The Tech Academy
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 campus. The Tech Academy offers part-time and full-time bootcamps in computer programming, website development, cybersecurity, game development, mobile development, data science, front-end development, tech marketing, and tech sales. The immersive experience aims to create well-rounded technology professionals, and also gives students the option to take the course at their own pace. There are also no set starts dates or rigid scheduling. Students can enroll at any time, study from home, and choose whatever study schedule they would like.
The Tech Academy’s bootcamps cover topics including computer science fundamentals, programming basics, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, C#, Python, Bootstrap, jQuery, React.js, project management, Agile, Scrum, MVC, version control, Java, and more. Each bootcamp also includes a Live Project, where students gain real-life experience to add to their resume as well as job placement assistance.
None of The Tech Academy's bootcamps require any tech background or experience. To apply, applicants need to take an IQ test with logic-based questions (to ensure applicants can read, write and perform basic math), followed by an admissions interview.
The final part of every The Tech Academy bootcamp is the Job Placement Course which covers interviewing skills, resume writing, where to find tech jobs, and gives students access to job placement staff who assist students in landing technical positions.
419 The Tech Academy Reviews
RachelJul 15, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob AssistanceJavaScript Course
I learned about data types in JavaScript, if statements, while loops, arrays, functions and how jQuery is a library of functions that can be used in adding already programmed features. I also learned that using HTML for content, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for more features and functionality, work well for making the front end of websites.
I had learned a little bit of JavaScript before this course and this course really seemed to cement those concepts and I...I learned about data types in JavaScript, if statements, while loops, arrays, functions and how jQuery is a library of functions that can be used in adding already programmed features. I also learned that using HTML for content, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for more features and functionality, work well for making the front end of websites.
I had learned a little bit of JavaScript before this course and this course really seemed to cement those concepts and I felt more comfortable with JavaScript after this course. Also, there was an opportunity to work on debugging skills.
Learning JavaScript is not only good for developing a nice front end for a website but with it also being an object oriented language really lays the foundation for learning other object oriented languages.Danny Condon of The Tech Academy
Lead Job Placement Director
Sep 30, 2016
Thanks for the review Rachel! I know how important learning more JavaScript was for you because you're such a creative personality. I can't wait to see more of your awesome projects!- LGStudentJul 15, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Great Experience Working On Live Project
I have gained a lot of experience from my live project. I have modified most of the webpages in the Tech Academy’s website to be more attractive and functional using JavaScript, PHP, Bootstrap and CSS methods in HTML. Solving issues with xamp port setting by myself was an awesome experience. I have got experience with both group project environment and working independently to find solutions. Continuously monitoring our progress in shared work sheet and using version control in...
I have gained a lot of experience from my live project. I have modified most of the webpages in the Tech Academy’s website to be more attractive and functional using JavaScript, PHP, Bootstrap and CSS methods in HTML. Solving issues with xamp port setting by myself was an awesome experience. I have got experience with both group project environment and working independently to find solutions. Continuously monitoring our progress in shared work sheet and using version control in GitHub improved our overall productivity. The experience I have gained through the live project will be very beneficial in my future career as a software developer. Even though I am looking forward to a career concentrating in data analysis sector, the experience I acquired from the website development and Live Project overall is directly applicable to any field related to a programming career.
Danny Condon of The Tech Academy
Lead Job Placement Director
Sep 30, 2016
Thank you so much for your review! I'm so glad that you were able to get out of the Live Project what we intended that everyone gets: real-world experience. This is definitely a confidence-booster. I'm sure that this experience will assist you in your future career! - Tom ToyStudent • Software Developer Bootcamp • PortlandJul 11, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
How the Tech Academy helped me land a new job
To be competitive as a Senior Sales or Account person you need to distinguish yourself from all the other Sales people. I decided to take the Tech Academy training to do just that. In my 30 years in this business it was always apparent that Software Sales People lacked the background to effectively communicate with Software Engineers. If you just take orders and don't really sell anything your technical acumen does not matter. If you really have to execute a sales process to w...To be competitive as a Senior Sales or Account person you need to distinguish yourself from all the other Sales people. I decided to take the Tech Academy training to do just that. In my 30 years in this business it was always apparent that Software Sales People lacked the background to effectively communicate with Software Engineers. If you just take orders and don't really sell anything your technical acumen does not matter. If you really have to execute a sales process to win business you need to establish credibility and rapport with Software Developers. You can have technical people help you but to find and initiate new business you need to engage on their level. I've managed to do this for years but as this business evolved my knowledge is dated, and it showed.
