.
- DonFull Stack Web Developer • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • PortlandOct 14, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Top-tier code school
I received a fantastic job offer less than a month after graduating from the JavaScript 401 in Portland. After my first week at the job, I proved myself competent and widely productive as I hit the ground running. Most of everything was attributed to the invaluable skills and best practices learned from Code Fellows’ classes.
I jumped right into the company’s Git workflow, no problem. I have also impressed more than a few of my coworkers here...
I received a fantastic job offer less than a month after graduating from the JavaScript 401 in Portland. After my first week at the job, I proved myself competent and widely productive as I hit the ground running. Most of everything was attributed to the invaluable skills and best practices learned from Code Fellows’ classes.
I jumped right into the company’s Git workflow, no problem. I have also impressed more than a few of my coworkers here (who have taken classes from other code schools) with concise and functional programming skills I acquired from the 301 course. Learning the Angular.js framework in 401 was challenging. However, when I was prompted to learn the Meteor framework for this job, I was very quick to learn it- as most concepts translate in component-based architecture.
All in all, Code Fellows didn’t teach me everything I need to know about web development- but instead gave me the tools, the skills, and the confidence to tackle any future obstacles and technologies that come my way.
- EdGraduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in iOS • OnlineOct 04, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
NOT for career changers!
I took the iOS Development Accelerator as it was called before the curriculum was changed to a different format. I completed the course at the end of September 2015 in good standing. I am still unemployed, and have had very few people look my way for interviews. I've had a couple of phone interviews, and not one in person interview.
I bought into the promise of "you can start from nearly no understanding of software development and become an attractive candidate for jobs within ...
I took the iOS Development Accelerator as it was called before the curriculum was changed to a different format. I completed the course at the end of September 2015 in good standing. I am still unemployed, and have had very few people look my way for interviews. I've had a couple of phone interviews, and not one in person interview.
I bought into the promise of "you can start from nearly no understanding of software development and become an attractive candidate for jobs within 2 months." Hoooo boy, let me tell you, that's just not how it works. I really wish it did. Maybe it does for front end web dev stuff, but not for actual app development like iOS. A two or three month course is not going to prepare you for that kind of work. I didn't want to believe it either. I thought I was different, that I could make it. Nope. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that's the truth. Very few companies will look your way. Why would they? There's so much established talent in Seattle, not to mention they have the resources to recruit candidates from around the country and in some cases from around the world.
If you want to do software development, I would highly recommend getting an actual CS degree. That's what I wish I would have done. You realllllly need to know in depth the way to think like a programmer, which these courses can't do for you. Not in that timeframe. Trust me. You will learn specific programming paradigms and frameworks specific to whatever you are studying, but not the deeper concepts that really need to be the foundations of that other stuff.
Our instructor was an iOS god, and even with that there was just no way to teach career changers how to be a developer companies want to hire. The only people from my cohort who got jobs were those who were switching stacks - they already knew how to write software and had worked for years in the industry.
I didn't really get any help applying for jobs besides a resume review and tips on how to prep your LinkedIn page. That's stuff you can find out how to do by googling around for 5 minutes.
I haven't taken a job since I "graduated" to spend most of my time working on becoming a better developer and applying for jobs. Still unemployed. I'm lucky, I have the luxury to do that, but I feel bad for people who can't. Lots of my peers had to go back to what they were doing before to pay the bills.
Please, take some time to think about doing a program like this. This isn't some magic pill, no matter what people say. I don't want people wasting time and money like I did; it set me back a lot. I also don't want to dissuade anyone from following their dreams, I'm just telling you that if your dream is to be a software developer like mine is, this is not the way to do it. Consider it a favor, take care and good luck.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at the email address below (no spaces):
e d r e a s e @ gmail . com
Brook Riggio of Code Fellows
VP of Education
Oct 14, 2016
Hi Ed,Thank you for your candid feedback on this course—we take our student feedback very seriously and use it to tailor our program so our students can be better equipped in their career.We absolutely agree that there isn’t a magic pill, and any program to learn to code is going to take a lot of hard work (whether at a four-year university or an immersive program like ours).As a graduate of Code Fellows, you’re a part of our community and we want to continue to support you in your goals. We’ve continued to improve our program since we started, and if you feel like the education you received in this course wasn’t equivalent to the money you paid or the effort you put in, we’d like to make it right.I’ve reached out to the email you provided so we can come up with a solution to help you feel prepared for and supported in your career.Thanks,Brook Riggio, VP of EducationOn Behalf of the Code Fellows team - Rachael HelselStudent • Code 201: Foundations of Software Development • OnlineSep 21, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Awesome teachers, amazing community
Just really happy to be studying and learning here at CodeFellows - haven't been here for very long, but I already feel welcomed, included, and safe. The sense of community is really strong, the standards are high, and all of the staff is incredible supportive and encouraging.
