Career Tracks

Data Science

101 What Is Data Science?

Data science is a multidisciplinary field that combines computer science and math. The objective of data science is to pull insightful and useful knowledge out of datasets to make smart business decisions. The average salary of a data scientist is $80,265.

Jump to a list of all Data Science Bootcamps

What Is Data Science?

Data science is a multidisciplinary field that combines computer science and statistics. With so much data being produced every day, data science makes it possible to draw useful insights from datasets which may be too large for traditional statistics to analyze. This data is often referred to as “big data,” and can include anything from analyzing complex genomic structures to interpreting handwriting to optimizing a marketing strategy. And data science is not limited to just numbers! Data science finds patterns in all unstructured sets, including text, images, and audio files. 

How to Become a Data Scientist

Many Data Scientists start their careers in academia – if you have a bachelor’s degree or PhD in a quantitative field, then you’re already close to a data science career. A data science fellowship like The Data Incubator or Insight Data Science would be fantastic options. 

Most data science bootcamps require students to have a degree in STEM and an aptitude for math and statistics. If you don’t have a quantitative degree, then you should sharpen your math skills like linear algebra, calculus, statistics, and probability. Then, you’ll be ready to apply to a data science bootcamp. 

Master’s in Data Science vs Data Science Bootcamps

While a Master’s in Computer Science with a specialization in Data Science typically takes 3 years to complete, data science bootcamps are typically intensive 3- to 6-month programs. Data science bootcamps often offer career assistance, and prepare graduates for entry-level and junior data science jobs, such as Data Analyst, Data Scientist, and Data Engineer.

A data science bootcamp is not a traditional coding bootcamp. In addition to learning programming languages, such as Python and/or R, data science bootcamps teach students how to extract valuable knowledge from large datasets using analytical and programming skills. 

How to Choose a Data Science Bootcamp

The best data science course for you depends on your own learning style, career goals, availability, etc. Here's our advice for choosing the data bootcamp:

  1. Narrow down your options – you can rule out some bootcamps based on location, cost, and time commitment.
  2. Examine the curriculum – does the bootcamp teach the most modern data science languages (Python or occasionally R), tools (Hadoop, Spark, Tableau etc), and topics (machine learning, data engineering, etc).
  3. Ask About Projects – communication is so important in data science, and projects are a great way to walk a hiring manager through your thought process and experience. At a good data science bootcamp, you'll build at least 2-3 projects using real-world data sets!
  4. Meet the Instructors – do the bootcamp instructors have qualifications like quantitative degrees, masters degrees, or even PhDs? This is much more common in the world of data science bootcamps. Pro-Tip: Take an intro course or free workshop hosted by the bootcamp to really understand the teaching style.
  5. Ask About Outcomes – do past bootcamp graduates get jobs in data? Ask the school directly for their CIRR report or job outcomes report, read data science bootcamp alumni reviews, and even reach out to alumni on LinkedIn to ask questions.

Red Flags – instructors don't have enough experience or qualifications, projects don't use real-world datasets, or the bootcamp can't tell you about past student career success. 

Are Data Science Bootcamps Worth It?

 “I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat. It was definitely worth the money. The learning environment, having the type of classmates that you can learn from, the instructors — you definitely couldn’t have gotten it just by learning on your own.” – Itelina, graduate of Metis

“I can say that, for me, 100% it was worth it – but I will say the boot camp is also about the work you’re putting in and the goals that you have. I really wanted to sponge off of the people around me – not just the teachers, but also all these PhD students around me. It was the most intelligent group of people I’ve been around in such a small space before. I’ve never had such an amazing opportunity.” – Sumanth, graduate of NYC Data Science Academy 

“I definitely think I needed Galvanize. Because I wanted to break into the tech industry, having Galvanize on my resume along with the skills I learned there, bolstered my ability to get a job.” – Rosie, graduate of Galvanize

“For me, It was totally worth it. I would do it all over again. IE in particular taught me a lot more than how to use Python and SQL. It teaches the technical skills, but at the same time it gives you access to professors that are going to make the process a lot less frustrating and more fun so that you have the motivation to keep going. Plus all of the extras. You get to network with companies and those companies come to give talks. I made a lot of friends in this bootcamp, too.”Inna, graduate of IE Data Science Bootcamp

How much does a data science bootcamp cost? 

Full-time, immersive data science bootcamps typically cost between $10,000 and $20,000. Many data science bootcamps offer scholarships and financing options to make tuition affordable. There are also fellowships and free data science bootcamps, such as Insight Data Science and The Data Incubator.

