15 of the Most Affordable Bachelor’s Degrees in Web Design and Development

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According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov) Occupational Outlook Handbook, the job growth expectation for Web Developers is a 20% increase between 2012 and 2022. Median salary for 2012 was $62.5K/year. For Graphic Designers, the job outlook is 7% for the same period, and the 2012 median salary was $44.2K/year. (However, Web Designers are more likely to be categorized as Web Developers and, depending on employers, earn more than the average Graphic Designer.)

The following list of Web Design and Web Development degrees continues our series of “Affordable Schools” for various bachelor’s degree programs. This includes: (a) degrees strictly for Web Design; (b) strictly for Web Development; (c) combined degrees; and (d) computer science degrees that have a Web-related major component / concentration or the equivalent.

NOTES:

The Areavibes.com cost of living score is independent of each college and reflects only the surrounding community — not the college itself.
As accreditation can change or only be valid regionally, please verify accreditation of any college to which you are planning to apply.
See the “Methodology” section of the ranking list article 15 of the Most Affordable Bachelor’s Degrees in Marketing for an explanation of the process we use to rank colleges in each list.
NCES data is subject to change and some of these “affordable degrees” guides may use more recent data than described in the Methodology.
For the full list of programs covered to date, please check our School Rankings page.

15: Harding University

Harding University, Heritage Center (source)

Harding University is a private university established in 1924 and located in Searcy, Arkansas, about 106 miles roughly west of Memphis, TN, and about 51 miles northeast of Little Rock, AR. It was originally founded as Harding College. Besides other campuses in the state, Harding has international campuses in Australia, England, Italy, France, Greece, Chile and Zambia.

Harding offers a BS (Bachelor of Science) in Web Design and Interactive Media (WDIM) Major. Required semester hour credit total for this degree is 128, with 53 credits towards Liberal Arts courses, 60 towards the Major, and 15 towards Bible/Electives. Students can choose between two concentrations: Designer or Developer, both requiring 12 credits each (as part of the 60 credits for Major courses). The Developer concentration offers courses in Internet Development or general programming. The Designer concentration requires both Graphic Design and Web Media courses, plus selection of Graphic Design, Color Theory, Advertising/ Public Relations/ Mass Communication, Photography, Video, programming, Internet development, Marketing, and others. Harding also offers both a BA and a BS in Computer Science, either of which could be tailored for Web-related development courses. See site for course specifics for these degree options.

Graduation rate: 62%. Tuition is $17,040 for in-state students and $17,040 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $16,516. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A+.

14: Davenport University

Davenport University, Livonia campus (source)

Davenport University (DU) is a private university established in 1866 and based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The main campus is located in Caledonia Township, MI, about 19 miles roughly southeast of Grand Rapids and part of the suburbs.

DU offers a BS (Bachelor’s of Science) in Computer Information Systems (CIS) with Web Design and Development (WDD) Major. Graduates of this program will be prepared for Web and other computer-related careers, including Web Developer and Website Designer. A BS CIS degree requires a total 120 semester hour credits, which includes 34-35 credits for general education (“Foundations of Excellence”) courses, 9-10 credits for Foundations of Business, 18 credits for Foundations of Technology, three credits for object-oriented in programming (choice of C++, C# or Java), 45-48 credits for Major course, and 15 credits selected from the Web and Mobile Development Specialty courses.

Graduation rate: 39%. Tuition is $15,072 for both in-state and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $15,841. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A+ (Grand Rapids), A (Caledonia).

13: Morrisville State College

Morrisville, NY (source)

Morrisville State College is a public university established in 1908 and located in Morrisville, NY, about 32 miles roughly southeast of Syracuse, NY. It is part of the SUNY (State University of New York) system.

MSC’s School of Science, Technology and Health Studies offers a BTech (Bachelor of Technology) in Information Technology: Web Development concentration. Topics covered include Web technologies (jQuery, AJAX), PHP, databases (MySQL; design and management), web security, usability, interface design, Web server administration, graphic and multimedia production, amongst others. See site for course and credit requirements. Graduates of this program are potentially prepared for roles as Web Developers, Webmasters and other positions.

Graduation rate: 26%. Transfer-out rate: 32%. Tuition is $7,689 for in-state students and $17,339 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $15,084. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A+.

