Best Online Web Development Schools

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What do you get when you mix looks with technology? See for yourself with an online Bachelor’s Degree in Web Development!

Have you ever seen a website that’s a mess? You know the kind. The graphics are stuck in the ‘90s. The menu is a nightmare. There’s “404 Not Found” errors. It doesn’t look good, and you can’t find what you need.

You’ve likely seen a few of these. The internet is full of them! These websites probably didn’t have a good web developer. If you have an eye for how things look and a brain for coding, then an online Bachelor’s in Web Development might be right for you.

Online Schools Report is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

What is an Online Web Development Degree?

These days, most of our lives revolve around the internet. A website with a good user experience is make-or-break for small businesses. Blogs and brands depend on a good user experience, too.

But web developers aren’t just needed by mom and pop shops. Instead, businesses, multi-national corporations, and government agencies need good web designers and developers.

Web designers and developers are the brains and beauty of websites. They make sure everything looks great and is easy to navigate. It’s hard work, though. A great-looking website appears seamless and is a breeze to use. This doesn’t happen overnight. Developers put in a lot of effort in online web development schools to learn their craft. 

Even experienced web designers and web developers spend many hours getting the design and functionality just right. All that hard work pays off in the end.

Of course, before you begin working in web development, you need to get a degree.

Most online programs in web programming are Bachelor of Science degrees. Web development students need to take both computer science classes and design classes.

For instance, in a web development degree, you might take courses related to:

  • Front-end development and back-end web programming
  • Mobile programming
  • Database design and database development
  • Digital media
  • Website design
  • Web application development
  • Web design & development
  • Software development

The classes in web development schools online teach you about basic programming languages.  This includes Javascript, Python, and CSS/HTML. You’ll learn many other things that web developers need to know. But you’ll also become familiar with graphic design software like Adobe Creative Suite.

Some of these programs let web development students focus on areas like:

  • Programming Languages
  • Application Development
  • Mobile Applications
  • Database & Analytics

Some people can teach themselves programming skills. They might have a knack for user interfaces. But earning a Bachelor’s in Web Development is a useful first step to breaking into the field. Earning this degree through online courses makes it more flexible and affordable!

Better yet, modern online degrees aren’t looked down upon like they were 15-20 years ago. Back then, a school might have noted on your diploma that it was earned online. This is not the case today, though.

In fact, most online web development degrees are the same as those earned by students on campus. Today, online students usually take the same courses. These courses often have the same course requirements. They’re taught by the same professors as on-campus classes. This being the case, there is no reason for separation between online and on-campus degrees.

See Also: Best Study Apps for College Students

How Much Can You Earn with an Online Web Development Bachelor’s degree?

Like most careers in the technical world, web developers enjoy a very good take-home salary. A common job with an online Bachelor’s in Web Development is to become a web developer! These folks make around $69,400 per year.

Your salary depends on your level of education. It also depends on your area of focus.

For example, online web design professionals with an associate degree make an average of $47,000 a year. Professionals with a bachelor’s degree made $53,000. Of course, if you have a master’s degree or a doctorate, you can expect higher starting wages than if you have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.

Additionally, your level of experience impacts how much you can earn in web development.

For example, if you’ve been working in web development for 10 years, you can assume that you’ll make a higher salary than someone just out of college and has less than a year of experience.

The skills you’ll learn through this degree can also apply to other careers.

For example, some people go on to become a computer programmer. This job earns you around $84,200 each year. Or, if server-side work is more interesting to you than web page design, consider an information systems focus. Either way, web developers of all kinds can make great money.

So, in addition to having good earning potential, another advantage that a career in web development offers is the ability to pursue many lines of work, depending on your area of focus. The ability to customize your job based on your skills gives you much greater control over the type of work you do.

In short, you’ll be highly marketable and well paid for your work with this degree. In fact, web design and development professionals can look forward to a 15 percent jump in demand between now and 2026.

What is Required for Admission to a Web Development School?

If you’re new to web design and web development, have no fear!