I have completed all the courses up through Java Script and found them to be helpful in many ways. First of all I always thought I knew the basics of the business quite well. Wrong. I maybe had 50% of the basics info and quickly discovered that I really lacked fundamental knowledge and so many things have changed. I was able to boost my knowledge in this area to 99%. This and all the subsequent courses have increased my confidence and it really paid off.My job category is that of a Senior person and interviews for jobs like this go on for months. I may not have ever applied for a Sales Engineering job without the coursework I have under my belt. I did apply for one with the help of Danny and Michael. Part of the interview process was a presentation in front of the VP. Michael and Danny made a suggestion about standing up and using a laser pointer and it worked so well that after 10 min they had seen enough and put me through the rest of the process. Thanks to the Tech Academy coursework and Michael and Danny's idea I will be starting my new job on Monday the 11th.
- Jason CStudent • PortlandJul 11, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Working On A Live Project
I served both as a team member and a scrum master during my live project experience, and gained a multitude of valuable team development work perspectives to describe to prospective employers during my job search. I learned how to use Bootstrap and MVC for web development – both skills which have impressed the recruiters to whom I have spoken – and gained extra practice reading and writing in C#. This will help me as I complete the remainder of my C# course at the Tech Academy.
I served both as a team member and a scrum master during my live project experience, and gained a multitude of valuable team development work perspectives to describe to prospective employers during my job search. I learned how to use Bootstrap and MVC for web development – both skills which have impressed the recruiters to whom I have spoken – and gained extra practice reading and writing in C#. This will help me as I complete the remainder of my C# course at the Tech Academy.
To my credit, I was able to solve a number of challenging issues, especially during my second live project. I was happy to be able to contribute by, among other things, fixing the scroll bar issue on the Bewander home page, improving the home page and review creation pages' formats, and cosmetically brushing up the whole site.
Overall, I am glad to be able to use this teamwork experience, both in my coding work and on my resume, going forward.
- Archana MGraduate • Software Developer Bootcamp • PortlandJul 06, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
The live project helped me get hired!
I joined The Tech Academy in November 2015 aiming to switch my career to software development from a background in Electrical Engineering and many long years of voluntary work. I had sensed that the growing tech community in the city would be a great opportunity to be hired as a Software Developer. I had been checking out several options and ultimately decided to join Tech Academy because of the curriculum that covered web development using Microsoft Technologies. The se...
I joined The Tech Academy in November 2015 aiming to switch my career to software development from a background in Electrical Engineering and many long years of voluntary work. I had sensed that the growing tech community in the city would be a great opportunity to be hired as a Software Developer. I had been checking out several options and ultimately decided to join Tech Academy because of the curriculum that covered web development using Microsoft Technologies. The self-paced learning environment was another selling point. Although I was aware of some aspects of software development, it was during the bootcamp training that I got to learn and understand a lot more. I believe I gained a solid foundation on the basics as a result of my training at The Tech Academy.
The way the course is designed was of great benefit to me as it helped me to get a firm grip on programming basics starting with terms and abbreviations and then moving on to more complex topics such as databases, data structures, Object Oriented Programming concepts and layered architecture. The video tutorials, starting from WordPress and version control to actual full-stack development using .NET, the follow-along exercises and the short drills at the end of each topic also were very helpful.
The job placement course with the short videos on etiquette and soft skills, resume and cover letter preparation and mock-interview drills helped me to be interview-ready.
Working on live projects was very useful for me, as it prepared me to get a foretaste of what to expect in the real world of programming. In addition to practice in solving technical challenges, I experienced how it would be to work in a team, collaborate, communicate status, and complete tasks in a deadline-driven environment. In fact, in my job interview the focus was on the live project and my contribution in it which eventually helped me get hired!
I want to express my gratitude to the team of instructors at Tech Academy who helped me throughout the course and for encouraging me to never give up but keep on persevering. The journey was long and hard but it was worth the whole time. My experience here taught me a lot that has, I believe, helped me not only secure my first programming job, but will also help in building a career in software development.
- Bill SGraduate • Software Developer Bootcamp • PortlandJul 04, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
I have accepted a job offer as a web developer for one of Portland's largest employers
I had been working in the semiconductor industry for most of a decade when I learned about The Tech Academy. I had known about code schools for a couple of years and was intrigued by the idea, but I didn't know that they had begun opening inPortland. I had become dissatisfied with my career and I have always enjoyed working with computers, so after researching some of the local schools I chose to quit my job and enroll in The Tech Academy. I chose The Tech Academy because of its focus on t...
