So you’re looking for the very best backend bootcamp of 2022. You’re not alone – most backend engineers earn over six figures according to Glassdoor, plus they have wide and varied job prospects. It’s a good gig.
However, becoming a back-end engineer can be tough if you’ve already graduated college and you don’t really fancy going back to school for another two-to-four years. Enter backend bootcamps.
It’s worth noting that backend bootcamps are relatively rare - most bootcamps focus on the front-end or teach the full stack (both frontend and backend development). But good backend bootcamps do exist. And here are seven of the best backend bootcamps.
Backend bootcamps aim to teach you all the skills you need to do the job right. The really good backend bootcamps will help you develop backend projects to demonstrate to future employers. The best ones have some kind of interactive element to fight the coding fatigue that always sets in, like a Discord channel or group events.
That being said, everyone’s definition of “best” is super subjective, so I’ll include as much information as I can around:
- Price
- Duration
- Style
- Content
- Bonus info, like if the instructors are especially awesome or they provide employment stats.
Let’s jump in.
| Backend Bootcamp | Content Highlights | Style | Price | Duration | Bonus Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boot.dev | Python, Go, CS, SQL, Wep Apps | Game-like coding platform | $24-$34/month | ~12 months | Addicting game-like feel |
| Clarusway | Databases, web architecture | Zoom lectures | $11,400 | 3 months | IT specialists |
| Nucamp | Python, SQL, DevOps | Instructor-led cohorts | $1,925 | 16 weeks | Highly rated |
| Knowledgehut | Intro to web dev, Linux, SDLC | Instructor/self paced mix | $999 - $2,799 | ~18 weeks | Beginner-friendly |
| Nashua Community College | Java, SQL, AWS, DSA, OOP, DDL | Instructor office hours | $215 - $490 | 18 weeks | Run by educational pros |
| Technigo | JS Stack, SQL, Docker | Real-world problems | $6570 | 22 weeks | Better for upskilling |
| Springboard | Comprehensive Java, SQL, MySQL | Video lectures + mentors | $9,900 - $16,500 | 9 months | Average $26k salary bump |
1. Boot.dev’s Online Backend Bootcamp 🔗
There are two things I really don’t like about most coding bootcamps: they are obscenely expensive (I’m talking $10k+). And they’re a massive time commitment. Like, if you don’t have 40 spare hours in the week, don’t even bother. The reality is that most people don’t have a spare 40 hours in the week, nor a cool $10k lying around.
That’s why I’m starting with our own Boot.dev’s backend bootcamp, which in my view, is the best backend bootcamp. Here’s the lowdown:
Content: 🔗
This backend bootcamp covers Python, JavaScript, and Go programming languages. There is a combination of guided lessons with an interactive coding window for you to test your code on, mixed with personal projects for you to develop your own coding skills.
Joining the Boot.dev backend bootcamp also includes access to the Discord community of developers.
Style: 🔗
The content style is “learn by doing.” Lessons include some explanatory text, but right from the start, you’ll run into actual coding tasks to complete. These tasks build on your knowledge, growing more complex as you go.
For example, you’ll learn how to build a RESTful social media API in Golang using the standard library. If you’re interested in getting a job writing Go on the web, this is the single most important project you can practice with.
The course also comes with a personal capstone project for every student to complete. By the end of the course, you’ll have a library of projects to put in your portfolio.
Price: 🔗
This backend bootcamp has a few price options. At the high end, you can pay $34/month. You also have the option of paying $24/month if you pay the full year up-front.
Duration: 🔗
To complete this backend web development bootcamp, you should expect to spend around six months – when working on this part-time, spending around 10h per week on it. In hour terms, you can expect it to take you 300 hours or so.
Sounds like the best backend bootcamp for you? Enroll here.
2. Clarusway: Backend Development Course 🔗
Clarusway is a Virginia-based IT training school. With a combined 80+ years of industry experience, Clarusway definitely has the chops to teach a top-tier backend bootcamp. Their whole raison d’être is to help create a highly-skilled IT workforce.
