Our list of the best online web development degrees highlights accredited schools enrolling the largest number of online learners. See our methodology for details.
Key Takeaways:
- At #1, Arizona State University Online leads with 52,896 students, the largest distance-learning population nationwide.
- Champlain College has the highest median earnings of web development alums at $78,604, just four years after graduation.
- ECPI University Online has the lowest 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
Below our list, we also interviewed Mircea Dima, a software engineer, who explained how online web development students can gain real experience in the field.
List Of Accredited Online Web Development Schools
| School | Online Enrollment | Annual Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University, Online | $24,780 | |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | 44,794 | $14,970 |
| Liberty University | 39,168 | $11,700 |
| Purdue Global | 31,661 | $11,130 |
| Full Sail University | 20,910 | $26,417 |
| Bellevue University | 10,478 | $13,470 |
| ECPI University Online | 6,854 | $18,484 |
| Franklin University | 5,369 | $11,940 |
| South College | 3,778 | $17,935 |
| Middle Georgia State University | 3,166 | $5,220 |
| Austin Peay State University | 1,740 | $13,410 |
| Champlain College | 1,104 | $10,050 |
Best Online Web Development Degrees
- Online Enrollment: 52,896 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $24,780
- Locations: Tempe (AZ) (and 4 others)
Why we like them: We rank ASU in first place because it enrolls 52,896 online learners, placing it at the absolute top nationwide. We are further impressed that it has the best recommendation rate on our list, with 93% of students endorsing the school (based on over 1,500 reviews we've collected).
- Online Enrollment: 44,794 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $14,970
- Location: Adelphi (MD)
Why we like them: UMGC's web program features a rare Augmented/Virtual Reality focus that you can tailor through courses like Virtual Reality Design, Augmented Reality Design, 3D Modeling, and Virtual World-Building, giving you hands-on XR production skills uncommon in comparable programs.
- Online Enrollment: 39,168 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $11,700
- Location: Lynchburg (VA)
Why we like them: Most IT programs split web development and mobile programming into separate tracks or certificates. Liberty integrates both, with courses in mobile programming languages, client-side programming, and responsive design. Another unique aspect is Liberty’s mission to “Train Champions for Christ,” so this program is framed within a Christian worldview.
- Online Enrollment: 31,661 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $11,130
- Location: Indianapolis (IN)
Why we like them: Purdue Global Global hosts an IT program focused on development, where you can choose your primary programming stack twice — first for concepts, then again for design and development — across Python, C#, Java, or JavaScript/PHP, giving you a coherent language pathway rather than a one-size-fits-all sequence.
- Online Enrollment: 20,910 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $26,417
- Location: Winter Park (FL)
Why we like them: FSU integrates Project LaunchBox into tuition, so you receive a standardized kit of professional hardware and software. We also appreciate that there's dedicated work in cloud-native application development using third-party services, external authentication and single sign-on, and design decisions shaped by data retention, privacy, localization, and regulatory constraints.
- Online Enrollment: 10,478 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $13,470
- Location: Bellevue (NE)
Why we like them: At Bellevue, the web development program culminates in a synchronous, 6-credit MEAN stack boot camp held five nights a week for nine consecutive weeks, which we view as an intense, workplace-simulated sprint that forces you to ship real projects under pressure.
- Online Enrollment: 6,854 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $18,484
- Locations: Multiple Locations
Why we like them: ECPI lets you finish its web design and development degree in about 2.5 years, which means that you can reach the job market sooner. You also gain discounted certification exam vouchers (Microsoft, Oracle, Python, AWS, Security+), which we regard as a tangible cost offset tied to employability.
- Online Enrollment: 5,369 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $11,940
- Location: Columbus (OH)
Why we like them: Franklin fuses UX and graphic design into a single B.S. and operationalizes it through a distinctive two-course, real-client practicum/capstone that advances you from contributor to project lead. You build a portfolio continuously, not just at the end, while working in the hiring-manager toolchain: Figma, Adobe XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, and Adobe Portfolio.
- Online Enrollment: 3,778 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $17,935
- Locations: Multiple Locations
Why we like them: At SC, you participate in a user-centered capstone, which has you design a web- or computer-based system for a real-world problem. This is going to require analysis, implementation, and evaluation into one deliverable. You also get embedded preparation for several IT certifications woven into the coursework.
