Data specialists in Chicago use it to prepare databases and process large amounts of information effectively. Thankfully, Excel bootcamps in Chicago can help individuals looking to quickly master this tool to improve their careers and advance in their position. From beginners to advanced users, these courses provide structured learning environments at varying price levels that learners must understand before signing up for class.
Average Cost of Excel Bootcamps in Chicago
Anyone interested in taking the top Excel bootcamps in the Windy City will learn all about this vital software and its many benefits. Useful for far more than data collection, this tool possesses visualization options that help experts create charts they can share with others in the office.
Most Excel learning options cost a few hundred or thousand dollars to complete. So, while these classes cost less than other tech-related bootcamps, they’re still a significant investment. As a result, it’s wise to take a quick look at some price ranges before signing up for a program.
Overview of Typical Price Range
As mentioned previously, Chicago-area Excel bootcamps don’t cost the tens of thousands of dollars common for coding courses. Put simply, Excel merely is too limited a subject to require more than a few days to master. As a result, classes might cost as little as $250 in this area.
However, some might cost as much as $960 due to various factors such as increased length and more hands-on exercises. Typically, most people spend between $350 and $550, which makes Excel bootcamps one of the most affordable learning opportunities for serious students.
Comparison of Average Costs Between Different Bootcamps
Anyone serious about mastering Excel for their career needs to know what they’re going to pay for their education. After all, bootcamps charge wildly varying prices depending on things like their subject matter, length, and location. Thankfully, Chicago provides many unique learning opportunities that can help students master Excel. A few of the most popular choices include:
- Noble Desktop: New York City’s most popular training team provides tech-based education across the nation using online courses. Their Excel bootcamps are typically around $550 and last around 18 hours, which is split up into a couple of days of learning.
- NYC Career Centers: Available in New York City and beyond, this crew offers courses in multiple subjects, including Excel. More serious learners can take their $959 class or try shorter and affordable options for about $250 to $550, depending on the subject.
- Computer Training Source: Providing learning opportunities in Schaumburg, Naperville, Chicago, and virtually, CTS offers specialized, one-day Excel classes for serious learners. These generally cost $300 and have plenty of real-world activities.
- General Assembly: With bootcamps on various subjects that help reinforce learning, this school offers part- and full-time courses at reasonable prices. Their cheapest Excel bootcamp costs $250 and lasts only four hours, helping learners prepare efficiently.
Factors Affecting the Cost of Excel Bootcamps
When choosing Excel courses in Chicago, it’s vital to understand what impacts their costs. These factors will vary depending on many elements, including the school’s location, the classes it offers, and much more. As a result, it’s wise to read the following section to get the inside scoop needed. Doing so can help learners choose wisely based on quality and budget.
Duration of the Program
Shorter Excel bootcamps that last a day or two are usually cheaper than longer ones. In fact, most Excel courses rarely last more than nine hours. However, they only cover basic functions such as formulas, formatting, and simple data manipulation. More extended programs, which span several days, cost more but cover advanced topics like pivot tables and VBA macros.
Curriculum and Specializations Offered
Programs that offer specialized Excel skills such as data analysis, financial modeling, or Excel for business intelligence tend to charge more due to their enormous value to the learners. Likewise, schools focusing on advanced functions, complex automation, and software tools like Power BI almost always charge more because they teach difficult and comprehensive subjects.
Reputation and Ranking of the Bootcamp
Reputation matters in the education world, and Excel bootcamps with great reviews that highlight high-quality instruction often charge more. These programs may also have connections with employers or industry certifications that help build networks. That kind of value makes them more appealing to students who want to boost their resumes and, by proxy, a little costlier.
Location and Facilities
While many Excel bootcamps offer online or hybrid learning, those with physical locations in Chicago and on-site instruction may charge higher fees to cover operational costs. After all, the Windy City is an expensive place, and any course held at dedicated training centers, especially those with state-of-the-art technology, often comes at a premium price due to their resources.
Instructor Qualifications
High-quality Excel bootcamps typically have more than enough money to hire instructors with extensive experience in data analysis, finance, or consulting. That makes them an excellent investment. However, they also tend to charge higher tuition fees because great teachers bring real-world expertise that can be invaluable to students looking to apply Excel professionally.