12: SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Aerial view of Alfred State campus (source)

Alfred State College (aka SUNY College of Technology at Alfred) is a public university established in 1908 and located in Alfred, New York. It is part of the SUNY (State University of New York) system. Alfred is about 81 miles roughly south of Rochester, NY.

Alfred State offers a BTech (Bachelor of Technology) in Information Technology: Web Development Concentration. Topics covered in course curriculum includes Web programming (development and applications), Web publishing, Web servers, administration, databases amd networking amongst others. Total semester hour credits required is 128, which includes 39 for the major, 24 for professional courses, 18 in core concentration, 30 in general education. See site for course specifics. Graduates of the program are potentially prepared to work in roles such as Web Developer or Web Administrator, but also database administrator and other computer/IT positions, due to the breadth of topics covered.

Graduation rate: 47%. Transfer-out rate: 26%. Tuition is $7,646 for in-state students and $14,256 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $14,378. Areavibes.com cost of living score: B.

11: Dakota State University

Dakota State University arch (source)

Dakota State University is a public university established in 1881 and located in Madison, South Dakota, about 28 miles north and 19 miles west of Sioux Falls, SD.

DSU offers a BS (Bachelor of Science) in Digital Arts and Design: Web Design and Production Specialization. Because this is a design specialization, some of the course requirements are in multimedia design and graphic design, as well as programming, information architecture, usability testing and Web publishing. Total semester hour credit requirements (PDF) to complete the degree is 120. Students will develop a professional portfolio. Graduates of this program are potentially qualified for roles such as Web Site Designer and web Publications Specialist, as well as Information Architect, Technical Writer, and Media Integration Specialist.

Graduation rate: 47%. Transfer-out rate: 31%. Tuition is $7,506 for in-state students and $9,986 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $14,166. Areavibes.com cost of living score: n/a.

10: Wilmington University

Wilmington University

Wilmington University (aka WilmU) is a private, nonprofit university established in 1968 and located in New Castle, Delaware, about six miles roughly southwest of Wilmington, DE, and about 38 miles roughly southwest of Philadelphia, PA. It was originally founded as Wilmington College. The university has 14 locations (campuses and learning centers) collectively in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey, as well as an online division. All degree programs can actually be completed online.

WU offers a BS (Bachelor of Science) in Web Information Systems (WIS). Topic examples include Web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), back-end programming (PHP, Java), databases (MySQL) and more. Platforms studied include Web and mobile devices. Total required credits are 120 semester hours, with 30 credits towards general education courses, 3 for science elective, 6 for social science electives, 6 technical support, 21 for business and management core, 36 for WIS, 3 for a senior project or internship, and 12 free electives. The BS WIS has a six-credit option for a co-op assignment. See site for course specifics. Note that this degree program has an online option.

Graduation rate: 39%. Tuition is $10,190 for both in-state and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $13,359. Areavibes.com cost of living score: D+.

9: Lewis-Clark State College

View of Lewiston, ID, from the north. (source)

Lewis–Clark State College is a public college located in Lewiston, Idaho, about 104 miles south and slightly east of Spokane, WA. The college was established in 1893 as Lewiston State Normal School.

LCSC offers a BAS (Bachelor of Applied Science) in Web Design and Development. Graduates of this program develop the skills for possible work in Web Design (Web Designer, UI Designer, UX Developer), Web Development (Front-end or Back-end Developer; Web Developer, Manager, Coordinator, etc.) or managing Web sites (Content Strategist, Web Coordinator). The curriculum includes courses on both front-end and back-end web technologies, including HTML, JavaScript, CSS, LESS/SASS, server-side programming (PHP, ASP.NET), database design, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, version control, content management systems and more. Degree completion requires 120 semester credits, with 37 credits for general education, 33 for BAS electives. See site for course specifics. Note: The AAS (Associate of Applied Science) counterpart to this BAS degree is available for completion through distance/online learning, which may mean that some BAS courses may also be available online. Alternately, LCSC offers a BA, BS or BAS in Computer Science with Web Development Emphasis (PDF) that each require 128 semester hour credits.

