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Actualize

Average Rating4.93
612 Reviews
1 Course

Actualize is an online software engineering bootcamp focused on both full stack web development and AI engineering, the skills for building software on top of large language models. Instructors with professional educational experience teach students relevant technologies, including Python, FastAPI, Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, ReactJS, LLM APIs (from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Hugging Face), and LlamaIndex. Students learn core AI engineering techniques such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), evaluation frameworks (evals), AI agents, and LLM observability tools.

The Online Live classes are conducted in real time with video conferencing. Actualize integrates a “Job Hacking” curriculum focused on personal branding and networking — skills they view as equally essential as technical training.

To apply, students can submit an application via the website and then interview with an admissions advisor. There are no coding challenges, but students must complete 5 weeks of prework before the live training starts.

After the program, students can continue to work with the career advisors to help with the job search process.

612 Actualize Reviews

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  • Shlomo Twerski
    Shlomo Twerski
    Graduate • Web Development • Chicago
    Apr 20, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Well structured, extremely informative, very attentive and kind staff, easy-going no-pressure environment. What more could you ask from a boot camp?

    I graduated from ACLTC's 3rd cohort. An AMAZING experience.  Firstly, they teach in a way that is really easy to understand, and they cover a lot of material. They teach you ruby, ruby on rails, sql, html, css, javascript, and AngularJS. They also teach it very thoroughly providing multiple FUN (I know,  hard to believe) exercises and hands-on learning. They always make sure you understand it, and you'll never be to embarrassed to say if you didn't understand somethin...

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  • Yedidya Weiner
    Yedidya Weiner
    Graduate
    Jan 20, 2015
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Anyone Can Learn To Code!

    This was awesome! I held my full time job and attended classes on nights and weekends. Jay is a fantastic teacher and know his material very well. He did not just teach us how to code, but taught us the ins-and-outs of everything in the profession. I feel very prepared to get a job. Great atmosphere too!

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  • Mark Richardson
    Mark Richardson
    Dec 29, 2014
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    For Those That Want to Learn to Code

    Finding a good developer to help you is easy. Finding a good developer who is also a good teacher is much, much harder. Jay (the lead instructor) takes teaching seriously, and that's where his passion lies. I think most coding schools, especially bootcamps have a sink or swim attitude, where learning is your responsibility, and they're only there to push you along.
    But Jay really cares. He wants you to learn, and will put in the time to make sure not only that everyone is on...

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  • Chris Walsh
    Chris Walsh
    Software Engineer • Graduate • Web Development • Chicago
    Dec 29, 2014
    Overall Experience
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    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Invaluable, life-changing

    Two things set Anyone Can Learn to Code apart from other bootcamps: the time commitment and instruction. ACLTC is the only programming bootcamp I found that allowed me to keep my job while attending. That was huge. I couldn't have afforded it otherwise. And whereas most bootcamps throw you straight into the deep end of dev, providing an environment where you can teach yourself how to code with little directed instruction, ACLTC gives direct, in-class lessons alongside practical exercis...

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  • Robert Elroy
    Robert Elroy
    Student • Web Development • Chicago
    Dec 29, 2014
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Hands down, a great experience!

    I have recently finished classes at ACLTC and must say, this was a great experience! Jay Wengrow is a true teacher at heart. He is more than willing to spend the extra time and effort to make sure you succeed. Being someone who has never had any experience coding at all, I believe I truly picked the right place to be in ACLTC! I have heard other boot-camps expect you to pretty much learn on your own with their help. Jay teaches step by step with examples and exercises. This give...

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  • Sly. N
    Sly. N
    Graduate • Chicago
    Dec 21, 2014
    Overall Experience
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    Job Assistance

    Worth every penny!!!!

    I attended the Anyone Can Learn To Code Web Development Bootcamp (Sept. 2014-Dec.2014) and I must say it was a rewarding experience that has paid off dividends already. ACLTC provided me with the skill set and confidence necessary to become a future developer. Jay Wengrow was an extremely knowledgeable and patient teacher that converted complicated concepts into plain english. Even before finishing the cohert, I've had several interviews with several companies looking for develop...

