How we compare

The cost of waiting

The expensive option is usually doing nothing

Every month in a role that underpays you has a price. Move the sliders to see what waiting really costs.

Extra you'd earn per month in the new role Months until you start the new role

—

forgone income while you wait

Start now instead

An honest comparison

What you're really choosing between

Cheaper options exist. The question is not price — it's which path actually gets you into a paid role. Here's the trade-off, laid out straight.

Option	Price	Live teaching	1:1 mentor	Job support	Structure	Typical finish rate
Derry Training	Mid ($$)	✓	✓	✓	High — cohort + planner + method	High — mentored
Self-paced MOOCs (Coursera, Udemy)	Low ($)	—	—	—	Low — you self-manage	Low (often <10%)
Self-teaching (free/YouTube)	Free	—	—	—	None	Very low
Other bootcamps	High ($$$)	Some	Some	Some	Medium	Medium
University degree	Very high ($$$$)	✓	Rare	Some	High	High (but 3–4 yrs)

We publish our own outcome figures here — placement rate, median starting salary — as they are independently audited, rather than advertising numbers we can't yet stand behind. Competitor columns use widely-reported industry data. The qualitative ratings above reflect the presence of live teaching, mentoring, job support and structure, which are the things that drive completion.

Where Derry isn't the obvious choice — and what we do about it

No course is right for everyone. Here are the honest trade-offs and how each is handled.

“It costs more than a $20 MOOC or free videos.”

True — but those have single-digit completion rates and no mentor or job support. We offer a low-cost Foundations Sprint to start, a 50% deposit + weekly plan, regional pricing, and access discounts (veterans, disabled, unemployed and more). The bigger cost is usually the salary you forgo by waiting.

“It asks for a real time commitment across the year.”

Yes. That is why there is a weekly planner, pace control (accelerated, standard or extended), class recordings, and offline study — you set a sustainable pace and the structure keeps you moving instead of stalling like most self-paced learners do.

“It is not a university degree.”

Correct. It is built around the skills and certifications employers actually screen for, with a portfolio-grade capstone and verifiable certificate — in months, not years, at a fraction of the cost. For roles we train, demonstrated skill and a strong project tend to matter more than a degree.

“We are a focused, growing school — not a household name yet.”

Fair. We counter that with transparency: published outcomes as we verify them, named faculty, a six-month job-support guarantee, and a real alumni network — rather than asking you to take marketing on trust.

“Live classes run on a schedule and timezone.”

Every class is recorded and the app works offline and syncs later, so you are never locked out by a clash — while still getting the retention benefit of live, scheduled instruction over purely on-demand video.