Dear Educators,
Due to broader product alignment decisions at Microsoft, the Visual Studio Code for Education product roadmap will be coming to an end.
VS Code for Education will continue to be fully supported throughout the 2026-27 academic year, but we will not be adding new features moving forward, and we’ll begin encouraging educators to transition to alternate tools.
We plan to fully retire VS Code for Education in the summer of 2027.
We understand this may be disappointing news. We are sad too. Our team’s priority is to ensure you have ample time and support to transition to an alternate tool.
Here are some recommended alternatives:
- Visual Studio Code
Industry-standard professional code editor. In addition to the desktop app, there is also an online version of this tool at https://vscode.dev with some limitations. - Microsoft MakeCode
Ideal for introducing or scaffolding coding concepts, with both block-based and text-based Python and JavaScript experiences that support a range of learners. - GitHub Codespaces
A cloud-based development environment that allows students to code from any device and supports native integration with GitHub. Especially helpful for classrooms needing easy setup and access. Verified students and teachers receive 180 Codespaces hours per month for free – learn more at https://github.com/education. - Microsoft Learn
Free training, online labs and Microsoft credential learning pathways. The Student Hub includes self-paced interactive courses and Educator Center provides free classroom resource and training.
What to expect next
We know transitions take time, and every classroom is different. So that’s why nothing is happening over the next academic year - you can continue using your existing lessons while exploring alternate options that best fit your teaching style and student needs.
In the beginning of 2027, we will post a reminder message in this forum and place a banner on the product home page alerting users that the product will be retired in the summer of 2027. After which time, you will not have access to courses, projects, websites or the editor.
As part of our product deprecation plan, we will securely and permanently delete user account information including projects, code files and course progress. Microsoft takes user data privacy seriously – to learn more please review the Microsoft Privacy Statement.
How to export your work
If you would like to keep your work, there are a few ways to export files from the platform:
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Projects – if you have projects in VS Code for Education that you would like to keep, click on the project options menu and select Download. This will download all files from the project into a .zip file on your computer.
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Course files – you can also download code files from courses you’ve completed in the same way
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Custom courses – if you have authored your own course in VS Code for Education, you can download the course as a set of .yml files. Otherwise, your course content will still remain in your GitHub repository.
How to delete your account
All VS Code Edu user accounts and associated data will be securely, permanently deleted in the summer of 2027. If however, you would like to proactively delete your account, you can do so in the profile menu – click on your user profile when signed in and select Account Management, Delete account.
If you have questions or want help planning next steps, please reach out on the forum - we’re here to support you. In addition, I will be hosting office hours later this week for any educators with specific questions or support needs - register here.
Tools like Visual Studio Code for Education were built with educators, for educators, and we deeply appreciate the role you’ve played in helping students build real-world coding skills and going on this journey with us.
If you’d like to stay connected to Microsoft and GitHub computer science education updates, join the GitHub Education Teacher community where you can access free or discounted products and services like GitHub Copilot Pro. Learn more at https://github.com/education/teachers.
Thank you for the incredible work you do every day to inspire the next generation of creators and problem-solvers.
With gratitude,
The Visual Studio Code for Education Team