College vs Bootcamp vs Self-Taught Calculator
For 10 high-traffic career fields, compare a 4-year degree, bootcamp / cert program, associate + cert stack, and self-taught path on cost, time-to-first-job, salary, and 5-year ROI.
The 'college vs bootcamp' debate is usually argued on vibes — one side defending a four-year credential because their parents told them to, the other side selling a $14k bootcamp because they need to make rent. We built a field-by-field calculator with real numbers: BLS salary medians, College Scorecard cost data, CIRR-reported bootcamp outcomes. For each of 10 fields (software, data, UX, cybersecurity, marketing, nursing, accounting, video, trades, real estate) we compare the four-year degree, bootcamp, associate + cert stack, and self-taught path on total cost, time-to-first-job, entry salary, and 5-year net worth. Save scenarios, share prefilled URLs with your kid/spouse/advisor, and read 900+ words specific to your field — not a generic 'bootcamps are great' or 'always go to college' take.
- 10 high-traffic career fields covered
- 4 paths compared: college / bootcamp / hybrid / self-taught
- Real BLS salary data + CIRR bootcamp outcomes
- 5-year and lifetime earnings math
- Save scenarios, prefilled URLs, print to PDF
- Cited public + industry sources