Lambda School Commentary

Applied Divinity Studies:

Lambda School is a coding bootcamp that only charges tuition if you get a job. Founder/CEO Austen Allred frequently takes to Twitter, defending his bootcamp against allegations of fraud, and rebutting critics with case after case of student success.

I was initially excited about Lambda School, but have slowly grown disillusioned over time. So when they released their 2019 H1 Outcomes Report, I was excited to finally access a ground truth and put an end to all the speculation.

Instead, I found a consistent pattern of deception.

In the rest of this piece, I’ll walkthrough a number of examples, in which Allred:

• Claims a job placement rate of 86%, when the actual number is as low as 55%, and at least as bad at 70%

• Misrepresents graduate salaries on Twitter, despite claiming a random sample

• Calls regulatory approval a “significant endorsement”, despite a troubled history of bans

• Lies about having been homeless

Some of these are blatant and explicit, some are more subtle. I’ve done my best to present the facts fairly, and leave the rest up to your judgement.