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.

One unexpected benefit I've seen while learning fundamentals here is how much more confident I feel in my ability to learn anything, even outside of Launch School. The slow, methodical, and patient approach has really been such a benefit to me in transitioning out of a mindset that was self-defeating at times; that if I couldn't understand something in X amount of time, it wasn't for me and I needed to drop it.

Kevin Counihan

I did a project on the side while I was going through the curriculum. The project was in elixir and used Phoenix as a framework, and as I was trying to learn those tools, I found that the Launch School's approach of teaching fundamentals was essential because it gave me tools to approach the challenge at hand and succeed at it.

Natalia Baeza

Coming from an academic background I can compare both learning experiences (university vs Launch School), and I'm now a believer in the idea of mastery-based self-paced online learning. This is such a great formula, and a great fit for me. And certainly a big part of the Launch School magic comes from the honesty and care that is felt at every level.

Catherine Emond

When I started back in December 2019 I could only write some awfully entangled and impossible to understand VBA scripts for Excel. Today, my code is clean, well-structured and I can tackle complex problems and build applications from scratch by breaking down is simpler parts. Not only I've achieved a level of confidence and fluidity in JavaScript that I couldn't even imagine when I started Core but also I feel I leave Core with a very good foundation in programming fundamentals.

Raul De Hevia

Having used Ruby for the first half of the course and then switching to Javascript, I feel immensely more confident in my ability to actually learn programming concepts/languages/frameworks. More than anything, I feel like Launch School has taught me how to learn programming, rather than a specific language.

Michael Jung

Launch School has provided a warm and loving community in a time of significant isolation. The sincerity of the school's purpose has drawn so many wonderful individuals together and encouraged us to really engage in a way I have not experienced with other remote relationships. I've definitely made lifelong friendships thanks to Launch School!

Missy Lovegren

"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.