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Web specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a web specialist. Web specialists usually study business, graphic design, or computer science. 68% of web specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,292 real web specialist resumes to see exactly what web specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for web specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain web specialist certifications that you should consider. These web specialist certifications include Master Certified Web Professional - Designer (CWP) and Certified Web Professional - Web Developer.

What education do you need to become a web specialist?

What degree do you need to be a web specialist?

The most common degree for web specialists is bachelor's degree, with 68% of web specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 68%
  • Associate, 15%
  • Master's, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a web specialist?

You should major in business to become a web specialist. 15% of web specialists major in business. Other common majors for a web specialist include graphic design and computer science.

Most common colleges for web specialists

Web specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and San Francisco State University. Here are the most common colleges for web specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Web specialist common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix11.02%
New York University7.09%
San Francisco State University5.51%
University of Maryland - College Park5.51%
Brigham Young University4.72%

Best majors for web specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business14.6%
2Graphic Design12.8%
3Computer Science10.8%
4Communication8.7%
5English7.3%

Best colleges for web specialists

The best colleges for web specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A web specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for web specialists. 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 web specialists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

20 best online courses for web specialists

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1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)

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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

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

5. Web Applications for Everybody

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This Specialization is an introduction to building web applications for anybody who already has a basic understanding of responsive web design with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Web Applications for Everybody is your introduction to web application development. You will develop web and database applications in PHP, using SQL for database creation, as well as functionality in JavaScript, jQuery, and JSON.\n\nOver the course of this Specialization, you will create several web apps to add to your...

6. Responsive Web & Mobile Development in HTML,CSS & Javascript

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Create interactive and responsive web/hybrid mobile apps for android and ios using HTML, CSS and Javascript...

7. Responsive Design HTML CSS Web design - Dreamweaver CC

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4.6
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Learn HTML5 & CSS3 web design skills. Build beautiful responsive design websites in Dreamweaver CC...

8. JavaScript Development (Part Time)

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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...

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13. CSS, Bootstrap ,JavaScript, Web Development Course

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14. Intro to Coding

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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!...

15. Intermediate Python

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

16. C++

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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...

17. Web Design Responsive Website Template from Scratch HTML CSS

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4.3
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Build your own website from scratch Web Design how to build a simple website template from scratch using HTML and CSS...

18. Complete Web Developer Course HTML CSS JavaScript PHP jQuery

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4.3
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Complete web developer Guide to websites working with HTML, CSS, Java Script, PHP, Bootstrap, JQuery, My SQL and more...

19. 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...

20. Intro to Programming

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for web specialists

The most affordable schools for web specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for web specialists 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 web specialists.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

7. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for web specialists

The hardest universities for web specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for web specialists 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 web specialists 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

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 web specialists

The easiest schools for web specialists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and la roche college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a web specialist 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 web specialists.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average web specialist salary by education level

Web specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $82,459 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, web specialists earn a median annual income of $77,756 compared to $73,926 for web specialists with an Associate degree.
Web specialist education levelWeb specialist salary
Master's Degree$82,459
Bachelor's Degree$77,756
Some College/ Associate Degree$73,926

Web specialist education FAQs

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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.

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