Graduation rate: 27%. Transfer-out rate: 25%. Tuition is $8,624 for in-state students and $19,142 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $12,400. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A.

8: University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Dempsey Hall (source)

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (UW Oshkosh) is a public university established in 1871 and located in Oshkosh, WI, about 50 miles roughly southwest of Green Bay, WI, and about 88 miles roughly northwest of Milwaukee, WI. UW Oshkosh is now part of the University of Wisconsin System but started as the Oshkosh State Normal School and taking the current name in 1971.

UW Oshkosh offers a BAS (Bachelors of Arts and Science) in IWM (Interactive Web Management). (Note that this program leads to Web Management work, not necessarily Web Design or Web Development. However, some junior students intern with employers who give them overlapping tasks and the opportunity to specialize in Web development or design.) Total semester hour credit requirement to obtain the BAS is 120 credits, 42 of which go towards general education. There is a foreign language requirement of 14 credits, 12 for humanities, 12 for social science, and a course in the Fundamentals of Speech Communication. Computer Science and/or Journalism courses comprise 24 credits. The major requires 38-41 credits.

Graduation rate: 54%. Tuition is $7,437 for in-state students and $15,010 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $12,171. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A+.

7: Bellevue University

Bellevue University (source)

Bellevue University is a private university established in 1966 and located in Bellevue, Nebraska, about 10 miles roughly southeast of Omaha, NE.

BU offers a BS (Bachelor of Science) in Web Technologies Degree (BSWT) with a core technical focus on courses needed to build Web pages and Web applications. Course topic examples include Unix, Database Systems, E-Commerce, Information Security, ASP.NET, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP and Ruby on Rails, amongst others. Credit requirements for the major core is 36 semester hours. BU also offers a BA in Graphic Design degree that incorporates Web design into the curriculum but is not strictly a Web Design degree. Credit requirements for the major core is 42 semester hours. Example topics include Web Design, Typography, Single Page Design, Interactivity, Web Page Design and Web Page Development, amongst others. See site for specifics for these degrees.

Graduation rate: 39%. Transfer-out rate: 28%. Tuition is $6,450 for both in-state and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $11,786. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A+.

6: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Old Main/ administration building (source)

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) is a public university established in 1894 and located in Stevens Point, WI, about 110 miles roughly north of Madison, WI. UWSP is part of the University of Wisconsin System.

UWSP’s Dept of Computing and New Media Technologies (CNMT) offers several bachelor’s degree variations relevant to careers in Web Design or Web Development. The primary choice is the BA (Bachelor of Arts) in WDMD (Web and Digital Media Development) either with a Design Focus (59 credits) or a Technical Focus (60 credits). All other required credits for this BA overlap, though elective course choices vary depending on the selected Focus. Both require World Language course credits, and there is a Capstone project. There is also a BS in WDMD which also has the choice of Technical or Design Focus. The language courses are not required. Otherwise, courses overlap significantly. (See site for specifics.) Finally, the CNMT department also offers both a BA and BS in CIS (Computer Information Systems), either of which offers courses relevant to a Web Development type of career.

Graduation rate: 58%. Tuition is $7,668 for in-state students and $15,241 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $11,561. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A+.

5: Youngstown State University

Jones Hall, Youngstown State University (source)

Youngstown State University (YSU) is a public university established in 1908 and located in Youngstown, Ohio, about 50 miles roughly east of Akron, OH, and about 66 miles roughly northwest of Pittsburgh, PA.

YSU’s Dept. of Computer Science and Information Systems offers a variety of degree options (PDF) that can have a Web development focus: BS in Computer Science, BSAS (Bachelor of Science in Applied Science) in Computer Information Systems, BSAS in Information Technology. Graduates of these programs are positioned for work as Web Developers or possibly Web Managers. YSU also offers a Bachelor’s in Information Technology (STEM) with a Multimedia/Web Design Option. The Art department offers a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Graphic + Interactive Design which can have a Web Design emphasis. See site or contact the university or specific departments for details for these degree options.

Graduation rate: 33%. Transfer-out rate: 1%. Tuition is $8,317 for in-state students and $8,557 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $10,117. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A+.