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  • Trevor Jones
    Trevor Jones
    Graduate • Chicago
    Oct 06, 2014
    Overall Experience
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    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Amazing Bootcamp

    I finished up the Summer 2014 cohort and it was awesome. I finally built the soccer app I've been wanting to build and feel so empowered. I had a job interview lined up right after the camp as a result of the showcase and I'm starting an internship now! This comes highly recommended!

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  • Ogbeide Uwagboe
    Anonymous
    Student • Chicago
    Jan 29, 2026
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
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    Job Assistance

    Great experience

    I chose Actualize Bootcamp because although haven tried learning coding on my own I structured with consistency and being able to build projects on my own from start to finish. Joining Actualize help me do this, first going through the prework with Ruby made me so programming as so easy and then moving on to python and AI engineering, the instructor break the learning down to the very basic and support you from there on. I would recommend Actualize for anyone who wants to go into this fi...
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  • Amelia Rider
    Anonymous
    Graduate • Online
    Aug 14, 2025
    Overall Experience
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    Curriculum
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    N/A

    Supportive Instruction and Practical Skills

    I had an amazing experience at this bootcamp! The instructor was incredibly helpful and always willing to go the extra mile to make sure we understood the material. I really appreciated how the curriculum balanced learning specific programming languages with building the skills to independently explore new languages and frameworks. We didn’t just focus on theory — we gained real-life, practical experience with debugging, team collaboration, and industry best practices. I left feeling con...
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  • Nathaniel Pierson
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Online
    Apr 17, 2025
    Overall Experience
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    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Actualize bootcamp review

    Good way to keep on track with learning coding when I knew bits and pieces but had never done anything as concrete as this. Sometimes the curriculum was paced in a way that puts you behind if you're not able to study in between classes (I did the bootcamp while working full time). However, the curriculum was thorough, and I didn't feel like there were any fundamentals I didn't understand by the end of the program. I feel like I came a long way in 4 months. You have open access to career ...
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  • Lea Stavnitser
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Chicago
    May 10, 2024
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Amazing Bootcamp!

    Amazing program with amazing instructors, grads can confidently apply for jobs knowing they have the necessary understanding and skills to go out into the workplace. instructors were clear and easy to follow, very fast paced and very engaging
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  • JAY h
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Online
    Feb 16, 2024
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    I've just graduated

    I've just graduated. I'm looking for a job, but I've gained a lot of courage and clarity regarding my future path. I believe Actualize is a very supportive boot camp for beginners. You don't have to worry about falling behind, and if you stay committed, you can grasp the basics of full stack development. The instructors are kind, and there's always an opportunity to ask questions.

    During the course, I learned Ruby, Ruby on Rails, and React. Towards the end, I also had the chance t...
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  • James
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Online
    Feb 16, 2024
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Actualize Bootcamp

    I recently completed the web development bootcamp through Actualize and I can say it was a great experience. The curriculum is designed well, and you frequently put the concepts you learn to use in various projects. Brian was a friendly and knowledgeable instructor and the career support is thorough.
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  • Eli Banchik
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Online
    Feb 16, 2024
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Taught me more than I thought I could learn

    This course was great in its ability to learn at a highly-accelerated pace while maintaining comprehensibility. Going through the course it did not feel as though I was learning a lot but every time we stopped to reflect and as I reflect now finishing the course, it is clear the immense amount of knowledge I have obtained in a short period of time. While I do wish some other languages were allocated more time, being taught how to learn on our own was a key point so I feel comfortable ven...
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Online
    Jan 05, 2024
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Great Experience!

    Learning at Actualize was a great experience. I started Actualize with zero knowledge of Software Development, and can now build out full-stack apps, with knowledge in Ruby, Ruby on Rails, GitHub, SQL, React, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap. They gave us many resources and guides which were created by Actualize. There was a lot of team work and collaboration. A big part of Actualize was equipping us with the skills to enable us to keep growing and learning independently after the bo...
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  • Morgan W
    Anonymous
    Student • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Online
    Jan 05, 2024
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Go to Actualize!