I'm currently in 301, and Rick is a really great teacher - he asks you the right questions to help you discover the answer on your own, and encourages you to "break things" as a way to mo...
Just really happy to be studying and learning here at CodeFellows - haven't been here for very long, but I already feel welcomed, included, and safe. The sense of community is really strong, the standards are high, and all of the staff is incredible supportive and encouraging.
I'm currently in 301, and Rick is a really great teacher - he asks you the right questions to help you discover the answer on your own, and encourages you to "break things" as a way to move past where you are stuck. He also sends out links that are super helpful for extra practice (and credit!) with jQuery and javascript. And even though it's been a week of a ton of information to take in, the format of morning lab/standups/lecture/pair-programming has been really helpful in the area of retention.
In 201, Brian and Craig were awesome! Brain is a really amazing teacher - his pace, his intuition for where the class was tracking/not tracking with concepts, his consistent review, and overall knowledge/organization were always on point. It's an intense pace, and a lot to take in, but the teachers are really in tune with where the class (and individual) need more support/review.
My experience here at Codefellows has been super positive, engaging, and beneficial.
- MatthewGraduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in iOS • OnlineSep 20, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Don't do it!
Don't believe self-reported, manipulated job placement statistics published by a for-profit "educational" company.
I took three courses from Code Fellows in 2015, the last of which was an iOS "dev accelerator" (they have since changed their course names) which came with a "money back job guarantee" for a $60,000 a year dev job within 9 months of graduation. Only about 30% of our graduating class have gotten dev jobs. Those who had profe...
Don't believe self-reported, manipulated job placement statistics published by a for-profit "educational" company.
I took three courses from Code Fellows in 2015, the last of which was an iOS "dev accelerator" (they have since changed their course names) which came with a "money back job guarantee" for a $60,000 a year dev job within 9 months of graduation. Only about 30% of our graduating class have gotten dev jobs. Those who had professional programming experience prior to attending Code Fellows got jobs. No one else did. Don't believe anything these people tell you, and certainly don't buy the hype. Worse than spending $10-20k on tuition, you'll end up wasting a year of your life like most of us did. And in spite of having a "money back guarantee" on the tuition if you don't find a job, they very cunningly found numerous ways to "disqualify" the majority of the students who didn't find jobs from actually ever getting a refund of any sort! Don't trust these people. I deeply regret that I ever did.
Remember, in life, if sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This was a perfect example of that. I deeply regret my decision to attend Code Fellows. I would definitely not do it again.
Their "job placement assistance" consists of someone who reviews your resume for layout issues and typographical errors and sends you a weekly "let me google that for you" list of job ads found elsewhere on the Internet. Their "hiring partners" are companies they manage to rope into attend a meet and greet for students where representatives from companies will try to engage in polite conversations with noobs and career changers, explaining that they're really just looking for experienced devs (i.e. programmers with years--I repeat, YEARS--of experience).
Code Fellows instructors will also repeat various mantras in an attempt to lull you into a false sense of confidence. "How can anyone learn to code in less than a year of coursework?" you'll ask. They'll explain correctly that no one can possibly become an expert programmer in that short amount of time, but that doesn't matter, because what Code Fellows will do for you is get you an entry level job... some sort of "apprenticeship" where "you'll get paid to continue learning!" BS. Total BS. Start ups can't afford to hire someone who doesn't know what there doing and large companies most likely take a chance on you.
You'll end up paying a ton of money for someone to read PowerPoint slides to you and let you use their space to work on your own laptop. Many of Code Fellows' instructors are recent Code Fellows graduates with little or no actual full-time tech industry experience.
I was simply too naive. I even had friends who are experienced developers or grad students in computer science programs at schools like UC Berkeley try to dissuade me from attending any "code school". When I asked them what they thought of the whole code school trend they responded with one of two answers:
1) "They [any code school] will be glad to take your money."
or
2) "What the hell is a code school?"
Worse than wasting your money on a code school, you will waste a ton of time. You'd be better off investing that time and money in a traditional computer science degree. That's all these company want anyhow.
