Treehouse Techdegree Review 2021: Is It Worth It?

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updated Dec 3, 2020

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Are you planning to start a coding bootcamp in 2021? Do you want to learn popular, in-demand tech skills and start a career as a developer as quickly as possible?

If so, you’re in the right place, fellow techie. The Treehouse Techdegree program is a bootcamp-tier learning path that helps you learn the right skills while getting personal feedback on your work.

The best part?

You get access to everything at a fraction of the price of a conventional coding bootcamp.

And more importantly, you don’t need any coding experience to get started. If you are entirely new to tech, all you have to do is follow the full curriculum and you will learn everything you need in the right order.

Now, I’m a big fan of Team Treehouse, so I thought I’d share my experience with the Treehouse Techdegree program.

So, just to be clear about it up front: everything I write in this review is based on my own experience and opinions about the Techdegree program at Treehouse.

If you are serious about learning to code and start a career in tech, you will find all the pros and cons you need to figure out if this is the right program for you.

Is the Treehouse Techdegree program worth it? That’s what you will find out today! Let’s dive right in!

Here are a few related articles you may want to read, too:

Please note: This post contains affiliate links to products I use and recommend. I may receive a small commission if you purchase through one of my links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Treehouse Techdegree review: What we will cover

This review article is an in-depth look at the different Treehouse Techdegree programs.

To help you navigate this post more easily, here’s an overview of what we will cover:

  1. What is Team Treehouse?
  2. What is the Treehouse Techdegree program?
  3. How do I sign up for a Techdegree?
  4. What is included in a Treehouse Techdegree program?
  5. How much does a Treehouse Techdegree cost?
  6. How long do I need for a Techdegree program?
  7. The 5 different Treehouse Techdegree programs reviewed
  8. Treehouse Techdegree pros: Is it worth it?

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Team Treehouse Techdegree Review - Is It Worth It

What is Team Treehouse?

So what is Team Treehouse to begin with?

Basically, Team Treehouse is an online coding school where you can learn in-demand tech skills to start a career as a developer or designer.

Team Treehouse - Learn coding web development and design for beginners

Their 300+ courses and learning tracks cover popular coding and dev topics such as:

  • Front-end web development
  • Backend web development
  • Computer Science
  • Data analysis
  • Machine learning
  • iOS mobile app development
  • Android development

So whatever career specialization you’re after, Treehouse offers a massive selection of made-for-you learning resources.

The best part?

If you are entirely new to tech and coding, you will find tons of beginner-level tutorials, too.

Even if this is your first time dipping your toes into the world of tech, Treehouse is the perfect place to start.

How does Team Treehouse work - Learn to code online

What is the Treehouse Techdegree program?

Ok, so Team Treehouse is a beginner-friendly online learning platform.

So what’s the Treehouse Techdegree program then?

This is where things get way more exciting!

The Treehouse Techdegree programs are your all-in-one micro-degrees that work much like coding bootcamps.

Treehouse Techdegree review - What is the Techdegree program

However, they’re more flexible than bootcamps because they are 100% online. Thus, you can learn at your own pace, whenever and wherever.

And more importantly, learning with a Techdegree is much more affordable than attending a $10K coding bootcamp. I’ll come back to this in a minute.

So each Techdegree program gives you an intensive, guided learning path that prepares you for hands-on work and projects way better than a regular coding course.

In other words, completing a Treehouse Techdegree means that you will be job-ready for your first entry-level junior developer position, for example. Yes, regardless of your skill level right now.

But what I love the most about Team Treehouse is that they produce all their courses and tutorials in-house.

No matter which Techdegree you choose, you will be guided through the program by professional experts in that specific field. The quality of the lectures, exercises, and other content is top-notch.

Is the Treehouse Techdegree worth it - Techdegree review and benefits

So all in all, these programs are a fantastic way to transform your motivation into a powerful set of skills that allow to start a new career in tech.

