Holberton School is a project-based software engineering school with global campuses, offering an alternative to a traditional computer science degree.
Holberton School is a project-based school for software engineers, founded in 2016 in San Francisco by Julien Barbier and Sylvain Kalache as an alternative to a traditional four-year computer science degree. It is named after Frances 'Betty' Holberton, one of the original programmers of the ENIAC computer.
Rather than lectures, Holberton uses project-based, peer-to-peer learning where students work through real coding projects with support from mentors rather than traditional professors. In 2022, African Leadership Group acquired the school, moving its technology and curriculum into ALG's ALX online learning platform while the physical campus network continued operating separately.
The core of the Holberton model is project-based learning: students progress through a sequence of hands-on coding projects and specializations rather than sitting through lectures, with an emphasis on peer learning and self-directed problem solving.
Holberton operates a global network of campuses spanning the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including recent additions in Cairo, Egypt and Johannesburg, South Africa, alongside an online learning platform for remote study.
Holberton's pricing model is not centrally published and has historically varied by campus. In its original US program, tuition was structured around a large total program cost, with an income share agreement (ISA) option letting qualifying students pay a percentage of their post-graduation salary over a fixed term instead of paying upfront.
Since the 2022 acquisition by African Leadership Group, individual campuses set their own tuition and financing terms, so prospective students need to contact the specific campus they are interested in for current pricing.
Holberton School was founded in 2016 in San Francisco by Julien Barbier and Sylvain Kalache.
Yes. After being acquired by African Leadership Group in 2022, Holberton continues to operate a global network of physical campuses and an online learning platform.
Pricing varies by campus and is not centrally published; prospective students need to contact their local Holberton campus for current tuition and financing details.
Holberton is a project-based alternative to a traditional computer science degree rather than an accredited university program in most locations.
Holberton uses project-based, peer-to-peer learning where students work through coding projects with mentor support instead of attending lectures.