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 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.
228 Code Fellows Reviews
AnonymousGraduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in iOS • OnlineNov 06, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceConnected
Codefellows surprised me by how well connected into the community they are. The job placement services are really solid.
- Tuan VuLead IOS Dev at Start-up • Student • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in iOS • OnlineNov 05, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Former IOS Student
I came into Code Fellows with zero coding experience other than a few courses with Code Academy (online tutorials) which gave me a small taste of what coding would be like. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed, even in then-Foundation II course, or the equivelant of the current 201 course. For me, I never grasped the fundamentals of Object Oriented Programming, which is pretty easy, but I believed was poorly explained in F2. The pace in both F2 and Dev Accelerator was...
I came into Code Fellows with zero coding experience other than a few courses with Code Academy (online tutorials) which gave me a small taste of what coding would be like. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed, even in then-Foundation II course, or the equivelant of the current 201 course. For me, I never grasped the fundamentals of Object Oriented Programming, which is pretty easy, but I believed was poorly explained in F2. The pace in both F2 and Dev Accelerator was too fast and many people were totally lost and were concerned with only getting the homework done rather than really understand why things worked they way they did. Courses were 6 hours a day total for 2 months, which I think should have been longer. At least 8hrs for 3 months would be ideal. The instructors and staffs are great people, but like most start-ups, everything was a little scrappy, but the intentions were there. Which means every class gets better and better. I spoke with people 2-3 courses ahead of me and their curriculum really paled in comparison to mine. And talking to people who are in the current courses, my curriculum paled to theirs. Despite being the 2nd worse performing students in class, I ended up being one of the first to get a job with $90k salary and am currently the Lead iOS Dev. In contrast, our class superstars had a lot more trouble getting jobs. There's a lot more that goes into getting a job than just technical skills. You need grit and good social skills. You dont' have to be life of the party, but you better not be a lone wolf. Overall, CF is constantly improving. One last thing, the resources are there -- from help with resume, connections with start-ups, technical assistance, whatever -- it is all there. You just have to seek it out. Too many people think that CF will hold their hands the entire time. Not the case.
- Larry ScrogginsJr. Javascript Developer • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • OnlineNov 04, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
It's time to change your life
Tl;dr. Go here. You'll learn everything you need to know to get an entry-level developer job.
After many years working in a job I disliked and in an industry where I felt like a fish out of water, I decided to make a change. Through my work I had been exposed to scripting and had put tentative fingers into the javascript mountain, but it wasn't until Code Fellows came along that I felt like I could really change my career.
I started out in the foundations ...
Tl;dr. Go here. You'll learn everything you need to know to get an entry-level developer job.
After many years working in a job I disliked and in an industry where I felt like a fish out of water, I decided to make a change. Through my work I had been exposed to scripting and had put tentative fingers into the javascript mountain, but it wasn't until Code Fellows came along that I felt like I could really change my career.
I started out in the foundations classes. They were nice, and in retrospect fairly easy. Then I moved on to the Full Stack Javascript Engineering development accelerator. This was an 8 week intensive program. I lived javascript for those 8 weeks. Full days of learning how to code turned into nights working on homework. We had two group projects to get us working in teams. Our class paired with the UX/UI dev accelerator class to work on one of those projects. It gave a very good look at the dev process from beginning to end. The only thing missing was a project manager, but we worked that out.
You'll start by learning node. Then you'll learn whatever the hot backend frameworks of the day are. For my group it was Backbone and Angular. I understand that they've since switched to Angular and React. You'll do relatively easy things in the class setting and work on harder things during your projects.
Staff and instructors were great. The process of finding a job afterward was supplemented by the staff sending out places that they know are looking. I had at least one interview set up because CF sent my resume to a company. You'll have to do the majority of the job search on your own, but there is help available if you need it on your resume or practicing for interviews.
The only complaint I had about the whole thing was that I didn't find out I was accepted into the accelerator until the week before it started. A bit more advanced notice to get the financing squared away would have been nice. Also, their financing options at the time I went through weren't great, and the program is definitely not cheap.
