Last updated: September 2026. Graduate review by Katharina Vujinović, iOS developer (read her story), with a 2026 update by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. Program details checked on Udacity’s own page on 22 September 2026. See our review methodology.
QUICK VERDICT
Bottom line: Udacity’s iOS Nanodegree has been rebuilt since our graduate took it. It is now iOS Development with SwiftUI and SwiftData: Swift fundamentals, SwiftUI interfaces and navigation, SwiftData persistence, networking with async/await and Sign in with Apple, and a project that walks you through App Store submission. The reviewed projects remain the reason to pay. It suits someone who wants a modern SwiftUI portfolio in about two months.
- Best for: aspiring iOS developers who want reviewed SwiftUI projects
- Length: about 76 hours; 6 courses, 5 projects
- Rating: 4.6/5 from 253 reviews on Udacity’s page (22 September 2026)
- Price: Udacity subscription, $249/month list or $212/month prepaid for four months; or $999 one-time
- Skip if: you need UIKit for a job maintaining older apps, or you would rather learn for free
See the iOS Nanodegree on Udacity →
This review has two layers. Katharina Vujinović moved from biochemical engineering to iOS development through Udacity’s iOS Nanodegree, graduating in April 2021, and her account below is a candid look at what it takes to finish while working full time. Udacity has since replaced the whole curriculum, so in September 2026 we read the current program page in full and set out what has changed, what it costs and who it suits.
Disclosure: if you enroll through links on this page we may earn a commission, which helps keep OnlineCourseing running. It does not change what we recommend.
The iOS Nanodegree at a glance (2026)
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| What Udacity lists (22 September 2026) | |
|---|---|
| Program name and code | iOS Development with SwiftUI and SwiftData (nd003) |
| Status | Live; last updated 14 December 2025 |
| Level and length | Intermediate, about 76 hours |
| Structure | 6 courses, 22 lessons, 5 projects |
| Rating | 4.6 out of 5 from 253 reviews |
| Core tools | Swift, SwiftUI, Xcode, SwiftData (iOS 17+), URLSession and Codable, async/await and actors, Sign in with Apple, MapKit |
| Prerequisites | Basic programming, basic Swift, iOS and Xcode familiarity |
| Instructor | Valerie Scarlata, AI curriculum lead at Udacity |
| Master’s credit | Eligible for credit toward Udacity’s accredited MSc in AI |
What changed since Katharina took it
Katharina took the UIKit version of the program. Almost everything in her syllabus section below has been replaced:
| Katharina’s program (2020–21) | The program in 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface framework | UIKit, storyboards and Auto Layout; SwiftUI not covered | SwiftUI throughout |
| Data | Core Data, with an optional Firebase elective | SwiftData, including relationships and schema migrations |
| Networking | Network requests and Grand Central Dispatch | URLSession, Codable, async/await, actors and structured concurrency, Sign in with Apple |
| Projects | Pitch Perfect, MemeMe 1 and 2, On the Map, Virtual Tourist, and a capstone of your choice | CLI Todo app, Event Countdown, SwiftBites, Travel Journey, and an App Store submission |
| Suggested pace | About six months at 10 hours a week | About 76 hours, or two months at 10 hours a week |
Two of Katharina’s main criticisms, outdated videos and the absence of SwiftUI, are answered by the rebuild. Her third point is worth keeping in mind: she found that core concepts were covered too briefly and that many students dropped out when the projects stopped holding their hand. The new program is shorter, so check that the Swift course gives you enough practice before you move on, and supplement it if not.
