Post job

Lead web designer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lead web designer. Lead web designers usually study graphic design, computer science, or computer applications. 69% of lead web designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 706 real lead web designer resumes to see exactly what lead web designer education sections show.

The most common colleges for lead web designers are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

There are also many online lead web designer courses to help get the education required to be a lead web designer.

What education do you need to become a lead web designer?

What degree do you need to be a lead web designer?

The most common degree for lead web designers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of lead web designers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Associate, 17%
  • Master's, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a lead web designer?

You should major in graphic design to become a lead web designer. 25% of lead web designers major in graphic design. Other common majors for a lead web designer include computer science and computer applications.

Most common colleges for lead web designers

Lead web designers often get their degrees at DeVry University, San Jose State University, and Full Sail University. Here are the most common colleges for lead web designers in the US based on their resumes.
Lead web designer common collegePercentages
DeVry University8.86%
San Jose State University7.59%
Full Sail University7.59%
University of Phoenix6.33%
Savannah College of Art and Design5.06%

Best majors for lead web designers

RankMajorPercentages
1Graphic Design25.1%
2Computer Science12.0%
3Computer Applications11.1%
4Business6.1%
5Fine Arts5.8%

Best colleges for lead web designers

The best colleges for lead web designers are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A lead web designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for lead web designers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become lead web designers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,465

Enrollment

6,483

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of California, Irvine

Irvine, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,700

Enrollment

29,722

5. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for lead web designers

Advertising disclosure

1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)

general_assembly

Meet the global demand for technical problem-solvers by developing your coding skills to create full-stack web applications across multiple frameworks, incorporating functionality from third-party APIs, executing software engineering projects in an Agile development workflow, and more...

2. Front-End Web Development (Part Time)

general_assembly

Start building responsive websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — a versatile skill set with powerful applications in a variety of design, marketing, and other tech-adjacent roles. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

3. Full Stack Web Developer

udacity

Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...

4. Agile Software Development

udacity

Learn best practices for using the Agile methodology to build better products faster and more efficiently...

5. Responsive Design HTML CSS Web design - Dreamweaver CC

udemy
4.6
(2,067)

Learn HTML5 & CSS3 web design skills. Build beautiful responsive design websites in Dreamweaver CC...

6. Web Design Responsive Website Template from Scratch HTML CSS

udemy
4.3
(462)

Build your own website from scratch Web Design how to build a simple website template from scratch using HTML and CSS...

7. JavaScript Development (Part Time)

general_assembly

Gain fluency in JavaScript — the world's most popular programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build rich, interactive websites and applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

8. React Development (Part Time)

general_assembly

Expand your JavaScript programming skills, and boost your profile at work — and on the job market. Learn to build sophisticated, scalable web applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...

9. Full Stack JavaScript Developer

udacity

Meet the growing demand for full stack developers and learn to build rich web experiences using a modern architecture and technology stack...

10. Cloud Developer using Microsoft Azure

udacity

The Developer for Microsoft Azure Nanodegree program teaches students how to deploy, build, migrate, and monitor applications on Azure, thereby preparing learners for success on Microsoft’s AZ-204 Azure Developer Associate Expert certification...

11. Learn Figma for Web Design, User Interface, UI UX in an hour

udemy
4.1
(838)

Learn Figma to design Beautiful App, Web designs, UI UX Design. User Interface, Prototyping for virtual App Experience...

12. Complete Web Designing Course Web-Development BootCamp

udemy
4.1
(583)

Complete Web Designing Course with HTML CSS Java Script, SEO.j Query, Web Templates, Layout Web-Development Boot Camp...

13. Intro to Coding

general_assembly

Discover if coding is a career fit for you In this free, two-hour livestream, explore the building blocks of the web — HTML and CSS — and learn how you can apply these programming languages to develop your own simple sites. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to write your first line of code!...

14. Intermediate Python

udacity

Gain practitioner-level skills with Python and learn the language powering transformation in Data Science, Machine Learning, and beyond...

15. C++

udacity

Learn C++, a high-performance programming language used in the world's most exciting engineering jobs -- from self-driving cars and robotics, to web browsers, media platforms, servers, and even video games...

16. UI & Web Design using Adobe Illustrator CC

udemy
4.4
(3,238)

Build professional web & app designs using Adobe Illustrator CC...

17. Web Design for Beginners: Build Websites in HTML & CSS 2023

udemy
4.4
(607)

Learn the Basics of HTML and CSS and get Started with Web Design...

18. Java Web Developer

udacity

Learn back-end development with the Java programming language, one of the most popular programming languages in the world and one a majority of large enterprises rely on for their infrastructure...

19. Intro to Programming

udacity

Learn fundamental skills used in web development, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python...

20. Master Web Design in Photoshop: Complete UI/UX Masterclass

udemy
4.2
(2,565)

Learn UI/UX and how to create stunning website Everything you need to know about web design in 2023 All in Photoshop...

Top 10 most affordable universities for lead web designers

The most affordable schools for lead web designers are Brigham Young University, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for lead web designers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for lead web designers.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

7. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead web designers

The hardest universities for lead web designers to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for lead web designers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for lead web designers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead web designers

The easiest schools for lead web designers to get into are La Roche College, linfield college, and cardinal stritch university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead web designer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for lead web designers.

1. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

2. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

3. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

5. Grand View University

Des Moines, IA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,060

6. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

7. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

8. Portland State University

Portland, OR • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,111

9. Baker University

Baldwin City, KS • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,126

10. Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,062

Average lead web designer salary by education level

According to our data, lead web designers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $67,513 annually. Lead web designers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $63,352.
Lead web designer education levelLead web designer salary
Master's Degree$67,513
Bachelor's Degree$63,352
Some College/ Associate Degree$59,979

Lead web designer education FAQs

Search for lead web designer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse computer and mathematical jobs