You may think you need a bullshit certificate on your resume to help you land a job. Trust me, graduating with a "Code Fellows" certificate will end up being more of an embarrassment and red flag for employers than an asset. Just don't do it. And if you don't believe me, read on:
http://www.salon.com/2016/09/17/hacker-house-blues-my-life-with-12-programmers-2-rooms-and-one-21st-century-dream/
https://www.wired.com/2016/01/in-2016-the-coding-bootcamp-bubble-is-bound-to-burst/
http://fusion.net/story/303385/coding-bootcamps/
Don't do it. Learn from our mistakes. Do anything else, including just teaching yourself or taking community college courses on the side. But whatever you do, DON'T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB AND ATTEND A CODE SCHOOL. I wish I could have that time and money back.
Don't do it!
- TraceyStudent • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • OnlineSep 01, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Student
I like that Code Fellows teaches the foundations of what we need to know to be successful, we start with the basics and build upon it. Job support so far seems stellar, helping students prepare resumes and Linkedin profiles, as well as giving resources to make the job search successful. There is a lot of support and help from instructors and TAs, great staff, and a great learning environment that really empowers students to be successful. The stress and lack of sleep has totally been...
I like that Code Fellows teaches the foundations of what we need to know to be successful, we start with the basics and build upon it. Job support so far seems stellar, helping students prepare resumes and Linkedin profiles, as well as giving resources to make the job search successful. There is a lot of support and help from instructors and TAs, great staff, and a great learning environment that really empowers students to be successful. The stress and lack of sleep has totally been worth the skills I have gained from this program.
- ClareFullStack Engineer • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • OnlineSep 01, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Worth it if you are willing to put in the work
My experience with Code Fellows was challenging, fun, intellectual, and life changing. Coming from a science background, I was expecting to be challenged, but not nearly as much as I was at Code Fellows. The staff (I had Tyler and Duncan as teachers) and TAs were extremely welcoming and talented, and class sizes were capped under 30 which helped keep individuals at the focus of the curriculum. Code Fellows teaches the most cutting edge programming languages and techniques, as well as focus...
My experience with Code Fellows was challenging, fun, intellectual, and life changing. Coming from a science background, I was expecting to be challenged, but not nearly as much as I was at Code Fellows. The staff (I had Tyler and Duncan as teachers) and TAs were extremely welcoming and talented, and class sizes were capped under 30 which helped keep individuals at the focus of the curriculum. Code Fellows teaches the most cutting edge programming languages and techniques, as well as focuses on resume build and passing technical questions, helping prepare their students for graduating into the "real world." Following graduation, they offer assistance in finding a position, however the job placement is a much more self-directed process. None-the-less, I was able to get interviews even before graduating, and had 5+ offers within two months of completing the program.
One of the most challenging aspects of Code Fellows was learning how to learn, rather than learning all the ins and outs. There simply is not enough time in the Code Fellows courses to leave with a technical depth that rivals Computer Science 4 year graduates. However, Code Fellows does a great job of bridging this gap by focusing on teaching how to make students resourceful through coding challenges that require building on the skills that are taught in class. This is one place in particular that Code Fellows did a great job of offering enough office hours as well as enough teaching staff to steer students in the right direction while not giving them the answers. Additionally, each week, students participate in one larger project with a group of peers to simulate the dynamics of working on a tech team. Of all the teachings at Code Fellows, learning how to be resourceful for myself has been the most beneficial.
Since graduating Code Fellows, I joined a start up of 6 people, and after 6 months, our startup was invited to be part of Y Combinator's Summer 2016 batch. My skills were put to the test since the day I started. A lot of the "basics" for my position were ingrained by Code Fellows - Angular, node.js, testing. However, I have also been given larger responsibilities as a result of the ingenuity and adaptability that I was taught at Code Fellows.
Code Fellows offers a great launchpad into a tech career, you just need to be willing to put in the work, and motivated to succeed.
- Brandon ParkerTeacher's Assistant • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • OnlineSep 01, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Code Fellows is the way to go!
My experience with Code Fellows started with the one day 101 course in October of 2015. Since that first day, I decided to continue and dive into the rest of what Code Fellows had to offer for me to learn. What started as a genuine curiosity, when I first started, quickly became a really fun and exciting new career option for me. I really have enjoyed seeing the progress I have made from the beginning of the courses from knowing nothing about coding, to now TAing the 401 JavaScript and sea...
My experience with Code Fellows started with the one day 101 course in October of 2015. Since that first day, I decided to continue and dive into the rest of what Code Fellows had to offer for me to learn. What started as a genuine curiosity, when I first started, quickly became a really fun and exciting new career option for me. I really have enjoyed seeing the progress I have made from the beginning of the courses from knowing nothing about coding, to now TAing the 401 JavaScript and searching for a career in this field.