Online learning is the perfect path into the field. For most of these web development programs, you don’t need any experience to get into web developer online school. You don’t have to know coding, user interface, or e-commerce to apply. Instead, you can learn on the fly. Your studies in a web development program help you get the knowledge and skills to become a web development pro.

However, if you want a knowledge base before focusing on an area, consider the Best Online Computer Science Degrees instead of a bachelor’s in web development.

Usually, web development majors need a high school education (or GED). You should have a minimum GPA of 2.0 (or 2.5, depending on the program). You’ll need access to the internet to begin an online web development program. Some web development degree programs might have other requirements, too.

For example, some programs require you to submit a personal statement. This document outlines your educational and career goals. As another example, some web development degrees might have certain course prerequisites you have to finish before declaring a major.

Most programs on this list require a minimum of 120 credits to graduate with a web design or web development degree. If you already have a few higher education credits under your belt, check out the transfer policy for these programs. You might be able to transfer quite a few credits.

In fact, many online degree programs accept up to 90 transfer credits. Obviously, being able to transfer three-fourths of the needed credits to graduate can help you finish your degree quickly.

How Long Does It Take to Complete an Online Bachelor’s in Web Development?

Since the online web development degree programs on our list are online, you’ll have more freedom to decide how much work you do each term. This impacts how long it takes to get a web development degree.

Typically, full-time undergraduate studies include 12 credits or more per semester. If you have many other life obligations like family or work, it can be tough to be a full-time student on campus. However, online programs give you the flexibility to learn when it’s convenient for you. This means being able to study full-time online with much less impact on work or family life.

You might also have enough flexibility to take courses during the summer session. Your school might even courses over winter break, spring break, or the break between the spring and summer semesters. Taking courses during these periods can help you complete your degree faster.

Usually, it takes four years of full-time study to complete a bachelor’s in web development program. But, if you take extra courses each year, you can take a semester or two off of the typical four-year timeline. This means you’ll complete online programs in web development and join the ranks of web developers sooner.

Do I Eventually Need to Get a Master’s Degree?

Everyone’s educational and employment journey is different. Whether you get a master’s degree will ultimately be up to you.

On the one hand, you can build a very good career in web design or web development with just a bachelor’s degree in web development (and for some folks, they’ve done it without a college education at all!). This is a field that rewards experience and results. If you can develop high-quality websites or succeed in software development without a graduate degree, you might not need to get one.

However, in addition to having work experience, some web development jobs look at your education and training.

For example, let’s say you’re applying for an upper-level job as a web developer with a large web design agency. Applicants might have to have an advanced web development degree, like a master’s degree. In this case, you would have greater knowledge of topics like programming languages or database management systems. You’d obviously want to have a master’s degree to apply for jobs like this.

Having a master’s degree could open many jobs. Web developers with a master’s degree usually find more jobs that fit their skills. They often find jobs with many different employers as well.

Having an advanced web development degree also expands your skills. You’ll be a better web developer. Having more skills increases your job prospects, too. This could mean that you get more job offers than you would if you have a bachelor’s degree.

One of the biggest reasons people get a master’s degree is money. Master’s-level workers usually earn more than workers with a bachelor’s degree.

The amount of money web developers earn with a master’s degree varies on the specific job title and place of employment. But it’s safe to assume that your graduate school experience will lead to jobs that pay several thousand dollars per year more than bachelor’s-level careers in web development.

What Are the Best Online Web Development Degrees?

OSR uses six data points to rank the best online web development degree. There are three school-wide and three program-specific criteria.

For school-wide, OSR uses Student Satisfaction, Admission Rates, and the number of programs the school offers online. For program-specific, OSR checks the Median Debt of graduates from that program, how many degrees are offered within that program’s department, and what percentage of students at that school graduated from that department.

Each school ranking displays these six statistics. The sliding bar under each statistic represents how that school compares to other schools. “Not reported” means a school didn’t release that information to the US Department of Education. A more detailed description of the OSR process can be found on the methodology page.

If you’re interested in a more behind-the-scenes programming role, consider an online degree in Information Technology. Otherwise, consult our list of the best web development schools below to begin your school search.