    Recently completed the Full Stack Web Development bootcamp at Actualize and loved it. I chose Actualize because it was taught via live Zoom meetings and there were multiple schedule options. They focus on teaching you how to "learn to learn" which I thought was great, because no bootcamp will teach you everything you need to know and to leave the bootcamp with the tools necessary to continue my education was the most important to me. Highly recommend. 
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  • Anna Toman
    Anonymous
    Technical Support Engineer • Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Chicago
    Dec 18, 2023
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Gratitude for an Outstanding Actualize Experience

    I cannot recommend the team assembled at Actualize Coding Bootcamp enough. The support and guidance I received from the staff were beyond compare. In particular, Amanda, our instructor, was nothing short of amazing. Her teaching style struck the perfect balance between practicality and support, creating an environment that was conducive to learning and growth.

    I would join Actualize all over again just for their career advising team. Sarah was my advisor, and I cannot speak highly...
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  • Orlando
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Online
    Oct 13, 2023
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Very informative

    Course was great! they really teach how to code not just the programs you learn. Its really a great experience. Havent gone through the job assistance yet but can already tell they really help you after the course ends. 
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  • Luke Nadackapadam
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Chicago
    Sep 14, 2023
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    100% Recommend, No Regret

    Actualize is a well-thought-out curriculum with fantastic instructors who help you get a firm grasp on programming. I decided to choose this bootcamp because a friend who went here in the past recommended it to me, and vouched for their great instruction. After completing the bootcamp I can confidently say that not only is the instruction first-rate, but I also gained the skills necessary to feel confident in applying for software developer jobs and starting my own projects. One key conc...
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  • A Eisenberg
    Anonymous
    Graduate • AI + Fullstack Engineering • Online
    Sep 14, 2023
    Overall Experience
    Instructors
    Curriculum
    Job Assistance

    Great Experience!

    There are so many great perks to this boot camp starting from just the application process. When researching and applying to Actualize, the Operations Manager will be there to support you, answer questions, and guide you through the process. 
    The course itself is so great! Students are placed in small-sized cohorts (I had 9 classmates), with one lead instructor and 2 TAs. There is a friendly, low-pressure atmosphere. Each day we learned some new techniques and then worked on a relevan...
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Actualize Alumni Outcomes

