2023 Best Online Bachelor's in Web Development Degrees
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An online bachelor's degree in web development emphasizes the knowledge and skills needed to build websites and applications from the bottom up. The curriculum covers how to work with stakeholders to plan features, build and test the code, launch a functioning site or app, and update it as needed. Coursework typically includes lessons on programming languages, user-centered design, e-commerce strategy, markup, and scripting. Students usually have the beginnings of a professional portfolio of development work by the end of a web development bachelor's degree, which they can use to apply for jobs in technology, business, government, or the nonprofit sector.
You might also be interested in an online web design degree if you want an education that's heavier on graphic design elements.
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Online Web Development Bachelor's Degrees You May Be Interested In
Arizona State University
Annual Tuition: $19,398 - $29,428
2 Programs (view all)
Southern New Hampshire University Online
ECPI University Online
List Of Accredited Online Web Development Schools
| School | Online Enrollment | Annual Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| American Public University System | ||
| University of Maryland Global Campus | 35,971 | $12,336 |
| Liberty University | 34,092 | $11,700 |
| Arizona State University | 33,410 | $24,413 |
| Purdue University Global | 28,447 | $14,358 |
| DeVry University | 16,922 | $18,197 |
| Full Sail University | 14,908 | $24,513 |
| Colorado State University Global | 8,114 | $8,400 |
| Bellevue University | 7,352 | $7,851 |
| University of Arkansas Grantham | 5,896 | $8,280 |
American Public University System
- Annual Tuition: $7,324
- Locations: Charles Town (WV)
- Accreditation: HLC
Despite its name, the American Public University System (APUS) is a private institution that offers a Bachelor of Science in Computer Technology degree with a concentration in web development. This program lasts for 120 credit hours, or about four years with a full-time schedule. APUS accepts all applicants, but only 18% of bachelor's degree students graduate with a degree.
APUS delivers asynchronous online courses through the Brightspace learning management platform. This program's faculty aim to teach both technical and soft skills to help students succeed in the workplace, from back-end coding to teamwork and communication. The web development curriculum includes courses such as User Interface Design and Web eCommerce Development.
University of Maryland Global Campus
- Annual Tuition: $12,336
- Locations: Adelphi (MD)
- Accreditation: MSCHE
The University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is a fully online public university that offers a Bachelor of Science in Software Development and Security degree. This program requires 120 credit hours of coursework over the four years it may take to complete with a full-time course load. The university has an open admissions policy and a 28% bachelor's degree graduation rate.
UMGC's online students use an interactive system called Learning Experience Online to take courses. The curriculum for this program covers topics in identifying and securing software and apps, including web-based tools. Some of the required major courses are Intermediate Programming, Secure Software Engineering, Secure Programming in the Cloud, and Current Trends and Projects in Computer Science.
Liberty University
- Annual Tuition: $11,700
- Locations: Lynchburg (VA)
- Accreditation: SACS COC
Liberty University is a private Baptist institution featuring an online, 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in web and mobile programming. Full-time enrollees may take as little as four years to complete this degree. Liberty accepts 50% of bachelor's degree candidates, and 34% of them graduate with a degree.
Online Liberty students sign in to the Canvas learning platform to work on courses. The web and mobile programming concentration emphasizes both design and development for sites and apps. Required courses include Client-Side Programming, Server-Side Programming, and Web and Mobile Programming.
Arizona State University
- Annual Tuition: $24,413
- Locations: Tempe (AZ) (and 4 others)
- Accreditation: HLC
Arizona State University (ASU), a public institution, has an online Bachelor of Applied Science in Internet & Web Development degree requiring 120 credit hours. This degree program might take four years to complete at a full-time pace. The university's acceptance rate is 73% for bachelor's candidates, 52% of whom graduate with a degree.
ASU hosts online courses on the Canvas digital learning system. This program's faculty teach the technical tools used in web development, but also focus on understanding user needs. Some of the core classes include Advanced Web Markup and Scripting and Information Design and Usability. During the final semester, students take a portfolio design course to ensure they have a professional presentation to market themselves to employers.
Purdue University Global
- Annual Tuition: $14,358
- Locations: Indianapolis (IN)
- Accreditation: HLC
The public Purdue University Global (PUG) features an online Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree with a concentration in programming and software development. This degree requires 120 credit hours, which might take four years to finish with a full-time course load. The school has an open admissions policy and a 30% graduation rate for bachelor's degree students.
PUG uses the Brightspace digital learning platform to deliver online courses. Students in this program complete a general IT curriculum alongside their concentration, including core courses such as Programming Concepts and Systems Analysis and Design. The concentration includes coursework in web development and programming languages such as Java and HTML5.
What Can You Expect From a Web Development Degree?
Web development degree programs teach you the skills to build websites from the ground up. They combine technical knowledge in coding and programming with design skills related to media integration and layout formatting.
Web development roles are in demand, making an online web development degree a smart choice if you're seeking a stable, well-paying career.
The best online web development degrees require a 2.75 to 3.0 GPA, along with a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. Most students study for about four years on a full-time schedule. You'll be required to complete around 120 credits that include programming coursework in HTML, JavaScript, and Python, among other programming languages. In many cases, you'll also be required to generate a portfolio of work, which will come in handy when applying for professional roles.
Are Online Degrees Respected?
Online web development degrees are just as respected as on-campus programs. This is true primarily because of their accreditation status.
