The average net price of attendance of those seeking a four-year undergraduate degree at a public institution was $14,000 in 2020–2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. At nonprofit private schools, the price is nearly double, and for master’s degrees, these numbers only rise.
Therefore, alternate educational pathways have only risen in popularity over the past few years. And the good news is that with skills-based hiring approaches also rising in adoption, obtaining a traditional degree is not required to have a successful career with a healthy salary.
Bootcamp programs are one approach in which thousands of graduates each year are able secure jobs—especially in the world of tech and adjacent fields. User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design bootcamps programs are among some of the most popular and may be a more financially feasible way to gain the necessary industry-ready skills.
Fortune has done some of the leg work for you and researched the prices of many of the UX design programs.
How much do UX design bootcamps cost?
Fortune analysis of more than 30 UX/UI design bootcamps finds that the average price is about $10,500—with base costs ranging from $3,000 all the way to nearly $17,000.
Luckily, most bootcamps do allow you to pay over the course of a few months or provide financing options through lending partnerships. Just keep in mind that you'll have to pay interest on the amount you borrow, which will increase the overall cost. There are also some programs that offer discounts for upfront payment if you can afford that option.
While cost is important to consider, the most important factor to keep in mind is what you are looking for in a program. If you are coming with no experience or connections in the UX design industry, then a bootcamp that emphasizes career and mentorship services may be worth the money, the likes of Springboard or General Assembly.
If you plan on working or have family obligations to tend to, then a part-time program is what you may want to look at. Career Foundry and the Flatiron School are two examples of schools that offer this part-time flexibility.
If you are on a budget, then looking for the programs that offer the most flexible payment options may be key.
If having an in-person component is in-person to you (including abroad), Ironhack, Brainstation, and General Assembly bootcamps may be worth looking at—but they may be more on the expensive side.
Don’t forget that many of these programs are hosted by for-profit companies, so they will do anything they can do to shine a positive light on their bootcamps. Look up user reviews on platforms like Course Report or Reddit to see what students are truly experiencing and thinking.
You may alternatively consider looking at Merit America—a nonprofit program that works very similar to a bootcamp by providing students with the necessary in-demand skills and support to get started in tech, including UX design.
If brand awareness is important to you, edX has partnered with 14 different universities to host UX/UI design bootcamps. Some of the partners include Rice University, University of California—Berkeley, and the Ohio State University.
With these programs, it is important to note that the content and curriculum is very similar (you’ll see that each school’s webpage is nearly identical), but the prices do range. The cheapest is the University of Minnesota at $11,245 and the most expensive is Columbia Engineering at $14,495.
Above all, the most important thing to do when considering a UX design bootcamp is to just do your research. Take the time to read about what each program has to offer in terms of skill growth and career development. When it comes to price, though, bootcamps may only cost you the same as just one semester in a traditional degree program.