Benefits of Attending Excel Bootcamps in the Windy City
When trying to balance living expenses with bootcamp costs, it’s critical for learners to understand these courses' many benefits. After all, there are other ways to master Excel beyond bootcamps. Colleges and even web-based learning tools can help learners understand this software easily. What makes learning in this environment so smart? Here are a few reasons.
Structured Learning Environment
Excel bootcamps offer a structured curriculum that allows students to learn essential Excel functions systematically. They’ll start with the basics that should take no more than a few hours to master. Then, they’ll move toward more advanced topics such as automation and more. This complex structure ensures students build a solid foundation to ensure complete mastery.
Access to Experienced Instructors and Mentors
Bootcamps provide access to seasoned Excel professionals who can offer personalized support and answer questions in real-time. While other schools also have teachers, bootcamps often go out of their way to hire people with real-world experience. As a result, having direct access to experts like these allows students to overcome learning challenges quickly and efficiently.
Networking Opportunities with Peers and Industry Professionals
An Excel bootcamp is a uniquely focused experience, one that introduces learners to new and exciting people almost every day. As a result, attending one may easily connect students with other professionals. These networking and collaboration opportunities are useful for job seekers or anyone looking to potentially move up in their career or find an Excel-related position.
Career Services and Job Placement Assistance
Unlike a lot of schools and universities, most Excel bootcamps offer career services, including resume reviews, interview preparation, and even job placement assistance. While this service is more common in tech-focused bootcamps, some business-related Excel classes focus heavily on career support to make it easier for learners to find a job after completing their training.
Why Paying for an Excel Bootcamp is Better Than Learning for Free
Free seminars, YouTube videos, and other learning tools often tempt students to skip out on bootcamps and try mastering Excel by themselves. That’s understandable because this software isn’t as complex as coding, and a bootcamp might seem excessive. However, these lower-priced courses can make graduates true Excel experts and provide other advantages.
Accountability and Motivation
Paying for a bootcamp creates a sense of accountability that free learning does not. Even spending a few hundred dollars helps keep students committed to completing the course. Just as importantly, these concentrated 1-3-day classes don’t take that much time out of a person’s life while providing a great burst of concentrated education that makes mastering Excel easier.
Hands-On Projects and Real-World Experience
While some free resources provide great exercises to help learners develop their skills, most do not. By contrast, Excel bootcamps emphasize hands-on learning, in which students work on real-world projects. These activities let students apply what they've learned practically, which provides far more effective education than simply following along with tutorials or videos.
Immediate Feedback and Personalized Support
In bootcamps, learners have instructors available to provide immediate feedback on their mistakes. In free courses, students will have to work at it to understand things and might even develop bad work habits that their teacher could have fixed. Whether they're stuck on a formula or unsure how to automate a task, skilled professors can ensure graduates learn Excel properly.
Community and Collaborative Learning
Bootcamps foster a collaborative environment where students can learn from each other’s experiences and struggles. For example, learners can share their Excel spreadsheets, figure out where they erred with certain formulas, and learn more about utilizing VBA and other complex tools. Importantly, this group learning dynamic mirrors real-world work environments.
Financing Options for Excel Bootcamps in the Chicago Area
Mastering Excel in Chicago bootcamps won’t cost as much as studying AI and machine learning. That said, costs might still seem high. Even $500 to $1,000 is often too high for many people. Thankfully, there are financing options available that can ensure graduates don’t spend too much money on their classes. Here are a few options that are well worth considering.
Scholarships and Grants
While less common for Excel bootcamps, some programs offer scholarships or discounts for underrepresented groups, veterans, or those experiencing financial hardship. Others might provide grants for high achievers or those with excellent grades in college or high school. These options can help lower the cost of attending a bootcamp and don’t need to be paid back.
Income Share Agreements (ISAs)
Some Excel bootcamps offer income share agreements or ISAs that let students pay for their education after securing a job. They’ll typically send a portion of each paycheck to the school through direct deposit using an earnings-based system that reduces unnecessary costs. This financing option reduces the upfront financial burden and gives learners the chance to study.
Payment Plans and Deferred Tuition
Many bootcamps offer flexible payment plans that allow students to pay in installments, typically about 3-6. For Excel bootcamps, those payments might be less frequent due to the relatively inexpensive nature of the course. Furthermore, some programs may help students save money by offering deferred tuition, where students only pay once they've completed the course.
