Thinkful is an online education platform (part of the Chegg family) that offers flexible and affordable training programs for in-demand areas in the tech field like software engineering, data science, data analytics, UX/UI design, digital marketing, and technical project management. Courses can last between three and six months, depending on the chosen course and whether or not the student participates on a full- or part-time basis. These courses help students learn valuable skills to help them start a career in a chosen field or advance their career in the field they are already working in.
Upon course completion, Thinkful provides students with a certificate and six months of career search services. Thinkful also offers career services over the course of the program as well as other amazing resources like resume writing, career workshops, mock interviews, all of which can help graduates land jobs with some of the top tech companies in the industry. Thinkful offers a variety of payment options for students, including an option with no cost upfront and an option that provides students monthly allowances for living expenses, both of which are dependent on whether the student gets hired within a certain time frame after graduation and whether their salary meets certain income requirements.
Thinkful Overview Table
| Website | www.thinkful.com/ |
| Courses Offered | Software engineering Data science Data analytics UX/UI design Digital marketing Technical project management |
| Course Delivery Method | Remote Learning — three courses require cohort work if the student is participating in the full-time course |
| Length of Courses | 3 to 6 months, depending on the course and whether the student is studying full or part time |
| Time Commitment | 15 to 60 hours per week, depending on what course the student chooses and whether they are part or full time |
| Tuition Policy | There are multiple payment options, including $0 upfront, which depend on whether the student finds a job within their minimum salary requirements |
| Tuition | Software engineering — Full time: $16,000; Part time: $9,500 Data science — $9,500 Data analytics — Full time: $12,250; Part time: $8,000 UX/UI design — Full time: $12,150; Part time: $9,500 Digital marketing — $4,900 Technical project management — $6,500 |
| Job Placement | There is no guaranteed job placement, but 81% of graduates report finding employment within 180 days of graduation. Students also work with a career coach for six months after graduation |
| Certificates Offered | Certificates are offered after graduation, but they are not Google certifications nor are they accredited |
How Signing Up for a Bootcamp With Thinkful Works
The bootcamp enrollment process for Thinkful is quite simple and user friendly.
To get started, students will pick the bootcamp course or subject they want to participate in. They will then be asked to input their first and last name, along with their email address.
Once this is complete, students will be asked to input some basic information, such as their phone number as well as the city and state in which they reside. Students are then asked to fill in information regarding their education experience and their experience with the subject they are looking to learn about. This part of the sign-up process has two other drop-down menus to complete. The first menu asks the student what their goal is with the class and it gives the student choices like finding a job in that field or starting a new business. The second menu asks when the student will be ready to start the course and provides a variety of options to choose from.
Students are then asked to create their Thinkful profile using their basic information and to pick a password for their new profile. Once completed, students will be enrolled in the intro course for that specific bootcamp, which the student will have to complete before moving on to selecting their payment method and whether they want to enroll in full- or part-time study.
Students will then be put in contact with an admissions representative who will talk to the student about their career goals and then guide them through payment options. For some courses, the introduction class will determine whether or not the student is accepted and admitted into the course. Students must finish the introductory course to be admitted into any bootcamp program. Students who are not admitted can reapply with no wait. Students who wish to enroll in these bootcamp courses must be able to show that they have a high school diploma or equivalent as well as basic reading and writing skills and basic computer efficiency. Some courses require certain technical requirements, so be sure to note the tools you’ll need as a student.
For students who have issues with admissions or requirements, it is suggested that they visit www.thinkful.com/faq/ to find answers or ask an admissions representative any other questions not included in the FAQ.
Thinkful Tuition Overview
Tuition for Thinkful’s online bootcamps range in price and depend on the course as well as whether the student is choosing full- or part-time study. The full-time courses are UX/UI Design ($12,150/9,500 part time), Data Analytics ($12,250/$8,000 part time), and Software Engineering ($16,000/$9,500 part time). The other three courses are Digital Marketing ($4,900), Technical Project Management ($6,500), and Data Science ($9,500).
Thinkful offers several options for tuition payment. Students have their choice in how to pay: full tuition upfront, in month-to-month increments, deferred tuition (which requires nothing upfront until they are making more than $40,000 per year, then fixed monthly payments), and deferred tuition with living expenses option (where Thinkful loans students $1,500 in living expenses monthly to help cover rent, groceries, and utilities).
With the first deferred tuition option, if students do not get hired within six months of finishing the bootcamp, they will not have to pay back anything. If a student chooses to take the deferred tuition and living expenses option, they have 36 months to pay back the loan once they are making at least $40,000.
Bootcamp Courses Available
Data Analytics
$12,250 – Full Time | 4 months | 50 hours per week | $8,000 – Part Time | 6 months | 20-30 hours per week | Online | Start dates vary
Thinkful’s Data Analytics course can be taken as either a full- or part-time program and ranges from four to six months for completion. Students in this course will learn the basics and delve deeper into understanding and utilizing data and complex formulas. Students will gain skills in Python, Advanced Excel, Statistical Analysis, SQL, and Tableau. Upon graduation, students will receive a certificate of completion.
- Placement Test Required? Four-week intro course needed for full-time study
- Interview Required? Yes
- Skill Level Required? Basic problem-solving and reading
Software Engineering
$16,000 – Full Time | 5 months | 50 hours per week | $9,500 – Part Time | 6 months | 20-30 hours per week | Online | Start dates vary
Thinkful’s Software Engineering course is offered in both full- and part-time formats and takes five to six months to complete, respectively. Students will gain skills in both front- and back-end web development as well as learn how to utilize JavaScript, React, and Node. Upon completion, students will receive a certificate and be eligible for jobs in web development and engineering.