- LeonardoAssociate Software Development Engineer at Expedia Inc. • Graduate • OnlineNov 04, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Rigorous, supportive, empowering, social.
Code Fellows was a life changer for me. I came out of my Undergraduate with a double major in Philosophy and Comparative Religion from the UW. I pretty much had no professional working prospects, albeit a strong education and ability to think.
I studied programming after college by myself, but found myself continually becoming stuck without much help. I decided to take a leap of faith and take the Mobile Development Accelerator at Code Fellows.
The course...
Code Fellows was a life changer for me. I came out of my Undergraduate with a double major in Philosophy and Comparative Religion from the UW. I pretty much had no professional working prospects, albeit a strong education and ability to think.
I studied programming after college by myself, but found myself continually becoming stuck without much help. I decided to take a leap of faith and take the Mobile Development Accelerator at Code Fellows.
The course did not 'hold my hand,' everyday we worked with a new iOS framework. We developed a unique app each week, and practiced the essential concepts in iOS development. We on the top of the curve, as we were the second educational institution to use Swift in an educational setting.
In terms of general programming they:
- Gave me a great education in structuring working software
- A pragmatic working knowledge of data structures
- Hands-on Q&A sessions with the instructors 1-on-1.
- The ability to actively engage new prospective students, teaching to cement your own learning.
The course gave me an environment to help me excel at learning and adapting in a workplace, but the otherside of the coin is as important too, actually getting a job. They had me covered in:
- Life time support for Coding Interviews, and Resume help.
- Supporting me the whole process until I got a job.
- An immediate network as well as lots of opportunities to help me network.
My only gripe is that I landed a job in the end at Expedia as an Associate Software Developer working in web technology. I chose mobile because I am extremely passionate in learning about hardware and working with mobile devices. However the opportunities that working at a Fortune 500 will open, makes up for the deficit that I'm not working actively in mobile development.
I know that they are continually improving their courses and their job search support. I know if I go in there looking for a new job that I'll be met with lots of wonderful opportunities and be able to find something both quickly and something I'd love to do.
- AnonymousTechnical Project Manager • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Python (Full-Time, In-Person) • OnlineNov 04, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Good, Solid, Efficient
I graduated from the Python Development Accelerator in the Spring of 2015. The course was fast paced and focused on real world programs and methods. After graduation, I was prepared to enter the work force and knew how to present myself and had the tools to continue my learning and experience on my own time.
I would and do recommend Code Fellows to my peers quite often with the only caveat having to do with the job market. Seattle is indeed hiring developers like crazy, but the i...
I graduated from the Python Development Accelerator in the Spring of 2015. The course was fast paced and focused on real world programs and methods. After graduation, I was prepared to enter the work force and knew how to present myself and had the tools to continue my learning and experience on my own time.
I would and do recommend Code Fellows to my peers quite often with the only caveat having to do with the job market. Seattle is indeed hiring developers like crazy, but the industry is still warming up to graduates of code schools like Code Fellows, IF you don't have technical experience already.
In my experience, Python graduates have the most difficulty finding good jobs after graduation, not for lack of skill, but just because of how the industry is. Python specific jobs are few and far between, while strong developers who have Python as a tool in their tool kit, are in high demand. One of the main problems that I ran into was, companies that are looking for python devs, are looking more for backend devs that know C, C++, C#, Java, and Python is a plus. If they are looking for purely a python dev, they rarely have the bandwidth to absorb a junior dev. Having said that, the jobs do exist, they are just hard to find, and are often a sluggish process as experienced devs are put on the front of the queue.
JS specific jobs, on the other hand, seem to be more common and can absorb less experienced developers. If someone asks me for advise on what class to take, I answer differently depending on the person. If you have little to no technical experience and no CS degree, like I had, the JS class might be a better way to get into the industry. If you are already a developer, have technical experience, or a CS degree.. Python could be a good fit.