4: National American University-Ellsworth AFB Extension

Aerial view of Ellsworth AFB (source)

National American University (NAU) is a private, for-profit university established in 1941 and based in Rapid City, South Dakota. It has campuses/learning centers in several locations, including Ellsworth Air Force Base (AFB) in SD, which is about 13 miles roughly east and north of Rapid City.

NAU offers a BS (Bachelor of Science) in Information Technology with Emphasis in Internet Systems Development. This degree is available at several NAU campuses including Ellsworth AFB extension. Semester credit requirements to earn the degree include 51 major core credits (computer topics, project management), 27 support core credits (finance, macro and microeconomics, marketing, management), 31.5 credits for Internet Systems Development Emphasis core courses, 66 credits for general education. See site for course specifics. This program is available through NAU distance (online) learning.

Tuition is $6,075 for both in-state and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $8,585. Areavibes.com cost of living score: n/a.

3: Brigham Young University-Idaho

Brigham Young University-Idaho, Spori building (source)

Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-Idaho) is a private university established in 1888 and located in Rexburg, Idaho, about 240 miles roughly north of Salt Lake City, Utah.

BYU-Idaho offers a BS (Bachelor in Science) in Web Design and Development and a variety of Web design and development minors, as well as an AAS (Associate in Applied Science). The BS has two options: a Web Design emphasis and a Web Development emphasis. In addition, a student taking a particular emphasis can also take a minor in the other. So, in full, two more options are a BS in Web Design and Development with Web Design Emphasis and Web Development Minor, or a BS in Web Design and Development with Web Development Emphasis and Web Design Minor. A BS degree at BYU-Idaho requires 120 semester credits, with 54-55 going towards major courses and 25-26 to electives. Course topics include graphic design, typography, web design, interaction design, information design, Web page development, object-oriented programming, amongst others. See site for course requirement specifics for each option. This degree program can be completed entirely online. Graduates of the program, depending on degree options taken, will be prepared for come of the following careers: Web design, Web development, interactive designer, database designer, corporate communications, project management, public relations and a number of other roles.

Graduation rate: 60%. Transfer-out rate: 21%. Tuition is $3,950 for both in-state and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $7,968. Areavibes.com cost of living score: A.

2: CUNY New York City College of Technology

CUNY City College of Technology, new academic building (source)

New York City College of Technology (City Tech) is a public university established in 1946 and located in the Downtown Brooklyn part of New York City. It is part of the CUNY system.

City Tech offers several options for students planning on studies related to web design and/or development. Option #1 is a BTech (Bachelor of Technology) in Communication Design with a Web Design specialization. Graduates of this BTech are prepared to work as a web designer. Option #2 is a BTech in Communication Design Management with a Web Design specialization. Graduates of this program are prepared to work in a managerial or supervisor role relating to web design. Option #3 is a BTech in Computer Systems with a Web Design specialization. See site for specific course requirements for each program.

Graduation rate: 14%. Transfer-out rate: 41%. Tuition is $6,369 for in-state students and $13,179 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $7,033. Areavibes.com cost of living score: F.

1: Utah Valley University

Utah Valley University campus (source)

Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university established in 1941 and located in Orem, Utah, about 40 miles south and slightly east of Salt Lake City, UT.

UVU’s College of Technology and Computing (CTC) offers two possible programs for people interested in a Web-related career design or development career. CTC’s Digital Media Department offers the BS in Digital Media (DGM) – Internet Technologies Emphasis (aka BS in Web Technologies). To complete this degree program: 120 semester credits, including 25 for discipline core and 47 for emphasis core. Discipline Core and Emphasis example courses or topics include Web Essentials, Web Design, Web Languages, Interface Design, Authoring for the Internet, Web Content Management, Rich Internet Application Development and others, including several focused on general digital media (audio, 3D modeling, etc.) Graduates of this program are qualified for careers in either Web development or a range of digital media work. Alternately, CTC’s Computer Science Dept. offers a BS in Computer Science, in which students can choose to take all available Web-related programming and interface courses, databases, general programming and computer topics, etc., and lean more towards Web application development careers.

Graduation rate: 24%. Transfer-out rate: 28%. Tuition is $5,270 for in-state students and $14,802 and out-of-state students. Yearly average net price as per NCES.ed.gov is $6,766. Areavibes.com cost of living score: B.