The 2026 syllabus, course by course
| Course | Hours | What you learn | Project |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome | 0.75 | How the program works and how to get help | — |
| Programming with Swift | 19 | Swift syntax and types, functions and closures, object-oriented Swift, Swift design patterns | Todo: a command-line app |
| iOS User Interfaces with SwiftUI | 16 | UX and UI for iOS, SwiftUI views and hierarchies in Xcode, buttons, forms, gestures and animations, stack, tab and split-view navigation | Event Countdown |
| iOS Application Data with SwiftData | 17 | State with @State, @Binding and @Observable, SwiftData models and queries, relationships, schema updates and migrations | SwiftBites: a recipe app |
| Networking and Concurrency for iOS Apps | 11 | APIs with URLSession and Codable, Sign in with Apple, async/await, actors and structured concurrency, offline modes | Travel Journey: a travel journal with MapKit |
| Planning and Publishing iOS Apps | 13 | Planning and designing apps, scaffolding projects, development workflows, publishing to the App Store | Submit an iOS app to the Udacity App Store |
The final course is the most practical addition. Preparing an App Store listing, configuring Xcode for release and following Apple’s guidelines are steps that tutorials usually skip, and they are what turn a portfolio project into something an employer can download.
Read the full syllabus on Udacity →
How much it costs in 2026
Katharina paid €940 upfront at 50% off in 2020, with each extra month at €359. The pricing model has changed. When we checked Udacity’s page on 22 September 2026 there were three ways to pay:
| Option | List price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | $249/month | This program plus the full catalog, project reviews, career coaching and certificates; cancel anytime |
| Four-month prepaid bundle | $212/month ($848 up front) | The same subscription, 15% cheaper than paying monthly |
| Buy just this program | $999 one-time | This program only; career coaching and the wider catalog stay with the subscription |
Katharina’s advice to buy on discount still applies: on the day we checked, a time-limited sale was cutting these prices by almost half. At about 76 hours, two months of subscription at 10 hours a week costs far less than the one-time price. You will also need a Mac to run Xcode. Current codes are on our Udacity coupon page, and our Udacity Nanodegree cost guide compares the plans.
RISK CHECK
The subscription renews automatically. If you are buying it for this one program, note your renewal date and cancel once your final project passes review, unless you plan to continue with another program.
Check the current price on Udacity →
Katharina’s graduate review (2020–21, UIKit program)
What follows is Katharina’s account, lightly edited. The lessons, projects and prices describe the UIKit program she took between November 2020 and April 2021.
Why I enrolled
I felt stuck as a biochemical engineer and bored with my daily routine. Learning to code was a way to challenge myself, and iOS development turned out to be what I enjoyed most. I wanted a program that offered not just learning material but a community and mentors. I finished my Nanodegree on time, while working full time, and have worked on my own projects since. Here I try to answer three questions: is the iOS Nanodegree worth it, can it help you land a job, and are the projects any good?
Prerequisites, cost and time
There were no formal technical requirements when I enrolled; what you need most is motivation. I got a 50% discount and paid upfront, €940 in total. Had I needed more time, each extra month would have cost €359. I think the discounted price was justified; the regular monthly price was not. Some videos were outdated, and a few functions the instructor used were already deprecated.
Udacity’s goal was to finish within six months at 10 hours a week or more. I did finish on time while working full time, but I do not think that is realistic for most people. I enrolled at the end of October and counted on holidays and vacation days to catch up. If you work full time, keep some vacation days in reserve. The program is packed and takes real discipline, especially if you are new to programming.
The syllabus and projects
Learn Swift Programming. Variables and types, operators, control flow, functions, structures and enums, optionals, strings, collections and object-oriented programming. There were tests and example code for each chapter, but it could be dry, and many people rushed through it without fully understanding the basics. That can set you up to struggle later. My advice: take an extra course alongside it or look up other explanations, and do not move on until the basics make sense.
Intro to iOS App Development and the Pitch Perfect project. This is where you meet Xcode. The videos were quite outdated and hard to follow, constraints and responsive layout were not covered well enough (students in the peer chat struggled with them until the very last lesson), and SwiftUI was not covered at all. Pitch Perfect is an app that records your voice and changes its pitch and speed. There is a lot of code to copy and paste, so you pass easily, but you may not understand every block.