Data Science Jobs

With everyone from businesses to non-profits to the government collecting data, there is high demand for turning that data into smart business decisions. There is a wide variety of data science jobs, and if there’s one thing that we’ve learned after interviewing so many data science bootcamp graduates, it’s that no two companies use the exact same job titles. Common job responsibilities of data scientists include data engineering, data cleaning, and data analysis. Here is a list of the most frequent data science job titles for bootcampers:

  • Junior Data Scientist
  • Senior Data Scientist
  • Data Engineer
  • Machine Learning Engineer
  • Data Scientist/Software Engineer
  • Big Data Analytics Consultant
  • Data Science Instructor
  • Decision Scientist
  • Data Analyst
  • Business Analyst
  • Business Intelligence Analyst
  • Data Journalist
  • Financial Analyst
  • Product Analyst
  • Database Administrator

Data Science Salaries

Data Science Job Average Salary
Data Science Analyst $80,265
Senior Data Scientists $105,909
Data Engineers $105,909

Data Science Skills

According to Josh Wills, Director of NYC Data Science Academy, a data scientist is a “person who is better at statistics than any software engineer and better at software engineering than any statistician.” While math skills and coding skills are an essential part of data science, business intelligence and a scientific approach are key to making sense of data. Most data science students have a previous background in STEM, but overall, data science students and professionals are detail-oriented and excel at problem-solving, logical reasoning, and communication.

Here is a quick list of data science skills and technologies used in the field and often taught at data science bootcamps:

  • SQL - SQL stands for Structured Query Language. SQL is designed for managing data in relational database management systems. SQL extracts data for data analytics and reporting. 
  • Hadoop - Hadoop is a suite of technologies used to manage data and execute programs in a cluster. Hadoop includes a file system designed for large datasets, the MapReduce system which allows for running programs in parallel, the SQL-like Hive database for querying data in a cluster, and other components.
  • Spark - Spark is a system for writing parallel programs to run in clusters. Spark has a powerful machine learning library, mllib, and can be used with R. 
  • Python and R - Both languages are equally important in data science! Python is used for computer science components of a data scientist’s job. R is used for building statistics packages and visualizations. Combining both Python and R greatly increases their range of capabilities.
  • Machine Learning - Machine learning is a set of algorithms that is put in place to analyze large sets of data. Many of these algorithms are built so that the machine learns to feed better data into later models, and ultimately make predictions about future events. 
  • Natural Language Processing - Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a method for pre-processing text to turn it into numerical data. NLP is also known as computational linguistics.
  • Data science math includes linear algebra, calculus, statistics, and probability.

FEATURED SCHOOLS

 

Showing 1 - 25 of 301

  1. 2649
    Reviews
    14
    Courses

    Le Wagon is a global tech training provider that offers full-time, in-person and online bootcamps in Web Development, Data Science, and Data Analytics. Le Wa... Read More

    Eduardo Bittencourt Munhoz

    5Graduate - Course: Data Science Bootcamp - Full-time - Rio de Janeiro

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: 9 amazing and intense weeks at Le Wagon

    At first I was a little bit affraid, but as the Le Wagon staff always say, trust the process. It is amazing how I could learn so much in so little time.The dail ... Read More
  2. 1510
    Reviews
    36
    Courses

    BrainStation offers full-time and part-time courses in data science, design, development, marketing, cyber security and product in New York City, Miami, Lond... Read More

    Ariel Carmona

    5Graduate - Miami

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: The right place

    I recently completed the Product Management Program and it was an incredible experience! The course provided a comprehensive overview of the product management ... Read More
  3. 1426
    Reviews
    11
    Courses

    Springboard is an online learning platform that prepares students for the tech industry’s most in-demand careers with comprehensive, mentor-led online progra... Read More

    Stephanie Hoff

    5Graduate - Course: Data Analytics Career Track - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Positive Experience

    I overall enjoyed the Data Analytics Career Track program. I chose Springboard because of the 1:1 mentorship and job guarantee when I was looking to pivot my ca ... Read More
  4. 1063
    Reviews
    7
    Courses

    Ironhack offers full-time and part-time bootcamps in Web Development, UX/UI design, Data Analytics and Cyber Security in Miami (Florida), Madrid and Barcelon... Read More

    Doris SOMON

    5Student - Course: UX/UI Design Bootcamp (Full-Time) - Lisbon

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: An experience that revealed me

    The Iron Hack bootcamp was an enriching experience on all aspects: professional and personal.I came out of it with a new job, a new vision of life and an endles ... Read More
  5. 915
    Reviews
    9
    Courses

    Thinkful, a Chegg service, provides every adult learner with a pathway to a rewarding career. This online bootcamp offers fast-paced, career-focused programs... Read More

    Lindsey

    5Student - Course: Engineering Immersion - Online

    Verified Via GitHub

    Says: Software Immersion

     Thinkful was so helpful and I believe it was the solid foundation and starting point of my software development journey. I enjoyed studying with them and I fel ... Read More
  6. 763
    Reviews
    14
    Courses