Since you will have everything you need in one place, you will save enormous amounts of time.

And hear this:

Throughout your Techdegree, you will have access to live chat support and you can connect with other students going through the same experience via Slack.

Thus, you can easily find help when things feel difficult, and perhaps even find a a few study buddies, too.

Sound good? (Yes, I know!)

How do I sign up for a Techdegree?

If you already know you want to give it a try, click here to start your FREE 7-day trial.

The best way to know if the Treehouse Techdegree is the right program for you is to try it out.

And there is no risk, really. If it isn’t your thing, simply cancel your plan before your trial ends.

If you’re not sure what skills you want to learn, take this quick quiz to find the best Techdegree program for you:

Team Treehouse Techdegree quiz
Take the quick placement survey to find the best Techdegree program for your needs.

Now that you have a basic idea of what the Treehouse Techdegree programs entail, let me walk you through everything that’s included in more detail.

What’s included in a Treehouse Techdegree program?

The Treehouse Techdegree uses a typical combination of different teaching and learning methods:

  • Video lectures & courses
  • Interactive workshops
  • Quizzes
  • Coding challenges
  • Final exam

Keep in mind that you will have to be a subscribing member at Treehouse to be eligible for a Techdegree. 

If you’re not quite sure if Treehouse is your thing, use this link to get a FREE 7-day trial and give it a try!

Also, if you’ve already completed some of the content or courses required for a Techdegree, you don’t need to repeat them. Simply skip ahead to the modules you haven’t finished yet.

This way, you can advance through the program a little quicker if you’re already a member at Treehouse.

Team Treehouse Techdegree programs - Are they worth it

Let’s take a brief look at some of the types of content.

1: Lectures and workshops

The contents and the tools used in the programs are clearly well thought-out and up-to-date.

I personally was mainly interested in the Front End Web Developer Techdegree to boost my skills in creating even more modern and interactive websites for my clients (and for myself!).

The curriculum definitely covered more than enough tools I was expecting to learn more about.

From the very first day of starting with the lectures, I noticed how the course structure was designed and executed in a way that allows anyone to learn a nice bunch of useful, in-demand skills regardless of their level of experience so far.

2: Quizzes and Exercises

After each unit, you will work your way through practical exercises that help you put your new skills to the test right away.

All in all, the level of challenge is just right with the Techdegrees – difficult enough to feed your motivation and keep you going.

This really sets this coding bootcamp apart from a few others, where the exercises and challenges are often quite easy to solve. This often results in you feeling bored easily, which can harm your motivation along the way.

Sounds familiar?

In that case the Treehouse Techdegree programs are probably a good option for you, too.

3: Final exam

At the end of each Techdegree, you will have the opportunity to complete a 2-hour final exam with a Treehouse proctor.

So, once you have finished your portfolio projects during the degree, this exam is what will seal the deal and earn you your Techdegree certification.

And what does the exam consist of? You will be doing a set of coding challenges and quiz questions while the proctor is monitoring your progress.

After the exam, it only took around a day and a half until I received my grade.

Once you get your grade and you pass the exam, you will receive your Techdegree certificate.

It isn’t an accredited higher education certificate, but rather a document saying that you possess the technical skills for that specific field. It is most definitely a nice addition to the set of portfolio projects you have finished throughout your degree!

But what if you don’t pass?

No worries! You can schedule a new exam for later. Just make sure you take some time to study and go into the next exam prepared!

Related: Web Developer Certification: Is It Worth It?

Online Coding Bootcamp: Team Treehouse Techdegree review

How much does the Treehouse Techdegree cost?

All in all, the Treehouse Techdegree program works much like a coding bootcamp. But with two main differences:

  1. It’s 100% online.
  2. It’s much more affordable.

The Techdegree program costs $199 per month.

Treehouse Techdegree compared - How much does it cost

Considering that you can learn at your own pace and learn the skills you need to launch a developer career from scratch, that’s pretty great value for your money.

