Top things to know
- There are many great data analytics bootcamps available on the market. I’ve investigated 12 different bootcamps, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
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Many data analyst bootcamps have job placement rates of over 90%. The best ones provide career coaching and mentoring.
- Cost, communication with your mentor, certification, and schedule are among the biggest considerations when choosing a data analytics bootcamp.
If you’re keen to start a career as a data analyst, a top quality bootcamp can offer a direct route into a job. But how do you measure quality in a rapidly changing field?
With many good options available and some pretty bold claims flying around, it can be a tricky process.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of what we consider to be the best data analytics bootcamps, hand-picked based on extensive market research. Our list compares:
- price
- duration
- modes of study
- unique selling point
Spoiler! Here at CareerFoundry, we offer a top-rated data analytics bootcamp. We’ve attempted to be impartial as possible in our analysis because everyone needs something different! If you’re ready to get your hands dirty to see if it’s the right field for you, check out our free 6-day data analytics course.
Table of contents
- What do you learn in a data analytics bootcamp?
- Data science vs. data analytics
- Admissions requirements
- How to choose the right bootcamp for you
- The top 12 data analyst bootcamps
- CareerFoundry
- Springboard
- General Assembly
- Thinkful
- Dataquest
- CodeOp
- BrainStation
- DataCamp
- Harvard University Business Analytics Course
- Le Wagon
- Flatiron School
- Fullstack Academy
What do you learn in a data analytics bootcamp?
The skills you learn on a data analytics bootcamp will vary from program to program, but generally you can expect to cover some or all of the following:
- How to prepare and analyze data
- The different types of data visualizations and what they can be used for
- Basic visual design principles for visualizations
- How to use databases and SQL
- Programming languages such as Python
- How to create interactive dashboards
- Data mining, big data analysis, machine learning, and ethics
In many bootcamps, you’ll complete a project(s) to put your new skills to work.
It’s worth checking if the bootcamp has incorporated AI tools and techniques into its curriculum, so you can stay ahead of the latest topics and trends.
Data science vs. data analytics
While data analysts and data scientists at companies share a common goal—helping to make business decisions—they go about it in different ways. An analyst seeks answers to questions.
Meanwhile, a data scientist’s job is to ask very detailed, tactical questions to help inform an organization’s overall strategy. While a data analyst may work within a single division or department (and have detailed knowledge of that division) a data scientist needs to understand the processes, systems, and aims of the organization as a whole.
Learn more about the key differences between data science and data analysis here.
Admissions requirements
Time is really the most important admission requirement, and it varies per bootcamp. For example, the CareerFoundry bootcamp requires a minimum of 15-20 hours per week to complete in 10 months.
English proficiency is a common requirement. Our bootcamp requires B2 level or higher written and spoken English.
Most bootcamps do not require a data background. A 2021 study by Career Karma found that companies as respected as Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are some of the largest employers of bootcamp graduates.
How to choose the right bootcamp for you
There are many factors involved in choosing a bootcamp, so it may help to create a spreadsheet where you track the most important factors in your search as you assess your options. (You’ll soon be working with spreadsheets a lot!)
Here are some of the most critical aspects to assess:
- Current schedule and options for flexibility
- Cost
- Scholarship, loan, or government-funded options
- Student-to-mentor communication
- Certification
- If you have a list of desired employers, check if they require a specific data analytics certification
Are data analytics bootcamps worth it?
Data analytics bootcamps will provide you with the skills and knowledge required to land a job as an entry-level data analyst at most companies. While completing a bootcamp, you’ll most likely be completing projects that you’ll later be able to add to your portfolio, which will be vital for the job-searching process.
Whether you want to learn data analysis to use in your current job, or prepare for a complete career change, data skills are a huge advantage in today’s workplace. So yes, a data analytics bootcamp is certainly worth it.
The top 12 data analyst bootcamps
Without further ado!
1. CareerFoundry Data Analytics Program
The CareerFoundry Data Analytics Program at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online
- Duration: 8 months (15 hours per week)
- Price: $7,505–7,900 USD
- Ideal for: Beginners and career-changers
- Unique Selling Point: Excellent mentorship and human support
Our program has been designed to take you from complete beginner to job-ready data analyst. The program is offered entirely online, and you can work to your own schedule—as long as you stick to certain milestones within the 8 month duration.
After completing the main fundamentals of data analysis, students can then take a number of specialization courses, including in machine learning (also known as AI), and data visualization.
The major selling points of this particular program are the dual mentorship model and the job guarantee. Each student is paired with a personal tutor and a one-to-one mentor. The job guarantee ensures that if you don’t get a job within six months of graduating, you’ll get a full refund.
