--- title: Community Impact Report 2025 description: It’s time to take a look back at 2025 and report to the community regarding our impact in the past year.  image: https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hubfs/CIR2025-1.png --- [![Nashville Software School Logo](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hubfs/Jan2018/Images/NSS-logo-horizontal-small.jpg)](http://nashvillesoftwareschool.com/) ![NSS_GIVING MICROSITE_BANNER (2)](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hubfs/NSS_GIVING%20MICROSITE_BANNER%20(2).png "NSS_GIVING MICROSITE_BANNER (2)") # Community Impact Report 2025 - [Giving Home](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com) - Ways To Give - [Individuals](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/ways-to-give) - [Companies](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/building-a-better-community-through-corporate-giving) - [Volunteer](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/become-a-volunteer) - Community Impact Report - [2025](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2025) - [2024](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2024) - [2023](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2023) - [2022](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2022) - [2021](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2021) - [2020](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2020) ![Community Impact Report](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CIR2025-1.png?width=1000&height=525&name=CIR2025-1.png "Community Impact Report") ## A Letter From The Founder Persistence and adaptability sum up the NSS experience in 2025. Over the last year we saw the continuation of the two market trends that have dragged on our ability to generate impact on our community. We’ve persisted for three years in the face of those trends - we’re still focused on our mission to create opportunities for adults with potential and desire to gain the skills to start careers in tech. But we have also adapted and found new ways to execute on our mission. So while the market trends are resulting in less impact as measured by our traditional metrics, our new initiatives are creating impact in new ways. ### 2025 - year three of the uncertainty double-whammy The two market trends we’re experiencing are a) a weak job market for entry-level tech talent and b) a significant decline in applications for our bootcamps. The overarching theme tying both of these trends together is uncertainty. And uncertainty from multiple sources. Employers to a large degree are, as one CTO friend has said, “hunkered down” - it’s uncertainty over the economy, healthcare policy, inflation/interest rates, war, and more that are creating caution in some or all industries, depending upon the issue. Employees are also hunkered down to a greater degree than we’ve seen for a very long time and are not changing jobs at traditional rates, which in turn reduces jobs that become open for new hires. All of these sources of uncertainty impact decision-making by prospective career changers who otherwise might apply to an NSS bootcamp. The weak job market for entry-level or junior talent is most true for new software developers. While job postings for intermediate to senior talent are recovering, the posting levels for junior talent remain low. It’s no secret that recent computer science graduates also are suffering in this job market. The same problem continues to impact opportunities, although less so this past year, for entry-level data analytics talent. In fact, we saw almost exactly the same number of placements of graduates from our data analytics / data science programs in 2025 as there were in 2024. Job postings being weak does not mean opportunities are non-existent - there are junior jobs out there. But there are fewer of them than there used to be which in turn translates into longer job searches. Longer job searches increase the risk that perfectly talented junior developers become frustrated by the longer job search process and drift away despite their investment in skills, whether from NSS or from a degree program. We’ll come back to that point later. The second market trend is the significant decline in applications for our bootcamps. The uncertainty around entry-level job opportunities in tech means that there simply aren’t enough people that see now as the right time to make an investment in the skills for a new career in tech. We talked last year in this report about how we proactively reduced maximum class sizes to match with job placements in the prior year so as to avoid saturating the job market for junior talent. We continue to use placement levels on a trailing twelve month basis as a benchmark for new enrollment levels; however, at this point application levels are falling below even those reduced targets. Hanging over all of this is uncertainty associated with AI, especially generative AI and its impact on tech jobs like those NSS trains people for. This is not the place for a deep dive into what we believe is going to happen over the next few years in tech but we believe the hype cycle has created much more uncertainty than will prove to have been warranted relative to the ongoing value of software developers, data analysts, data scientists, data engineers and others who solve problems using code. ### ProTech - Expanding our Vision Since we can’t control the market conditions and relieve the uncertainty, we pursued new ways to make an impact. A key part of this year's adaptation was the realization of our Protect The Tech Talent Pipeline (ProTech) initiative, which started as a way to support our graduates during longer job searches. Partially funded by two significant grants, ProTech provides free professional development classes to trained adults with relevant credentials - as well as to tech professionals who have been laid off - who are searching for their first or next job in tech. Relevant credentials include an NSS program certificate, as well as degrees in fields such as computer science, computer information systems, data analytics, etc. ProTech was very successful in its first year of operation, even after allowing for a few months to ramp up and create new upskilling programs for software engineers, data analysts/scientists, data engineers, etc. In 2025 we had almost 250 enrollments in ProTech classes where students expanded their skills and were given opportunities to use new technologies to gain hands-on experience, including chances to learn to augment their productivity with generative AI agents. ProTech continues through October 2026 under the initial grants and we are searching for ways to extend the program into 2027.   