Moreover, if you’re thinking about investing $10K on a coding bootcamp, the Techdegree program could save you thousands of bucks in the next few months.

And although it’s still quite a bit investment, you will save heaps of time knowing you’re learning the right stuff at the right time.

Hence, you don’t have to do any research on:

  1. What to learn
  2. Where to learn it
  3. How to practice your skills

Everything is baked into the neat curriculum for each Techdegree program for you.

But with a monthly price tag, you’re probably asking:

How long do I need to finish my Techdegree?

Let’s have a look:

How long do I need for the Treehouse Techdegree program?

How much time should you be able to commit?

Based on my experience and input from other students, each Techdegree program has a slightly different length.

If depends on how much time you can dedicate to learning and working on your projects weekly.

However, the absolute minimum for each program is 2–3 months.

This is because each Treehouse Techdegree program includes 5 to 10 projects, and you can submit one project for review every 7 days. Thus, completing and submitting your projects would take a minimum of 5 to 10 weeks.

But, as I mentioned, this is the absolute minimum time you should expect to commit to each program. You will most likely need at least a bit longer.

As a reference, here are the average estimates from Team Treehouse for all five programs:

  1. Front End Web Development Techdegree: 3 to 9 months
  2. Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree: 3 to 9 months
  3. PHP Development Techdegree: 3 to 12 months
  4. UX Design Techdegree: 3 to 8 months
  5. Python Development Techdegree: 2 to 5 months

Those are quite large timespans, I know. But it all boils down to your personal situation right now. If you have a full-time job, I’d say 5 to 12 months is quite realistic, depending on the program and your schedule.

Treehouse Techdegree review - What skills can you learn

So now you know there are 5 different Treehouse Techdegree programs you can choose between.

Depending on your career goals, each program teaches you the right skills for that particular specialization.

Let’s look at all five programs in more detail next.

The 5 different Treehouse Techdegree programs

Currently there are 5 different Techdegree programs available.

Each of them focuses on a highly in-demand set of skills in the wonderful realm of coding, web development, and design:

Let’s take a brief look at each of them:

1: Front End Development Techdegree

Front End Development Techdegree program

With the Front End Development Techdegree, you will learn how to build basic websites with plenty of interactive elements and features.

If you are interested in web development and serious about landing a Junior Front End Web Developer job within the next 6–12 months, this is the perfect program to achieve your goals fast.

Here are the skills and tools you will learn:

  • Coding web pages with HTML and CSS
  • Adding dynamic, interactive features to web pages JavaScript and jQuery
  • Programming fundamentals and best practices
  • Creating responsive web pages
  • Debugging techniques to troubleshoot your code quickly
  • Using common developer tools like code editors, Git, and GitHub
  • Grabbing data and information from other websites with APIs
Front End Development Techdegree projects
You will build 8 projects with the Front End Development Techdegree.

Also, you will build your personal developer portfolio website from scratch as the final project for this Techdegree.

Final Portfolio project for the Front End Web Development Techdegree program
Your final project will be a portfolio website that you will build from scratch.

By the end of the program, you will feel confident enough in your skills to work on real-life projects for potential freelance clients and employers.

And you have a portfolio with a handful of cool projects to showcase your talent!

If you ask me, this is by far the most beginner-friendly program out of all five.

Plus, it teaches you the easiest skills to start making money with as a freelance web developer. I kid you not: learning HTML and CSS allows you to apply for your first small freelance gigs within weeks.

→ Start your free Techdegree trial here

2: Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree

Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree

JavaScript is one of the most popular, in-demand programming languages out there. It’s a versatile language and there’s tons of demand for JavaScript developers around the world.

The Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree teaches you both “stacks” to create dynamic websites and web apps:

  1. Front-end development skills – Everything the user or visitor can see an interact with in their browser.
  2. Back-end development skills – Everything that happens on the server: saving, storing, and manipulating data.