Recent Actualize News

Jess Feldman
Jess Feldman
Updated December 01, 2025
As a response to the COVID pandemic in 2020, most in-person bootcamps quickly transitioned to online or remote classrooms. In 2025, hybrid classrooms and immersive online learning continue to be popular, but in-person bootcamp options are available again. If you’ve been waiting for an in-person classroom to start your career change, then here are the 33 in-person coding bootcamps with campuse...
Jess Feldman
Jess Feldman
Updated December 01, 2025
Oh Summer, one of the best seasons of the year! While it’s a time to relax, bask in the sun, and plan trips with family and friends, summer is also an awesome time to learn. If you’re a current student, teacher, or professional looking to learn to code, a summer bootcamp is a great opportunity to learn to code in a short time frame. Various coding bootcamps offer summer courses to help you la...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated December 04, 2024
The landscape of online coding bootcamps is vast – ranging from $30/month subscriptions to full-time bootcamps that cost around $20,000. And many online coding programs now offer Income Share Agreements (ISA), which adds another layer of complexity when comparing online coding bootcamp costs. In addition to flexibility, remote code bootcamps cost less than in-person bootcamps – the average on...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated November 29, 2018
This November has been super busy in the immersive coding education world, and at Course Report! We read about how Amazon’s new headquarters will impact the coding bootcamps in New York City, we celebrated successful coding bootcamp grads, we were sad to hear that a school is closing, we heard advice for being successful at bootcamp, and found out about new initiatives to improve diversity ...
Lauren Stewart
Lauren Stewart
Updated October 21, 2020
Jay Wengrow founded part-time web development bootcamp and apprenticeship program Actualize in Chicago in 2014 to make learning to code efficient and accessible. Now the coding bootcamp has campuses in New York and San Francisco, and in June 2017 they are launching their new online part-time program to further reduce barriers to entry into tech. We asked Jay about the format of the new onli...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated December 04, 2024
  How do you get a job after coding bootcamp if you have no relevant, real-world work experience? Only 1.4% of bootcampers have worked as developers in the past, but most career-changers have little – if any– client experience when they start looking for a developer job. Some bootcamps help students overcome this hurdle by offering opportunities to work for the bootcamp itself, or with ...
Imogen Crispe
Imogen Crispe
Updated March 31, 2016
Luke was ready to make the transition from chemical engineer to software engineer, but wasn’t ready to quit his full-time job. He found part-time coding bootcamp Anyone Can Learn to Code in San Francisco, learned to code while working full-time, then got real-world experience in his apprenticeship with The Difference Engine- an opportunity that ACLTC guarantees all its grads. Luke tells us th...
Kassia Shishkoff
Kassia Shishkoff
Updated October 21, 2020
If you’re determined to learn to code, there are a lot of factors you should consider when deciding how to accomplish your goal. What sort of budget do you have for the tools you might need? How much free time do you have, or are you willing to make? Do you want to quit your job and learn full-time? Another factor to consider is your own style of learning. Kassia Shishkoff of Anyone Ca...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated February 03, 2016
Thinking about applying to Anyone Can Learn to Code? The part-time Chicago programming bootcamp just opened a new campus in San Francisco and is a great option for career-oriented bootcampers who can't quit their day jobs quite yet.  But not everyone is accepted into Anyone Can Learn to Code, so what can you do to ace the interview? We're covering the A...
Nick Toscano
Nick Toscano
Updated April 30, 2019
Chicago is currently home to a growing lot of coding bootcamp and web immersion programs tasked with preparing students for a lucrative career in web development. Courses providers in Chicago have something for everyone with intensive programs in JavaScript, Ruby and Rails, Java and .NET.  There is a healthy selection of full-time courses as well as part-time bootcamps, workshops, and ...
Harry Hantel
Harry Hantel
Updated May 05, 2015
Welcome to the April News Roundup, your monthly news digest full of the most interesting articles and announcements in the bootcamp space. Want your bootcamp's news to be included in the next News Roundup? Submit announcements of new courses, scholarships, or open jobs at your school! 9 Bootcamp Headlines​ Coding bootcamps find homes at accredited universities. Could Th...
Jess Feldman
Jess Feldman
Updated October 24, 2025
While quitting your job and diving headfirst into your coding education can yield impressive results, we also understand that not everybody can commit to a full-time, 12-week programming bootcamp. Jobs, school, families - life, in general, can prevent that kind of commitment. For all the students who can’t give 40 hours a week to a code school, we’re outlining some part-time web development b...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated February 08, 2021
Oscar Cisneros was at a job with little opportunity for growth when he was encouraged to learn programming by a tech recruiter. After reading about Anyone Can Learn to Code (now called Actualize) in Chicago, Oscar decided to take the plunge. He's now working as a developer at startup CancerIQ and says "things couldn’t have worked out any better." We talk to Oscar about his experience and care...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated December 01, 2014
Chelsea Dommert moved to Chicago specifically to attend Anyone Can Learn to Code, a part-time, intensive web development bootcamp. The risk paid off- with her new skills, she is starting as a web developer at Pivotal Labs today! We talk to Chelsea about the teaching style at Anyone Can Learn to Code, how her past experience helped inspire her final project, and the importance of a...
Liz Eggleston
Liz Eggleston
Updated January 23, 2014
Anyone Can Learn To Code, based in Chicago, launches in June 2014, and can turn you into a web developer in 12 weeks.  The best news?  You don't even have to quit your job.   We talk to founder Jay Wengrow about his background in tech and education, his choice to teach beyond "Vanilla" Rails, and how focused Chicago students can learn to code without leaving ...

Actualize Alumni Reviews Summary

Overall Experience
4.9
Instructors
5.0
Curriculum
4.9
Job Assistance
4.8
Write A Review
More Information
Guarantees Job
Job Assistance
Includes Housing
Offers Corporate Training
Accepts GI Bill
Licensing
No
FAQs

How much does Actualize cost?

Actualize costs around $16,900.

What courses does Actualize teach?

Actualize offers courses like AI + Fullstack Engineering.

Where does Actualize have campuses?

Actualize teaches students Online in a remote classroom.

Is Actualize worth it?

Actualize hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 612 Actualize alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Actualize on Course Report - you should start there!

Is Actualize legit?

We let alumni answer that question. 612 Actualize alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Actualize and rate their overall experience a 4.93 out of 5.

Does Actualize offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?

Right now, it doesn't look like Actualize 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 Actualize reviews?

You can read 612 reviews of Actualize on Course Report! Actualize alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Actualize and rate their overall experience a 4.93 out of 5.

Is Actualize accredited?

No

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