Before you pick a certification or a role, there's a bigger fork: which route into tech fits you? They range from roughly free to tens of thousands of dollars, and from a few months to four years. This is an even-handed, sourced comparison of the five main routes — we are not selling any of them, and no route is best for everyone. Outcome claims (anyone's) are attributed and dated; none of these routes guarantees a job.
| Route | Typical cost | Typical time | Prerequisites | Financial aid | What you get | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-taught | ~$0 + any exam fee | Self-paced (varies) | None | N/A (free); exam fee fundable | Portfolio (no formal credential) | see page |
| Certification | ~$100-$2,000 (mostly the exam) | Weeks to a few months | Usually none (some experience-gated) | GI Bill test reimbursement, employer, WIOA | A vendor/industry certification | see page |
| Community college | ~$4,150/yr (~$8,300 / 2 yrs) | ~2 years (often longer) | HS diploma/GED; often open-admission | Pell (up to $7,395), FAFSA, federal loans | Accredited associate degree | see page |
| Coding bootcamp | ~$10,000-$20,000 | ~3-4 months full-time | Usually none; often an aptitude test | No federal aid; loans/ISAs (ISAs regulated) | Non-accredited certificate + portfolio | see page |
| Bachelor's degree | ~$11,950/yr public (~$48k); private ~$45k/yr | ~4 years (often 5-6) | HS diploma/GED; competitive admissions | Pell, FAFSA, federal & institutional aid | Accredited bachelor's degree | see page |
How to read this
- Ordered by typical cost, lowest first — that is not a ranking of quality or value. A cheaper route is not automatically better, and a degree's higher cost buys an accredited credential a cert or bootcamp does not.
- Cost and time are cited; they vary widely by school, program, pace, and your starting point. Click a route for the sourced detail.
- No route guarantees a job. Outcome figures from third parties are shown only with attribution and a date; many widely-quoted bootcamp placement rates are self-reported, not audited.
- There is no single right default. If money is tight and you can self-direct, the cheapest skill-building routes (self-study, a targeted certification) are a sensible starting point. If a target role lists a degree as its typical education, or you value accreditation, federal aid, and structure, a community-college or degree path is the sensible one. The right call is genuinely individual.