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Degree or KloudSkool?

Do you need a degree to become a Cloud Engineer?

For most cloud roles, no. Employers hiring Cloud Engineers look closely at what you can build and explain. But a degree is the right choice for some people, and this page is honest about who.

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At a glance
Degree routeKloudSkool
Time3 to 4 yearsMonths
CostUp to £9,790 a year£799 once
You finish withA certificateRepositories to show

Full comparison below

Should you do a degree instead?

Sometimes, yes. Here is how to tell.

A degree is the right choice if:

  • You need a degree for a visa
  • You're aiming for a graduate scheme, or a role that specifically requires a degree
  • You want broad computing theory, and the years to study it
  • You want the campus experience and student life

KloudSkool is likely the better fit if:

  • Your goal is a cloud job, not a qualification
  • You're changing career and can't stop working for years
  • You already have a degree, in any subject
  • You learn best by building things

If the first list describes you, do the degree. You can still add KloudSkool alongside it for the practical stack.

Side by side

The degree route vs KloudSkool

Compared onDegree routeKloudSkool
Time
Degree routeUsually three years full time, or four with a foundation year. Part-time takes longer.
KloudSkoolMonths, self-paced, alongside your job. Personalised roadmaps are 12 months or less.
Cost
Degree routeUp to £9,790 a year in tuition in England (2026/27), usually funded by a student loan.
KloudSkool£799 once, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
How you pay
Degree routeNothing upfront. The loan is repaid from your salary for years, once you earn above the threshold.
KloudSkoolOne payment. No loan and no subscription.
What you learn
Degree routeBroad computing theory: programming, maths and systems. Hands-on cloud tooling varies by course.
KloudSkoolThe stack cloud teams use: Linux, Git, Azure, Terraform and GitHub Actions.
What you finish with
Degree routeA degree certificate.
KloudSkoolRepositories an employer can open, read and question you on.

Tuition is the most English universities can charge home undergraduates in 2026/27. Check the course you are considering for its own fees.

Nothing upfront isn't the same as free

Student finance means you pay nothing upfront, and that is a real advantage. But the loan is repaid from your salary for years, once you earn above the threshold.

KloudSkool is £799 once, with no loan to repay. And if it isn't right for you, the 14-day money-back guarantee covers you.

Evidence, not paperwork

A certificate tells an employer you completed a course. A repository shows them what you can do: they can open it, read it and ask you about it in the interview. That is what KloudSkool is built to give you.

"I have a degree, and it's not what got me into cloud."

Faisal Abdi, founder of KloudSkool

Already studying computing?

Many computing degrees and HNDs don't go deep on Azure, Terraform or CI/CD. KloudSkool works alongside your course: self-paced, so it fits round lectures, and focused on the practical stack cloud teams use.

Where it leads

Roles this prepares you for

These are the roles that hire for the skills KloudSkool teaches, typically starting at junior level.

  • Cloud Engineer
  • DevOps Engineer
  • Platform Engineer
  • Azure Engineer
  • Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)

No course can promise you a job, and this one doesn't. It gives you the skills these roles ask for and the evidence to show you have them.

Questions

For most cloud roles, no. Employers hiring Cloud Engineers look closely at what you can build and explain. A degree is still the right route if you need one for a visa, a graduate scheme or a role that requires it.

Yes. Cloud roles are hired on skills and the evidence you can show for them. No route guarantees a job, whether that is a degree or KloudSkool, but you do not need a degree to build the skills or the evidence.

It depends on why you want it. If you need the qualification itself, for a visa, a graduate scheme or a role that requires it, yes. If your goal is a cloud job, a degree is a long and expensive route to skills you can learn directly.

No. KloudSkool is not an accredited qualification or certification. You finish with completed projects and evidence of what you can do.

Yes. It is self-paced, so it fits round lectures, and it covers the practical cloud stack many computing courses do not go deep on.

Nobody can honestly promise that. KloudSkool gives you the skills and the evidence. Getting hired also depends on your effort, your background and the job market.

Ready to start?

KloudSkool is £799 once: self-paced, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

58 students so far, from mixed backgrounds.

See the KloudSkool programmeGet your free roadmap

Questions before you join?

Message us on WhatsApp and Faisal will answer, or email [email protected].

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