I also can't leave a review or tell people about Code Fellows without mentioning the Python instructor Cris Ewing. The guy is amazing. He loves the industry, programming, python, and teaching. He pours his heart and soul into his students and will do everything he can to help you understand the material, IF you are hungry for it. Cris is excelent at what he does, and is a very busy person. If you are willing to put the hard work, effort, and time it takes to absorb the information, he will always have more for you to learn. If you just sit back and expect to be spoon fed.. You will get just as much as you put in.
The last bit of advise I give people is be patient with the job hunt. Sometimes it takes a while. I am not really sure where they get the statistics on job placement, but in my course, they aren't really that close to reality. I think with the JS courses, the placement statistics are pretty spot on. In my class, only a couple people out of the 12 person class had jobs in the first two months, and right now, at the 9 months mark, I know of at least two people that still don't have jobs, but are good developers. It just takes a while to find a job sometimes. I had right around 40 interviews before landing my job, which from the first contact, to my first day on the job, was 15 weeks. And that was without any "give us a couple months and we'll get back to you" which is something I heard a lot. The process just takes a while.
So if you are doing a complete career change, get a CS degree. If you can't, or don't want to, take the JS course, or be prepared for a long job hunt. But having said that... I don't have a degree, but have a 'just out of college' level job, about 2 years before I would have if I did the traditional school route. So I still count it as a win!
- Andrew NelsonApplication Developer • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • OnlineOct 30, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
CF sorts through the noise and delivers the signal
I'm a software developer with thirty-odd years experience, from x86 assembler right on the silicon up through C and C++, to SQL stored procedures and SOAP Web services. But learning JavaScript full-stack dev was like hacking through a swampy jungle - there are a LOT of opinions out there, and like anything else, half of them are below average.
Where CF really added value for me was their deep experience with what hiring managers are actually hiring for. After 8 weeks in...
I'm a software developer with thirty-odd years experience, from x86 assembler right on the silicon up through C and C++, to SQL stored procedures and SOAP Web services. But learning JavaScript full-stack dev was like hacking through a swampy jungle - there are a LOT of opinions out there, and like anything else, half of them are below average.
Where CF really added value for me was their deep experience with what hiring managers are actually hiring for. After 8 weeks in the Mongo/Express/Angular/Node stack, I was ready for interviews, and in fact accepted a job offer during the last week of class.
There was a little bit of instability in the TA staffing, as both our TAs got jobs during the course (is that a bug, or a feature?), but the curriculum was solid and the instructor was outstanding - knowledgeable, articulate, and pretty funny, which doesn't hurt.
Would definitely take another CF course.
- AnonymousSoftware Developer • Graduate • Code 401: Advanced Software Development in Full-Stack JavaScript • OnlineOct 15, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Full-Stack JavaScript Development Accelerator at code fellows got me a job
This class was seriously awesome. It was 8 weeks and covered a multitude of topics. Two of these weeks are dedicated to projects. I actually got a job offer in the seventh week. They literally do everything they can to get you employable. You just have to put your effort forth. You get what you put in to it. If you don't put much into it you will just see it as a waste of money. They have a fairly structured program. You have 3 hours of lecture every day M-W...
This class was seriously awesome. It was 8 weeks and covered a multitude of topics. Two of these weeks are dedicated to projects. I actually got a job offer in the seventh week. They literally do everything they can to get you employable. You just have to put your effort forth. You get what you put in to it. If you don't put much into it you will just see it as a waste of money. They have a fairly structured program. You have 3 hours of lecture every day M-W and following that 3 hours of lab. On thursday you go over data structures and algorithms. This is essential to getting a job. Even though code fellows acknowledges that making a canidate do a whiteboarding test at job interview is not the best way at evaulating their skills they teach it to you because its just the way the job industry is. On Fridays they teach you about the strategic ways you should be applying for a job. It was super benefical because they help you form your resume, personal brand and linkedin. Their staff is very helpful and encouraging. The lectures help you understand the topics and you do homework and projects to nail in the concepts. The structure of the program is the key to making you employable. If it was just 8 straight weeks of lectures it wouldnt be the great program it is. The curriculum is dynamic and based off of what gets you a job. It is modern stuff and they dont teach you anything that wont help you get a job. During my interview I was able to answer all the question they asked becuase of what I learned. It so crazy that 2 months of learning can get you so far. This program is really a dream come true. If you want to work hard and change fields it can be right for you.
