Thinkful vs. CareerFoundry: Finding the Best Option for You

Q: What courses do Thinkful and CareerFoundry offer?

Thinkful offers courses in Software Engineering, Data Analytics, UX/UI Design, Data Science, Technical Project Management, and Digital Marketing. CareerFoundry offers courses in Digital Marketing, UX Design, UI Design, Data Analytics, Web Development, and Product Management. Neither school offers a Tech Sales course at this time.

Q: How much do courses cost at Thinkful and CareerFoundry?

CareerFoundry courses range from $6,900 to $7,500. Thinkful courses are priced differently depending on the program and the length of the course, with full-time courses costing between $9,500 and $16,000. Payment plans and flexible options are available at both schools.

Q: What kind of career improvements can I expect from completing a course?

Both Thinkful and CareerFoundry aim to equip students with the skills they need to land their first tech industry role. According to their data, Thinkful graduates see an average salary increase of $17,000 and work for companies like Google, Amazon, and IBM. CareerFoundry graduates now work for companies like Netflix, Meta, and PayPal.

A detailed look at the biggest differences between Thinkful and CareerFoundry.

Thinkful vs. CareerFoundry

Thinkful and CareerFoundry are both well-known course providers with high scores on review sites like Course Report and Career Karma. The two schools offer fully online curriculums, but their delivery styles do differ in some aspects. For instance, like Springboard, CareerFoundry backs its courses with a money-back guarantee to help graduates land a job as soon as possible. Thinkful, on the other hand, doesn’t provide a job guarantee on any of their courses.

Thinkful provides a number of courses spanning a range of tech industry specializations, covering both technical and non-technical career paths. These include:

- Software Engineering

- Data Analytics

- UX/UI Design

- Data Science

- Technical Project Management

- Digital Marketing

Curriculums are project-based, allowing students to develop a professional portfolio for use after graduation, and support is given throughout courses through personal mentorship and career guidance programs.

CareerFoundry also offers multiple tech-based courses, and unlike Thinkful and Springboard, CareerFoundry splits UI Design and UX Design into two separate specializations. Here are all of the courses available:

- Digital Marketing

- UX Design

- UI Design

- Data Analytics

- Web Development

- Product Management

Focusing on human-centric learning, CareerFoundry uses a dual mentorship model. Students receive support from both a tutor and a mentor, both of whom are industry experts with enough experience to tackle any technical or industry-based inquiry.

	Thinkful	CareerFoundry	Springboard
1:1 Professional Mentorship	Yes	Yes	Yes
Career Services	Yes	Yes	Yes
Capstone	Yes	Yes	Yes
Money-Back Guarantee	Yes	Yes	Yes
Live Classes	Yes	No	No
Internships	No	No	Some

*All data as of August, 2023

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Why choose Springboard over Thinkful or CareerFoundry

Money-back Guarantee

Feel secure in your investment with Springboard’s Money-back Guarantee.

Capstone Projects

Build your skills and stand out to hiring managers by solving real-world problems with multiple capstone projects.

Flexible Schedule

No matter where you are in life, Springboard’s flexible schedule allows you to excel in your studies.

An industry-leading program

Enrolling with Springboard guarantees you a quality learning experience.

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Meet a few of our Springboard alumni

I’d absolutely recommend the Data Science Career Track. With the job guarantee, you just can’t lose.

Melanie Hanna

Education : Chemical Engineering

Previous Job : Process Engineer

Current Job: Data Scientist, Farmer's Fridge

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Frequently Asked Questions

What courses do Thinkful and CareerFoundry offer?

Both Thinkful and CareerFoundry offer courses covering the core fields in tech, including project management and marketing areas. Unlike Springboard, however, neither school has a Tech Sales course at this time.

At Thinkful, students can choose to study Software Engineering, Data Analytics, UX/UI Design, Data Science, Technical Project Management, or Digital Marketing. All courses are available part-time, with Software Engineering, Data Analytics, and UX/UI Design also available to study full-time.

Part-time courses last 6 months at around 25-30 hours per week, with a flexible schedule set by each student. With full-time courses, students can experience studying with cohorts for 50-60 hours per week and finish the course in 5 months.

CareerFoundry courses include Digital Marketing, UX Design, UI Design, Data Analytics, Web Development, and Product Management. While they don’t offer a Data Science or Tech Sales course, they do provide separate UX and UI curriculums for those who want to focus on just one of the two areas.

The online courses can be taken either full-time (at 30-40 hours a week for 5 months), or part-time (at 15-20 hours per week for up to 10 months). All of CareerFoundry’s offerings are completely beginner-friendly and require no background in coding or tech.

How much do courses cost at Thinkful and CareerFoundry?

Each CareerFoundry course is priced differently, ranging from $6900 - $7500. Students receive a 10% discount when they choose to pay the course fees upfront, but there are also other flexible options available. By talking to a program advisor, prospective students can set up a custom payment plan that better suits their needs.

At Thinkful, courses are priced differently, depending on whether you choose the full-time or part-time route. For instance, the full-time cost for the Software

Engineering specialization is $16,000, and the part-time cost is $9,500. Students can pay upfront, month to month, or choose a deferred tuition option that allows them to postpone payments until graduation. Full-time students can also opt-in for a living expenses loan to help cover rent and food costs during their studies.

What kind of career improvements can I expect from completing a course?

Thinkful, CareerFoundry, and Springboard are all course providers that are committed to helping students kickstart a new career in the tech industry, no matter what background they come from. At Thinkful, graduates see a salary increase of $17,000 on average and take roles ranging from application developer to project analyst. Some of the big names hiring Thinkful grads include Google, Amazon, and IBM.

Similarly, CareerFoundry courses aim to equip students with all the skills they need to land their first tech industry role, and now have graduates working for companies like Netflix, Meta, and PayPal. Their research highlights the in-demand nature of tech jobs and the flexible career path that can open up for their graduates.

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