Where To Complete A Fintech Bootcamp In 2024 – Forbes Advisor – Technologist

Financial technology, also called fintech, is a field that uses technology to improve financial products and services. A fintech bootcamp can provide a fast, affordable path to launching a career in the field.

Examples of fintech include mobile banking, peer-to-peer payment apps, cryptocurrencies, investment apps and robo-advisors. Although fintech might seem like a relatively new buzzword, the general concept has been around since at least the 1950s, when the first credit cards created a cash-free payment method.

Keep reading to learn about the only online fintech bootcamp we could find that isn’t affiliated with a particular school. We also talk about what to consider when you’re looking for a fintech bootcamp, go over some of the pros and cons of attending online and discuss cost.

Noble Desktop FinTech Bootcamp

Total Upfront Cost: $6,485
Job Guarantee? No
Official Hiring Partners: N/A

Why We Picked It

You can complete Noble Desktop‘s fintech bootcamp through a live, online format or in person in New York City. You’ll gain skills in Python programming, financial analysis, machine learning and data visualization to help you land a job in finance technology.

The program offers one-on-one mentoring and is open to beginners without previous tech experience. However, you should have a basic understanding of financial issues. If you don’t, the program provides a free guide that can bring you up to speed.

Other Fintech Bootcamp Providers

The below providers offer fintech bootcamps but do not meet our official ranking criteria:

Should You Enroll in an Online Fintech Bootcamp?

Completing an online fintech bootcamp can be an excellent way to learn new skills that can help you increase your salary, land a promotion or transition to an entirely new career path. However, every bootcamp is different, so before you enroll, consider some of the pros and cons.

Benefits of Enrolling in a Bootcamp

• New skills. If you put in the work and time at your bootcamp, you can master valuable new skills and knowledge.
• Career advancement. A bootcamp can help you get the knowledge and skills you need to land a new job or get a promotion. A Forbes Advisor survey of coding bootcamp graduates found that 28% of respondents got a new job and 48% advanced in their current job.
• Salary increase. Completing a bootcamp can be a good way to negotiate for a better salary. Forty-six percent of our survey respondents said they received a significant salary increase, and 33% got a moderate increase.
• Convenience and flexibility. Online bootcamps offer flexibility and convenience for working professionals and others with significant personal responsibilities.
• Networking opportunities. A bootcamp gives you the chance to meet and work with other professionals in the field, which can lead to future mentorship, job opportunities and valuable connections. Of our bootcamp survey respondents, 72% said their programs always or often provided opportunities to network with industry professionals.
• Satisfaction among graduates. In our survey, 63% of respondents strongly recommended attending a bootcamp, and 26% somewhat recommended it. Along those lines, 65% reported that they were very satisfied with their experience, and 24% were somewhat satisfied.

Potential Drawbacks

• Cost. Although bootcamps usually cost much less than earning a four-year degree, they’re not cheap, either. The median total cost of a bootcamp is $8,300, according to data collected by Forbes Advisor.
• No guarantee of career advancement. Unless you choose a bootcamp with a job guarantee, completing a fintech bootcamp doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the job you want. About 20% of respondents to our bootcamp survey said that they didn’t experience any change in their job status after completing a bootcamp.
• No guarantee of a salary increase. Not everyone who completes a bootcamp gets a raise. Eighteen percent of our bootcamp survey respondents said their salaries stayed the same after completing their programs.
• Some jobs still require a college degree. Depending on your career goals, a bootcamp alone might not be enough for you to get your foot in the door. For example, most data scientists need a bachelor’s degree.

Online Fintech Bootcamp Credibility

You might be wondering about the credibility of online fintech bootcamps. In general, the bootcamp industry operates without much regulation, especially compared to the college accreditation process that many universities in the U.S. undergo to verify the quality of their curriculums.

However, one nonprofit, the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR), reviews bootcamps to validate that they offer high-quality training and education. Bootcamp providers can voluntarily apply for CIRR membership if they agree to meet standards related to enrollment and graduation rates, student and job outcomes, and truth in advertising. However, not many bootcamp providers participate in CIRR.

Because of the lack of industry regulation among bootcamps, it’s largely up to you to do your own research and figure out whether a prospective program is trustworthy and can help you achieve your goals.

Consider factors like how long the bootcamp has been around, information about instructor qualifications and curriculums, and whether the program provides graduation and job outcomes data.

How To Find the Right Online Fintech Bootcamp for You

Here’s how to narrow down your options when it comes to choosing a fintech bootcamp.

What Are Your Career Goals?

Before you choose an online fintech bootcamp, spend some time thinking about your career goals. What type of job do you want to get after you graduate? Make sure the bootcamp you choose covers the skills you’ll need. For example, if you want to pursue a data science role, you’ll want to prioritize data science bootcamps. Understand the typical education, experience and professional certification expectations for any potential roles.

What’s Your Availability?

How flexible is your schedule, and how much time can you spend doing work for your online fintech bootcamp each day? Think about whether you want to attend on a part-time or full-time basis. Some programs offer only one enrollment option or the other. If you plan to work while attending a bootcamp, consider finding one that offers flexible, asynchronous sessions rather than requiring live attendance at specific times.

What’s Your Budget?

How much can you afford to spend on an online fintech bootcamp? Will you work while attending the bootcamp, or can you commit to full-time studying? The cost of a bootcamp can vary quite a bit depending on the provider, so compare programs to ensure you’re getting the best value. Research the total cost of your program before you decide to enroll, and factor in any additional costs beyond tuition, such as equipment and prerequisite courses.

Paying for an Online Fintech Bootcamp

How will you fund your bootcamp? Let’s explore your options.

How Much Is a Fintech Bootcamp?

Tech bootcamp costs vary significantly depending on factors such as provider, program length and concentration.

Looking at all kinds of bootcamps, not just fintech bootcamps, the median total cost of a bootcamp was $8,300 as of November 2023, according to our research. The median coding bootcamp cost was a little more, reaching $9,500.

In comparison, the fintech bootcamp we discussed above costs only $4,995, which is significantly less than average.

Upfront Payment

If you can afford it, consider making an upfront payment for your online fintech bootcamp. Paying upfront is usually the best way to get the lowest overall price for your program, but it requires you to pay the entire cost in one lump sum.

Pay in Installments

Many bootcamps let you split up the amount you owe for tuition and pay it off in installments. This usually costs more over time than paying upfront, but installments can make tuition more manageable if you can’t afford to pay for your entire program in one lump sum.

Income Share Agreement

An income share agreement (ISA) may sound appealing, but students should exercise caution before signing on to ISAs. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has categorized ISAs as a type of student loan. Still, these agreements are not regulated, so they don’t need to comply with any particular industry standards.

ISA terms vary, but typically, participants agree to delay their tuition in exchange for repaying a fixed percentage of their salaries for a set period following graduation. Depending on the terms of your ISA, you could end up paying significantly more than your bootcamp would have cost upfront—sometimes up to twice as much. Remember, you agree to pay a fixed portion of your salary, regardless of how much you earn.

Job Guarantee

Some bootcamps feature job guarantees, which promise a tuition refund to learners who don’t find relevant jobs in a certain amount of time after graduation—usually six to 12 months.

To qualify for a refund, you’ll probably need to meet various strict requirements, including completing career development and job search tasks specified by your bootcamp provider. The agreement might even require you to take a job you don’t want. Tech bootcamp job guarantees vary in their specifics, so make sure to read the fine print.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Online Fintech Bootcamps