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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  • Beth Cummings
    Beth Cummings
    Student • Web Developer Track • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jul 31, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Nearly finished, my time at Bloc

    I was at a party a few weeks ago and something really amazing happened.  I got everyone’s least favorite opening question, “What do you do for a living?” and without thinking I said “I am a web developer.” I’d didn’t caveat it with “want to be” or tell them I was in school or give some long winded answer about changing careers.  I simply told them what I was, I’m a web developer.  And it was in that moment that I believed it for the first time.

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  • Cody
    Cody
    Student • Design Track • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 29, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    UX Designer

    I am two months into the Designer Track course at Bloc. I started Bloc on the 15 hours a week pace, but a month in I switched to 25-30 hours a week. I am currently working a full-time job while completing the Bloc course work. 

    I graduated with a BFA in illustration in 2015 and two of the reasons I chose Bloc to study UX Design was because the curriculum seemed robust, structured, and intense. To become good at anything requires a significant amount of time and dedication. Commit...

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  • Aaron Stewart
    Aaron Stewart
    Student • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jul 28, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Good Curriculum, Good Mentor.

    I'm a couple months into the software engineer program now, and it has been great. Even with as much information and technical jargon that there is. The Bloc curriculum has broken everything down very well, so it's easy to pick up all the basics, even while studying on your own. And my bloc Mentor is legit.

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  • Martin Soler
    Support Engineer • Graduate • Rails Web Development • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 28, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Excellent Virtual Training Program

    I highly recommend the Bloc virtual Rails Web Development program if you are interested in jumpstarting a career in web development. It was perfect for me, especially given that I live on a small island wherein access to high quality technical training programs are virtually unavailable. The curriculum was developed in such a way that each lesson builds upon the previous lesson, almost guaranteeing that each lesson's goals are attainable, provided you are willing to put in the effort. Alon...

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  • Joe Pascale
    Joe Pascale
    Student • Software Developer Track • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jul 25, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Worth it if you are dedicated

    I join Bloc in February 2017 & am at about the 1/3 mark of the longest track (Software Development).  I would assume like any other school or bootcamp, there is some risk associated with attending if you don't fully commit yourself, make the time, apply the concepts, and read supplementary material that furthers your learning (software development requires CONSTANT referencing to Google/Stack Overflow/language docs, etc.).

    I came in with 3 goals in mind: to make a change in m...

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  • Marta Fieweger
    Experience Designer • UX Design • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 25, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Happy UX Designer

    I completed bloc wayyyyy back in 2015 before any of the recent (and substantial) curriculum changes. Even though I think the curriculum now is probably a lot more advanced and robust (as it's gone though several iterations - design, amirite?), it still pushed me to be successful in a lot of ways. Design is hard, and I'm by nature a both insecure and highly motivated person which makes for an odd combination. My mentor worked with me through my struggles, ups, downs, design blocks, etc., an...

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  • Gianpietro Lavado
    Gianpietro Lavado
    Network Solutions Architect • Graduate • Rails Web Development • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jul 24, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    The Rails Program changed my life!

    I decided for Bloc after trying the self-paced approach, and I have to say it was the key decision that transformed my coding from a hobby to a tool for building production-ready web applications and other kind of coding projects.

    The content is of very high quality, it's constantly being updated and you get to access it even after the course is over.  The approach has the right level of demand and resources needed to get you going.

    In particular, I had a project I want...

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  • A. Byrd
    A. Byrd
    Graduate • Software Engineering Track • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jul 21, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Great Breadth of Learning

    The course work covers a great breadth of languages and libraries, including some of the most relevant to the field currently: JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, jQuery, Angular, and more. Part way through the program, I began to question the overall value of it, considering that much of the material is available online for free. But the fact is, without the structure of Bloc, I would have had no idea in what order to learn the endless amount of material out there, nor which topics are the m...

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  • Isaac P
    Isaac P
    Coordinator of Educational Technology • Student • Software Developer Track • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 20, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Great for Remote and Part Time

    I live and work full time in a very remote location (rural Alaska) so I had some very specific criteria when selecting a bootcamp. I was looking for something remote and part time. Bloc handily met both criteria. The program is entirely online so it can be done from anywhere, and I am able to complete the curriculum at a part-time pace. The timeframe can be quite long (mine is two years for the Software Developer Track) so I can do a little bit of work while not at my full time job and sti...

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  • Drew
    iOS Development • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 19, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Experience and Familiarity with Coding? Choose Bloc.

    If you're looking for an online learning experience for coding, you should definitely consider the Bloc approach. But, before you even click accept, make sure you have done your homework and worked through as many free/cheap tutorials as possible. 

    Your time in the course is a WAVE of information. You'll be in a much better place psychologically and economically if you understand the basic concepts of what you are about to get into. Plus, if you work one-on-one w...

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  • Jared T
    Jared T
    Student • Part-Time Web Developer Track • Online
    Verified by GitHub
    Jul 16, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance
    N/A

    Bloc star

    Before selecting Bloc I reviewed several programs and their respective preview courses. I found that every online boot camp had one thing that they excelled at. But these boot camps also seemed to focus so vehemently on that one thing, that other areas of the program suffered. That is not to say that these other programs were bad, but for me, they didn't strike a good balance of affordability, support, education, and potential results.

    My biggest reason for choosing Bloc was the...

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  • Jose Torres
    UX/UI Designer • Graduate • UX Design • Online
    Verified by LinkedIn
    Jul 16, 2017
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Bloc was my turning point.

    I can seriously say that Bloc helped me get out of a job and gain a career. After going to college for two years wasting money on courses I was never going to use in real life situations. I decided to seek a better alternative. I researched boot camps and landed on Bloc's site. Being able to learn from home and having a mentor with years of experience in the real world of UX/UI Design, was awesome. My mentor was always available for any concerns or help I needed. Creating work that I could...

    Report

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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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
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Updated October 21, 2020
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Updated October 25, 2016
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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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