LaunchSchool: An online school for Software Engineers

The Slow Path for Studious Learners to a Career in Software Development

Structured Curriculum from First Principles

Our program is about slowly building up mastery of fundamentals, so you understand how higher level abstractions truly work from the bottom up. Our goal isn't to teach you how to use React or Rails, but to show you how to construct accurate mental representations of first principles in order to tackle fundamental engineering problems. Our goal isn't to help you find a job, but help you launch a career. Our goal isn't to teach you to code, but to teach you how to deconstruct and problem solve like an engineer.

By Software Engineers for Future Software Engineers

Launch School was founded by experienced software engineers. We know what it takes to not only break into software, but to build and grow a career as an engineer in the software industry. Our objective is to increase your lifetime earnings by millions of dollars. This is what makes Launch School unique and why we focus on the long-term results of a career. Our curriculum was created by software engineers for future software engineers — you.

I have never participated in a learning environment where it not only challenged me professionally but also emotionally. I have learned how to be a better team player, to be vulnerable in front of peers, to learn to ask for help, and admit when I am struggling. Launch School has been a transformative and life-changing experience for me, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Kimberly Ramirez

When I first decided to change careers and pursue software development, my goal was to become just good enough to land an entry level job, with the hope that I could build a career from there. Launch School has changed my expectations radically. It has given me such a depth of programming knowledge and problem solving experience that I feel like I am in control of where I take my career. I have already been offered multiple software jobs without ever looking for them!

Zach Morgan

The interview assessments were, as nerve-inducing as they were, very useful. I'm sure there are plenty of technically capable engineers out there. However, in order to set myself apart, I need to hone my soft skills. Getting a chance to practice them in an official setting has been priceless.

Mai Khuu

The fundamentals approach and how to problem-solve is something I feel has been applicable in other fields as well. I'm feeling much more confident as I approach any issue, as I'll sit down and in pseudo-code like manner break it down sequentially into smaller tasks in order to get the job done. So I feel I've experienced the veracity of the Steve Jobs quote about how everybody should learn to program because it teaches you how to think.

William Parker Jackson

I began helping on a $50,000 project built in the Symfony PHP framework, and within a month became the lead dev on the project. This was my first time using an MVC, Symfony is quite complex, and PHP is very strange, but I was able to be effective very quickly because I knew what was going on under the hood. My knowledge of fundamentals meant I never felt really lost. From this work, I was given a 20% raise and similar roles in other projects.

Ian Evans

I have recommended and will continue to recommend Launch School to anyone wanting to learn to code.

Larson Laidlaw

"We're one of the oldest and largest coding schools in the world."

Our Learning Goals

The key to unlocking higher level understanding and skills that last a career is focusing on fundamentals. We designed our curriculum with the following learning goals.

Fundamentals first, fundamentals throughout
A focus on learning things that don't change
Learn slowly and deliberately

Learn to be proficient, not just build awareness
Learn to understand problems, not solutions
Learn in a circular fashion

Our students love us, and if you are committed to building a career in software development, you will too

Sienna Wood

Denver

Software Engineer

Experts always return to fundamentals because they are the foundation on which everything else is built. Launch School’s core program embodies this principle by emphasizing mastery of fundamentals through purposeful individual study.

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Steve Kolock

New York

Front-end Developer

I got a different role making significantly more than twice what I had been making as a 'web specialist', putting me firmly in six-figure

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Letladi Sebesho

Johannesburg, South Africa

Full Stack Developer at Co-Foundy

This programme opened possibilities for me that would have taken me years to reach

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Sunny Beatteay

New York City

Software Engineer

From the first glance, it was apparent that Launch School had been founded by industry veterans. I have never encountered a curriculum more in-depth and rigorous

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A Serious Training Curriculum That's Designed to Launch a Career

Core Curriculum

Mastery of Fundamentals

Capstone

Launch Your Career

Complete the Core Curriculum courses and pass their assessments, and you'll have mastered the fundamentals. Participate in our Capstone Program, and you'll launch a career.