So this program dives much deeper into just JavaScript than the Front End Developer Techdegree above. But they have a lot in common too!

Here are the skills you will develop:

  • Coding responsive, interactive websites with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery
  • Coding fundamentals and software development best practices
  • Object-oriented programming
  • Using the React front-end framework for building complex user interfaces
  • Debugging techniques to troubleshoot your code quickly
  • Using common developer tools like code editors, Git, and GitHub
  • Grabbing data and information from other websites with APIs
  • Back-end programming (on the server-side) with Node.js and the Express framework
  • Using SQL to retrieve, store, and update data in databases

Seriously, this is an insanely valuable skill set to learn from just a single source.

And since all the modules in the Techdegree fit perfectly together, you will have a smooth, guided learning experience from start to finish.

Full Stack JavaScript development Techdegree projects
The Full Stack JavaScript Techdegree includes 9 practice projects plus a final, full-stack app project.

And throughout the program, you will build 10 projects for your portfolio.

For your final project, you will use React to build a full-stack web application. That’s a fantastic starting point and framework you can use for further projects you want to build for your portfolio, too.

If you want to master one of the most in-demand programming languages and launch your developer career in 2021, give this Techdegree a try!

→ Start your free Techdegree trial here

3: PHP With Laravel Techdegree

PHP Laravel Techdegree with Team Treehouse

The PHP With Laravel Techdegree program is THE place to learn how to code back-end programs and apps for websites that store and manage data.

Now, I know that there are more popular programming languages than PHP out there. But it’s still a useful skill to learn if you want to work with the WordPress Content Management System, for example.

If you’re not familiar, WordPress powers about 30% of all websites worldwide these days. So there’s definitely plenty of demand for skilled PHP developers in the job market.

And yes, you could land an entry-level PHP developer job within just a few months from now.

Here are the skills you will learn:

  • PHP programming language syntax and best practices
  • Coding fundamentals and software development guidelines
  • Object-oriented PHP programming
  • Using the Model-View-Controller (MVC) framework to build web apps
  • Using common developer tools like code editors, the command line, Git, and GitHub
  • Testing and debugging techniques and tools
  • Using SQL to store and manage data in database tables
  • Securing web applications
  • Using the Laravel framework to build web apps, REST APIs, and more

You will walk away with a valuable collection of job-ready skills – and 8 portfolio projects to showcase your knowledge.

PHP Laravel Development Techdegree projects
The PHP Techdegree includes 8 hands-on projects you will build, plus one bigger, final todo web app project.

All in all, this is a crazy-good starting point for a career as a PHP developer.

Knowing how to build full-scale web applications means you can create pretty much any type of dynamic websites in the future:

  • Social networks
  • Discussion forums
  • Apps for keeping a journal, managing to-dos, and taking notes
  • Personal blogs
  • Online shops etc.

Ready to give it a try?

→ Start your free Techdegree trial here

4: UX Design Techdegree

UX Design Techdegree with Team Treehouse

The UX Design Techdegree is such a welcome addition to the curriculum!

UX or User Experience is all about learning how to create useful websites and apps that are easy and pleasant to use. The less questions the user is asking themselves, the better the UX – simply put.

If you enjoy the design and visual aspects of tech projects, UX design could be your thing. It gives you the opportunity to design beautiful apps and websites without necessarily having to write any code.

With people’s attention spans getting shorter and shorter, more businesses are focusing on creating the best possible experience for their visitors and end users.

Here’s why:

When users are happy, they are more likely to spend more time on a website or an app. That translates into more revenue, more sales, and more loyal customers. It’s a win-win!

Here are the skills you will learn in this Techdegree:

  • Giving effective design critiques with actionable feedback
  • Creating empathy maps to gain deeper insights
  • Iterating through wireframe designs
  • Designing for both mobile and desktop screens
  • Creating interactive prototypes
  • Conducting user interviews and usability tests
  • Writing compelling design explanations

The 10 projects you will build throughout this program are very hands-on and practical.

