launch-school-logo

Launch School

Average Rating4.84
95 Reviews
2 Courses

Launch School is an online program for studious beginners whose goal is to become professional developers. The program focuses on fundamentals of programming and software engineering including core problem solving, programming language fundamentals, object-oriented programming, networking, databases, and guides students through a structured path of building up proficiency in software development.  The program consists of two main phases: Core Curriculum and Capstone. The Core Curriculum uses a mastery-based learning pedagogy to teach fundamentals of software development. It takes approximately 1200-1800 hours (8-16+ months) to complete, and students can choose either a Ruby or JavaScript focused track through Core. After that, there is an optional and admissions-based Capstone Program that's focused on helping students acquire career-launching opportunities. The Capstone Program takes 4 months full-time and employs an Income Sharing Agreement where students pay after they get a job offer.

The Core Curriculum is open to everyone, and the only requirement is that people complete Launch School’s free preparatory courses. Students who complete the Capstone Program will receive career guidance, and be exposed to algorithmic thinking that employers demand. 

Launch School offers a Deferred Payment Program (DPP). Students pay nothing upfront, and will begin to pay back tuition only once they land a job that pays at least $60,000.

95 Launch School Reviews

Schools can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Course Report never suppresses negative reviews
Sort by
Filter by
  • Callie Buruchara
    Software Engineer • Graduate • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Feb 17, 2022
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Mastery based learning that prepares you learn anything else

    When I found Launch School in my search for an avenue to enter Software Engineering, I was honestly a little annoyed. The slow path to mastery? What a devastatingly honest slogan. I'd rather something flashy, thanks.

    But after sitting with it for awhile, with the experience and background of an educator myself, I knew it was the truth. In order to master something, you have to give yourself time. You need to learn from someone who knows more than you, can see the path fur...
    Report
  • Edmond Tam
    Software Engineer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Feb 16, 2022
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    A pedagogy that has changed my life

    Before I begin, I would like to establish the two core tenets behind Launch School's teachings that form the premise for this review:
    • Learn slow to move fast
    • Focus on the fundamentals and ignore fleeting trends
    I'll explain why I think these principles are key and how Launch School accomplishes this, and then discuss how they helped me land my first proper SWE job paying above mid-level FAANG total compensation and my second job paying above senior-l...
    Report
  • Rodney Matambo
    Rodney Matambo
    Full Stack Software Engineer, Gatsby JS • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Feb 06, 2022
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    A review of the Capstone Program

    Context: I currently work at Gatsby JS. I went through the capstone program from february 2021 to June 2021. I got a job in 6 weeks after i started my job search.

    I'll start by saying, I cannot over emphasize how effective this program is.

    I went through the capstone program starting in February 2021. This capstone program is easily one of the toughest things I've ever done in my life and also one of the most rewarding experiences. The program allowed me to form friendships...
    Report
  • Rodney Matambo
    Rodney Matambo
    Full-Stack Software Engineer • Student • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Feb 06, 2022
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    A decision that depends on how much you commit to it

    The core curriculum moves from the basics of programming, OOP, cli tooling, testing, networking, DBs, html & css, advanced problem solving, the dom and api's. The focus is on allowing students to fundamentally grasp the problems at each layer of programming and understand why the current solutions are in use. The core curriculum really sets students up for unlocking what the school calls 'just-in time' learning - the ability to pick up new tools quickly because you understand the und...
    Report
  • Jimmy
    Jimmy
    Software Engineer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jan 06, 2022
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    A Hidden Gem

    Launch School, at least at the time of writing, does not do much marketing, if any at all. So if you are pursuing a career switch to software engineering and web development, it's likely that you did not first encounter Launch School at the top of a Google search result. Instead, you probably encountered those boot camps, advertising that you will become a software engineer or developer in a few months while charging you thousands of dollars for a curriculum you can find online for free....
    Report
  • Vahid
    Senior Full Stack Engineer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jan 06, 2022
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Rigorous and pivotal

    I started Core in September 2020 and finished in March 2021. I then started Capstone in May 2021 and finished in August 2021. Within a month and a half of interviewing after that, I had 3 generous offers.

    I've been dabbling in programming since my childhood and even built database-driven applications deployed to Heroku, but it wasn't until I finished Launch School's Core curriculum and then immediately afterward completed the Capstone program that I felt like I was a software engi...
    Report
  • Elizabeth
    Software Engineer III • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jan 06, 2022
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Life-changing if you're willing to slow down & put in the work

    I came to Launch School from a non-technical background, unsure whether I could be successful as a software engineer. The mastery-based curriculum at Launch School provided a carefully curated path to follow via which I could improve my technical skills, learn to speak knowledgeably about programming concepts, and practice breaking down challenging problems. By the time I finished the core curriculum, I was confident in my mastery of the fundamentals and in my ability to pick up new lang...
    Report
  • Nicholas LiCalzi
    Senior SWE • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jan 05, 2022
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Dedication pays off

    I was a working architecture professional for 4 years before finding Launch School. I had dabbled in scripting and cobbled together some experience in the Python data science stack, but I had never found a course/taken the time that would allow me to learn programming from first principles.