- Placement Test Required? Four-week intro course needed for full-time study
- Interview Required? Yes
- Skill Level Required? Basic problem-solving and reading
UX/UI Design
$12,150 – Full Time | 5 months | 50 hours per week | $9,500 – Part Time | 6 months | 20-25 hours per week | Online | Start dates vary
Thinkful’s UX/UI Design bootcamp can be taken as either a full- or part-time course with a completion time of five or six months, respectively. In this bootcamp, students will gain valuable job skills in subjects like user research, wireframe prototyping, user empathy, information architecture, and interactive design. Upon completion, students will receive a certificate and be able to find work in web design and research roles.
- Placement Test Required? Four-week intro course needed for full-time study
- Interview Required? Yes
- Skill Level Required? Basic problem-solving and reading
Data Science
$9,500 | Online | Part Time | 15-20 hours per week | 6 months | Start dates vary
Thinkful offers an online part-time Data Science bootcamp that takes approximately six months to complete. In this self-paced course, students will learn skills in subjects like statistics, calculus, machine learning, data visualization, and computer programming. Once completed, students will receive a certificate of completion.
- Placement Test Required? No
- Interview Required? Yes
- Skill Level Required? Basic problem-solving and reading
Technical Project Management
$6,500 | Online | Part Time | 20 hours per week | 5 months | Start dates vary
Thinkful’s fully online, part-time Technical Project Management bootcamp is a five-week self-paced course. In this course, they will learn about subjects like project planning, forecasting, target analysis, IT management, and systems development. Graduates will receive a certificate of completion when finished.
- Placement Test Required? No
- Interview Required? Yes
- Skill Level Required? Basic problem-solving and reading
Digital Marketing
$4,900 | Online | Part Time | 15-20 hours per week | 3 months | Start dates vary
The Digital Marketing bootcamp offered by Thinkful is an online part-time course that can be completed in as few as three months. In this course, students will gain knowledge and skills in subjects like search engine optimization, social media marketing, email marketing, pay-per-click functions, and content marketing. Upon completion of this course, students will receive a certificate.
- Placement Test Required? No
- Interview Required? Yes
- Skill Level Required? Basic problem-solving and reading
A Typical Week Learning at Thinkful
For full-time students, they will be looking at 50 hours of learning per week with online courses Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time.
Students who work will have a difficult time participating in the weekday online courses, so the part-time options provide much more flexibility and give the student full responsibility for pacing themselves throughout the days and weeks. If students need flexibility because of work or other obligations, the part-time courses are the perfect option.
Course length varies, of course, depending on whether the student is full time or part time and which course they are enrolled in. Students can expect to work anywhere from 15 to 60 hours per week and to complete their courses between three and six months, depending on the course.
What We Like About Thinkful
There are several things we like about Thinkful and their bootcamp courses, including their multiple payment methods, flexible learning options, job search support, and tuition guarantee.
Multiple Payment Methods
For students who might be on a tight budget, Thinkful offers several different payment plans that students can choose from. An upfront option may not be ideal, so Thinkful’s month-to-month payment plan or their deferred tuition options give students the ability to get the education they want without having to spend a ton of money upfront. The deferred tuition options, including the option where Thinkful gives the student $1,500 per month (via loan) for living expenses, are a great way for students to aim for a bigger goal post-graduation. The deferred tuition with no upfront cost also comes with Thinkful’s tuition refund guarantee, something we will cover later in this review.
Flexible Learning Options
Thinkful’s flexible learning options give students the ability to learn while they work a full-time job or fulfill other personal responsibilities. Students enrolled in part-time courses can work at their own pace and complete the coursework on their timeline. These options are the most ideal for this type of student and can allow them a stress-free learning environment that will help them advance their education, life, and career after graduation from the bootcamp program.
Tuition Refund Guarantee
One of the aspects we like most about Thinkful is their tuition refund guarantee. When students enroll with the deferred tuition payment option, they have six months to find a position — if they cannot, Thinkful will forgive their entire tuition loan, meaning they will not be required to pay anything despite having graduated from the program. This guarantee is a great way to show that the company trusts and believes in their education programs so much that they guarantee students will be able to find good work in the field of their choice.
Job Search Support
Thinkful offers personalized career coaching and job search support for students during their bootcamp program and after they successfully finish their course. These supports provide students with resources like mock technical interviews, resume building, and access to posted open roles with major tech companies. Post-graduation, graduates can work with their career coach for up to six months to create a portfolio, master their resume, learn how to negotiate salary, and create a target list of potential employers. Thinkful also offers workshops and interactive Q&A sessions for students that can further aid them in their job searches.
What We Don’t Like About Thinkful
Although Thinkful offers some fantastic student services and programs, we noticed some areas that they might be able to improve.
Non-accredited Courses
Thinkful’s bootcamp courses are not accredited by any national or regional educational institution. Although most education certificate programs are not accredited, Thinkful also is not partnered with other certificate programs like Coursera or Google to provide their high-ranked certificates. However, although these programs are non-accredited, Thinkful has partnered with Southern New Hampshire University, which allows students to use their Thinkful bootcamp course as credit toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree program at the school.
Full-Time Courses Are Not as Flexible
Thinkful’s three full-time bootcamp courses require students to be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time, which can be very inconvenient for students who need to finish the program but have other responsibilities such as work or children. These other responsibilities can be extremely time consuming, and the time commitment on a schedule basis can make it hard for someone who lives on the West Coast to make their classes on time. Other online bootcamps offer a little bit more flexibility, even for their full-time programs. ich allows students to use their Thinkful bootcamp course as credit toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree program at the school.
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