Bloc is now Thinkful

As of 2/4/21, Bloc is now Thinkful; the curriculum and community will not change.

If you graduated from Bloc prior to Feb 4, 2021, please leave your review for Bloc. Otherwise, please leave your review for Thinkful.

To view updated and accurate information, please visit the Thinkful Course Report page.

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Bloc

Average Rating4.61
477 Reviews
2 Courses

Bloc is an online coding bootcamp that incorporates 1-on-1 mentorship to prepare each student for a career as a professional software engineer or UX/UI designer. Bloc's apprenticeship approach is tailored specifically to each student's learning needs. In the Web Developer Bootcamp, the curriculum is centered around frontend JavaScript and students can choose whether to learn Ruby on Rails or server-side JavaScript with Node. Bloc’s project-based curriculum is written by expert curriculum developers and vetted by their advisory board comprised of hiring managers. Students work with mentors 1-on-1 to clarify concepts, pair program, and build a portfolio of sites that will demonstrate job readiness as a professional software engineer. Not everyone can quit their job or move to a new city for a bootcamp, so Bloc has designed a comprehensive bootcamp with this in mind. Students can enroll full-time, or complete the program at a part-time pace. Bloc also offers 80 hours per week of real-time access to an experienced developer to answer any questions students may have. 

No prior development experience is required to enroll in Bloc, but a strong desire to learn and take on challenges will be important in each student's success! Bloc has a 100% acceptance rate, but is looking for students who are driven, hard-working, and ready to learn.

Career readiness is important to Bloc- their flagship Track programs include job preparation material and career prep workshops. Mentors will help students put together a portfolio and prepare technical interview questions. When ready, students work with the Career Support team to navigate the job search process with an individualized game plan and exposure to Bloc's Employer Network.

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477 Bloc Reviews

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  • Tyler Schmidt
    Tyler Schmidt
    Graduate • UX Design • Online
    Jan 21, 2016
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Amazing Experience

    I enrolled in bloc last year for their 36 week course and it's completely revamped my skills as a designer. I graduated from college with experience in print design but web design was always the scary subject I dared not cross. Mentor Chris Courtney was a massive help and really helped me re tool my entire design process for more digital outcomes. We really stressed the "why" of what we designed, rather than just making something pretty.  Bloc really works collaboratively, and it was not j...

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  • Josh
    Josh
    Graduate • Web Developer Track • Online
    Dec 24, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Great opportunity

    I really wanted to pursue an education in programming and web design.  I discovered coding bootcamps all over the country and started my journey to find the one that was the best fit for me.  Originally I was going to enroll in one of those immersive bootcamp programs that you would sprint through in less than 12 weeks.  But upon further review I found that I wanted to take the time to digest each new lesson at my own pace.  I also found the immersive bootcamp pricing t...

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  • Jack R
    Jack R
    Web Developer Track • Online
    Dec 02, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    A great bootcamp for me

    I am nearing my halfway point with Bloc and so far my experience has been great. My mentor has been excellent (Timothy Barnes) and I look forward to diving into my Frontend material after the holidays.

    Bloc is setup so you work through checkpoints with your mentor while building out projects. I love this approach compared to a few other in person classroom style camps I checked out. All in all, Bloc has been an awesome place for me to learn thus far.

    I do find myself ha...

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  • Anonymous
    Student • Rails Web Development • Online
    Nov 06, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Very Ovepriced do it yourself style program is BLOC

    Pros I liked my 2nd mentor since my 1st was so horrible I had to switch. 

    Cons the program is way over priced for what  they offer and give you. Mentor meeting aren't enough and the teaching method used are very confusing. Majority of the work is done by yourself and nothing is really tought by the mentors, they are just there for questions. There multiple options when it comes other schools that offer same material for less then half of what BLOC charges. If I coul...

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    Prachi Singh of Bloc

    Alumni Relations

    Apr 01, 2016

    Hi there. We’re sorry you’re disappointed with your experience with our Rails Web Development Course.

    Our mentors are a huge support for our students, but we intentionally build our programs to encourage independence and decrease dependency on the mentor. Why do we do this? Learning to program is extremely difficult, and allowing students to work through solutions on their own allows for more effective learning and helps them better understand complex problems. When students get stuck, mentors are always there to help, but it should not be the mentor’s responsibility to solve every problem for the student, but rather point them toward to the solution.

    We’d like to hear your feedback and more about your experience. Please email us at help@bloc.io; we’ll get back to you right away. We look forward to chatting.
  • Chardonne` Dixon
    Chardonne` Dixon
    IT Administrative Assistant • Applicant • Online
    Aug 14, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    An Epic Online Bootcamp

    I never knew that Bloc existed, as I have been trying for about 6 months to find an online bootcamp, I have not been so successful. Reviewing several bootcamps over the last few months, I refused to become discouraged as I continued to see what local Bootcamps and software schools were available. After finding a couple from the course report  list and through word of mouth, still to no avail an online bootcamp. After receiving the Course Report Bootcamp newsletter, I was astounde...

