35 ways into tech, most of them free

Hires apprentice engineers for AI/ML and backend roles through an essay, a take-home project and interviews.

Who it's for: Career changers and self-taught engineers

Free coding courses plus CFGdegree, a 16-week program with software engineering, full-stack, data and product tracks.

Who it's for: Women and non-binary people, beginners welcome

Tuition-free full-stack program (Python, SQL, JavaScript, React). Some cohorts have included a paid internship.

Who it's for: Women and gender-expansive adults, career changers welcome

The One Million Certified pledge covers entry-level cybersecurity training and an exam voucher while spots last.

Who it's for: Beginners, no IT experience needed

Audit real Harvard courses for free, including CS50, machine learning and leadership.

Who it's for: Anyone with a free account

Free training for tech sales roles, with a paid internship included in the cohorts I covered.

Who it's for: Varies by cohort and state, no degree required

Earn points from free courses and tasks, then redeem them for 100% off AWS certification exam vouchers.

Who it's for: Beginners who join AWS Educate

Free self-paced database courses, hands-on labs and certification prep from MongoDB itself.

Who it's for: Beginners and working developers

A free 12-week hybrid program with a specialization like project management, plus career support.

Who it's for: NYC residents, rolling applications

Free web and mobile development classes with a path into a practicum and apprenticeship.

Who it's for: People from low-income and immigrant communities

Apprentices work in data analytics or software engineering with mentorship and a path to a full-time role.

Who it's for: Early career professionals and recent grads

An engineering apprenticeship built for people breaking in without a CS degree.

Who it's for: Self-taught or bootcamp coders with little professional engineering experience

Get matched with a remote team to build a real project, practicing Git and agile like on the job.

Who it's for: Developers at any level

A four-year program that pairs a computer science degree with real work on engineering teams.

Who it's for: Students at a partner university, no coding experience needed

Interactive video lessons where you can pause and edit the code right inside the lesson. Many courses are free.

Who it's for: Beginners to experienced developers

Learn cybersecurity through hands-on labs and challenges, with free beginner paths and a paid upgrade.

Who it's for: Beginners with no security background

Free self-paced JavaScript, HTML, CSS and SQL with coding practice right in your browser.

Who it's for: Complete beginners

A two-year federal fellowship in software engineering, data, design, product or cybersecurity.

Who it's for: US citizens or nationals, recent grads or 1+ year of related experience

A one-year hybrid fellowship in Brooklyn that trains software engineers and data analysts.

Who it's for: Young adults with a high school diploma and no bachelor's degree

Software engineering and data science training built around real community projects.

Who it's for: Young people from underrepresented backgrounds

Free courses in iOS, cybersecurity, software engineering and technical interview prep.

Who it's for: College students (I got course materials as a non-student)

A fully free, project-based curriculum with certifications in web development, JavaScript and more.

Who it's for: Complete beginners and up

Free courses in cloud, cybersecurity, AI and data, with digital badges you can add to LinkedIn.

Who it's for: Beginners upskilling or reskilling

Free courses in coding, cybersecurity, AI and data science.

Who it's for: Anyone looking to upskill

A sponsored software engineering bootcamp with a weekly stipend and a path into apprenticeships.

Who it's for: Formerly incarcerated people

Free access to thousands of Coursera courses in tech, business and healthcare.

Who it's for: Eligible unemployed or underemployed New Yorkers

A free, open-source full-stack curriculum where you learn by building projects.

Who it's for: Beginners and up

A 12-week remote program where fellows work in mentored pods on open-source and real-world projects.

Who it's for: Aspiring software engineers

Full-time bootcamps in software engineering, data science and UX, with a living stipend in the cohorts I covered.

Who it's for: Aspiring engineers, data scientists and UX designers

A 16-week apprenticeship with software engineering, technical program management and product tracks.

Who it's for: Career changers with some tech foundation

Free virtual job simulations from real companies, great for building resume talking points.

Who it's for: Students, recent grads and career changers

Evening courses in JavaScript, Python, machine learning and front-end, free with a grant if you qualify.

Who it's for: Beginners; grants for those who qualify

A free full-stack development program, no prior tech background needed.

Who it's for: Women, non-binary and trans adults in select cities

Industry certifications in tech and other fields through CUNY's employer partners.

Who it's for: NYC students, alumni and community members

Many public libraries give free access to Udemy courses with just a library card.

Who it's for: Anyone whose public library offers Gale Udemy