I had been working in the semiconductor industry for most of a decade when I learned about The Tech Academy. I had known about code schools for a couple of years and was intrigued by the idea, but I didn't know that they had begun opening inPortland. I had become dissatisfied with my career and I have always enjoyed working with computers, so after researching some of the local schools I chose to quit my job and enroll in The Tech Academy. I chose The Tech Academy because of its focus on the .NET framework and the flexibility of its schedule.
The Tech Academy's curriculum is very well thought out because it does not assume a student has a background in computer science or programming. Although a lot of the Computer Basics Course was a review for me, it was a useful review that I needed. Each course in the program builds on what a student has already learned. Along with all the computer languages and database work, students also learn the basics of project management as well as the skills they need to write a quality resume and stand out during a job interview.
All of the instructors I met were friendly and wanted me to succeed. If I asked a question they did not know the answer to, they admitted it instead of telling me something that was wrong. They also encourage students to attend Meetups so we can meet people that are working in the industry and learn about all of the different kinds of work in which we can get involved.
I have accepted a job offer as a web developer for one of Portland's largest employers and it was only possible with the skills I learned at The Tech Academy. For the first time in a while, I feel positive about my future. Thank you.
- Dennis KravetsJnr dev • Graduate • Software Developer Bootcamp • PortlandJun 21, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Completing this program has landed me a job with a well-known company
The Tech Academy has been one of the best choices that I could have made for furthering my education. Going through multiple jobs in multiple fields really put a perspective on what I wanted to do for a career and I know It was with coding and software developing. With The Tech Academy I was able to accomplish this in a faster, more cost effective way without the extra classes that didn't relate to my studies! I was able to go through the courses at my own fast pace and really get a ...
The Tech Academy has been one of the best choices that I could have made for furthering my education. Going through multiple jobs in multiple fields really put a perspective on what I wanted to do for a career and I know It was with coding and software developing. With The Tech Academy I was able to accomplish this in a faster, more cost effective way without the extra classes that didn't relate to my studies! I was able to go through the courses at my own fast pace and really get a true understanding for the fundamentals. Each course that you go through gives incorporates the past ones so you don't forget and you see real life applications of using it. Completing this program has landed me a job with a well known company making an awesome salary! It even gave me the knowledge to start my own business on the side to help other business owners with their websites! Many thanks to The Tech Academy for doing what they do with highly qualified instructors that help you along every step of the way.
Danny Condon of The Tech Academy
Lead Job Placement Director
Sep 29, 2016
Wow! I would say this is the quintessential success coming from one of the graduates of the Tech Academy. Thank you so much for sharing your win, and very well done on your part on making things go right to be in the career you want. - Chris CarterSoftware Developer • Graduate • Software Developer Bootcamp • PortlandJun 06, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
It was fun!
Twelve weeks ago, I began my studies at The Tech Academyand next week I begin an intellectually challenging job, developing software for one of the biggest names in I.T.!
Software development is a great field to be a part of: it is creative, intellectually rich, full of dynamic people, and in high demand. Plus it's fun! Changing careers has been an exciting process, and I can now say that my training at The Tech Academy has clearly given me the foundation I need to be successfu...
Twelve weeks ago, I began my studies at The Tech Academyand next week I begin an intellectually challenging job, developing software for one of the biggest names in I.T.!
Software development is a great field to be a part of: it is creative, intellectually rich, full of dynamic people, and in high demand. Plus it's fun! Changing careers has been an exciting process, and I can now say that my training at The Tech Academy has clearly given me the foundation I need to be successful.
The three greatest merits of The Tech Academy are the Job Placement resources, the Live Project experience, and the selfpaced structure. When I refer to Job Placement resources, I don't mean that The Tech Academy sets you up with prospective employers—which will be a disappointment to some prospective students. But the Academy brings in speakers each week, which introduced me to the recruiter who worked so amazingly to place me. I also got great advice in the Job Placement course, which gave me a terrific looking resume and got me in the right forums. Most importantly, the weekly technical Round Tables prepared me specifically for my interview, which was quite technical.
The Live Project gave me the crucial experience I could point to, using the very technologies that are most in-demand. That, of course, is by its design, because the projects are real contracts from the I .T. marketplace. And unlike an internship, where one could potentially be placed in a niche doing entry-level tasks, I worked on the full functional breadth of a large website.