Content: 🔗
This backend bootcamp focuses on databases, programming, and web architecture. You can expect to develop Python applications, use the Django framework, design databases, develop APIs, and ensure accessibility and security compliance.
There are no prerequisites for this course – just bring yourself, motivation, commitment, and some general enthusiasm for IT.
Style: 🔗
Most of the course is delivered via Zoom lecture. However, you can also expect to complete five hands-on projects as well as a final capstone project.
Price: 🔗
Like most bootcamps, this one is on the pricier end. Upfront, you can expect to pay $11,400.
They also offer Income Share Agreements (ISA) where you don’t pay a penny until you’re employed. With this agreement, you’ll pay 9.9% of your monthly pre-tax income for 24 months.
Duration: 🔗
This bootcamp runs for three months. You can expect to receive 100+ hours of in-class sessions and 54 hours of career management services. You’ll get two weeks dedicated to working on your own capstone project.
3. Nucamp: Back End, SQL, and DevOps Developer with Python 🔗
This backend bootcamp has an emphasis on working with real-world devops tools – definitely a pro since that’s what you’ll be doing in your backend developer job. However, this bootcamp only focuses on one language (plus SQL, but who can really count SQL), which I feel is a bit of a flaw – most backend employers want you to show command of multiple programming languages.
That being said, languages are easy to pick up if you know more than one. You can use this backend bootcamp to get to grips with Python, SQL, and some of the most important backend concepts. Then you can go back to learn other languages like Go and Java on your own time.
Content: 🔗
This course covers data structures, algorithms, and devops tools. You’ll learn to deploy to Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Clouds. Here’s the full list of technology and concepts you can expect to become familiar with:
- Python and Postgres SQL
- Data structures, algorithms and DevOps
- Docker
- Flask and Django
- SDLC and CI/CD
- Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud
Style: 🔗
This bootcamp is closest to what you’d get as a semester of college. It’s part-time, instructor-led, and only has a maximum of 15 students per class. Intimate!
Sunday through Friday, expect video lectures, coding exercises, and quizzes. On Saturdays, you can look forward to four-hour live workshops. You’ll have the chance to troubleshoot code problems and code the end-of-the-week assignment. Overall, it sounds pretty fun, pretty interactive, and engaging.
Price: 🔗
This bootcamp, maybe because it’s not super time-intensive, clocks in at $1,925 total. They have a ton of different payment plans for that, though – the cheapest is to make five payments of $385, but you can also defer payment, make payments of $155-169 for a year, or apply for scholarships.
Duration: 🔗
This backend bootcamp runs for sixteen weeks. You should be able to commit eight hours per week to online lectures and four hours per week for live online assignments and workshops. Overall, a 12-hour/week commitment isn’t too bad for four months.
This isn’t an on-demand program, though – the courses run at set times. The next batch runs Nov 14th, 2022 - Feb 25th, 2023.
Bonus info: 🔗
This backend development bootcamp purports to be the #1 coding bootcamp in all the United States by aggregation websites like Career Karma and Course Report.
4. Knowledgehut: Back-End Development Bootcamp 🔗
Knowledgehut was founded in the first flush of bootcamp excitement, back in 2011. Today, it has over 200 employees and is in over 200 locations worldwide. Their specialty is working with corporate clients – companies who want to train up their workforce. In my mind, if a big corp is paying those big corporation bucks for something, that means it’s probably decent.
This particular backend bootcamp has trained over 400,000 professionals.
Content: 🔗
You can start this bootcamp with zero knowledge in backend development. By the end, you will be developing and deploying sophisticated backend apps and services.
You’ll start with an intro to web development. You’ll go through the software development lifecycle using traditional and agile methodologies. You’ll get to grips with working in a Linux environment. And you’ll work with version control and code management.
