Thinking of a becoming a professional programmer? But which is the better way in? Traditional university degree or coding bootcamp. This infographic from the What'sTheHost Team has facts and figures to help you choose between them.

Projected job growth in the field of computer and IT is a prime reason for choosing this area as a career - or rather careers since there's an ever increasing options for those with coding skills and an understanding of computer science. Despite more students enrolling in computer science degrees, demand for people with developer/engineering skills continues to outstrip supply and coding bootcamps can provide a fast-track route to gaining the expertise that employers are looking for.

Source: Whatsthehost

The infographic shows a huge difference in the average amount of time and money required for the two routes - 1 semester/ $11,800 for Bootcamp participants; 8 semesters/$141,680 for those taking a CS degree. There's also an age difference - undergraduates start at 18 whereas bootcamp trainees start at 30

One interesting difference revealed in the infographic is that in 2016, while women were only 15% of graduating CS majors, 43% of those graduating from coding bootcamps were women. 

In terms of salary, the average raise for low-income students who made less than $30K prior to attending bootcamp was  $39,190 compared to $33,300 for graduating students who previously only had high school education. The unemployment rate after graduation from bootcamp was 10.7% compared to 26% for those with a CS degree. 

Another point that emerges from the infographic is that the average bootcamper already has a bachelor's degree and several years of work experience. So it may well be that the choice isn't really between university education and bootcamp at the outset of a career but more for those looking for a change of direction or an acceleration of pace in mid-career.  

More Information

Coding Bootcamp vs CS Degree

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