UX Design Techdegree projects with Team Treehouse
You will build 9 projects throughout the UX Design Techdegree, plus an online portfolio for yourself.

As a UX designer, you will have to communicate and explain your ideas clearly. That’s why you will also learn solid communication skills with this Techdegree.

As your final project, you will build a beautiful, curated collection of your work and gather it into a job-ready UX portfolio. Not bad!

→ Start your free Techdegree trial here

5: Python Techdegree

Python Techdegree at Team Treehouse

Python is definitely one of my personal favorite programming languages and tools for web development. It it also one of the most sought-after skills in the tech job market in 2021!

The best part?

If you are new to coding, Python is one of the easiest and intuitive programming languages to learn as a beginner.

The Python Techdegree focuses on building web apps, teaching you a wide selection of useful skills:

  • Basic and advanced Python concepts
  • Databases and testing in Python
  • Intro to HTML & CSS
  • Flask framework for web apps
  • Django framework for web apps
  • Heroku for deploying your web apps
Python Techdegree projects

All in all, you will walk away with a great set of skills to build on in the future as a Junior Python Developer. You will know how to build dynamic websites and web applications, and run data analytics.

Build a learning journal web application with Flask - Python Techdegree final project

If you’re interested in learning Python and building a solid portfolio with fun projects to showcase your skills, I really can’t recommend this Techdegree enough!

→ Start your free Techdegree trial here

Treehouse Techdegree pros: What’s great about the programs

Surely, each program comes with a bunch of cool things that will keep things interesting for you and help you reach your goals faster.

Depending on your learning style and needs, you may find the guided learning experience helpful for staying focused and maintaining your motivation.

Here are just a couple of points I think provide the most value to you and me as students:

1: Real projects for your portfolio

This is by far the coolest thing about the Treehouse Techdegree. All programs include 5 to 10 fun, real-life projects.

And when I say real-life, I mean these projects include challenges you will face in your daily work as a programmer or a software developer.

Hence, they make a great starting point for building your professional portfolio from day 1.

You will not only receive a Techdegree certificate at the end of your program, but you will also walk away with a nice portfolio to showcase your new talent.

By the time you’re finished with your Techdegree, you will already have a strong foundation for applying your skills to practical projects at work.

Remember: your future employer will most likely not give two bollocks about what kind of a degree or certification you have.

What really matters is what you have built, created, and worked on so far.

If you have a great portfolio to present, you are more likely to get the job than someone with a college degree but no practical experience or projects to showcase.

2: Feedback on your work

That’s right! You will receive personal project reviews and feedback on your work.

Each project that you submit will be reviewed by other Techdegree students.

Your peers will give you valuable, constructive feedback on your work to help you improve even further.

Furthermore, you will of course have the chance to review other students’ projects, too.

You may be asking: Why is this a good thing?

Quite simply because when you’re reviewing someone else’s project, you will learn three very useful skills:

  1. How to review and critique a coding project
  2. What other ways there are to solve a specific problem
  3. How to improve your own problem-solving skills

Thus, you will not only review and critique, but also learn new ways of tackling coding challenges. Neat!

Online Coding Microdegree: Team Treehouse Techdegree review

3: Access to an exclusive Slack channel

While you’re working through your Treehouse Techdegree, you will have the opportunity to connect with like-minded fellow students within an exclusive Slack community.

You can easily get help from others when the road gets a bit rocky. And of course give back to the community by answering other students’ questions.

Since there are always more than one way of solving a specific coding problem, the Slack channel is a great place to share your thoughts with others. You will also see how they tackled the same problems you’re working on.

4: Challenging assignments and exercises

Now, what often bothers me with online coding courses and bootcamps is that the exercises and problem sets are often either way too easy or extremely difficult to solve.

So I often feel like I’m not learning enough or I keep losing my motivation (and sometimes my temper!) if I have to struggle with a problem set for a very long time.