If you’re not ready to commit, you can test the waters first with a free 6-day short course. Check out the first lesson of the short course in the following video, as Dr. Humera Noor introduces you to the field:
Learn more:
2. Springboard
The Springboard Data Analytics Bootcamp at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online
- Duration: 6 months (15-20 hours per week)
- Price: $11,300 USD
- Ideal for: Career-changers with some experience
- Unique Selling Point: Flexible payment options—deferred tuition available
Another fully online option which also comes with a job guarantee, the Springboard bootcamp promises to get you ready for a career in data analytics within six months. With the help of a mentor, you’ll work through the curriculum one unit at a time, with five units in total.
Unlike our program at CareerFoundry, the Springboard bootcamp is designed for people who have two years of professional experience working with office, design, or programming tools.
If you don’t qualify for the bootcamp, Springboard also offers an Intro to Business Analytics course—however, this option can’t guarantee you a job in the field.
Learn more:
3. General Assembly
The General Assembly Data Analytics Course at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online or on campus (USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia)
- Duration: 10 weeks part-time (4 hours per week) or 1 week intensive
- Price: $3,950 USD
- Ideal for: Beginners looking to upskill
- Unique Selling Point: An international community with campuses all over the world
If you’re not necessarily looking to become a data analyst but do want to master some of the key skills and tools used by data analysts, the General Assembly course offers a lighter introduction at a slightly gentler price-point than some of the more comprehensive programs on this list.
You can study in the evenings over the space of ten weeks, or take a more intensive approach with the one-week accelerated course. The course is available both online and in person, with campuses all over the United States, as well as in Paris, London, Singapore, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Learn more:
4. Thinkful
The Thinkful Data Analytics Immersion Course at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online
- Duration: 4 months full-time
- Price: $13,475 USD
- Ideal for: Beginners and career-changers
- Unique Selling Point: The most immersive program on the market
If you’re looking for an intensive training program, Thinkful offers a full-time, online course that promises to take you from beginner to job-ready in just four months.
This constitutes one of the more expensive options on the market and requires a full-time commitment for the duration, so it’s not for everyone. However, there are a range of different payment options available, including loans, income share agreements, and stipends.
This immersive course is geared towards career-change, but it’s important to be aware that it doesn’t come with a job guarantee.
Learn more:
5. Dataquest
The Dataquest Learning Paths at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online
- Duration: Self-paced
- Price: $29 – $49 USD per month
- Ideal for: Beginners on a budget
- Unique Selling Point: Extremely flexible self-paced learning
Dataquest works on a subscription basis, with a choice between a basic and a premium monthly membership.
They offer two learning paths: Data Analytics with R, and Data Analytics with Python. Each path comprises a curated sequence of hands-on courses, designed to take you from zero to job-ready. The “R” path covers all the essentials you’ll need to work as a data analyst using the programming language R. It includes four free courses, which you’ll have access to as part of your monthly subscription, and one course you’ll need to pay for.
Dataquest also has plans to add ten additional paid courses in the near future. The Python path offers a similar format but, as the name suggests, focuses on the programming language Python. If you’re happy to learn independently without the guidance of a mentor, this is a highly flexible, practical, and affordable offering.
Learn more:
6. CodeOp
The CodeOp bootcamp at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online or in person (Barcelona, London, and Kuala Lumpur)
- Duration: 6 months part-time (approx. 6 hours per week)
- Price: $8,870 USD
- Ideal for: Beginners and career-changers
- Unique Selling Point: Exclusively for women, trans, and gender non-conforming people
CodeOp is on a mission to help solve the diversity and inclusion problem in tech, offering bootcamps exclusively to women and the TGNC community. The data analytics bootcamp is available both online and offline, with campuses currently in Barcelona and Kuala Lumpur, and takes 26 weeks to complete on a part-time basis (at a pace of around six hours per week).
The bootcamp focuses heavily on relevant hands-on skills, promising to equip students with an industry-ready toolbox that will support them in their first job as a data analyst.
Learn more:
7. BrainStation
The BrainStation course at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online or in person (U.S., Canada, and UK)
- Duration: 10 weeks part-time
- Price: $3,950 USD
- Ideal for: Beginners looking to upskill
- Unique Selling Point: Highly engaging live lectures
The BrainStation data analytics course is available both in person—with venues throughout the U.S., Canada and the UK—and online via Synapse, their data-driven learning platform.
The course takes ten weeks to complete on a part-time basis, making it one of the shorter options on the market, and focuses on three core areas: building and managing databases, identifying trends in data, and visualizing and presenting insights.
This is one of the only online courses to offer live lectures, so it’s ideal if you’re looking for flexibility but still want the classroom experience. While the mentorship offered on this course is not nearly as extensive as some of the other programs out there, students do have access to feedback and guidance from expert instructors.