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  • Matt
    Matt
    Student • Web Developer Track • Online
    Aug 08, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Full Stack experience at Bloc

    I'll be graduating from Bloc very soon and I must say I've had a wonderful experience with them.  Looking back at what I have accomplished makes me proud -- I doubt I would have been able to learn as much as I did with just a book and browsing tutorials.  They really offer you the one on one assistence that can push you through the tough times we all have learning to code.  I'm excited for whatever the future may bring me in my search for my next career.

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  • A.W
    A.W
    Student • Frontend Web Development • Online
    Jul 16, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    My Frontend Experience with Bloc.io

    Overall experience: I graduated from the Frontend program with Bloc in February 2015 on the 36 week pace. Initially I started on the 18 week structure as I wanted to get as much information as possible, however work caught up with me and I moved it to the longer structure. I must say, having that flexibility was crucial towards my ability to succeed. My mentor worked with me when I intitally struggled on some early JavaScript concepts and was able to give me multiple resources that helped ...

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  • Brian
    Brian
    Graduate • Online
    Jul 10, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Completed program while working full-time

    Hi my name is Brian. I'll be graduating from Bloc next week. Like the previous reviewer said, my mentor experience was AMAZING - I think that's Bloc's key difference - the confidence-boost you get from working with a real developer who knows what you've built, knows what you're struggling with, and can offer perspective on what you'll need to be able to accomplish to get a job in the real world.  

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  • Anonymous
    Student • Rails Web Development • Online
    Jul 09, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Horrible Rails Development Experience

    I enrolled late January for the 12-week course in Rails Development (back then known as Full Stack Development, not to be confused with the similarly-named "Track" offered now). Over 24 weeks later, twice as long as I planned, I still hadn't finished my enrollment and would have required months more to finish.

    I signed up right as the curriculum was changing from version 3.0 Rails to 4.0, and it felt like I was right in the middle of a construction site. Checkpoints...

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  • Anonymous
    Graduate • Rails Web Development • Online
    Jun 16, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Landed a Job - Stoked!

    I took the Rails Web Development course, and found it to be an excellent online bootcamp experience. I have a baby at home, so taking an in-person one wasn't an option. The coursework is extremely thorough, and provided the guided instruction I needed to get started. And my mentor rocked! He was super helpful, and helped answer questions around why I got stuck. Overall, I'm pleased with the projects I've built, and quite satisfied with my experience considering how I got a job ...

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  • Robert
    Robert
    Graduate • Rails Web Development • Online
    Jun 08, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Rails Development Apprenticeship

    My experience with Bloc was an amazing one.  Entering into the program with very little knowledge of programming, I now feel competent enough to take on a job as a junior developer.

    The greatest part of Bloc was the mentor, who went above and beyond to help me out and make sure that I not only could use what was being taught, but also that I understood the reasoning behind it.  

    I absolutely would recommend Bloc for those who are dedicated enough to put in the...

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  • Anonymous
    Student • Frontend Web Development • Online
    Jun 05, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Frontend Apprenticeship

    My experience with Bloc was overhwhelmingly poor. While good intentioned my advisor could never remember simple things like whether I was using Ruby or Angular. He frequently tried to push his own software solutions on me and several times had me scrap projects to try our new frameworks or generators that he considered the flavor of the week.

     

    Their team is difficult to work with, impossible to escalate complaints with and has poor administrative oversite. For the...

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Bloc Alumni Outcomes

75%
Employment Rate
0%
Graduation Rate
$62,400
Median Salary
cirr-logo
77% of students intended to seek in-field employment within 180 days of graduating. 23% of students did not intend to seek in-field employment. Below is the 180 Day Employment Breakdown for 40 graduates included in report:
180 Day employment breakdown
Employed in-field75.0%
Full-time employee52.5%
Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position22.5%
Short-term contract, part-time, or freelance0.0%
Started a new company or venture after graduation0.0%
Not seeking in-field employment0.0%
Employed out-of-field0.0%
Continuing to higher education0.0%
Not seeking a job for health, family, or personal reasons0.0%
Still seeking job in-field25.0%
Could not contact0.0%
salary breakdown
Notes and Caveats
Read the full Bloc CIRR Jobs Report here

Recent Bloc News

Rachel Meltzer
Rachel Meltzer
Updated May 10, 2024
Remote jobs are rapidly becoming more popular in nearly every industry, growing by over 173% in the past decade. This phenomenon is sweeping the US, Canda, and most of Europe as millennials demand a better work-life balance. Over 3% of US employees work from home at least half of the time, and over 5% of the US works full-time remote jobs. Whether you want to work from home, become a digita...
Imogen Crispe
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Updated December 27, 2018
As we near the end of 2018, we're rewinding and reflecting on the most interesting and impactful coding bootcamp news of the year. Come with us as we look at trends, digest thought pieces, break down the ~$175 million in new funding, and more. We’ll also look at our predictions for 2019 and our hopes for the future of coding bootcamps! 2018: Course Report in Numbers We added 89 n...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated October 31, 2018
With a passion for spoken languages, Sami wanted to challenge himself in the world of programming languages. As a Hebrew teacher and parent in London, UK, with various commitments, he enrolled in Bloc’s remote self-paced Web Developer Track to learn Ruby on Rails and JavaScript on his own schedule. Sami tells us about the similarities between learning spoken languages and programming lang...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated June 05, 2018
Thinkful recently acquired Bloc, which means that two of the largest and most established online coding bootcamps are now joining forces. But what does this mean for students? We sat down with Darrell Silver, the CEO of Thinkful, to get the scoop on job guarantees, career support, mentorship approaches, and how students can choose the right program for their needs. Our Takeaways on the Thi...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated July 16, 2021
  Welcome to the first News Roundup of 2018! We’re already having a busy 2018 – we published our latest outcomes and demographics report, and we’re seeing a promising focus on diversity in tech! In January we saw a significant fundraising announcement from an online bootcamp, we saw journalists exploring why employers should hire bootcamp and apprenticeship graduates, we read about communi...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated December 20, 2017
After receiving valuable employer feedback, online coding bootcamp Bloc has taken the best parts of its two previous curriculums and combined them into the new and improved Web Development Track! The Bloc team has also added increased real-time mentor support (80 hours per week), and added a choice of programming stacks (Ruby on Rails or Full Stack JavaScript) for students. We asked CEO C...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated December 05, 2017
October 2017 was a busy month for the coding bootcamp industry with news about growing pains in bootcamp outcomes, mergers, acquisitions, investments, a trend towards bootcamp B2B training, and diversity initiatives. To help you out, we’ve collected all the most important news in this blog post and podcast. Plus, we added 12 new schools from around the world to the Course Report school di...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated September 28, 2017
Need a rundown of everything that happened in the coding bootcamp industry this September? You’re in luck! We’ve collected all the most important news in this blog post and podcast. This month, we kept up with the status of the bootcamp industry, learned about how bootcamps are thriving in smaller markets, and explored different ways to pay for bootcamp. Plus, we added 7 new schools from ar...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated September 20, 2017
After working at Mint, Netflix, and founding two tech companies, Ryan Balfanz wanted to pay it forward and mentor career changers. Now, as a mentor for Bloc’s online coding bootcamp, Ryan balances his day job as a software engineer at Square with ensuring that his students meet their career goals. Ryan tells us about his background in teaching, how he opens up his network to help students w...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated October 21, 2020
Although he had a solid career in technical support, Tim Martinak wanted to take his love for technology to the next level. He started learning Rails in Bloc’s Software Developer Track while balancing his full-time job at Braintree in Chicago, and when a Software Engineering Apprenticeship opened up at Braintree, Tim went for it! Tim tells us why a Skills Fund loan made his learning possibl...
Lauren Stewart
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Updated February 07, 2020
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Lauren Stewart
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Updated October 25, 2016
There are many reasons to attend a bootcamp- maybe you’re ready to take the plunge into a coding career or you want to update your current programming skills. Or maybe you’re part of a rising generation of aspiring technical founders and you’re ready to launch your own startup…you just need tech skills. Should you go to a coding bootcamp to start a company? Many bootcamp alumni are enjoyi...
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Bloc Alumni Reviews Summary

Overall Experience
4.6
Instructors
4.7
Curriculum
4.5
Job Assistance
4.3
Write A Review
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
FAQs

How much does Bloc cost?

Bloc costs around $9,600. On the lower end, some Bloc courses like Web Developer Track cost $8,500.

What courses does Bloc teach?

Bloc offers courses like Design Track, Web Developer Track.

Where does Bloc have campuses?

Bloc teaches students Online in a remote classroom.

Is Bloc worth it?

The data says yes! In 2019, Bloc reported a 0% graduation rate, a median salary of $62,400, and 75% of Bloc alumni are employed. The data says yes! In 2016, Bloc reported a 41% graduation rate, a median salary of $65,411, and 80% of Bloc alumni are employed.

Is Bloc legit?

We let alumni answer that question. 477 Bloc alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Bloc and rate their overall experience a 4.61 out of 5.

Does Bloc offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?

Right now, it doesn't look like Bloc offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.

Can I read Bloc reviews?

You can read 477 reviews of Bloc on Course Report! Bloc alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Bloc and rate their overall experience a 4.61 out of 5.

Is Bloc accredited?

While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Bloc doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.

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