The U.S. Department of Education designates organizations to accredit all degrees. Avoid applying to a school first only to realize later that their program isn't accredited. Web development is a highly professionalized field, which means it's important to ensure your degree is accredited. This will also help in your search for scholarships, as non-accredited schools may not be eligible. All of OnlineU's recommended programs come from accredited schools.
Classes in Web Development Degree Programs
Web development degrees contain complex courses revolving around programming languages and web applications. Some programs even include internet development courses, where you'll explore network functions, design best practices, e-commerce strategies, and developmental operations. Overall, these courses will help build a base of knowledge to join the professional world of web development.
Here are some examples of core courses you're likely to encounter:
Enterprise JavaScript
This course teaches the fundamentals of the coding language known as JavaScript, including its syntax, debugging strategies, coding, and documenting processes. You'll explore hosting services as well as various topics related to JavaScript's functionality and operations.
Information Design and Usability
Web development also explores the user experience through design and usability theories. Information design teaches how to organize data in a way that makes it easily accessible and understood by the user, while usability refers to how easily the user can interact with said design.
DevOps
The processes for development operations are explored in this class while emphasizing configuration management, containerization, release management, and orchestration. Students learn how to deliver high-quality projects through collaboration and communication.
Multi-Device Web Development
This course introduces the tools needed for the development of media-rich web pages. This includes interactive media through video, audio, graphics, animations, and other visual components.
Information Infrastructure
This course explores software architecture for data-driven applications. It includes both system and app development alongside components of programming fundamentals and program syntax.
Careers in Web Development
There's a lot to consider when it comes to choosing the right career in web development. Luckily for you, web developers often receive lucrative salaries and maintain a stable job outlook. These wages will come in handy for paying down student loans and financial aid debt.
Take a look at this list of potential careers to get a better idea of what possible job outcomes there are and how much you can earn in web development:
Web Developers
Web developers are the most obvious career path for this particular degree. These professionals design, install, and maintain websites and applications for various businesses and e-commerce companies. They write the code and scripting languages that make up the foundation of web applications and ensure it fits within industry standards and it's compatible with various devices.
Web Administrators
Web administrators focus more on the quality assurance side of web development by performing preventative maintenance tests on web applications and websites. They back up documents and data, identify problem areas, and standardize security measures.
Web and Digital Interface Designers
Digital interface designers create interfaces for web applications and websites. They evaluate and analyze the components of a website, such as navigation menus and layouts, in order to optimize its functionality. This is a highly collaborative role working alongside developers and managers.
Computer Programmers
Computer programmers utilize the scripts that web developers create in order to build web applications. They revise, expand, and repair programs to increase quality and overall efficiency. Their daily work involves testing software performance and writing code to resolve issues.
Is a Bachelor's in Web Development Worth It?
Web development degrees online provide a great foundation for a career in the field of information technology and computer science. Upon graduation, you'll be well-prepared to work in a variety of roles, as long as you have a robust portfolio of work to present to employers. Your skills can be applied to web development in healthcare, e-commerce, entertainment, or government.
With all that in mind, there are important pros and cons to consider before pursuing this career:
Potential Benefits
Web developers enjoy a higher-than-average salary ($77,030) and positive job growth (10-15%). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average job growth for all occupations is around 7%, while the average salary was $58,260 in May of 2021.
There are hundreds of niches that allow you to follow your passion. Web developers can focus their work on specialties in different industries that they enjoy, such as travel, entertainment, sports, art, or finance. They can also focus their portfolio on their preferred areas of development, like Python, full stack, or back-end web development.
Potential Drawbacks
You'll still be learning well into your career. This includes learning new programs, language updates, and new technologies that are introduced into the world of web development.
You might be at a disadvantage if you don't learn coding until college. Stack Overflow's 2021 Developer Survey showed that over 50% of professionals wrote their first line of code between the ages of 11 and 17.
You may experience a heavy workload. In Stack Overflow's 2019 survey, 51.7% of respondents noted that they work over 40 hours per week.
FAQs About Web Development Degrees Online
What Is the Best Degree for Web Development?
Clearly, a web development degree is the best way to ensure a career as a web developer. However, there are other options to consider, such as web design or software engineering. You may also be interested in video game design — a degree that teaches you to develop the graphics, art, and interactive components for PC, mobile, and console video games.
Is Web Developer a Good Career?
Web development is a challenging career but one that offers a better salary and job stability than most other occupations. You'll have a lot of flexibility with how you work, be it independently or within a corporate structure, and you can choose which specific development area you want to focus on in your career.
Is There a Demand for Web Developers?
Web developers are in high demand. The BLS projects the position to grow by 23% in the next decade, with nearly 21,800 new roles added each year. By 2031, the BLS expects there to be 242,500 web developers and digital designers employed in the United States.
What Certifications Should I Get for Web Development?
Web developers can hold a variety of certifications, depending on their employer's requirements and the direction they want to take their career. For beginners who have not completed their degree, it would be beneficial to obtain a certification in full-stack development or front-end web development. To boost your employability after graduation, you can look for specific program certificates, such as Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) or Oracle Certified Expert (OCE).
Do You Need a CS Degree for Web Development?
Computer science degrees are not required to become a web developer, but they are worth it if you want to expand your skill set beyond web development. More to the point, some developers can gain employment without earning a degree at all. This is accomplished through various certificate programs and real-life work experience.
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