- Online Enrollment: 3,166 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $5,220
- Location: Macon (GA)
Why we like them: Ranked 10th, MGA enrolls 3,166 online learners, which still makes it a very large online school in the top 15% nationwide for online enrollment. The web track requires Software Security alongside Client/Server Systems Programming, giving you a rare pairing of secure coding and distributed application design baked into the core of the concentration.
- Online Enrollment: 1,740 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $13,410
- Location: Clarksville (TN)
Why we like them: APSU’s Web and Database concentration sits within a Computer Information Technology major and pairs web application development with database design, implementation, and administration. Here, you benefit from the scale of one of Tennessee’s largest CS/IT departments.
- Online Enrollment: 1,104 enrolled
- Annual Tuition: $10,050
- Location: Burlington (VT)
Why we like them: Champlain threads security and real-world tooling into web development. Here, the aim is to master 30+ concrete platforms and languages, including CodePen, Bootstrap, XAMPP aliases, Web Animations API, PHP/MySQL, and XML/JSON workflows, which we find unusually explicit and applied for a bachelor’s program. You also complete a 15-week client-simulation practicum.
Mircea Dima Explains How Web Developers Gain Real Experience
Software Engineer
Many students worry an online format means less hands-on coding collaboration. What should online students do to build experience?
"Procrastinating to practice collaboration until you are in a classroom setting is a wrong move.
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Donate to small libraries.
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Contribute to open GitHub issues or fork actual workflows with classmates using Git, GitHub and Pull Requests.
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Set clear commitments standards.
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Rotate reviewers.
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Fake stand-ups by Discord or Slack.
That is the way teams in real companies operate. I recruited junior developers that have no degree but have well-documented PRs that have solved merge conflicts with people they have never even heard of on the internet. That is experience, not theory."
Which specializations are most in demand today?
"The latest three are frontend with React, back end with Node.js or Python and cloud fluency (AWS, GCP). Nonetheless, the addition of AI is seeping into everything.
Students should desire to excel in one pile and pick one growing edge, whether it is the usage of LLMs, the usage of APIs, or the automation of the processes. Employers do not care about how many certs you have but how you ship."
Select electives which do not enable you to memorize, but to build.
What development tools, platforms, or software should students expect to use and become proficient with?
"Git, Github, VS Code, Postman, Docker and a cloud platform (AWS, GCP or Vercel at least) Include CI/CD with GitHub actions, SQL and NoSQL database and a frontend development environment, like chrome devtools and storybook.
One should not forget to test frameworks like Jest, Cypress, Playwright that are common at the interview. I have seen people fail to pass the hiring process due to an inability to write a test or debug a build pipeline. It is not like these are optional tools, these are your daily toolbox."
Any advice for folks who want to pursue an online web development degree?
"Do it when you are ready to become your manager. No one is in pursuit of you to code daily. Publish and get feedback, even when it hurts, create every week. Find a team of devs one step further and emulate their behaviors."
EXPERT TIP
"Skip perfectionism. Break/ship things. Fix them. That is what I was learning. The good part about it is that the employer is not going to care where you studied as long as you can solve a problem in a short period of time and you can communicate well."
FAQs About an Online Web Development Degree
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 Web Development Degrees Respected?
Online web development degrees are just as respected as on-campus programs. This is true primarily because of their accreditation status.
Accreditation refers to the process by which schools and programs are tested for their quality and legitimacy.
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.
What Courses Do You Take in an Online Web Development Degree?
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.
What Can You Do With an Online Web Development Degree?
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.
Bachelor's degrees are not explicitly required to become a web developer. However, the employees surveyed on noted that over half of their employers require bachelor's degrees.
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
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
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
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
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
enjoy a higher-than-average salary ($90,930) and positive job growth (9%+).
There are also 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 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, of respondents noted that they work over 40 hours per week.
What Is the Best Degree for Web Development?
A web development bachelor's degree is likely the best way to ensure a career as a web developer. However, there are other options to consider, such as a web design degree or software engineering program. You may also be interested in video game design degree, which would teach you how 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 in the next decade, with nearly 16,500 new roles added each year. While this is quite a lower rate than it used to be, it's still double the U.S. average growth rate among all U.S. occupations.