Learn more:
8. DataCamp
The DataCamp career tracks at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online
- Duration: 64 hours (self-paced)
- Price: Free – $33.25 USD per month
- Ideal for: Beginners with a busy schedule
- Unique Selling Point: Bite-sized lessons for time-efficient learning
DataCamp follows a similar format to that of Dataquest, offering free, basic, and premium monthly membership options.
There are two career tracks for aspiring data analysts: Data Analyst with R, and Data Analyst with Python. Each track is made up of individual courses which can be accessed any time, on any device, and take between two and five hours to complete.
Once you’ve completed all the courses in your chosen career track, you’ll get a statement of accomplishment. This is another highly affordable and flexible option which allows you to learn independently and in your own time—ideal if you have a demanding schedule and can’t commit to an intensive bootcamp.
Learn more:
9. Harvard University Business Analytics Course
The Business Analytics course at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online
- Duration: 8 weeks (5-6 hours per week, self-paced)
- Price: $1,750 USD
- Ideal for: Beginners and professionals looking to upskill
- Unique Selling Point: A highly business-centric approach to analytics
If your main goal is to use data analytics to make smarter business decisions, or to apply some of the fundamentals to your current role, this online course will show you how. The Business Analytics course offered by Harvard University takes 8 weeks to complete, and you can work entirely to your own rhythm via the Harvard Business School online platform.
Throughout the course, you’ll gain a solid introduction to some of the key concepts of data analytics—from descriptive statistics and regression analysis, right through to the interpretation and implementation of insights. If you’re looking for a flexible, university-endorsed course at a reasonable price, this is one of the best options on the market.
10. Le Wagon
The Le Wagon Data Analytics course at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online or in-person (most continents except the U.S.)
- Duration: 400 hours in total, over 24 weeks for the Flex part-time option
- Price: $9,900 CAD /7,900 € in-person /7,400 € online
- Ideal for: Beginners and those who have taken their first few steps
- Unique Selling Point: Vast range of in-person locations to study worldwide
Having run a web development bootcamp as well as a data science one, French bootcamp Le Wagon launched their data analytics course with the same idea in mind.
Learners can study in a huge range of cities throughout the world, or online. In their data analytics course, over the 400 hours you’ll learn how to employ Python for data analytics, get to grips with data sourcing and extraction. You’ll also learn BI and different methods of data visualization.
There are no technical prerequisites required of applicants, but there is a quiz to pass, and once you’re accepted it involves a week’s worth of prepwork.
Learn more:
11. Flatiron School
The Flatiron School Data Science bootcamp at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online or in-person in Denver or New York
- Duration: 15 weeks full-time (40 hours a week), 40 weeks part-time (online asynch)
- Price: $16,900
- Ideal for: Those with the time and money for an intense course
- Unique Selling Point: Extensive machine learning elements
Though billed as a data science bootcamp, this offering shares a large amount of course materials with its analytics brethren.
Once you’re accepted, the full-time course is an intense 8 hours a day for almost 4 months, learning in class with a cohort with the support of a tutor.
You’ll learn SQL and Python, and then start moving more into the quantitive part of things, with NumPy, Pandas, and SciPy. Where things get really interesting is in the following two sections, which are Machine Learning Fundamentals and then Advanced Machine Learning.
There is prepwork required before you start out. A price over $16,000 not including mentorship in the program is questionable. There are a range of scholarship options to consider, however.
Learn more:
12. Fullstack Academy
The Fullstack Academy Data Analytics Bootcamp at a glance:
- Mode of study: Online
- Duration: 10 weeks (full-time) 26 weeks (part-time)
- Price: $13,495
- Ideal for: Those who enjoy learning from live online lectures
- Unique Selling Point: Amazon Web Services data training
Once you begin, the full-time course runs for 10 weeks, with the part-time option taking place three evenings a week for three hours, for six months.
In the course you’ll sink your teeth into the languages SQL and Python, as well as data analytics tools such as Excel and Tableau. There’s also an entire model based on how to use AWS as a data analyst, which is incredibly useful, considering the cloud platform’s popularity in businesses today.
Prospective students will have to complete a logical reasoning test to get in, but apart from that (and the $13,495 price tag) there are no other hoops you’ll have to jump through to get started.
Learn more:
What next?
We’ve introduced a carefully curated selection of the best data analytics bootcamps on the market, and you can learn more about the benefits of becoming a certified data analyst in this article. Now it’s over to you! Hopefully you’ve identified one or two courses that suit your learning goals and preferences; the next step is to conduct some more in-depth research.
As mentioned earlier, to find the best data analytics bootcamp for you, you should familiarize yourself with how your chosen courses work, find out what payment options are available, and be sure to read through as many reviews as possible.
If you can, it’s also worth speaking to an advisor from each of your shortlisted options; they can answer any questions you might have, and help you determine if it’s truly the best option for you.
Want to learn more about becoming a data analyst? Check out the following articles: