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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

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  • Sheila
    Software Engineer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 15, 2021
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    Philosophy + process just *works*

    Context: I found and began Launch School in December 2018, completed Core in December 2020, and went through Capstone in Spring 2021.

    I got my bachelor's degree in Computer Science, graduating in 2020. Yes, that means I did Launch School alongside school. It was long and difficult road to persist and finish - I paused my subscription/studies several times in the 2 years I went through Core, and there were times when I nearly let go of my goal of getting to Capstone. Th...
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  • Juan Palma
    Software Engineer III • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Oct 11, 2021
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
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    Software Engineer

    Launch School gave me by far the best learning experience I've ever had. It took me two years to go through the entire curriculum, but it was worth every second. I don't have a college degree, and I had never seen a line of code in my life before Launch School, but the job I got out of the process came with an outrageously high salary (especially for Arizona), and I got the job in under two months after hitting the job market.

    Capstone was key to get the results I got, but I think...
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  • Steve Alston
    Advanced Software Developer • Student • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 01, 2021
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    Curriculum
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    Hands Down, THE BEST PROGRAM!

    I will start off by saying my Launch School experience has by far exceeded any expectations I had when signing up.  I have grown as a person and professional in ways I couldn't even have imagined. It's not just a school for software engineering, but rather a school for equipping its students with a completely overhauled and highly optimized mindset, as well as a 500 pc LS toolset, with a lifetime warranty, for use in constructing your new future. Furthermore, don't be intimidated by the ...
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  • alican sungur
    alican sungur
    Software Engineer
    Verified by GitHub
    Jun 19, 2021
    Overall Experience
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    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Great if you are serious about engineering and thinking long-term

    I've completed the Core curriculum earlier this year. Without attending to Capstone program, I was able to find a mid-level job. 

    Core curriculum is a self-paced online course. They dive quite deep into the concepts that you need to know for modern web development. You must not compare this course with a 3-4 month bootcamp. You don't learn frameworks to make toy-applications. It's a serious start to a long software engineering career. As a successful grad, you could le...
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  • Jose Agustin de la Puente
    Jose Agustin de la Puente
    Graduate • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    May 19, 2021
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    N/A

    Everything else was noise

    For context, I graduated Core in a bit under 8 months and am starting Capstone in August.

    I came into Launch School with no expectations. It seemed good, and thought it'd be a good skill to develop as I worked towards product management roles. I didn't seriously consider that I'd end up as a software engineer.

    I didn't have expectations partly because I had tried to learn how to program multiple times before in different years. I can remember 3 moments where I somewhat seri...
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  • Marc'Andria Battesti
    Marc'Andria Battesti
    Verified by GitHub
    Apr 30, 2021
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    N/A

    In depth curriculum and rigorous assessments

    If you're like me, you hate learning things without really understanding what's going on under the hood. LaunchSchool has "mastered" the art of mastery-based learning , to make sure you know well enough A and B before moving to a compounding subject AB. This way of learning is gratifying and forces you to deal with gray-areas in your understanding before moving on to the next unit, and they make sure of that with rigorous assessments at each stage of the way.
    Make sure you are not in ...
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  • Cody
    Software Engineer
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Mar 22, 2021
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    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Show up, Focus, and Trust the process

        In the summer of 2018 I experienced significant burnout at my job and I was miserable. The only escape from my job that I could foresee was to transition into software engineering as a career, which had only been a hobby at that point. The problem was that there was no clear path to “learn to code” without going back to college or to an expensive coding bootcamp, neither of which I could afford. Despite the plethora of free resources out there, I couldn’t find a clear path to become ...
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  • Liz Fedak
    Liz Fedak
    Sales Engineer @ Snowflake • Student • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Feb 25, 2021
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    N/A

    Use Launch School to make your goals come true

    Launch School has been critical for me while I made a huge career transition going into 2021. Last year, I was unhappy as a not-so-technical Technical Support Engineer at a startup after a long and challenging self-taught coding journey. Still, I would look at job interviews elsewhere and feel stuck due to huge gaps in my knowledge, lack of confidence when coding live, and general insecurity about what I knew vs. what I didn't know. Since I did come in with experience, Launch School has ...
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  • Gino Bonanno
    Graduate • Core Curriculum • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jan 29, 2021
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    A decision you won't regret

    Without a doubt, I can say that completing Launch Schools core curriculum is one of the most positive life-altering experiences I have undergone. Launch School instilled in me invaluable knowledge about web development, but its focus on mastery-based learning has changed how I think about education and approach life in general. The problem-solving skills I picked up well-attending Launch School have made me not only a more competent web developer but also a more competent person.

    ...
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  • Kelvin
    Backend Engineer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Dec 04, 2020
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    No prior experience to strong-performing Level 2 Backend Engineer

    Capstone has helped me secure, and perform strongly on, a Level 2 Software Engineer role, with no prior experience.
    7 months on after finishing Launch School's Capstone Program, I’m now a strong-performing Level 2 Backend Engineer at Thought Machine, a high-growth, engineering-centric company based in London, UK, founded by a serial entrepreneur and led by ex-Google engineers.
    I recently passed my 3-month probation where I received only p...
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  • Derick Gross
    Derick Gross
    Software Engineer • Graduate • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Nov 30, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Life-changing experience

    I was one of the very first Launch School students in 2016, having transitioned from their precursor program that was not yet focused on mastery. My original goal had been to find an entry-level, "foot in the door" junior developer role. When such an opportunity came to me while I was about halfway through the core curriculum, I rejected Launch School's advice to continue along the slow path towards mastery. I accepted an underpaid role with a startup, then another with a marketing compa...
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  • Sienna
    Senior Software Engineer • Student • The Capstone Program • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    May 23, 2020
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Worth every minute and every penny

    I attended Launch School from 2016-2018, first doing the self-paced full-stack core program and then the Capstone program.  Both parts were fantastic - well worth every minute and every penny I put into them.

    Launch School's mastery-based curriculum emphasizes deep understanding of programming fundamentals that I now use every day as a full-time software developer.  Although these fundamentals are taught in Ruby and/or Javascript at Launch School, and I've found that the principle...
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Launch School Alumni Outcomes

Recent Launch School News

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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...
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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.

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