Of course, this is just a personal perception. All of us need a different level of challenge to keep us going. What might be easy for you could be a total nightmare for myself and vice versa.

But what I really like about the assignments throughout each Techdegree is that they are all quite challenging.

However, never to the point where I would feel defeated or start to lose my motivation. Just focus on your video lectures and workshops and you’ll be fine.

Summing it up: Should you start a Treehouse Techdegree in 2021?

All in all, the Treehouse Techdegree programs simply provide you with a variety of high-quality contents with a guided learning process.

Hence, it’s not a guarantee for a new job in the future. No coding course or bootcamp can guarantee that you will land your dream job.

It’s 100% up to you how you make the most of the learning resources you have, the skills you practice, and the determination you build as you become more confident in your knowledge. It’s in your own hands, and I know you can do this!

Now, let me sum things up and list the pros and cons for the Treehouse Techdegree programs:

Techdegree Pros:

  • Streamlined and guided learning process: the contents are well structured, so you don’t have to think about what to learn next after finishing one topic.
  • Flexible schedule: you can learn at your own pace, whenever you find the time for it.
  • Projects for your portfolio: by the time you finish your Techdegree, you will already have a nice collection of projects to showcase in your portfolio to potential employers.
  • Feedback on your coding projects: the ideas and feedback from others are invaluable to your leaning curve.
  • Chance to peek into other students’ projects: seeing how others solve coding problems gives you more insight into different ways of working and problem-solving.
  • Certification: although not an accredited certification, the Techdegree final exam is still a great last milestone to achieve. It is most definitely a nice bonus to show to potential employers in the future in addition to your awesome, new portfolio.

Techdegree Cons:

  • Price: with 199$/month for around 5 to 12 months is quite a heavy price tag, but it will most likely pay itself back surprisingly quickly.
  • Standardized degree contents: every student has an identical curriculum, so there is not much room to specialize in any specific area of a specific degree.
  • Not a “proper” coding bootcamp: the Techdegree is somewhat of a hybrid between MOOCs and coding bootcamps. You will get valuable feedback from the community, but no 1-to-1 “bootcamp” time from an actual Treehouse mentor.

Should you start a Treehouse Techdegree?

Yes, if you’re looking for a way to put your coding motivation and drive into good use. You will surely learn a bunch of invaluable, new skills regardless of which Techdegree program you choose.

Yes, if you have a clear idea about what area you wish to specialise in in the future. A Treehouse Techdegree is a great way to acquire skills in that specific field. As I mentioned above, the tools you will learn are in high demand in the job market. And you will build a great portfolio around those skills throughout the degree.

Yes, if you know the basics but you are looking for a structured, guided way of learning and building real-life projects for your portfolio. Even if you have no idea about web development, for instance, you can still start the web dev Techdegree and do a really good job with it. Therefore, a Treehouse Techdegree could be the perfect choice for you if you are just starting out with coding.

To make things easier for you, here’s a link for more information about the Techdegree programs plus a FREE 7-day trial to get you started.

But if you made it this far, I want to hear from you now!

  • Have you tried a Techdegree program at Team Treehouse?
  • Or are you thinking of starting one?
  • What would you like to achieve with it?
  • What are your concerns?

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop me a line in the comments below!

P.S. If you liked this Treehouse Techdegree review, please share it with others so that they can find it, too! Thank you!

Happy learning!
– Mikke

Treehouse Techdegree Review 2021: Is It Worth It?

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About Mikke

Hi, I’m Mikke! I’m a blogger, freelance web developer, and online business nerd. Join me here on MikkeGoes.com to learn how to code for free, build a professional portfolio website, launch a tech side hustle, and make money coding. When I’m not blogging, you will find me sipping strong coffee and biking around town in Berlin. Learn how I taught myself tech skills and became a web dev entrepreneur here. And come say hi on Twitter!

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