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.

The most helpful resource that the backend courses offer is the abundance of practice opportunities. In addition to the periodic exercises throughout the main course-work, there are SO many extra exercises to work through for most of the courses. These provide so much practice that by the time I had worked through them, I always felt confident in my grasp of the concepts.

Zach Morgan

Learning fundamentals has had an immense and positive impact. Traditional academics was a bit of a letdown for me, for a number of reasons, and as someone whose highest core values include lifelong learning, I've always been insecure about that. Launch School has changed my perspective entirely. I am more confident in myself, more fulfilled in my daily life, and more disciplined in the pursuit of my goals.

Ginni Pinckert

Going through all the assessments and challenges has given me much more confidence in my abilities and contributed significantly to my self-growth. My thanks to all the Launch School Staff!

Kris Ingva

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

What you guys have built here is something truly special, and I am so grateful to have been able to devote the past 10 months to this amazing program. I will never be able to repay you all for what you’ve done for me. You’ve armed me with the not only the tools necessary to thrive in such a competitive field, but in life.

Gabriel De Almeida

The step by step, slow progression in this course is excellent. The student is able to focus in on one problem at a time. Overall pleased with the presentation of the course - the assignments were difficult enough to stretch my abilities but not overwhelm or confuse.

Alex Soloviev

"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.