- Kevin TownsendRuby Developer • Graduate • OnlineOct 10, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Thoughts from the inside and out
Having been both a student and a TA at code fellows I can tell you that it's a wonderful atmostphere. The teachers really know what they are talking about and you can always ask someone for help. Everyone is very patient and always willing to help. You will learn everything you need to know about being a web developer in any course you take. From the basics of yoru language, to how the request/response cycle works, to RESTful applications and datastructures and sortin...
Having been both a student and a TA at code fellows I can tell you that it's a wonderful atmostphere. The teachers really know what they are talking about and you can always ask someone for help. Everyone is very patient and always willing to help. You will learn everything you need to know about being a web developer in any course you take. From the basics of yoru language, to how the request/response cycle works, to RESTful applications and datastructures and sorting algorithms, you will know how things work when you're done.
CF will always try to help you out with your studies and your job hunt. Their space is made available for you, you get a mock interview and some solid help with writing your resume. At the very worst, you get your money back if you can't find a job, but with only 3% of students unable to find a position, I doubt that will happen.
As a TA, I tried to continue this tradition by always making myself available to the students. Generally, I could answer their questions off the top of my head, but if I couldn't I was more than willing to sit down and figure it out with the student.
It's really difficult to be in bad mood while at CF, if not impossible. It's less of a school and more of a big family. It's large enough that you get the benefits of the name, yet small enough that you get to know everyone.
I might be moving on for now, but I have a sneaking suspission that I'll be back :) - AnonymousGraduate • OnlineSep 18, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Great instructors/school, not so great class
Hello, This is my expriance with Code fellows Foundation II: Front-End Design & Development
Instructors:
CF have the best instructors, they will do everything to make sure you have the best understating of any information they teach. Feedback on homework was minimal, but they were always available if I or any of the course participants needed help.
The course:
The course itself on the other hand was a disappointment. I had some coding experience bef...Hello, This is my expriance with Code fellows Foundation II: Front-End Design & Development
Instructors:
CF have the best instructors, they will do everything to make sure you have the best understating of any information they teach. Feedback on homework was minimal, but they were always available if I or any of the course participants needed help.
The course:
The course itself on the other hand was a disappointment. I had some coding experience before from self-study and the help of teamtreehouse.com, so I skipped Foundation 1.The class was almost identical to Foundation 1, they even had a better intro to JS. What differentiate the course from foundation 1 was the advanced CSS part. Sadly we skipped half of it "SCSS Part" because we spent. Part of it become we spent a big chunk of time ( almost 30%+ of the course) On Git because half of the class didn't take the "mandatory" Git workshop before the class started. the other reason is because course curriculum was not planned out to fit the course time.
The course had many faults and I think CF realized that. couple of month after graduation CF were offering a SASS/SCSS workshop (we were giving a discount, but I think we should have got it for free) and at the time I am writing this review the course disappeared from CF website (looks like no longer offered).
- Andre GonzalvoField Engineer • Graduate • OnlineSep 18, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Code Fellows Foundation I Review
Taking the Foundations I course was an eye opener for me. I was already working as a QA Test Engineer for a small tech startup but lacked the knowledge in Javascript and other programming language. Code Fellows bridged this gap and gave me the knowledge and skill to be able to do my job better. They gave me the resources to be able to help myself in finding out the information I need to be able to find the answer that I needed. All in All the class was well wo...
Taking the Foundations I course was an eye opener for me. I was already working as a QA Test Engineer for a small tech startup but lacked the knowledge in Javascript and other programming language. Code Fellows bridged this gap and gave me the knowledge and skill to be able to do my job better. They gave me the resources to be able to help myself in finding out the information I need to be able to find the answer that I needed. All in All the class was well worth the cost.