Best Online School for Web Development

Bellevue University

Bellevue University

Quick Facts

  • Curriculum includes high-level coding languages
  • 55 credits allocated towards electives
  • Final course is a boot-camp web stack experience
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

72%

Programs Offered Online

51

Programs in Department

7

Popularity at School

13%

100%OSR Score

You won’t find a better online BS in Web Development than the one at Bellevue University. It’s one of the best web developer schools online!

The skills you develop cover everything from web design to coding. You’re required to complete 127 credits. There are 36 credits in the major. You’ll take 55 elective credits. There is no fast track because courses are taken in order.

There is a $50 non-refundable application fee. Tuition is not fixed at this school. It increases slightly each year.

University of Maryland Global Campus

Quick Facts

  • Up to 90 transfer credits accepted
  • Career-driven focus areas are offered
  • Curriculum includes programming & software development
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

73%

Programs Offered Online

31

Programs in Department

3

Popularity at School

22%

96%OSR Score

The University of Maryland University College brings a flair of creativity with its online BS in Digital Media and Web Technology.

This program provides all the skills you need to become a master in digital design. You can focus on motion graphics, animation, and more.

You either focus on Web Design or Digital Design. The curriculum takes a more visual and less technical approach. This can be good or bad, depending on your wants.

For example, you might create publications with Adobe InDesign. You might also create motion graphics.

This school has higher out-of-state tuition rates. You’ll pay a $50 non-refundable application fee. 

Champlain College

Champlain

Quick Facts

  • Rapid format of 7-week courses
  • Tuition rates fixed regardless of residency
  • Major-related certificates available
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

73%

Acceptance Rate

75%

Programs Offered Online

22

Median Debt

$26,497

Programs in Department

5

Popularity at School

21%

89%OSR Score

Champlain College makes your educational experience go smoothly. It is considered a best online school for web development. This program is a flexible and fast online BS in Web Design & Development.

There’s a core 120-credit program. You can also earn industry certificates. This includes certifications in:

  • PHP Programming
  • Web Design
  • Web Programming

These certificates are not included in the overall curriculum.

Some courses are 15-week segments. Sample classes include:

  • Usability in Website and Software Design
  • Designing Digital Images for the Web
  • Relational Database Design & SQL

A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for admission.

American Public University System

American Public University System

Quick Facts

  • Up to 90 transfer credits accepted
  • Very affordable tuition rates ($270/credit hour)
  • 5 career-based focus areas are available
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

73%

Programs Offered Online

45

Programs in Department

3

Popularity at School

9%

85%OSR Score

American Military University is one of the top web development schools. It delivers an online BS in Information Technology. It gives you a great start to web development.

This program caters to transfer students. There are good resources for active military as well.

There are five focus areas in this degree. A popular track is Web Development Using .Net.

There is no fast track available. It will take you four years to finish the program.

You pay up to $620 in course materials on top of tuition. Other required software is not provided.

Some of the courses you might take are:

  • Web Development Using JavaScript
  • Application Development for the iPhone and iPad
  • Object-Oriented Programming With Java

Davenport University

Davenport University

Quick Facts

  • 4 unique, career-based specialty options
  • Curriculum includes business foundation 
  • Online non-resident tuition rate reduced
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

69%

Acceptance Rate

82%

Programs Offered Online

23

Programs in Department

6

Popularity at School

11%

80%OSR Score

You have a choice of four focus areas with this online Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems:

  • Web & Mobile Development
  • Programming
  • Database & Analytics
  • Secure Software Development

This is a 120-credit program. This program has higher tuition rates than others on this list. A $110 technology fee applies each term. You also pay a $25 application fee.

  • Some classes you might take include:
  • Object-Oriented Program w/ C++
  • Mobile Application Development
  • E-Business Technologies

If you have certificates in the technology area, you might receive course credit. This helps reduce the time to graduate from this web developer school online. This is one of many reasons why this is among the best schools for web development.

Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University

Quick Facts

  • Previous IT certifications can count toward credit
  • No application fee required
  • Reduced military tuition rate ($225/credit)
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

75%

Acceptance Rate

78%

Programs Offered Online

43

Median Debt

$22,746

Programs in Department

3

Popularity at School

6%

77%OSR Score

Southern New Hampshire University offers an online BS in Information Technologies. It has an option to focus on Web Design & Development. Unfortunately, there are no other focus areas with the degree.

The curriculum includes advanced math. You can take a free math test. Depending on your score, you can earn up to nine math credits toward your degree. You can also earn credits for work and life experience. For example, law enforcement training or industry-recognized certifications could result in credits.

SNHU does not provide other required software.

Liberty University

Liberty University

Quick Facts

  • Curriculum blends business and web development
  • Courses are structured in 8-week segments
  • Students can finish the program in 3.5 years
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

73%

Acceptance Rate

30%

Programs Offered Online

23

Programs in Department

3

Popularity at School

1%

73%OSR Score

At Liberty University, you can enroll in the online BS in Information Technology degree. Its focus is on Web & Mobile Programming. This degree is from the School of Business. It’s an interesting blend of business core classes and advanced classes in programming.

This program is fully online. Each class is in an eight-week course segment. The specialization only includes three upper-level courses.

Since this is a Christian-based university, you must take two required religious courses.

Some of the courses you take are:

  • Business Common Professional Components
  • Web and Mobile Programming
  • Client-Side Programming

There is a $199 technology fee each term. 

Fort Hays State University

Fort Hays State University

Quick Facts

  • Very affordable ($218/credit hour)
  • No additional fees beyond admission
  • 15 credits devoted to Web Development
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

71%

Acceptance Rate

89%

Programs Offered Online

22

Programs in Department

2

Popularity at School

4%

65%OSR Score

Fort Hays State University offers a Web and Mobile Application Development concentration. This program is in the online BS in Information Networking and Telecommunications degree.

This is a 124-credit program. You’ll learn coding, design, and e-commerce. You also gain all the skills needed for industry certifications.

Some of the classes you take are:

  • Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction
  • Database Design and Programming
  • Back-End Web Development I

This school has higher admissions requirements for non-Kansas students. There are also no scholarship options specific to this program. You pay non-resident tuition rates if you take hybrid classes. 

Brigham Young University-Idaho

Brigham Young University-Idaho

Quick Facts

  • Specializations offered in Design or Development
  • Financial aid and scholarships available to LDS students
  • PathwayConnect tuition rates are extremely low ($73/credit)
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

80%

Acceptance Rate

95%

Programs Offered Online

10

Median Debt

$15,944

Programs in Department

1

Popularity at School

3%

61%OSR Score

Brigham Young University-Idaho offers an impressive list of online programs. This includes a BS in Web Design & Development.

There are 15 Pathway Connect credits required before admission. Additionally, you must be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or have close ties to the church. You must agree to live by the CES Honor Code as well.

You can focus on either Web Design or Web Development. A total of 54 credits are in your focus area. The curriculum and faculty are specific to LDS beliefs.

This school has higher tuition rates for non-LDS students. 

Arizona State University-Tempe

Arizona State University-Tempe

Quick Facts

  • Up to 64 transfer credits accepted (AA degree)
  • Out-of-state and in-state students pay same tuition
  • No additional fees beyond the per-credit tuition
Program Web Page

Schoolwide Rankings

Student Satisfaction

74%

Acceptance Rate

84%

Programs Offered Online

1

Programs Offered Online

Not reported

Popularity at School

4%

56%OSR Score

Arizona State University has an online Bachelor of Applied Science in Internet and Web Development. It prepares you to create websites. You’ll also master user experience, e-commerce, and more.

The program is for students who already have an associate’s degree. Your AAS degree must be in a related field (art, technical, etc.).

You’ll take six to nine credits per term. Some courses you might take in this program include:

  • Web Site Design and Internet/Web Technologies
  • Advanced Web Markup and Scripting
  • Information Design and Usability

The tuition rates are higher than most other programs.

Online Schools Report is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.