Web designers perform a wide range of essential functions related to commercial web development.
Typical job duties include everything from conceiving and implementing webpage layouts and stylistic features to performing user experience tests, monitoring and improving site accessibility, and helping maintain brand consistency across the employer's entire online presence. Employment projections indicate excellent medium- and long-term prospects for web designers and developers, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expecting a 15% growth rate between 2016 and 2026.
Companies of all types and sizes employ web design and development professionals, from large multinational corporations to small businesses that operate in a tight and focused niche. Pay rates for both entry-level and mid-career professionals also easily exceed median averages, and a growing number of employers also offer telework options. Thus, qualified candidates who complete and online web design degree enjoy a great deal of choice in employment settings, excellent flexibility, and enhanced control over their work-life balance.
What kind of online Web Design degree should you get?
Each of these 10 programs will give you a solid foundation in all aspects of web design and development. However, they each vary a bit in emphasis and requirement.
While some underscore the importance of an entrepreneurial approach to web development, others are more concerned with the creative component of design. We've been sure to note which programs emphasize which areas of web design.
Recommended Online Web Design Programs
Distance education is not only a flexible way to advance your education and career, but it's affordable too. Many online degrees can be earned at a fraction of the cost of "traditional" programs. For that reason, be sure to check out College Choice's Most Affordable Online Colleges and Universities.
How much money do people make with an online Web Design degree?
With a degree in web design you will ensure a future marked by financial and career stability.
For example, it is projected that the need for new web developers will rise another 27 percent in the next few years.
To give you an idea of what that number means, the average growth rate for all occupations in the U.S. is only 7 percent.
Web design and development is not only stable and in demand, it's also incredibly lucrative. Web developers make, on average, over $70,000 each year.
So whether you envision yourself with an in-house firm or freelancing from the comforts of your own home, a degree in web design will serve you throughout your career.
What are the requirements for an online Web Design degree?
To earn a Web Design, you will take four years of classes as a full-time student. Those first few semesters will include mostly general education requirements. But then you'll be able to dive into your web design core classes.
A degree in web design spills over into many departments. For example, you'll not only take classes on graphic design, but you could also find yourself explore programming and coding.
Or maybe you're interested in the business applications of web development. Then you can fill out those electives with classes on management, finance, and more.
Finally, you'll gain real-world experience through some of these programs, as they include an internship or research project requirement in their curriculums.
What are the most affordable online Web Design degrees?
Though some of these web design programs are housed within business schools and others are offered within fine arts colleges, all share one thing in common: they offer the most affordable entrance into the web design industry.
To determine the most affordable online Web Design programs we looked at every program across the nation offering the program online. After exhaustive research, we found the most affordable but also some of the best ranked too.
Our figures and information come from the university and colleges' websites, PayScale, and nationally recognized U.S. News & World Report and The National Center for Education Statistics.
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