    Correlation One offers a part-time, live online Data Science For All bootcamp taught by instructors from universities, such as Harvard, Columbia, and MIT. Bo... Read More

    Amenah Hammad

    5Graduate - Course: DS4A / Jordan - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: A Fruitful Experience at DS4A/Jordan

    Rotating at different courses and campuses for more than a year, finally landed a cohort that has exactly what I was looking for for Data science and Analytics. ... Read More
  7. 753
    Reviews
    53
    Courses

    Simplilearn’s Masters Programs are intensive, online bootcamps for Full Stack Web Development, Data Science and Analytics, AI and Machine Learning, Big Data ... Read More

    Joyce

    5Student - Course: Data Science - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Great sessions - Christina

    The sessions were great with Christina for CB-DS - Tableau. She is extremely patient, and she answers all of the students' questions in details, even those ques ... Read More
  8. 623
    Reviews
    39
    Courses

    Udacity offers Nanodegrees which are online immersive full-time and part-time programs, ranging from 12-24 weeks in length for students worldwide. Nanodegree... Read More

    Eslam Mustafa

    5Graduate - Course: Full Stack Web Developer - Online

    Verified Via GitHub

    Says: very nice program

    It's a very nice program, but also challenging 🌹There are useful references and professors who explain well, when I submit the projects I catch what I've been ... Read More
  9. 620
    Reviews
    6
    Courses

    Founded in 2012, Coding Dojo is a global technology education company that offers programs in Software Development, Data Science, and Cybersecurity. Students... Read More

    Lee DeJonge

    5Graduate - Course: Software Development Online Full-Time - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: this is a BOOTCAMP

    As an individual coming from NO computer background what-so-ever, I want to  share my experiences.First of all, I have a great support system at home that allow ... Read More
  10. 612
    Reviews
    19
    Courses

    General Assembly is a technical education provider that teaches students the skills, career advice and networking opportunities needed to make a career chang... Read More

    Max Nash

    5Graduate - Course: 2. Software Engineering Immersive Bootcamp (Full Time) - Sydney

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Worth the hard work!

    I attended my Software Engineering Immersive (SEI) bootcamp with General Assembly in mid-late 2022.Having previously met and hired multiple graduates from GA I ... Read More
  11. 600
    Reviews
    2
    Courses

    Edureka offers instructor-led, live online bootcamps in Full Stack Web Development (8 weeks) and AI & Machine Learning (44 weeks). The Full Stack Web Dev... Read More

    Mohamed Gani

    5Applicant - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Edureka - DevOps Certification Training

    An excellent live session for the DevOps beginners. The curriculum is perfectly crafted to give breif introduction to all the stages in the DevOps culture. Quic ... Read More
  12. 559
    Reviews
    4
    Courses

    Flatiron School offers immersive on-campus and online programs in software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and product design (UX/UI design). Flati... Read More

    Mackoy Staloch

    5Graduate - Course: Data Science - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Thorough, expensive, and fast-paced.

    I started the Flatiron program back in August of 2022. I was a Mortgage Loan Officer who was looking to pivot my business experience into a more technical role ... Read More
  13. 389
    Reviews
    33
    Courses

    The Tech Academy is a trade school headquartered in Portland, Oregon that offers full-time and part-time bootcamps online and in-person at their Portland cam... Read More

    Alejandra Lopez

    5Graduate - Course: Online C# and .NET Framework Boot Camp (full-time) - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Absolutely amazing!

    I am so happy that I chose the Tech Academy bootcamp. It really is so worth the cost. I was able to learn so much and in such a meaningful way. The staff is als ... Read More
  14. 369
    Reviews
    5
    Courses

    NYC Data Science Academy offers 12-week, accredited data science and data analytics bootcamps in New York City and live online. NYC Data Science Academy is a... Read More

    DAVID GREEN

    5Graduate - Course: Online Data Science with Machine Learning Bootcamp - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Lead your field

    From the getgo this program sets you up to succeed. They can be a little critical and harsh sometimes, but I promise they want nothing more than for you to do t ... Read More
  15. 351
    Reviews
    20
    Courses

    Virginia-based IT training school, Clarusway offers online bootcamps in three main program tracks: AWS DevOPs, Full Stack Development, and Data Science. Boot... Read More

    mehmet T.

