Updated in 2023
- What does Galvanize do?
- Who is Galvanize for?
- What does Galvanize cost?
- Ratings and reviews of Galvanize
- Alternatives to Galvanize
- How does Galvanize compare to Pathrise?
What does Galvanize do?
Galvanize is a data science and software engineering bootcamp offering a variety of courses online and at their campuses in San Francisco, Austin, Seattle, and elsewhere. In addition to offering part-time introduction courses to data science and software engineering, Galvanize provides an online prep course for students who want to brush up on their skills before enrolling in the full-time, immersive data science and software engineering courses.
With over 9 campuses, 500 annual events, and more than 3,000 graduates, Galvanize has helped train and cultivate a community of data scientists and software engineers. The data science immersive course uses a Python-based curriculum. Students learn about machine learning, statistical analysis, NLP, and visualization. The software engineering immersive courses emphasize full stack JavaScript and application design and development. Each day begins with a lecture and self-directed lab. After lunch, there is another round of lecture and lab, as well as a Q&A session. Lectures are not recorded, so attendance is strongly encouraged.
Full-time courses meet Monday-Friday from 9am-8pm and on Saturdays from 9am-5:30pm for 12-13 weeks. If that schedule is too demanding, Galvanize offers part-time, remote courses that cover the same material over the course of 30-36 weeks.
Who is the Galvanize for?
Galvanize is for students with some background in math and programming who are looking to make a career shift into data science or software engineering. Students without the prerequisite background must take a pre-course before beginning, as the curriculum is fast-paced and demanding. Students work upwards of ten hours a day, so people who are working at the same time might not be a good fit. Because there are only 2 hours of instruction a day, self starters benefit from the Galvanize curriculum.
How much does Galvanize cost? How much work is involved?
The price of the full-time bootcamp is $17,980. You can also finance your education through an income share agreement (ISA) with a deposit of $2,000. Once you are making at least $60k/year, you will pay 10% of your income for up to 48 months. Repayment is capped at 1.4x tuition. However, students living in New York and California cannot participate in the ISA. Galvanize also offers full-tuition scholarships. To apply, candidates must submit the scholarship application, which includes essays and a short video recording.
The bootcamps fill up months in advance, so applicants should plan ahead. To apply for the bootcamp, candidates must submit an online application, complete the free online prep course, and take the admissions assessment, which is based on the prep course.
For $250, Galvanize offers its popular premium prep course, which provides 100 hours of instruction time, access to instructors and peers, and help desk support during class hours. Candidates can also check out the mentored prep course, which costs $450, and provides students with individualized support. Mentored prep covers the same material as the premium prep course but at the student’s pace.
Ratings and reviews of Galvanize bootcamp
Galvanize generally receives positive reviews. Reviewers on Switchup said that the curriculum was great for self starters and an “awesome avenue for switching roles.” On CourseReport, many students reviewed the program favorably, though one student reports that the instructors “do not have some of the experience to walk through coding questions without them asking for help themselves.”
One Quora reviewer warns that the program only has “2 hours of instruction a day,” so be prepared to be “doing your own thing.” Similarly on Career Karma, students felt like the course moved too quickly, explaining, “they try to fit a lot in such a short time that it really takes away from the value of the program.”
Reddit users found the program valuable for networking but criticized Galvanize for poor instruction, with one graduate reporting that “the difference between teaching skills is insane.”
Alternatives to Galvanize
Depending on your learning style and quantitative background, Galvanize may not be the right fit. If this is the case, consider one of the alternatives listed below.
- One of the most well known bootcamps is General Assembly, which offers full-time, part-time, and 1-day courses on a variety of topics like software engineering, data science, UX design, digital marketing, product management, and more. Read more about General Assembly in our review.
- Like Galvanize, Zip Code Wilmington, Lambda School, Nucamp, Fullstack Academy, Byte Academy, and Coding Dojo offer bootcamps in data science fundamentals and software engineering.
- Aspiring software engineers and web developers can also consider CodeX Academy, a self-paced coding bootcamp. Learn more about CodeX Academy in our review.
- Another option is Grand Circus, which teaches courses on Java, front-end, and C# .NET. Their campuses are in Michigan, but they also offer online options.
- Likewise, Tech Elevator, Epicodus, and Redwood Code Academy are software engineering bootcamps with online and on-campus options.
- Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They provide free courses on many different programming languages. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
- Current and aspiring data scientists can also consider DataCamp, Dataquest, Promotable, Divergence Academy, and Data Science Dojo. They have individual courses, as well as in-depth tracks.
- If you are starting from scratch, you can consider the self-paced course at Data Science Dream Job. Or, check out K2 Data Science, which is a part-time, online program.
- If you prefer in-person classes, check out Magnimind, University of Arizona Bootcamps, or Principal Analytics Prep, which have full-time and part-time data science courses.
- Coding Temple and RMOTR offer bootcamps in the fundamentals of Python data science and web development. Similarly, QuickStart, Codeup, and Nashville Software School have courses in web dev and data.
More alternatives
- Metis has part-time introduction courses as well as onsite and online bootcamp options. Learn more about Metis in our review.
- Or, consider Kal Academy, which works with women and underrepresented groups on software engineering, web dev, and data.
- You can check out Udacity and Springboard, which are online educational platforms that students can use to brush up on the basics or advance their current tech skills. Read more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews.
- edX is one of the largest online learning platforms. They have courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
- Similarly, Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They provide free courses on many different programming languages. They also offer membership options ranging from $20 to $40 per month for more course options and greater support. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
- Offering courses ranging from free to $25,000, Coursera probably has a low-cost college course that meets your needs. Many accredited universities partner with Coursera.
- Similarly, Udemy and Pluralsight offer thousands of courses in a variety of topics.
- Free online resources, SoloLearn and the Mode tutorials have tracks in SQL, as well as other programming languages.
- There is also freeCodeCamp, which is another free alternative for people looking to learn the basics, though intermediate software engineers can also brush up on their skills or learn new languages.
- Likewise, 365 Data Science is a low-cost and low commitment option to learn data fundamentals. In the same vein, FourthBrain has part-time, online machine learning courses.
How does Galvanize compare to Pathrise?
The Galvanize data science and software engineering bootcamps are for people with some quantitative experience in the subject who are looking to advance their skills or transition into a new, but somewhat similar, field. At Pathrise, fellows coming into the program should also already have some background in their field because our workshops are based around technical interview training, which requires knowledge of the fundamentals.
Pathrise offers a flexible schedule, the opportunity to interact 1-on-1 with mentors as needed, and a personalized program aimed at identifying each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Each week includes just 2-4 hours of sessions. We also offer an income share agreement so the program is free until fellows land a job that they love and start working.
Pathrise helps you accelerate your career by providing 1-on-1 mentoring to maximize your personal background, experiences, and unique skill set. If you are interested in working with a mentor 1-on-1 to optimize your job search, become a Pathrise fellow.
Apply today.
