If you are a techie-type of person who loves creativity, design, and computer technology, earning an online web degree may be a great education option to move you closer to your career goals. Fortunately, there are many available online web design degree programs from many quality professional schools, colleges, and universities.
Professional web designers are adept and skilled at developing user-friendly applications and web pages. In addition, those who hold an online web design degree will find that their job responsibilities include–
- Maintaining websites.
- Writing code when troubleshooting problems.
- Designing pages that are touchscreen-compatible.
Those enrolled in an online web design degree programswill learn, in an experiential manner, to work with software programs that are used across industries and sectors. These options include –
- Adobe Illustrator
- Dreamweaver
- Adobe InDesign
- WordPress
- Adobe Photoshop, to name a few.
An online web design degree programtends to provide a foundational education in traditional concepts (like cybersecurity, graphics, and media, etc.) but are often specialized with a unique focus on the program/school.
Students that require a bit of scheduling flexibility – due to other life commitments will find that the online web design degree programsoffer the opportunity to overcome time-limited schedules of working learning and busy parents.
While there are no accrediting agencies that specifically accredit web design programs, it is important that each potential student investigate the type of accreditation the school maintains. There are no accrediting agencies (at least at this time) for web design degrees because these programs are typically a part of an institution of higher education’s computer science or design divisions.
It is noted that most web designers have a bachelor’s level degree in web design when they enter the market. However, some web designers who wish to specialize or move into upper-management often choose to pursue a post-baccalaureate degree – like a master’s degree or doctorate.
Online Web Design Degrees
According to the BLS – the federal government’s Bureau of Labor Statistics discloses that digital designers & web developers earned a median salary of $73,760 per annum, which translates to $35.46 per hour. In 2019, there were nearly 175,000 web designers working in the United States.
Most entry-level web design jobs require students to have earned a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in web design or a related discipline. Some employers may approve of a job applicant who only holds an associate’s degree – if a job applicant has significant work experience. However, most students interested in web design careers choose to complete one of the many online web design degrees offered at the bachelor’s level.
Let’s review ten online web design programs with price tags that range from about $3,500 per semester to $11,700 per semester.
Our Top 10 Picks for Online Web Design Degrees
1. Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC)
Lewis-Clark State College’s Business Technology Division offers a Bachelor of Applied Science degree (BAS) in Web Design & Development is a public college located in Idaho with a student population of approximately 3,650 students. Lewis-Clark State College offers the lowest of all Idaho higher learning institutions in Idaho offering a 4-year online web design degree program. Classes for this web design degree include web development fundamentals, portfolio design, interactive web script, and image illustration/editing, to name a few.
- Tuition Fees – $ 3,491 per semester (state resident); $ 5,526 per semester Asotin County
- Credit Units Required – 120 semester units.
- Accreditation – NWCCU
2. Bellevue University (BU)
Bellevue University’s Bachelor of Science degree (BS) in Web Development is considered among the best online web design degree programsavailable in the marketplace. Classes for Bellevue University’s web design degree includes fundamentals of web design, internet systems architecture, enterprise JavaScript, Node.js, and angular with Typescript, and Mastering the MEAN Stack Bootcamp, among others. Bellevue University permits students to transfer up to 60 previously earned credits and credit for work experience, among other acceleration methods.
- Tuition Fees – $ 3,925.50 per semester
- Credit Units Required – 127 semester credits.
- Accreditation – HLC
3. Champlain College Online
Champlain College Online offers two undergraduate degrees for web design: an associate degree and a baccalaureate. Champlain’s online associate degree in web design and development will familiarize you with both creative design and back-end programming, and help you hone your existing web skills or launch your career in this dynamic field. Champlain’s online bachelor’s in web design and development degree will give you the tools you need to marry creative design with back-end programming and give you the confidence to launch or advance your career in this dynamic field.