The teachers and all of the staff of Code Fellows have made a huge impact in my 9 or so months that I have spent here and it's been wonderful. Everything from helping me with simple CSS issues to rewriting my resume and preparing for interviews. It's been a blast here and I have enjoyed it very much.
- Joshua HoGraduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • OnlineSep 01, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
JavaScript Developer
Great experience! Thoughtful backend development curriculum and very knowledgeable staff. I would recommend the course to anybody looking for work in JavaScript development. - Branton BoehmSenior Mobile Software Developer • Student • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in iOS • OnlineJun 23, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Good value for an experienced developer
After 13 years at a big tech company, working on variations of the same thing over and over, I decided it was time for a drastic change. I spent ten weeks at Code Fellows learning about iOS development and had multiple job offers in hand 2-3 weeks after finishing. I even ended up getting about a 20% raise over what I walked away from.
The program isn't magical. You can't expect to pay your money, punch the clock, and get handed a cushy job making booku bucks on your way out the d...
After 13 years at a big tech company, working on variations of the same thing over and over, I decided it was time for a drastic change. I spent ten weeks at Code Fellows learning about iOS development and had multiple job offers in hand 2-3 weeks after finishing. I even ended up getting about a 20% raise over what I walked away from.
The program isn't magical. You can't expect to pay your money, punch the clock, and get handed a cushy job making booku bucks on your way out the door. It takes a passion and decication to learn. Beginners will have a more difficult time than experienced developers, but the program definitely works for both audiences. The more effort you put into it, the more benefit you'll get out of it.
The professional development was something I didn't think I needed but ended up being a huge help. I learned my interviewing weaknesses and felt so much more confident in interviews after addressing them. I also learned how to use the web to find jobs, as this was the first time I'd looked since college when the companies came to campus to recruit. I'd vastly underestimated how useful this component of the course would be.
Code Fellows as an organization highly values feedback and takes it very seriously. I've seen changes introduced as a result of feedback both during my course and in the course that followed it.
In the end, going to Code Fellows was an excellent choice for me and I'm extremely happy with how it all worked out.
- WhitneyWeb Developer • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • PortlandMay 24, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
A career changer
Two of the greatest parts of Code Fellows above other bootcamps around are 1. the ability to test into a level and 2. scholarships! I highly recommend giving coding a try before looking into making a career change through a bootcamp because it's not for everyone. But if you love it, then go for it! Code Fellows in Portland was awesome because of the small class sizes, amazing teachers, and wonderful support staff.
The curriculum revolves around the most in-demand technologies, an...
Two of the greatest parts of Code Fellows above other bootcamps around are 1. the ability to test into a level and 2. scholarships! I highly recommend giving coding a try before looking into making a career change through a bootcamp because it's not for everyone. But if you love it, then go for it! Code Fellows in Portland was awesome because of the small class sizes, amazing teachers, and wonderful support staff.
The curriculum revolves around the most in-demand technologies, and tries to give you good source materials to learn about a broad range of fundamentals. If you blow off the readings, you lose a bit portion of learning. It's really up to you how much you take away from the courses, because instructors are always willing to send you more materials.
After graduating from 401, the campus director, Jordana, was an invaluable resource in the job hunt. She was there to answer all my questions and help me get my resume out to the Portland community. Having the support of people who really know the tech community is great, but be prepared to put in a lot of work. It's no different than searching for any other desirable full-time positions!
Code Fellows Alumni Outcomes
| Description | Percentage |
| Full Time, In-Field Employee | 81.7% |
| Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 12.1% |
| Short-term contract, part-time position, freelance | N/A |
| Employed out-of-field | N/A |
Recent Code Fellows News
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Code Fellows cost?
Code Fellows costs around $12,000. On the lower end, some Code Fellows courses like Ops 101: Explore Ethical Hacking & Cybersecurity Careers (Full-Time, Online) cost $99.
What courses does Code Fellows teach?
Code Fellows offers courses like Code 101: Explore Software Development (Full-Time, In-Person), Code 101: Explore Software Development (Full-Time, Online), Code 102: Intro to Software Development (Full-Time, In-Person), Code 102: Intro to Software Development (Full-Time, Online) and 45 more.
Where does Code Fellows have campuses?
Code Fellows has in-person campuses in Seattle. Code Fellows also has a remote classroom so students can learn online.