There’s a long list of software you’ll be exposed to, but the highlights are: Python, Javascript, Node.js, MongoDB, MySQL, Docker, and AWS.
You also get post-bootcamp coaching and job prep.
Style: 🔗
You’ll get 100+ hours of instructor-led training, but a lot of this will be self-paced work. You should expect to spend nearly 700 hours of on-demand self-learning and 250 hours in Cloud Labs. Overall, there are 50 assignments and 12 projects, plus your Capstone project at the end.
Price: 🔗
They have an interesting model – you can opt to go for the instructor-led backend bootcamp, which doesn’t say how much it costs, but does offer up to a 90% scholarship for a couple lucky students.
The other model is self-paced learning, with instructor-led “doubt-clearing sessions” which sounds like office hours to me. This costs $999 total, or $96/month for 12 months. Those 100+ hours of instructor-led training aren’t included in this model.
Switchup.org said the cost of the instructor-led model was $2,799, but they also said the self-paced pricing model was just $499, so who knows.
Duration: 🔗
In their FAQ section, the creators of this backend bootcamp say that the most successful students dedicate 35-40 hours per week to the full-time model, or 12-15 hours per week if they’re doing it part-time. You can also go fully self-paced if you prefer.
They also say you should expect to work the required after-class hours to review course material and complete assignments.
Switchup.org estimates the full-time duration of this backend bootcamp to be 12 weeks. But I guess since it’s all online and mostly self-paced, you can choose to attend the workshop sessions that fit best for your schedule.
Bonus info: 🔗
This backend bootcamp offers a 100% money-back guarantee, no questions asked… as long as you ask for a refund within the first two hours of attending a workshop. 121 minutes in, and you’re in for good.
5. Nashua Community College: Back End Coding Bootcamp 🔗
This isn’t a bootcamp so much as a proper college course. This means it’s going to be run by actual educators, rather than people who are good at coding. This is a big plus in my book, and why this community college class ranks on my list of best backend bootcamps.
Content: 🔗
This backend software development bootcamp covers a lot of ground. The highlights are Java, SQL, AWS, algorithms, object-oriented programming, data definition language, and RESTful APIs.
Style: 🔗
This backend bootcamp is defined by 27 hours of instructor-led classes. Beyond that, you’ll be given assignments and reading materials to self-learn. Beyond assignments, you’ll be able to attend one 30-minute mentor meeting, career office hours, and office drop-in hours every week if you want extra help and attention.
Price: 🔗
Nashua Community College costs $490 per credit if you’re out of state, $323 per credit if you’re in the New England area, or a low $215 if you’re in the state of New Hampshire.
Duration: 🔗
The course runs for 18 weeks. You can expect to spend 1.5 hours per week on that instructor-led session, every Thursday. The course also asks you to spend 15-20 hours of your own time on assignments and course prep.
If this is the best backend web development bootcamp for you, here’s the link to enroll.
6. Technigo: Backend Development Upskill Bootcamp 🔗
Technigo is a small-but-growing company run by the founders of Tjejer Kodar, Sweden’s largest community for women in tech.
Content: 🔗
Unlike other of the best backend bootcamps on this list, this backend bootcamp is aimed to help you upskill, rather than learn from scratch. (Their web dev bootcamp is aimed at pure beginners, and is included in the cost of this backend bootcamp.)
This backend bootcamp is aimed at those who are new to backend development but have some knowledge of coding. If you’re a junior developer who wants to advance, or if you want to go from frontend to full stack, this is the best backend bootcamp for you.
This backend bootcamp focuses on the JS stack. The website makes a bold claim: in 22 weeks, you should be able to get a job as a backend or full-stack developer. You’ll learn Node.js, Express, Docker, web sockets, TypeScript, SQL, and more. You’ll also get the basics of SQL Postgres and noSQL.
Beyond that, you can expect to cover concepts like continuous cloud deployment, unit testing, OAuth2, and two-factor authentication.