    5Student - Course: Full Stack Development - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: my best desicion "CLARUSWAY"

    l don't have any experience about lT before started full stack development course in clarusway.  But now l know HTML, CSS, javascript and React in 4th mounth in ... Read More
  16. 344
    Reviews
    11
    Courses

    Devmountain is a technology school that offers full-time and part-time programs at campuses in Lehi, Dallas, and Phoenix. The immersive courses include Web D... Read More

    Daniel Haycraft

    5Graduate - Online

    Verified Via GitHub

    Says: DevMountain 10/10

    Maintoday is 03/03/2023, what a lucky day! I have just graduated Devmountain's python software engineering bootcamp. They aren't the most expensive and are ver ... Read More
  17. 287
    Reviews
    6
    Courses

    Coding Temple is an online tech training provider that offers bootcamps in Software Engineering, Data Analytics, Blockchain Development, and Front-End Develo... Read More

    Tenzin Lama

    5Graduate - Course: Software Engineering Full-Stack | Full-Time Online - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Excellent

    My overall experience at Coding Temple was super fun and insightful. As a student with zero-knowledge in programming, I was quite apprehensive about diving into ... Read More
  18. 280
    Reviews
    6
    Courses

    LearningFuze offers web development, data science, and UI/UX design bootcamps through live, virtual classrooms and in Irvine and Orange County, California. S... Read More

    Sean H.

    5Student - Course: Remote Full Stack Web Development Bootcamp - Online

    Verified Via GitHub

    Says: My Journey Through LearningFuze's Coding Bootcamp

    Having recently completed LearningFuze's 14-week full-stack coding bootcamp, I can confidently say that this program is the real deal. From the very first day, ... Read More
  19. 266
    Reviews
    3
    Courses

    Henry Harvin Education offers interactive online Post-Graduate Digital Marketing (48 weeks), Post-Graduate Data Science (48 weeks), and Post-Graduate Data An... Read More

    Kajal Rajput

    5Student - Online

    Verified Via GitHub

    Says: My trainer was so nice and explained all the topic

    The course provided a great overview of medical writing. After pursuing Henry Harvin's Content Writing Course, I learned basic rules of writing, grammar, differ ... Read More
  20. 246
    Reviews
    9
    Courses

    KnowledgeHut offers a flexible, online full-time and part-time bootcamps in Full Stack Development, Front End Development, and Back End Development. Knowledg... Read More

    Ranjani

    5Graduate - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: PMP training

    I completed my (PMP) training and certification through Knowledge Hut and our trainer was amazing. This was a wonderful learning experience as I went too this ... Read More
  21. acte-logo

    ACTE

    4.82
    238
    Reviews
    5
    Courses

    ACTE offers online, self-paced, 8-week Masters bootcamps covering topics, such as Cyber Security Expert, Digital Marketing, Full Stack Developer, Data Scienc... Read More

    Sumit

    4Student

    Verified Via GitHub

    Says: ADMEC- Video editing institute

    ADMEC MULTIMEDIA INSTITUTE provide one of the best  video editing training institute in Delhi The courses are set by industry experts and provide internships an ... Read More
  22. 236
    Reviews
    18
    Courses

    Great Learning offers online, career-relevant programs from world-class universities in data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, management, ... Read More

    Senthil Kumar Krishnan

    5Student - Course: Post-Graduate Program in Cloud Computing - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Flexible and great learning experience

    I am doing Post Graduate Program in Cloud computing course from Great Learning from Dec 2022. Course content is very elaborative, interactive sessions, highly s ... Read More
  23. 230
    Reviews
    6
    Courses

    Founded in 2012 as HackerYou, Juno College of Technology offers full-time and part-time Web Development, Data Analytics, and UX Design courses both live onli... Read More

    James

    5Graduate - Course: Full-Time Web Development Bootcamp - Online

    Verified Via GitHub

    Says: Junior Web Developer

    Juno genuinely changed my life. In the past year I immigrated to Canada as a permanent resident, got engaged, and left hospitality to study web development. I’m ... Read More
  24. 228
    Reviews
    7
    Courses

    HyperionDev offers part-time and full-time bootcamps in software engineering (6-12 months), data science (3-6 months), and web development (3-6 months) avail... Read More

    Sibusiso Ndlovu

    5Student - Course: Software Engineer Bootcamp - Online

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Very fruitful. A great learning experience.

    Bootcamp was very helpful. Learnt a lot. Great learning experience, the additional readings were very helpful. The support team has a very prompt response. The ... Read More
  25. 225
    Reviews
    10
    Courses

    Hacktiv8 is a tech training provider based in Indonesia that offers full-time bootcamps in Full Stack JavaScript, Data Science, and Performance Marketing. Ha... Read More

    FIAN FEBRY ISPIANTO

    5Graduate - Course: Full Stack JavaScript Immersive - Jakarta

    Verified Via LinkedIn

    Says: Intensive and Rewarding: Coding Bootcamp

    the bootcamp was a challenging and intense program, but it was also incredibly rewarding. I got the chance to work on a range of projects, from creating simple ... Read More

Get our FREE Ultimate Guide to Paying for a Bootcamp

By submitting this form, you agree to receive email marketing from Course Report.

Get Matched in Minutes

Just tell us who you are and what you’re searching for, we’ll handle the rest.

Match Me