The selfpaced structure of The Tech Academy is its great two-edged sword. It allowed me to start immediately, and to devote myself fully to progressing. In the timeframe that I would be waiting to start the next course at another bootcamp, I was able to complete the Tech Academy curriculum and move on to putting my skills to work.
The self-pacing also allowed me to take sidetrips for a few minutesor a few daysto more fully understand various concepts that I was introduced to in the courses. I would not have passed my technical interview if I had not done this. Although we covered the concept early on, I revisited database normalization repeatedly throughout my training before I really understood it. I spent an extra hour studying garbage collection in .NET, and I spent two days understanding delegates, event handling and the associated Observer Pattern. I was quizzed on all of these topics, so that was certainly time well spent!
To make the curriculum at The Tech Academy work, though, students have to be selfmotivated to a great degree. You will get out what you put in. One of the beautiful things about a self-paced program is that it accommodates competing priorities in peoples' lives—but it is also possible to lose momentum. So you have to maintain the energy. You also have the responsibility for really learning the material. The Tech Academy curriculum is like a freeway—it will get you across the country, but if you just race across the freeway as fast as you can, you haven't seen the country.
You have to pull over at the historical markers and read the plaques. It certainly worked for me, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at The Tech Academy for all their hard work and their assistance! It was a lot of work, and a lot of fun.
Danny Condon of The Tech Academy
Lead Job Placement Director
Sep 29, 2016
Chris, thank you so much for your review! I have to say, you were the picture-perfect student and example here at the Tech Academy! Very well done on your studiousness, and on all of the hard work and effort you put into making this go right. And thank you for sharing your successful tips at one of our Technical Interview practice sessions. Keep up the good work, and we'd love to have you back here again for a Friday Tech Talk! - AdamJnr Developer • Graduate • Software Developer Bootcamp • PortlandJun 05, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Just finished C# Course
Everything up to this point at The Tech Academy has prepared me for this language. The progression of the previous courses gave me a better understanding of the C# and .Net programming. It's a functional style program easy to wrap your head around and incredibly useful. With gaining the knowledge of C# basics in the beginning; identifiers, keywords, literals, how to declare variables, and constants. To the program structure of main methods, namespaces, statements and operators the langua...Everything up to this point at The Tech Academy has prepared me for this language. The progression of the previous courses gave me a better understanding of the C# and .Net programming. It's a functional style program easy to wrap your head around and incredibly useful. With gaining the knowledge of C# basics in the beginning; identifiers, keywords, literals, how to declare variables, and constants. To the program structure of main methods, namespaces, statements and operators the language gave me the confidence to code. After the completion of this course and with a greater understanding of languages, I can now say that I have the knowledge that most languages have the same platform but different syntax and having that understanding for me is amazing. To think, a few months ago I had never written any code. I've since completed the full boot camp and now am working in tech. -Adam - JDev • Graduate • Software Developer Bootcamp • PortlandJun 04, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
I now am a nerd
Prior to The Tech Academy, I could operate a computer alright. Type documents, send emails, use Facebook, etc. I never considered myself a nerd and when I heard programmers talking I wanted to fall asleep.
But I was attracted to learning coding because I thought I could do well at it and it pays well. I tried some self-training and crashed and burned. The data was way over my head and I didn't know what to study.
My friend told me about boot camps and I re...
Prior to The Tech Academy, I could operate a computer alright. Type documents, send emails, use Facebook, etc. I never considered myself a nerd and when I heard programmers talking I wanted to fall asleep.
But I was attracted to learning coding because I thought I could do well at it and it pays well. I tried some self-training and crashed and burned. The data was way over my head and I didn't know what to study.
My friend told me about boot camps and I researched a few. I chose The Tech Academy for two reasons: 1. Their staff was friendly, helpful and nice and 2. Their curriculum looked more thorough than other schools.
Four months later, I can now code in seven languages and I have my highest ever paying job.
The program was laid out in a great sequence so nothing was too over my head but at the same time it was challenging. The Instructors and job placement staff were amazing and I couldn't have finished without them.
I'm now working in tech and totally couldn't have done it without these guys. Anyways, that's my story - hope it helps
- ShipraGraduate • Software Developer Bootcamp • PortlandMay 20, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Excellent Program
I was introduced to programming 4 years ago when I was studying Business Analysis. Although coding was only a small part of the curriculum, I ended up enjoying it the most. Since then I learned some programming on my own, during my free time until last year when I decided that I wanted to take it up full time and become a software developer. As a result, I enrolled at The Tech Academy.