Style: 🔗
This backend bootcamp has an interesting approach. Every week, you’ll build a project based on a common, real-world problem. You’ll have access to instructor-led classes around that problem, as well as self-guided study.
Price: 🔗
This backend bootcamp is on the pricier side, coming in at 6,770 euros or $6,570.39 in today’s American dollars. (Thank you, exchange rate.) They also have monthly or bimonthly payment plan options. If you’re struggling with cash, check out their available scholarships to see if you could be considered for any of them.
This price does include the beginner-friendly Web Development Bootcamp and the Career Coaching Program, so it’s a bit of a three-for-one.
Duration: 🔗
The course lasts for 22 weeks. The first two weeks of that are self-paced study – they ask that you spend 40 hours of your time on that. You’ll be given access to pre-recorded course material. You’ll also receive mandatory pre-course assignments.
The next 20 weeks are set up with two weekly mandatory team sessions, and three optional live/guest sessions.
This backend bootcamp will likely take 20-25 hours per week once you’re done with the pre-course work.
Bonus Info: 🔗
This backend bootcamp has a fun stat: it boasts a 95% hiring rate for career changers. That means that if you join the course with the aim to change your career, there’s a very, very high chance you’ll be successful.
At the time of writing, the next start date is January 31st, 2023.
7. Springboard: Backend Development Bootcamp 🔗
Springboard is an online learning platform that covers a wide swath of today’s most in-demand tech skills, like data science, cybersecurity, UI/UX, and obviously backend web development. Their mission is to educate one million people by 2030.
To get the most out of this course, you should have a few prerequisites: programming fundamentals, CSS and HTML fundamentals, and some pretty basic problem-solving aptitudes.
Content: 🔗
This backend bootcamp is a very deep, comprehensive dive into backend development through Java. You’ll run through Java fundamentals, intermediate Java, SQL and MySQL, Advanced Java, and finally Java at Scale.
Style: 🔗
Springboard focuses on its mentorship program. You get 1:1 guidance, accountability, regular meetings, and on-demand calls with your experienced backend development mentor.
Beyond mentorship, you also get typical assignments, video lectures, and group calls. However, it’s worth noting the entire course is self-paced. This is 850+ hours of video materials.
Finally, you’ll create a full web app for your capstone project.
Price: 🔗
This backend bootcamp runs on the pricier end. If you pay upfront, you’ll pay $9,900. If you opt for a monthly or deferred plan, you’ll pay between $f439-$1,290 per month, but the course will end up costing you between $11610 to $16,500.
Duration: 🔗
This program runs for a full nine months. You should be ready to spend 20-25 hours per week on this backend bootcamp. But, as it’s self-paced, it may take more or less time.
Bonus Info: 🔗
This ranks on my list of the best backend bootcamp in part because they offer some killer stats: They’ve enrolled almost 1,000 students since 2020. Since then, 100% of those have received a job offer within 12 months of graduating. And there was a massive $26,559 average salary increase for software engineering students who provided that data.
They also guarantee a job offer. No job? Get your money back. There are some conditions on that guarantee – you have to “[a]pply to positions, dedicate sufficient time and effort, and follow the job search process recommended to you by our career coaches,” so there are some strings. But overall? That, plus their employment stats, seem very useful.
What’s the best backend bootcamp of them all? 🔗
The best backend bootcamp for you is the right combo of price, intensity, subject matter, and general vibes. If you want to focus on computer science fundamentals for a more affordable, community-driven approach? Then boot.dev’s backend bootcamp is the right option. If you want a deep dive into Java, then Springboard is probably a great bootcamp for you.
I’ve tried to provide you with all the relevant information you need to make the right choice for you. Most of these websites have a ton of additional information, pricing assistance, scholarships, curricula, and FAQs – I encourage you to check them out.
No matter which one you choose, the best backend bootcamp will end up helping you accomplish your goals, whether that’s a career change, a salary hike, or just a better life.
