25 Data Science Bootcamps And Courses To Grow Your Career

I cover 4 different types of bootcamps for complete beginners to experienced professionals

Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned professional, there are hundreds of options for you to grow your career in analytics. Some are in-person and cost thousands of dollars and others are online and free.

In this article, I’ll list 25 data science bootcamps and programs and categorize them into 4 different types. I’ll cover the large comprehensive bootcamps that universities put together as well as the small, independently owned programs that are completely online. The point is that there’s something there for you depending on your experience level, time commitment, and goals.
Unfortunately, what I won’t do is describe each of them like I’ve taken their courses. This list comes from online research and feedback from friends that have taken these courses.

Categories of educational courses to grow your career

Before we get started, it is important to note that you can build your education in various ways. The four types of data science courses out there are:

• in-person, university affiliated bootcamps
• in-person independent bootcamps
• online bootcamps that teach comprehensive data science concepts
• online programs that focus on a set of analytical skills

In-person, university affiliated bootcamps

The first thing you might think of in terms of where to get an education is colleges and universities. These formal institutions are some of the best places to learn the skills you need to get ahead today, and many offer programs and bootcamps with their name attached. Their brand and name is what attracts many students but also sets a high bar for sourcing instructors. So you’ll basically be learning from the best with some of the brightest students.

My advice is to look up a well-rated college in your area. It is hard to make specific recommendations as so much depends on whether an institution is geographically convenient for you, if you want an in-person experience.

Here’s a list of a few data science and analytics programs/bootcamps that are affiliated with a university.

• UC Berkeley - Data Science Bootcamp: https://bootcamp.berkeley.edu/
• Columbia Engineering - Applied Data Science: https://execed.cvn.columbia.edu/applied-data-science
• Stanford Engineering - Foundations of Data Science: https://online.stanford.edu/programs/foundations-data-science
• Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies
  ​- Certificate in Data Science: https://scs.georgetown.edu/programs/375/certificate-in-data-science/
• Montreal College of Informational Technology: https://www.montrealcollege.ca/
• University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies: https://learn.utoronto.ca/

In-person, independent bootcamps

Bootcamps for data science and analytics have gotten increasingly popular over the years, partly due to the increased demand of analytically minded thinkers resulting from companies making more data driven decisions. Who knew that going with your “gut” feeling could sometimes lead to bad business decision. /s

Due to the popularity, there’s been a surge of in-person bootcamps. Many demand your attention full-time but some offer evening classes after work. These programs may not have the name and brand of their university rivals but some like General Assembly and Flatiron School have been so popular that their brand is on par with some university programs.

The downside is that they can be just as expensive as the university programs. However, most offer an online version of the bootcamp at a reduced price. Here’s a list of some of the popular bootcamp that offer both in-person and online data science and data analytics education.

• General Assembly: https://generalassemb.ly/
• Galvanize: https://www.galvanize.com/
• Flatiron School: https://flatironschool.com/
• Brain Station: https://www.brainstation.io/
• Coding Dojo: https://www.codingdojo.com/
• Noble Desktop: https://www.nobledesktop.com/
• Iron Hack: https://www.ironhack.com/en
• The Dev Masters: https://www.thedevmasters.com/
• NYC Data Science Academy: https://nycdatascience.com/

Online bootcamps that teach comprehensive data science concepts

Of course, as is the way of the world nowadays, many of the more popular options are available through online tutorials and courses. While not officially affiliated with academic institutions, these courses are often just as good in terms of providing you with knowledge. Because they’re completely online, they’re entirely self-paced.

As someone that has some years of analytical experience, I like these online courses to either learn something new or practice a skill set I’m weak in. I often will go with this option first to see how I like it before completely immersing myself in an in-person program.

It is worth noting that some are free resources and some do cost money. Before you get started, identify how much you are willing to spend.

• Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/
• Data Science Dojo: https://datasciencedojo.com/
• K2 Data Science: http://www.k2datascience.com/
• Lambda School: https://lambdaschool.com/
• Thinkful: https://www.thinkful.com/
• DataCamp: https://www.datacamp.com/

Online programs that focus an a set of analytical skills

I’m sort of saving the best for last, in my opinion. Online programs that focus on one set of analytical and data science skill are often the best at teaching those skills. These online programs are often cheaper than the three other categories I mentioned above and I can pick and choose the skills I want to learn or get better at - so it’s a win-win for me.

For those who are experienced or have the basic foundations of analytics but are looking to practice either for an upcoming technical interview or just get better at your current data science job, there are a few online resources that allow you to do just that without having to go through a long, laborious bootcamp. I’ve written about these “niche” online courses before but here are a few of my favorites with a brief description of their focus.

• Strata Scratch - 500+ SQL and python interview questions from real companies that will help you prepare for a technical interview or improve your analytical skills: https://www.stratascratch.com
• Mode Analytics - One of the best SQL tutorials to get you started if you need a SQL foundation before diving into SQL practice questions: https://mode.com/sql-tutorial/introduction-to-sql/
• LeetCode - Primarily for developers but they have a nice database section with around 40 or so SQL questions: https://www.leetcode.com
• HackerRank - Primarily for helping companies provide technical screenings, HackerRank does have a nice set of python and SQL questions to help improve your skills: https://www.hackerrank.com

Also, check out our article on the data science career path that will take you to the stages from novice to landing your first job.

Conclusion

There you have it, the many ways to build your skills at any stage in your life, depending on your experience, time commitment, budget and goals.

You can receive a great education from the options above but I think the best course option is one that fits your learning style. Identify how you like to learn, whether you prefer more structure, more hands-on opportunities, more freedom, or anything else you need. Choosing a course that works for you is the most important factor in a great learning environment.