- Tuition – $318/credit
- Credit Units Required – 60 credit hours (associate); 120 credit hours (bachelor’s)
- Accreditation – NECHE
4. Hodges University (HU)
The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with an academic Digital Design and Graphics offered by Hodges Universityfrom the school’s West Coast Florida location that can be completed entirely online. Hodges University’s online web design degree programs are recognized by many college ranking services among the most affordable and best online programs across a number of disciplines, including graphic and digital design.
- Tuition Fees – $ 5,715 per semester
- Credit Units Required – 120 semester credits.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC & ADDA & NCATE
5. Lesley University (LU)
Lesley University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, offers a Bachelor of Science degree (BS) in Art & Design with an academic concentration in Design for User Experience program. Lesley University’s online web degree programsinclude the following classes – Design Thinking, UX Design Business Practices, Interface Design, Web Development, Visual Communication, and a number of Advanced Web Projects, to name a few. Graduates from LU’s web design program enter the workforces as a software developer, technical artist, environment design specialist, or art director, to name a few.
- Tuition Fees – $ 6,825 per semester
- Credit Units Required – 120 semester units.
- Accreditation – NECHE
6. Stevens- Henager College (SHC)
Stevens- Henager College offers a Bachelor of Science in Web Design and Development (BSWDD) that offers students a three-year completion timeframe. Students graduate one of Stevens-Henager College’s online web design degree programswith skills that prepare them to become a web developer/designer, consumer electronics designer, HCI specialist, or mobile application designer, to name a few. Classes for this degree include typography, graphic design, vector illustration, Linus, object-oriented programming, and web server programming, to name a few.
- Tuition Fees – $ 7,282.50 per semester
- Credit Units Required – 180 quarter units.
- Accreditation – ACCSC
7. ECPI University (ECPI)
ECPI University offers a BS degree – a Bachelor of Science degree (BS) in Computer & Information Science with an academic concentration in software development/web design and development that can be finished entirely online. Coursework for one of ECPI University’s more popular online web design degree programsincludes web application development and interface design, among others. ECPI University operates multiple campuses across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas, among others.
- Tuition Fees – $ 7,788 per semester
- Credit Units Required – 120 semester credits.
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
8. Full Sail University (FSU)
Full Sail University’s Bachelor of Science in Web Design & Development prepares students for successful careers using industry-standard tools and techniques in only 30 months of study. Classes for one of the Art Institute’s best online web degrees includes cloud application development, securing applications, deployment of web applications, statistics, project and portfolio, and web application integration, to name a few.
- Tuition Fees – $ 10,995 per semester
- Credit Units Required – 120 semester units.
- Accreditation – ACICS
9. The Academy of Art University (AAU)
The Academy of Art University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Web Design & New Media Online is recognized among the more innovative online web degrees available. AAU’s School of Web Design and New Media offers an integrated academic approach that includes the fundamentals of visual communication, technology, design thinking, and user experience. AAU is recognized among the top creative media and entertainment schools in the nation.
- Tuition Fees – $ 11,706 per semester
- Credit Units Required – 132 semester credits.
- Accreditation – WASC & ACICS & NASAD
Our Ranking Methodology
The ten online web design degree programs noted above offer a cross-section of some of the available online web design degrees in the marketplace. These online web design degree programs are ranked with the most cost-effective tuition rates listed first.
The tuition costs that were used in the above-noted analysis either represent the costs to attend one semester for the school year 2020 to 2021 or 2019 to 2020. The tuition costs per semester were extracted from the school’s proprietary website or the NCES‘ College Navigator website.
Although each of the online web design degree programs award a bachelor’s degree, each school determines the exact number of semester credits required to earn the degree. Most baccalaureate degree programs require the completion of 120 semester credits to meet program requirements. [Note this is equivalent to 180 quarter credits.]
Accreditation information for each online school has been included to help students gain a larger perspective as to the quality of the promised online web design degree programs and which accrediting body has reviewed and awarded accreditation to the school or program.
Have you Noticed Information in Your School’s Ranking That Needs to be Updated?
Please reach out to BestValueSchools.com as we welcome your edits and updates for the online web design degree programs noted above.
