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Best online certificate programs in web development 2022: Top picks
Have you ever considered pursuing a career creating online or mobile pages or applications? An online web development certificate program can provide you with a launching point.
Web development is a growing field in which a newcomer may find roles ranging from full-stack development to web design to digital project management. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that positions in web development and digital design are expected to grow 13% by 2030 and pay a median salary of $77,200.
Read on to learn more about how an affordable online certificate in web development can lead to a lucrative web development career.
Top 5 schools for certificates in web development
College | Program stats | How much? |
Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA |
| Per credit $100 in-state $200 out-of-state Application fee: $25 |
Bismarck, ND |
| Per credit $166.97 in-state $250.45 out-of-state Application fee: $35 |
Port Angeles, WA |
| Per credit $147.55 in-state $162.77 out-of-state Application fee: Free |
Daytona Beach, FL |
| Per credit $82.24 in-state $328.96 out-of-state Application fee: $50 |
Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls, MN |
| Per credit: $222.05 Application fee: $20 |
The best online certificates in web development
The following list represents ten affordable, open-enrollment certificate programs in web development. For more information about how we arrived at this list of programs, please consult ZDnet's ranking methodology page.
Unless otherwise indicated, data is drawn from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and College Scorecard.
1. Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Rome, Georgia
About the program: GNTC currently offers a 35-credit online certificate in web development. Courses include web graphics, information security, and interactive and social apps integration, in addition to full-stack and open source programming courses.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 34%
Annual net price: $2,148
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online, asynchronous
2. Bismarck State College
Bismarck, North Dakota
About the program: BSC's 30-credit online certificate in web page development and design covers web design theory, the Adobe Creative Suite, and programming languages including HTML5, JavaScript, and Python. Students need a 20-30 words per minute typing rate and basic file management skills for admission.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 49%
Annual net price: $9,420
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online, asynchronous
3. Peninsula College
Port Angeles, Washington
About the program: PC's 15-credit online certificate in web design straddles web design and development. The program consists of three courses: introduction to multimedia, social media marketing, and database-driven websites.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 46%
Annual net price: $5,639
Years to completion: one
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online, asynchronous
4. Daytona State College
Daytona Beach, Florida
About the program: Daytona State's 18-credit online certificate for web development targets students who already have earned an associate degree or higher. Course topics include IT project management, web systems, and applied databases.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 36%
Annual net price: $8,789
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: 2.5
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online asynchronous
5. Minnesota West Community and Technical College
Granite Falls, Minnesota
About the program: MWCTC's 16-credit online webpage design assistant certificate touches on programming fundamentals, web programming, and multimedia for the web. Students leave with skills in C++ and digital project management.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 50%
Annual net price: $11,952
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online, asynchronous
6. Riverland Community College
Austin, Minnesota
About the program: Riverland offers a 24-credit, fully-online certificate in web development and game design tailored for working professionals. Course topics include HTML5, CSS3, and web animation.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 39%
Annual net price: $8,893
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Fall, spring
Course delivery methods: (online, asynchronous, etc.)
7. Dakota State University
Madison, South Dakota
About the program: DSU's 12-credit online certificate in web application development lets learners choose between starting with C, JavaScript, or Visual Basic while learning programming concepts. Other course topics include computer science, database management, and problem-solving.
Acceptance rate: 77%
Graduation rate: 39%
Annual net price: $17,691
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online
8. St. Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida
About the program: SPC's online certificate in web development comprises 18 credits and covers JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The school gives certificate completers access to short-term technology training.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 33%
Annual net price: $3,226
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online
9. Rappahannock Community College
Glenns, Virginia
About the program: RCC's 12-credit online certificate in web design prepares students to design, create, and promote functional websites. Course topics include web page design, design concepts for mobile applications, and designing web page graphics.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 25%
Annual net price: $7,204
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online
10. Cerro Coso Community College
Ridgecrest, California
About the program: CCCC's online web professional certificate prepares students for employment or self-employment in the web industry. Learners study topics including fundamentals of web development, UX design, and web production management.
Acceptance rate: Not publicly available
Graduation rate: 14%
Annual net price: $7,684
Years to completion: One
SAT range: Not required
Minimum GPA: Not required
Enrollment periods per year: Rolling
Course delivery methods: Online
What to expect in an online certificate in web development program
During the typical online certificate in web development, you can learn programming fundamentals at your pace. You may get to choose among learning programming concepts in JavaScript, HMTL, or CSS.
This credential usually emphasizes individual work. You may also be encouraged to collaborate with classmates, especially if the program's credits can be applied toward a degree.
Potential electives include web animation, project management, web design, and other topics useful for web development professionals.
Web development courses
While web development certificates' areas of focus vary, most touch on key topics related to scripting languages, project management, and visual design. The following courses are common offerings.
JavaScript fundamentals
Learners receive an overview of creating interactive website elements such as dropdown menus, navigation rollover visuals, and different window effects.
Fundamentals of web development
This course familiarizes students with using a text editor to create pages in HTML and CSS. Students also master industry basics, including how to use content management systems (eg., Wordpress) to create web pages.
Web project management
Learners collaborate in groups on a commercial web project. They leverage concepts such as workflow, budgeting, and team roles to create a functional website.
Computer illustration and design
Students learn how digital illustration and graphic design concepts can apply to commercial web development projects.
In conclusion
A web development certificate can provide a starting point for a career in front or back end web development, web design, IT, or other types of coding jobs. This credential can also count as college credit towards an online web development degree. Even with a limited budget and timeline, you can kickstart a career in the web industry with an accredited online certificate.
To learn more about how to become a web developer, check out our guide.