UIKit Fundamentals and the MemeMe projects. Outlets and actions, segues, the delegate pattern, table views and navigation. MemeMe Part 1 lets you add text to a photo and save it as a meme; Part 2 adds a table view of your saved memes. Many students hit their first real gap here, when they had to set up a view on their own. I saw a lot of people drop out after MemeMe Part 1, because the guidance thins out and students have to become more independent.
Network Requests and GCD, and the On the Map project. Closures, generics, error handling, HTTP, web services, authentication and API work. This was by far the hardest lesson: the learning curve is steep, and if you struggled with UIKit it can set you back weeks. On the Map, which you build from scratch, lets students log in with Udacity, see where other students are on a map, and post their own pin and link. It is a big step up, and I saw many students give up here.
Data Persistence and the Virtual Tourist project. Queues and background tasks, the iOS file system and Core Data. The instructors used a lot of humor, and this lesson was easy to follow; the optional Firebase elective is worth doing. Virtual Tourist lets you drop pins on a map and build photo albums from Flickr images for each location, stored with Core Data. Udacity gives you almost no guidance, only a list of requirements, so you learn to research and read documentation. This lesson also asks you to improve your LinkedIn and GitHub profiles for feedback.
Capstone: You Decide. The last lesson helps you prototype your own app. Udacity sets basic requirements, including at least one element from each lesson.
Project experience, reviews and support
The projects were easy until the middle of the program; from the networking lesson on, they ramp up sharply, which can discourage students. The project reviews were the most rewarding part of the program. Reviewers gave praise, constructive criticism and plenty of reading material; I saved every link they sent and still go back to them. Mentorship worked mainly as a searchable list of past questions, and mentors usually answered new posts within a few hours. Career services reviewed my LinkedIn, GitHub, resume and cover letter, which was a good starting point after graduation.
Pros, cons and my recommendation
I liked that it gave me a foundation to build on as a programmer, and I enjoyed connecting with peers and, eventually, helping newer students. On the other hand, parts of the course were outdated, and very important topics were often covered only briefly. I do recommend the program as a starting point with real feedback on your code, but plan to buy extra learning materials or watch other instructors on topics that are covered too quickly. Before enrolling, you can try Udacity’s free Swift for Beginners course.
What other graduates say
Udacity’s page shows 4.6 out of 5 from 253 reviews. The most recent detailed review, from Serge in April 2025, called the program “a solid learning experience” and singled out the mentorship: “personalized feedback for your homework.” An August 2023 review from Jim M, written before the current version, gave three stars because “the content is outdated by about 5 years,” though the instructors were “very fast to respond.” Older graduates we collected were broadly positive:
- Riham AlKhudaidi (via LinkedIn) completed the program through Misk Academy and Udacity, covering Swift, iOS app development, UIKit, networking and data persistence.
- Khalid Al-Shehri (via LinkedIn) graduated after four months and valued the range of projects.
- A Reddit user wrote on r/iOSProgramming that the resume boost was worth it, with five projects to show on GitHub.
- Rajnikant Deshmukh finished after “three months of struggling with constraints and Swift syntax” and came away confident enough to develop apps professionally.
Pros and cons in 2026
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Modern stack: SwiftUI, SwiftData, async/await, Sign in with Apple | No UIKit, which many existing apps still use |
| Five reviewed projects, ending with an App Store submission | Listed as last updated in December 2025, so check it tracks the latest iOS releases |
| Short enough to finish in about two months part time | Expensive at list price, and you need a Mac |
| Starts Swift from the basics | Our graduate found core topics covered too briefly; you may need extra practice |
| Eligible for credit toward Udacity’s MSc in AI | Taught by a single listed instructor |
iOS Nanodegree vs the alternatives
Figures from each provider’s own page, checked on 22 September 2026:
| Program | Level and length | Rating | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Udacity iOS Development with SwiftUI and SwiftData | Intermediate, ~76 hours, 5 reviewed projects | 4.6 (253 reviews) | you want reviewed SwiftUI projects and an App Store submission |
| Meta iOS Developer Professional Certificate (Coursera) | Beginner, 12 courses, ~8 months at 7 hours/week | 4.6 (8,816 reviews) | you want a longer, cheaper path with a Meta-branded certificate |
| Stanford CS193p (free) | University lectures and assignments | — | you want a rigorous, free SwiftUI course and can study without reviews |
| 100 Days of SwiftUI (free) | Daily lessons over 100 days | — | you want a structured, free daily habit |
| Apple’s SwiftUI tutorials (free) | Self-paced tutorials | — | you want to try SwiftUI straight from the source before paying |
The free options are genuinely good for SwiftUI, which makes Udacity’s case rest on the project reviews and the structure. If you are unsure, spend a week on Apple’s tutorials or 100 Days of SwiftUI first: if you enjoy it and want feedback, Udacity is a faster route to a reviewed portfolio. For Android, see our Udacity Android Kotlin Developer Nanodegree review.