Loans and Financial Aid
While taking out a loan to pay for a $500 class might seem silly to some, it’s definitely an option for some bootcamps. Many provide private loans that can help cover the cost of course tuition and minimize heavy expenses for learners. These may come with low interest rates or flexible repayment options. Others might provide the money directly to the student to help them save.
Available Excel Bootcamps in Chicago
Chicago provides many in-person and live online courses in Excel that can help learners master this software tool. In fact, there is such a dazzling array of choices that some learners get paralyzed trying to make a decision. Well, readers can rest easy because the following three schools and bootcamps will help them quickly master Excel and stand out in their profession.
Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop is New York City’s most popular training school for a reason. Since 1990, they’ve focused on full-immersion courses that take learners to the next level of their careers. Dynamic bootcamps with exciting exercises, 1-on-1 mentorship opportunities, fair financing, and supplemental learning tools give Noble’s online courses an edge for all Chicago learners.
Excel Bootcamp
Excel Bootcamp is an 18-hour course that costs $550. It’s split across a few days to ensure learners don’t get overwhelmed with their education. Subjects include basic functions, formulas, pivot tables, macros, and much more. When they’re done, students also get lifetime access to supplemental learning tools that can further enhance their education. That’s a fantastic value!
Computer Training Source
Computer Training Source offers training programs in areas like Chicago, Naperville, and Schaumburg. They also include online learning opportunities for students who don’t want to fight through Chicago traffic. With one-day courses and low prices, CTS offers learners the chance to master business skills like Excel, Adobe, web design, and project management techniques.
Excel Introduction
Excel Introduction costs $300 and takes one day to teach learners the fundamental skills of this software, including basic calculations and workflow skills. Note that learners can also take Excel Intermediate (one day, $330) and Excel Advanced (one day, $380) to solidify their skills further. Altogether, it costs about $1,100 to master this software with Computer Training Source.
ONLC Training Centers
ONLC Training Centers has over 300 different training facilities and sites across the nation. They offer courses in subjects like Visual Studio, server and security concepts, programming, and web development. Classes may last no more than six hours or up to 20 and usually cover more focused subjects to enhance a learner’s Excel knowledge and build their skills heavily.
Excel PowerPivot & Interactive Visualizations
Excel PowerPivot & Interactive Visualizations is a 20-hour course that costs $1,500, covering Excel’s useful PowerPivot tool. Using this program, learners can create interactive visualizations, build dashboards, produce reports, and use DAX formulas. This advanced course works best for people with more experience in Excel’s primary and intermediate abilities.
Skills Learned in Excel Bootcamps
While the bootcamps mentioned above definitely have costs that might trouble some readers, these expenses are more than worth paying, thanks to the skills they’ll master. Put simply, learners will walk away with a complete mastery of Excel that will translate to fantastic work benefits. These skills include beginner- and advanced-level abilities in this powerful software.
Core Excel Functions
Early in their bootcamps, students will learn fundamental Excel skills and functions that lay the groundwork for their success. These include things like basic data entry, cell editing, formulas, VLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, sheet editing, and conditional formatting. Understanding these tools will make it easier for them to utilize Excel and other spreadsheet software more effectively.
Data Analysis and Visualization
Excel and other spreadsheet programs provide data experts with multiple tools for analyzing and visualizing large amounts of information. Tools like pivot tables, data charts, and dashboards give learners far more power to handle this data and utilize it effectively. Mastering them will help students walk away confident in their overall abilities and ready to start working.
Automation with VBA
Later, in more advanced lessons, learners can study Excel’s most powerful automation tools. They will likely practice with and master Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), a coding language specific to this software. It helps to automate repetitive tasks such as gathering, sorting, and cleaning data. With it, learners will stand head and shoulders above their potential competitors.
Problem-Solving and Logical Thinking
Often, bootcamps will also teach soft skills or abilities not directly related to specific jobs such as problem-solving and logical thinking. Mastering these abilities provides many tangible benefits. For example, Excel experts can use them to manage issues and analyze data. They can also solve any concerns plaguing their company and mitigate potential complications.
