Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Lambda School VS Thinkful

Compare Lambda School VS Thinkful and see what are their differences

Lambda School logo Lambda School

A full Computer Science education - free until you get a job

Thinkful logo Thinkful

Learn to code with a mentor.
  • Lambda School Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-08
  • Thinkful Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-12

Lambda School

Release Date
2017 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
Founder(s)
Austen Allred
Employees
100 - 249

Lambda School features and specs

  • Income Share Agreement
    Lambda School offers an Income Share Agreement (ISA), allowing students to defer tuition payments until they secure a job making at least $50,000 per year. This reduces upfront financial risk for students.
  • Remote Learning
    The program is entirely online, providing flexibility for students to learn from anywhere in the world.
  • Comprehensive Curriculum
    Lambda School offers a comprehensive curriculum that covers a wide range of in-demand tech skills, including web development, data science, and machine learning.
  • Career Services
    The school provides extensive career services, including job placement support, resume reviews, and interview preparation to help students secure employment after graduation.
  • No Upfront Cost
    Students can enroll without any upfront cost, making the program accessible to those who may not have the financial means to pay for a traditional coding boot camp.

Possible disadvantages of Lambda School

  • High Deferred Cost
    Although there are no upfront costs, the total cost of the ISA can be high, potentially up to $30,000, which is more expensive than some other coding boot camps.
  • Intensive Time Commitment
    The program is very intensive and requires full-time dedication, which can be challenging for individuals who need to balance other responsibilities such as work or family.
  • Variable Job Market
    Job placement success can vary significantly. While many students do find jobs, some may struggle, particularly in a competitive job market.
  • Risk of Debt
    If a student does not secure a high-paying job immediately, the deferred tuition can become a financial burden, particularly if the student is unable to make the minimum required salary.
  • Limited Financial Assistance
    Since the program relies heavily on ISAs, there may be limited options for students seeking traditional financial assistance or loans.

Thinkful features and specs

  • Personal Mentorship
    Thinkful pairs students with experienced mentors who provide personalized feedback and guidance throughout the course, enhancing the learning experience.
  • Career Services
    The platform offers robust career support including interview prep, resume reviews, and job search assistance, aimed at helping students transition into tech careers.
  • Flexible Learning Options
    Thinkful offers full-time and part-time programs, allowing students to choose a learning schedule that fits their personal and professional commitments.
  • Variety of Courses
    Thinkful provides a wide range of courses in software engineering, data science, UX/UI design, and more, catering to various interests and career goals.
  • Project-Based Learning
    The curriculum emphasizes practical, project-based learning, enabling students to build a portfolio of work that demonstrates their skills to potential employers.

Possible disadvantages of Thinkful

  • High Cost
    Thinkful's programs can be expensive, especially without financial assistance or a deferred payment plan, which may be a barrier for some prospective students.
  • Intensity of Programs
    The bootcamp-style nature of the courses can be intense and fast-paced, which may be challenging for students who have other commitments or prefer a slower learning pace.
  • Varied Mentor Quality
    While mentorship is a key feature, the quality of mentors can vary, affecting the consistency and effectiveness of the learning experience.
  • Success Dependent on Self-Motivation
    As with many online programs, students need to be highly self-motivated and proactive to succeed, which can be difficult for those who need more structured oversight.
  • Geographical Limitations for Job Placement
    While Thinkful provides job placement assistance, its effectiveness may be limited for students who are looking for jobs in certain geographical locations where there is less demand for tech roles.

Lambda School videos

Lambda School Coding Bootcamp Worth The Money or SCAM

More videos:

  • Review - Lambda School: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
  • Review - Was Lambda School Worth It? His Life has TOTALLY changed | #grindreel #lambdaschool

Thinkful videos

Thinkful Coding Bootcamp Student Review - Should You Do It?

More videos:

  • Review - 6 Reasons Why I Dropped Out Of Thinkful Online Coding Bootcamp After 6 Weeks
  • Review - Thinkful Review: Halfway Point

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Lambda School and Thinkful)
Education
63 63%
37% 37
Online Learning
59 59%
41% 41
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Development
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Lambda School and Thinkful

Lambda School Reviews

We have no reviews of Lambda School yet.
Be the first one to post

Thinkful Reviews

How to Learn Coding in 2024: 18 Great Ways to Do It
Formerly Bloc, this offering has been absorbed by Thinkful. They offer a mixture of online courses with combined mentoring, combining the flexibility of online learning with a personalized tutoring process.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Lambda School seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 19 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Lambda School mentions (19)

  • Switching careers
    Https://lambdaschool.com/ - a remote-first bootcamp that has a unique way of paying. No upfront cost, but they take a % of your salary when you get a job for the first two years until you pay their full cost. Worth reading up on some of the criticism of them before signing up, though. Source: over 3 years ago
  • LF a Certification Program
    Https://lambdaschool.com/ (these guys offer a free intro, might be good to test out and see if their style is to your liking.). Source: over 3 years ago
  • Advice for a nurse that wants to become a programmer
    While you don't need a boot camp, I highly recommend Lambda School (https://lambdaschool.com). They charge nothing upfront and you only pay them back (17% up to $30k) when you get a high paying job. They have great partnerships with employers and help place students so that's the biggest reason I recommend them. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Been really poor, homeless, now I’m in college and have managed to save up 3000. I want to turn this money into more money. What would you do?
    Have you considered https://lambdaschool.com/? You don't pay for tuition upfront, and they place you with a paid internship after, and if you get a job you start paying a small part of your salary to them for two years. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Late 20’s, no education, some savings, should I work full time and save a bit more or start school?
    Would you consider going through a school with an Income Share Agreement where you pay no tuition up front but pay it as part of your well paying job later? Eg https://lambdaschool.com. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

Thinkful mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Thinkful yet. Tracking of Thinkful recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Lambda School and Thinkful, you can also consider the following products

Holberton School - High-quality software engineering education for the many

Free Code Camp - Learn to code by helping nonprofits.

Microverse - The global school for remote software developers.

FutureLearn - Free online courses from top universities and cultural institutions

TripleTen - TripleTen: online part-time coding bootcamps.

Mindvalley - Mindvalley is an online education platform that facilitates users by connecting them with numerous strong-minded people worldwide and sharing knowledge or ideas through chatting, meetups, and video calls.