There are great opportunities for everyone in the Big Apple. As one of the most diverse cities in the nation, New York City offers a variety of coding boot camps and courses for people of all backgrounds. At Dom & Tom, we’re lucky enough to be located right in the heart of the city, so we’re aware of some of the best coding classes around town.
Whether you are a high school student or an experienced IT professional, an aspiring programmer or an engineer, there’s always room for growth. Here are some of the best coding classes, boot camps, and crash courses in New York City.
Free Coding Classes in NYC
Here are some of the top free coding classes NYC has to offer:
Noble Desktop Seminars
Noble Desktop offers some of the best coding and web development courses NYC has to offer. Although many of its boot camps and courses come with a fee, you can also check out its website to watch recordings of free seminars on a wide variety of topics. How to Get Started in Web Design, Designing for Mobile, Intro to HTML 5 Animation with GreenSock, and Intro to JavaScript are great seminars for programmers to watch.
Hacker Hours Meetup
If you’re looking for a more hands-on approach, check out the Hacker Hours group. The organizers of this group are highly skilled programmers who are open to helping other aspiring programmers succeed. They regularly host free office hours where you can bring your laptop and get help with any of your coding questions. They encourage you to hang out and work on your coding projects. It’s a great atmosphere to get help and connect with your fellow community of coders.
Operation Code NYC
Those within the military community who are looking for free programming classes in NYC need to check out Operation Code. This nonprofit specifically caters to military veterans, service members, and spouses who are interested in working in the tech industry. Although it is a nation-wide program, there is an NYC sector where you can meet up in person or online to learn about a wide variety of coding and tech topics. The organization also provides one-on-one mentorship, coding scholarships, and a variety of career services. Membership is completely free.
Women Who Code NYC
Women Who Code is the largest community of engineers who strive to inspire women to work toward careers in technology. It’s the group’s goal to give women the resources they need to eventually become leaders within their industry. They host all kinds of free programs, such as technical events, panel discussions, keynotes, and lightning talks. Join the group’s Slack channel to connect with fellow members and learn the latest updates.
Best Coding Boot Camps in NYC
These are some of the best coding boot camps NYC has to offer:
Kode With Klossy
American fashion model Karlie Kloss started her nonprofit Kode With Klossy to get girls into the world of coding. This nation-wide coding boot camp takes place in major metropolitan cities, including NYC, each year. Kode With Klossy is a free two-week summer program specifically designed for girls ages 13 to 18. Throughout the program, you can learn how to build real-life apps based on your coding experience. After completing the camp, nine out of 10 participants say they plan to pursue further education and opportunities in computer science.
New York Public Library: Project Code
The New York Public Library houses all kinds of free resources, including its TechConnect program. Throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, aspiring programmers of all ages can enroll in the library system’s free technology classes. The program offers over 80 courses to help you develop your computer skills. Enroll in Project Code within the TechConnect program to get a solid introduction to coding. Project Code is a free 12-week program where you attend two-hour classes twice a week.
During the 12 weeks, you learn about key coding topics, such as HTML/CSS, source code, basic tags, and formatting a website. Over the course of your lessons, you work on a capstone project where you collaborate with other students to build a website. Once you complete the course, you earn a Project Code program certificate. You can also join your classmates for a special graduation ceremony.
Fullstack Academy
Located just a one-minute walk away from Wall Street is Fullstack Academy. This is a computer science school where students can take classes and attend coding boot camps. The Academy offers three boot camp options, so you can choose the one that best fits your lifestyle. The first is a full-time boot camp called Software Engineering Immersive. It consists of three phases: foundations, junior phase, and senior phase. This is a 13-week boot camp that will qualify you for a career in software development.
Practical Programming
Practical Programming is a software training institute in lower Manhattan. It offers free online courses from time to time, which it updates on its website. This school also offers a variety of courses that you can easily enroll in for a fee. These include Python Immersive, JavaScript Immersive, Introduction to Python, and Machine Learning Immersive. Each course consists of five, seven-hour long sessions, and you get certification upon completing the course.
Codesmith
Another lower Manhattan software institute is Codesmith. It hosts lectures and workshops both in-house and online for free. It also provides coding boot camps that require a fee. The main areas of focus are JavaScript programming, computer science, and full-stack development. These course boot camps are 12 weeks in length and allow you to meet other IT professionals.
Black Owned/Operated Coding Boot Camps in NYC
These organizations are building up their communities and offering courses in coding and computer science:
All Star Code
All Star Code was founded in 2013 by Christina Lewis. Christina established the academy in honor of her father, Reginald F. Lewis., who was the first African American to build a billion-dollar business. All Star Code is a nonprofit organization that teaches coding and computer science to young men of color.
The school is now offering its flagship program—the Summer Intensive (SI) Program. The SI Program is a free, 6-week crash course in coding and features both technical web development skills and soft skills. The SI Program is available to all current high school sophomores and juniors located within one hour of the academy. All Star Code provides laptops for all students in the program. This is a great opportunity for young men interested in succeeding in the evolving technological world.
Black Girls Code
Black Girls Code is a black-owned and -operated not-for-profit organization with offices in Google New York City and Oakland. The founder, Kimberly Bryant, established Black Girls Code in 2011 to improve the underrepresentation of African American girls in the STEM industry.
The organization provides accessible and affordable programs in computer programming, coding, robotics, website, and mobile application dev. Black Girls Code is now accepting applications for new students, volunteers, and teachers.
New York Urban League’s NEXT Academy
The New York Urban League’s goal is to empower African Americans and other underserved communities with a first-class education. With a black leadership team, the school understands its students and works toward rectifying the achievement gap. New York Urban League has worked to empower underprivileged communities through education, employment, and advocacy.
The NEXT Academy offers two courses. Code Next is an educational program that teaches computer science to high school students of color. The STEAM program is a course for parents.
STEM From Dance
STEM From Dance takes a rather unique approach with its program. Their programs combine coding and dancing to help young women gain personal and professional confidence and foster a love of STEM. This program is for young girls ages 8-10. Neither prior coding nor dancing experience is required.
Yamilée Toussaint Beach, the Founder & CEO, is a dancer with a mechanical engineering background. She began the program to help underrepresented minority girls pursue a STEM degree.
Along with having some great institutions that require tuition, New York City is home to plenty of free coding classes and resources. We hope you found this helpful and inspiring. Be sure to check out our work to see what professionals can create with coding expertise.