- AnonymousGraduate • OnlineSep 18, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Computer Science & Web Development Bootcamp
I feel so much more confident in my web development skills now that I have gone through the Computer Science & Web Development Bootcamp. It differs from the F1 night class in that it is more intense and more in-depth. For the majority of us, it didn't prepare us technically to go straight into a development accelerator from the bootcamp, but I feel like it did prepare us for what the experience would be like -- the long days filled with assignments, pair programming and t...
I feel so much more confident in my web development skills now that I have gone through the Computer Science & Web Development Bootcamp. It differs from the F1 night class in that it is more intense and more in-depth. For the majority of us, it didn't prepare us technically to go straight into a development accelerator from the bootcamp, but I feel like it did prepare us for what the experience would be like -- the long days filled with assignments, pair programming and the final project.
The curriculum is great, but a lot of it goes by so quickly, you'll need to spend time digesting it further after you graduate. They say the class is like work, but sometimes I would have preferred a bit more instruction. Overall, though it wasn't perfect, it was a great experience. Not for everyone, but for those who really want to be immersed in web development and build up a solid base of knowledge.
I rated the job assistance a 1 because it doesn't come with this class. Although, you are added to the alumni channel where jobs are sometimes posted.
- AnonymousOnlineSep 18, 2015Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceN/A
Great Instructors and TA's, perfect pace
I recently completed the Computer Science and Web Development Bootcamp offered by Code Fellows at their Seattle Campus. Our instructor was Sam Hamm, who has lots of previous teaching experience (in music) before becoming a Code Fellows instructor. Frequently instructors fall in one of two camps. Some are obviously brilliant and know the content, but are awful at teaching. Some are good teachers, but you can tell they're barely a chapter ahead of the students in the textbook...
I recently completed the Computer Science and Web Development Bootcamp offered by Code Fellows at their Seattle Campus. Our instructor was Sam Hamm, who has lots of previous teaching experience (in music) before becoming a Code Fellows instructor. Frequently instructors fall in one of two camps. Some are obviously brilliant and know the content, but are awful at teaching. Some are good teachers, but you can tell they're barely a chapter ahead of the students in the textbook. Sam is a great teacher who also knows his stuff pretty well.
The course is advertised as fast-paced and intensive, which is basically true. But it's not really that challenging. If you complete the pre-work and come prepared you shouldn't have any problem. Of course, the bootcamp is designed to take someone with no previous coding experience and introduce them to the basics of javascript and web design. We had a pretty broad spectrum of expereience levels in our class, from people with degrees in informatics to people who haven't done any coding before whatsoever. Coming in with a little experience helps. I think having done a little bit of Python and C++ in my past let me catch on a little quicker.
I learned a ton, however. I basically went from knowing very basic HTML, heard of CSS, and never really touching Javascript before, to being able to put together almost professional-level interactive web pages. This class doesn't teach any back-end. Everything that you learn is front-end. So it's not the whole picture but nor is it designed to be. It's a great introduction to web development, learning how to use git and github, javascript, html, and css fundamentals, and learning how to do some basic web server setup using Node and express.
I'm giving one star in Job Assistance because this class isn't designed to get you ready to be a full developer. The Code Fellows way is to eventually take one of their Development Accelerators (DA), after which they guarantee a job or your money back. I haven't taken a DA so I can't speak to how well their job assistance is after one.
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
Code Fellows Alumni Reviews Summary
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.
Is Code Fellows worth it?
The data says yes! In 2019, Code Fellows reported a 100% graduation rate, a median salary of $72,500, and 98% of Code Fellows alumni are employed.
Is Code Fellows legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 228 Code Fellows alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Code Fellows and rate their overall experience a 4.49 out of 5.
Does Code Fellows offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Yes, Code Fellows accepts the GI Bill!
Can I read Code Fellows reviews?
You can read 228 reviews of Code Fellows on Course Report! Code Fellows alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Code Fellows and rate their overall experience a 4.49 out of 5.
Is Code Fellows accredited?
Code Fellows is a private vocational school licensed by the State of Washington. Code Fellows was the first code school in Washington State to be approved by the Veterans Association to receive the GI Bill. Learn more at www.codefellows.org/gi-bill