    After nearly 18 months progressing through both Core and Capstone (build a project called Dendro in the process), I landed a job as a Senior Software Developer and tripled my total compensation...
    Report
  • Ryan
    Software Engineer
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Dec 09, 2021
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Slow is fast

    I first thought about the idea of learning to code around 2013. Some might remember the viral moment around that time that CodeAcademy had with their New Year’s resolution of learning to code. I didn’t really try, but I looked around on the Internet as to what this coding thing was all about. I came across truly random and terrible advice. I recall reading this awful blog post by someone saying that they finally learned to code by simply putting themselves in the “sweat locker” as they c...
    Report
  • Will Lotherington
    Will Lotherington
    Senior Software Engineer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Dec 09, 2021
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Incredibly Effective

    Context: I completed the core curriculum over ~2 years while working full time. I resigned from my job and participated in the February 2021 Capstone cohort, and successfully launched my software engineering career immediately after.



    Launch School is incredible. It's hard to overstate how effective it is at preparing you for a professional career as a software engineer

    I had my fair share of doubts all the way through Capstone. I knew I had learned an incredible am...
    Report
  • Caleb
    Student • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 23, 2021
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    A Pedegogy Second to None

    My early experiences with programming education were a huge influence on my decision to study at Launch School. I took classes at university, explored online tutorials, and even built out a few projects using walkthroughs. Though these approaches to learning may work for some, they never seemed to resonate with me. They normally lacked two things: A mastery-based approach to learning, and a bottom-up pedagogy.
    Launch School's Core Curriculum is an excellent entry...
    Report
  • Armando Mota
    Software Engineer II • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 16, 2021
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Excellent for switching to a software engineering career at any age

    It’s hard to overstate the impact that Launch School has had on my life.  I consider myself a studious person - I took high school and college seriously, got good grades, and made an effort to find a career that aligned with my degree and interests.  I unfortunately found the options for my specific field of study limited, so I’ve spent the past 15 years of my professional life in a series of stable but largely unfulfilling jobs.  Because of Launch School, I am now in a field that truly ...
    Report

Launch School Alumni Outcomes

Recent Launch School News

Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated December 26, 2023
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
Liz Eggleston
Updated October 03, 2024
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 2024! Apply today and you could be a developer by the time 2025 rolls around! ...
Lauren Stewart
Lauren Stewart
Updated October 21, 2020
Sun-Li Beatteay studied Oceanography in college, but after bouncing between jobs as a research tech, a barista, and a firefighter, he was ready to start a new career in tech. After a nudge from his wife who works in tech and some research online, Sun-Li found Launch School, a year-long online software engineering school. Learn how to stay motivated when learning online, whether the longer...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated October 03, 2024
Deferred tuition and income share agreements (ISAs) are becoming more widely available and can be attractive to students who don’t have $20,000 in the bank. ISAs and Deferred Tuition align a school’s incentives with those of their students – essentially, a school isn't successful unless their students get jobs. Plus, deferred tuition and ISAs remove the barrier of an upfront tuition, expandin...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated February 18, 2020
For some students, the traditional 12-week, full-time coding bootcamp may not seem like enough time to acquire the skills that employers want. As the coding bootcamp industry has evolved, longer coding bootcamps such as Turing, Galvanize, C4Q, Ada Developers Academy, Learner's Guild, CODE University, Holberton School, Make School, We Think Code, and 42 have emerged with courses ranging fr...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated December 24, 2014
NOTE: This Q&A may be outdated. Tealeaf Academy is now Launch School.  Matthew Barram had done some website development for his side-business, but had doubted his ability to be a full-time web developer. Based in Brisbane, Australia and too far from in-person developer bootcamps, Matthew decided on Tealeaf Academy, the online, mentored Ruby on Rails bootcamp. Find out what convince...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated August 14, 2014
Online, mentored coding bootcamps offer convenience and structure without forcing you to quit your job or move to a new city. But not all online programs were created equally, so which one is right for you? We'll learn from alumni at each online coding bootcamp, ready to answer your questions about their experience during class, how they found mentorship and community online, and how thei...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated July 12, 2018
NOTE: This Q&A may be outdated. Tealeaf Academy is now Launch School. Tealeaf Academy is an online, Rails bootcamp that offers three robust courses in web development for students with varying levels of experience. We talk to Kevin Wang, a cofounder of Tealeaf, about what makes their online program effective and the types of students who excel in their courses.  How did Tealeaf star...

Launch School Alumni Reviews Summary

Overall Experience
4.8
Instructors
4.9
Curriculum
4.8
Job Assistance
4.8
Write A Review
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
FAQs

How much does Launch School cost?

Launch School costs around $199. On the lower end, some Launch School courses like The Capstone Program cost $0.

What courses does Launch School teach?

Launch School offers courses like Core Curriculum, The Capstone Program.

Where does Launch School have campuses?

Launch School teaches students Online in a remote classroom.

Is Launch School worth it?

Launch School hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 95 Launch School alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Launch School on Course Report - you should start there!

Is Launch School legit?

We let alumni answer that question. 95 Launch School alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Launch School and rate their overall experience a 4.84 out of 5.

Does Launch School offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?

Right now, it doesn't look like Launch School offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.

Can I read Launch School reviews?

You can read 95 reviews of Launch School on Course Report! Launch School alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Launch School and rate their overall experience a 4.84 out of 5.

Is Launch School accredited?

While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Launch School doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.

Get Free Bootcamp Advice

Sign up for our newsletter and receive our free 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