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.
Student Reviews of Online Web Development Programs
If you look at the reviews before 2021, you'll notice the positive responses and comments. Beginning in 2021, the instructional cadre became less skilled in personalizing the training experience based on the student. In the post by Bill, he gave a very good overview of the school's serious issues. The curriculum is very outdated -- mostly YouTube videos from miscellaneous contributors. The instructors are not allowed to update any of the curriculum plans -- instead, they are forced to use the materials... Read More
Review Date: 6/9/2022
Would Recommend: No
Helpful for Career: No
I started Colorado Tech University Online a few months ago. The staff seem pretty good! They are very courteous and helpful. However, my complaint lies within their online educational system. I'd had times where I got the answer correct, but the system said I Was wrong, but the answer it provided was the exact same thing. I've had times where the multiple choice answers didn't have the right answer, but when it gives solution it tells you the right answer. They provide online tutoring for free, using... Read More
Review Date: 10/24/2017
Would Recommend: No
Helpful for Career: No
I really appreciate the staff that worked with me to get into the school! Very friendly and willing to help at a moments notice! Very detailed degree program that will get you ready for the rest of your life! Instructors are very knowledgeable and they give very good advice on what to do when you get out! Also my academic advisor was always trying to keep in touch to see how I was doing, they don't get you in the school and leave you out to dry.
Review Date: 9/19/2016
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
I have been attending Full Sail online for Web Development and Design. I will first say that I am not being bitter, my grades at the moment are very exceptional, as well as my attendance. What I am doing is addressing some things I have experienced so far. With that being said, my online experience with Full Sail has been below average. Communication with the instructors has been a little difficult. It seems like they are very quick to push you off to a web link or YouTube video instead of answering... Read More
Review Date: 6/10/2016
Would Recommend: No
Helpful for Career: No
I have been attend IU since September 2014. I have never had a major issue and what problems I have had have been resolved immediately. The instructors are professional, my AD has been there for me when I needed him. Ignore all the drop outs complaining, they want everything handed to them. With IU you have to work for it and it is hard work. My 3.91 GPA didn't come by luck, it's come by work. The school gives you lots of tutor options and the instructors have always been there for extra guidance,... Read More
Review Date: 5/18/2016
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
I agree with those who said UOP is a joke. All learning material was online, it looked like it was a bunch of blogs from India or someplace where the grammar is 10 times worst than mine! I was confused and unable to talk to the professor. I actually don't remember getting a response the very few times I would ask questions.
I do have to say that I did get calls from my adviser as my grades were dropping and he gave suggestions. However, at the time I tried some of them I didn't get any further assistance... Read More
I don't recommended this school at all as they don't have any real support available. Sure I had a half good adviser but they clearly aren't working together for the welfare of their students.. it seems like they are just clocking in hours.
Review Date: 1/21/2013
Would Recommend: No
Helpful for Career: No
I don't know what Baker is like now, but I found it to be excellent when I attended. I took me second undergrad degree there and actually found the instruction and course work to be more challenging and usefull than my first degree taken at a state university. And, when I entered the work force I found that my knowledge exeeded that of coworkers who graduated from high rated schools.
Review Date: 6/26/2023
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
This is a great private small engineering, business college. You can get the 1 on 1 help you need, it is in a very quite location, there are things to keep the students occupied and most of all they work with students to help begin their career after they graduate.
Review Date: 2/27/2017
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
As a veteran who was running out of time with their own GIBill I was incredibly in awe of my school's ability to help me sustain it to the fullest. The faculty, staff and FA Advisors were incredibly knowledgeable in their areas of expertise and able to assist me with minimal to no issue. I was able to succeed even in courses where I surely thought I'd never get through with the assistance of their tutoring programs and with help from Career Services and my Program Director, I was able to find a full-time... Read More
Review Date: 3/7/2017
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
Reading through some of these one-star complaints would be almost comical if the university were able to disclose the records of the complaining students. The truth of the matter is, most students who attend this college do so under the impression that they will produce a Grammy-winning album without putting in the hard work necessary to perform at that level of success. This school is excellent, but only for people who are passionate about what they do and are willing to work hard to bring their... Read More
Review Date: 6/13/2023
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No