Compare the Meta iOS Developer certificate →
Who should enroll, and who should not
Enroll if you own a Mac, you want to build and ship modern iOS apps, and you learn best from projects with feedback. The five projects cover the full path from Swift basics to a published app, which is a stronger portfolio than tutorial code.
Look elsewhere if you need UIKit for a job maintaining older apps, you want to study cheaply over many months, or you would rather work through free material at your own pace. Katharina’s warning also applies to the new program: if you are completely new to programming, budget extra time for the basics.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Udacity iOS Nanodegree still available in 2026?
Yes, as iOS Development with SwiftUI and SwiftData (program code nd003). When we checked on 22 September 2026 the page was live, marked as last updated on 14 December 2025, and rated 4.6 out of 5 from 253 reviews.
Does the Udacity iOS Nanodegree still teach UIKit?
No. The current outline is built on SwiftUI for interfaces and SwiftData for persistence, targeting iOS 17 and later. The UIKit projects described in older reviews, such as Pitch Perfect, MemeMe, On the Map and Virtual Tourist, are no longer part of the program.
How long does the iOS Nanodegree take?
Udacity lists about 76 hours across six courses: Swift (19 hours), SwiftUI interfaces (16), SwiftData (17), networking and concurrency (11) and planning and publishing (13), plus a short welcome course. At 10 hours a week that is about two months.
How much does the iOS Nanodegree cost?
It is part of the Udacity subscription, listed at $249 a month or $212 a month if you prepay four months, or it can be bought alone for a one-time $999 list price. Udacity runs frequent sales; our graduate paid €940 upfront at 50% off in 2020, under the old pricing model.
What projects are in the iOS Nanodegree now?
Five: a command-line Todo app in Swift, Event Countdown (a SwiftUI app), SwiftBites (a recipe app built on SwiftData), Travel Journey (a travel journal with authentication, MapKit and networking) and an App Store submission project.
Do I need to know Swift before enrolling?
Udacity lists basic Swift, Xcode and basic programming among its prerequisites, but the first course is described as tailored for novice developers and teaches Swift from the basics. If you have never programmed, try Udacity’s free Swift for Beginners course or Apple’s SwiftUI tutorials first.
Is the Udacity iOS Nanodegree worth it?
It is worth it if you want a SwiftUI portfolio with reviewed projects, including an App Store submission, and can finish in about two months on the subscription. If you prefer a longer, cheaper certificate or free study, the Meta iOS Developer certificate and Stanford’s free CS193p course are strong alternatives.
The verdict
The iOS Nanodegree Katharina took gave her a real foundation and excellent project reviews, but it was outdated and uneven. The 2026 version keeps the reviews and replaces the content with SwiftUI, SwiftData, modern concurrency and an App Store submission. For someone with a Mac who wants a reviewed SwiftUI portfolio in about two months, it is a good choice at a discounted subscription price; at list price or on a tight budget, the free SwiftUI courses and the Meta certificate deserve a look first.
See the iOS Nanodegree on Udacity →
Related: every Udacity Nanodegree in 2026 · our complete Udacity Nanodegree review · current Udacity coupon codes