Collaboration and Teamwork
Lastly, many students will learn how to work on Excel projects as part of a team and collaborate using shared spreadsheets. Few people who regularly use this program labor in isolation. For example, they might collect sales figures, visualize them using charts, and send this information to their business managers to help them more efficiently plan their budgets and investments.
Jobs Available After Excel Bootcamps in Chicago
People who master Excel often work in various markets and industries. These include data science, project management, and coding. These are all high-earning fields, which makes Excel an appealing skill to master. Now, learning this software doesn’t automatically make somebody suitable for the following jobs but does help them prepare for their unique demands:
- Business Manager: A Business Manager oversees businesses and their employees and typically uses Excel spreadsheets to track vital information. They make about $78,000 in the United States and the same in Chicago, though salaries may vary.
- Software Engineer: As a Software Engineer, learners will use Excel spreadsheets to track their program development and other vital details. Average salaries are $105,000 nationally or $102,000 in Chicago, with variances based on the role.
- Product Manager: A role as a Product Manager involves tracking a product from brainstorming to production and almost always uses spreadsheets, like Excel. Potential earnings include a $121,000 US average and a $118,000 media in Chicago.
- Data Scientist: Careers as a Data Scientist require Excel mastery to track large amounts of data and use it for forecasting and other steps. In the United States, data scientists make a median of $122,000, and in Chicago, around $108,000.
Why Learning Excel in Chicago is Rewarding
People learning Excel in Chicago in high-quality classes near them have the opportunity to earn multiple amazing rewards that make this experience worth it. Beyond the benefits already discussed, these unique gifts help make their lives better, both professionally and personally. Here are a handful of reasons why mastering Excel is such a great opportunity for learners.
Multiple Job Industry Options
Excel is an essential tool across many industries, from finance and operations to marketing and business development. In fact, there are very few office-oriented jobs that don’t use Excel almost daily. Even better, learning Excel makes mastering things like Google Sheets easier because programs like these operate in the same basic way as Microsoft’s flagship product.
Problem-Solving Experiences
Learning how to solve problems with Excel is about three-quarters of a bootcamp’s value. Students will master using this tool to quickly and intuitively understand data flow and find solutions to problems. For example, various sorting algorithms make it easier to quickly and accurately sift through large amounts of information and find the essential points.
Creative Opportunities
While Excel and spreadsheets don’t exactly scream “creative opportunities” to most people, they’re actually more engaging than they initially appear. Mastering this program offers vast opportunities for creativity, whether in data analysis or automating tasks. For example, learners can produce graphs, charts, and even databases using Excel’s many high-quality tools.
High Career Growth
As a universally recognized skill, proficiency in Excel opens doors to numerous career paths, and the growth potential is significant. For example, learners could go from basic data-entry clerks to becoming data scientists by studying more advanced Excel concepts. While they might need to take other courses to solidify their knowledge, Excel is a great first step for many.
How Easy is It to Learn Excel?
Excel is a highly accessible tool for beginners, and learning its primary functions is relatively straightforward. It’s designed so that even wholly new learners can basically grasp how to enter data, adjust it easily, color rows, and much more. For many people, that’s probably all they’ll ever need to know. But Excel provides far more functionality than that, thankfully!
For example, advanced features like macros, automation, and complex data analysis utilize much more of Excel’s capabilities for learners who need them. Mastering them will take time and dedication. Thankfully, even these more complex ideas aren’t that hard to master but do require knowing how to input formulas and use them effectively in your Excel spreadsheets.
How Long Will It Take to Learn Excel?
Most Excel bootcamps last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the program's depth. While basic Excel skills can be acquired quickly, understanding advanced functions can take months of practice, especially when integrating Excel into specialized roles like data analysis or financial modeling. As a result, predictions for mastery may vary.
That said, it shouldn’t take longer than a few weeks for most people to feel capable of using more complex Excel commands and concepts. Anyone willing to spend a few hours every day practicing with this software using real-world exercises should feel comfortable transitioning to professional use. Just like with anything, it takes some time and practice to gain competency.
Author Bio
Eric Benac is an experienced writer with over 15 years of experience covering multiple subjects. He has written extensively about education, addiction, the financial industry, art, music, travel, and golf carts. In his spare time, he writes electronic music, reads, writes fiction, and swims. Eric continually seeks new experiences and looks to constantly expand his writing portfolio.