The courses at The Tech Academy are structured in a way that allows students to build their tec...
I was introduced to programming 4 years ago when I was studying Business Analysis. Although coding was only a small part of the curriculum, I ended up enjoying it the most. Since then I learned some programming on my own, during my free time until last year when I decided that I wanted to take it up full time and become a software developer. As a result, I enrolled at The Tech Academy.
The courses at The Tech Academy are structured in a way that allows students to build their technical skills from the ground up by starting with computer science fundamentals. I never felt like there were concepts or terminology that I was required to learn about prior to the program, because they were all introduced throughout the courses and explained in a way that was easy for a beginner like myself to understand. The course material covers software development in detail, but also maps out the bigger picture. As you progress through the curriculum, you cultivate your own knowledge base of software tools, OOP concepts, database technologies and programming languages while also developing a portfolio of work to apply that knowledge.
There were plenty of assignments and projects to work on for each of the courses, plus a live project towards the end of the program, and the instructors at The Tech Academy were available every step of the way. Although I was a remote student, they always responded quickly to any questions I had and the constructive feedback they provided was an immense help. In regards to my career, enrolling at The Tech Academy was the best decision I have made because it gave me the technical skills needed to start a career in software development, but also helped me build my confidence and ultimately land a job as a Junior .NET Developer.
- DylanOnlineApr 18, 2016Overall ExperienceInstructorsCurriculumJob Assistance
Great Experience!
I am a recent graduate of The Tech Academy and my experience there was fantastic. I signed up for their software boot camp in December and by April I was hired with no prior experience in I.T. The knowledge I gained from doing the course work at the boot camp was invaluable. It didn’t just teach me about programming, but it taught me how to think like a software developer. One of the best experiences of the boot camp was the live project. This entailed working with a team using...
I am a recent graduate of The Tech Academy and my experience there was fantastic. I signed up for their software boot camp in December and by April I was hired with no prior experience in I.T. The knowledge I gained from doing the course work at the boot camp was invaluable. It didn’t just teach me about programming, but it taught me how to think like a software developer. One of the best experiences of the boot camp was the live project. This entailed working with a team using Agile/Scrum methodologies to complete a two week long sprint. It was very rewarding being able to put what I learned to use in a real world project.
I studied remotely from Maryland and then came out to Portland to work on the live project and search for a job. I was able to find employment promptly with the help of The Tech Academy’s job placement crew. Overall, my experience at The Tech Academy was great and I would recommend it to anyone trying to break into the field of software development.
The Tech Academy Alumni Outcomes
| Employed in-field | 70.1% |
| Full-time employee | 70.1% |
| Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 0.0% |
| Short-term contract, part-time, or freelance | 0.0% |
| Started a new company or venture after graduation | 0.0% |
| Not seeking in-field employment | 11.2% |
| Employed out-of-field | 2.8% |
| Continuing to higher education | 4.7% |
| Not seeking a job for health, family, or personal reasons | 3.8% |
| Still seeking job in-field | 8.5% |
| Could not contact | 10.2% |
Recent The Tech Academy News
The Tech Academy Alumni Reviews Summary
How much does The Tech Academy cost?
The Tech Academy costs around $14,000. On the lower end, some The Tech Academy courses like Self-Paced Front-End Web Developer Boot Camp cost $1,800.
What courses does The Tech Academy teach?
The Tech Academy offers courses like Online C# and .NET Framework Boot Camp (full-time), Online C# and .NET Framework Boot Camp (part-time), Online Cyber Security Boot Camp (full-time), Online Cyber Security Boot Camp (part-time) and 35 more.
Where does The Tech Academy have campuses?
The Tech Academy has in-person campuses in Portland. The Tech Academy also has a remote classroom so students can learn online.
Is The Tech Academy worth it?
The data says yes! The Tech Academy reports a 72% graduation rate, a median salary of $54,000 and 85% of The Tech Academy alumni are employed. The Tech Academy hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 419 The Tech Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed The Tech Academy on Course Report - you should start there!
Is The Tech Academy legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 419 The Tech Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed The Tech Academy and rate their overall experience a 4.83 out of 5.
Does The Tech Academy offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like The Tech Academy 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 The Tech Academy reviews?
You can read 419 reviews of The Tech Academy on Course Report! The Tech Academy alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed The Tech Academy and rate their overall experience a 4.83 out of 5.
Is The Tech Academy accredited?
We are a licensed trade school through the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (and other state licensing bodies), authorized to certify students in coding and other technical professions.