The current moment is both challenging and exciting. As an industry, we’re learning how to fundamentally transform aspects of how we create, maintain, and deliver software-based solutions. Over the past 3 years, the evolving impact of AI has created uncertainty that compounds all of the other uncertainties, like the economy, war, etc., and contributed to slashing the hiring of junior talent. In the longer term, we believe it is becoming clear that this change will create new opportunities for the future in terms of careers in data and software. Below we break down our 2025 impact numbers and how we’re adapting to support our graduates. ![John signature](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/John%20signature-1.png?width=100&name=John%20signature-1.png) --- ![Infographic showing graduate engagement through ProTech. In 2025, 194 students enrolled in free continuing education courses and 40 students enrolled in the free Data Engineering bootcamp. Listed classes include Advanced Power BI, Agentic AI, and Cloud Deployment.](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CIR2025_PROTECH-1.png?width=1000&height=525&name=CIR2025_PROTECH-1.png "Infographic showing graduate engagement through ProTech. In 2025, 194 students enrolled in free continuing education courses and 40 students enrolled in the free Data Engineering bootcamp. Listed classes include Advanced Power BI, Agentic AI, and Cloud Deployment.") #### ProTech The Protect The Tech Talent Pipeline (ProTech) initiative is designed to preserve and enhance the supply of available tech talent. ProTech offers free continuing education courses to help junior and intermediate job seekers—both NSS graduates and the broader community—maintain their competitive edge while they search for their first role or navigate layoffs. In the first year of ProTech, we held 10 class sessions across 6 unique courses, 5 of which were brand new. 194 students benefited from these free continuing education courses, including 15 members of the local community. We also saw 40 students enroll in our free Data Engineering Bootcamp. The ProTech initiative was launched in late 2024 as a direct response to a historically difficult hiring environment for tech jobs, particularly for junior-level talent. While our graduates continue to find roles, the market slowdown has created a "leak" in the local talent pipeline that risks impacting Nashville’s tech supply for years to come. Supported in part by a Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development (ECD) grant, ProTech is designed to "leak-proof" our regional talent pipeline, ensuring that promising tech seekers stay connected and sharp until the job market recovers. This market shift is reflected in our most recent placement rates as reported to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) for the state fiscal year (July 2024 – June 2025). Under THEC guidelines, a graduate is only counted as "placed" if they completed their program during that window and secured employment by October 15, 2025. This means that some of our graduates only have a 90-day job search period. Because today’s job searches often extend beyond that specific cutoff, many of our successful graduates do not appear as placed in these annual figures, as they land roles after the deadline. For this reporting period, 48.8% of Data Analytics Bootcamp graduates and 36.4% of Web Development Bootcamp graduates were placed. Due to a schedule shift, we did not graduate a Data Science cohort during this fiscal year. By offering free, advanced technical training through ProTech, we are ensuring these promising Seekers don't abandon their journey, but instead stay sharp and ready to fill critical roles. ![Infographic titled "Ability is Nothing Without Opportunity." It shows that 69.4% of students received financial support in 2025. Breakdown: 42.8% received Opportunity Tuition, 45.7% received a DSEW Grant Scholarship, and 11% received a separate scholarship.](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CIR2025_FINANCIAL%20SUPPORT-1.png?width=1000&height=525&name=CIR2025_FINANCIAL%20SUPPORT-1.png "Infographic titled \"Ability is Nothing Without Opportunity.\" It shows that 69.4% of students received financial support in 2025. Breakdown: 42.8% received Opportunity Tuition, 45.7% received a DSEW Grant Scholarship, and 11% received a separate scholarship.") #### Creating Opportunities At NSS, we believe that a student's economic circumstances should never be a barrier to their potential. We are deeply committed to opening doors for talent across Middle Tennessee, ensuring that the tech industry is accessible to everyone with the motivation to learn. In 2025, our commitment was reflected in the 69.4% of students who received financial support. This includes the 42.8% of students who received Opportunity Tuition, our original scholarship program which allows students to defer the majority of their costs until they graduate and land their first tech job, and the 45.7% of students who were supported by a DSEW grant scholarship, made possible by the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development (ECD) to help build a more inclusive workforce. We remain committed to investing in the future of our community, one graduate at a time.   ![A line graph titled "A History of Job-ready Graduates," showing growth from 14 graduates in 2012 to a total of 3,103 through 2025. A note explains that NSS intentionally lowered class sizes in 2024 and 2025 to align with the job market.](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CIR2025_new%20grads-1.png?width=1000&height=525&name=CIR2025_new%20grads-1.png "A line graph titled \"A History of Job-ready Graduates,\" showing growth from 14 graduates in 2012 to a total of 3,103 through 2025. A note explains that NSS intentionally lowered class sizes in 2024 and 2025 to align with the job market.") #### A History Of Job Ready Graduates Since we opened our doors in 2012 with just 14 students, NSS has served as a steady vehicle for those looking to pursue a career in tech. However, our commitment to our students goes beyond just providing an education—it includes a responsibility to ensure there is a viable path to employment after graduation. In response to the shifting economic landscape and a slower tech hiring market, we made the strategic decision to intentionally reduce our number of graduates over the past two years. This reflects our "community over growth" mindset; rather than flooding the market, we have scaled our cohort sizes to better align with current employer demand. While we celebrated 442 graduates in 2023, we moderated that to 345 in 2024, and 239 in 2025. By carefully managing our enrollment, we can maintain the high level of support our students and "Seekers" deserve while protecting the long-term health of Nashville’s tech talent pipeline. ![Infographic titled "Community-Focused." It highlights that 79.2% of graduates were hired by employers in the Middle Tennessee area, with a network of over 550 local employers.](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CIR2025_EMPLOYERS-1.png?width=1000&height=525&name=CIR2025_EMPLOYERS-1.png "Infographic titled \"Community-Focused.\" It highlights that 79.2% of graduates were hired by employers in the Middle Tennessee area, with a network of over 550 local employers.") #### Community-Focused Even though our classes are fully remote, our focus remains rooted in training job-ready talent specifically for the thriving tech ecosystem here in Middle Tennessee. We take pride in the fact that our graduates don’t just find jobs; they find opportunities within a network of over 550 local employers who trust NSS to provide the skilled developers and analysts they need. By keeping talent local, we are strengthening the economic fabric of our region and ensuring that Nashville remains a premier hub for innovation.   ![Bar chart showing median income growth for 2025 graduates from application to their first tech job. Data Analytics grew by $33,746 (median salary $64,740), Software Development grew by $27,040 (median salary $65,000), and Data Science grew by $17,900 (median salary $82,600).](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CIR2025_SALARIES-1.png?width=1000&height=525&name=CIR2025_SALARIES-1.png "Bar chart showing median income growth for 2025 graduates from application to their first tech job. Data Analytics grew by $33,746 (median salary $64,740), Software Development grew by $27,040 (median salary $65,000), and Data Science grew by $17,900 (median salary $82,600).") #### IMPACT ON INCOME While the 2025 tech job market was the slowest we’ve seen since we began in 2012, our graduates continued to see significant professional and financial growth as they transitioned into their first technical roles. We measure this impact by looking at the full picture: both the starting salary and the median income growth—the difference between a student’s earnings when they started at NSS and their salary in their first job in tech. In 2025, Software Development graduates saw a median increase of $27,040, while Data Analytics graduates experienced a median jump of $33,746. For our Data Science graduates, the median increase was $17,900. While income growth reflects the immediate impact of a career change, starting salaries reflect the market’s value for new talent. In 2025, Software Development graduates had a median starting salary of $65,000. Data Analytics graduates had a median starting salary of $64,740. Since our Data Science cohorts are small and we only graduate one cohort a year, we combined the salaries of graduates placed in 2024 and 2025 to provide a more accurate reflection of the current starting salary in that field. Their median starting salary was $82,600. These figures represent more than just numbers; they represent the resilience of our graduates and the ongoing demand for trained, job-ready talent in the Middle Tennessee community. ![Infographic detailing graduate support in 2025: 177 seekers participated in support sessions, 55 workshops were held, and 194 volunteers supported mock interviews and demo days.](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CIR2025_SEEKER%20SUPPORT-1.png?width=1000&height=525&name=CIR2025_SEEKER%20SUPPORT-1.png "Infographic detailing graduate support in 2025: 177 seekers participated in support sessions, 55 workshops were held, and 194 volunteers supported mock interviews and demo days.") #### Supporting Our Graduates The journey doesn't end at graduation. Our Seekers, graduates actively searching for their first tech role, receive hands-on support through workshops and dedicated support sessions. In 2025, we hosted 56 of these sessions, ranging from technical interview prep to networking strategies. This effort is truly a community affair; 20 volunteers from 27 different companies gave their time to speak to our Seekers, providing the real-world perspective that helps a candidate stand out. It’s just another way we show our graduates that our job isn't done until they are using their new skills in the workplace. ![Infographic titled "Diversity & Inclusion." It states that 53% of NSS students are members of underrepresented groups in tech for the 2025 cohort. Supporting stats include: 35% People of Color, 41% Female or Non-gender identified, and 2% Veterans.](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CIR2025_DIVERSITY-1.png?width=1000&name=CIR2025_DIVERSITY-1.png "Infographic titled \"Diversity & Inclusion.\" It states that 53% of NSS students are members of underrepresented groups in tech for the 2025 cohort. Supporting stats include: 35% People of Color, 41% Female or Non-gender identified, and 2% Veterans.") #### DIVERSITY & INCLUSION A more diverse tech community is a stronger, more innovative one. NSS continues to increase representation in Middle Tennessee with every graduated cohort. In 2025, 53% of our student body came from groups traditionally underrepresented in technology. This includes 35% people of color (Black people, Hispanic people, et. al.) and 41% who identify as female or non-gender identified. --- View our prior Community Impact Reports: [2024](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2024?hsLang=en) |[2023](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2023?hsLang=en) | [2022](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2022?hsLang=en) |[2021](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2021?hsLang=en) | [2020](https://support.nashvillesoftwareschool.com/community-impact-report-2020?hsLang=en) © 2026 Nashville Software School