Online web design courses help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to establish a lucrative career as a web designer or front-end developer. But countless of these courses are available on the internet, each offering a different approach, covering different topics, and designed for different audiences. We found the nine best web design courses available online to help find the best web design course for you.
- Coursera — Web Design for Everybody — Top Pick
- Webflow University — Ultimate Web Design Course — Best Introduction to Web Design
- edX — W3Cx Frontend Developer Program — Most Comprehensive Curriculum
- Don’t Fear the Internet — Basic HTML & CSS for Non-Web Designers — Best for Non-Web Designers
- Udacity — Front End Development Nanodegree — Best Career Services
- Udemy — Web Design for Beginners: Real World Coding in HTML & CSS — Best for Beginners
- BrainStation — UX Design Course Online — Best Interactive Learning Environment
- Channel 9 — HTML5 & CSS3 Fundamentals — Best Free Course
- Design+Code — UI Design for Developers — Best for Web Developers
Our Ranking Criteria
The best web design courses focus on in-demand skills that modern employers look for when hiring web designers. We reviewed dozens of these courses and, based on several key factors, narrowed our selection down to the top nine.
Basic ranking criteria
Every online course has a few basic factors that apply. Before choosing one, it’s helpful to know how long it takes to complete, how flexible the schedule is, whether or not there are any prerequisites, and whether you’ll receive a certificate of completion after finishing the course.
Time to complete. The faster you can complete the course, the sooner you’ll be able to start using your new skills and obtain a job in your desired field. Most of the courses on this list can be completed in as little as a few weeks while committing only a few hours per week to your studies.
Prerequisites required. Most people taking online courses have little to no experience in web design, so it is important to find a course that does not require any previous knowledge or prerequisites. With few exceptions, the courses on this list do not require any previous experience to get started.
Flexible schedule. Due to family and work obligations, balancing your online coursework with your daily life is important. We prioritized including courses that allow participants to complete their work on a part-time or self-paced schedule.
Certificate of completion. A certificate of completion is a great way to enhance your resume and highlight your skills. While not every course offers one, we included several courses offering a verified participation certificate.
Advanced ranking criteria
In addition to the aforementioned basic criteria, we also considered a few key factors specific to web design courses. To make sure we found the best courses available, we took into account the following advanced criteria:
- The course covers a variety of in-demand technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.)
- The course includes practical projects that give participants real-world web design experience.
- The course covers both UI and UX design.
- The course offers services and resources designed to help students find a job after completing the course.
- The instructors are experienced web design professionals who can draw on their professional experiences to create practical and impactful lessons.
- The course allows students to interact with instructors and other students.
- The course teaches students how to use common industry tools like GitHub, IDEs, Bootstrap, etc.
9 Best Web Design Courses
Coursera
Web Design for Everybody by the University of Michigan
Intelligent Award: Top Pick
As suggested by the name, Coursera’s Web Design for Everybody: Basics of Web Development & Coding Specialization course focuses on covering all of the necessary skills needed to begin a new career in web design. This includes teaching students the basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and responsive design. The University of Michigan offers the course, which makes it very reputable. Students conclude the course with a capstone project that requires them to create a high-quality professional portfolio that they can use during their job search. Post-completion, participants will receive a certificate to include on their resumes and share with prospective employers. Before signing up for a paid membership, you can take advantage of the seven-day free trial to determine whether or not this course is for you.
- Price: $49 per month
- Time to complete: 2 months
- Prerequisites required: None
- Flexible schedule: Yes
- Includes verified certificate of participation: Yes
Who should take this course? As our top pick, this course is great for anybody interested in switching to a career in web design. If you’re new to web design, this is our best pick for getting a well-rounded view of the profession.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Highly qualified instructors. | No career coaching or job search services. |
| Free trial available. | |
| Practical capstone project. |
Webflow University
Ultimate Web Design Course
Intelligent Award: Best Introduction to Web Design
Webflow University is a completely free platform that offers comprehensive web design courses and tutorials. The Ultimate Web Design course features a comprehensive curriculum that covers everything from basic HTML and CSS to 3D design, typography, and SEO. At only five hours, this course enables participants to quickly establish a web design foundation. But, to develop all the skills necessary for an entry-level position, you’ll likely have to continue your education through other courses or study resources. The course will also teach you how to build professional custom websites without coding using the Webflow platform.
- Price: Free
- Time to complete: 5 hours
- Prerequisites required: None
- Flexible schedule: Yes
- Includes verified certificate of participation: No
Who should take this course? This course is ideal for hobbyists looking for an easy introduction to web design using the Webflow platform.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| The course is free. | No certificate of completion. |
| Only takes 5 hours to complete. | No projects. |
| Self-paced. |
Interested in a degree instead?
Learn more about online degrees, their start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
edX
W3Cx Frontend Developer Professional Certificate
Intelligent Award: Most Comprehensive Curriculum
Web design is one aspect of web development, but to build fully functioning web apps, you’ll need to learn the fundamentals of JavaScript to add interactivity to your websites. Unlike the other courses on our list, the W3Cx Frontend Developer Professional Certificate program covers the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to help students enhance their web design abilities by learning how to develop websites, interactive web apps, and games. At over $1,000, this is one of the most expensive courses on the list, but it also offers one of the most extensive curriculums to justify the price. Assuming a commitment of about five to seven hours per week, the course takes about seven months to complete and offers a certificate of completion to verify your newfound skills.
- Price: $1,195
- Time to complete: 7 months
- Prerequisites required: None
- Flexible schedule: Yes
- Includes verified certificate of participation: Yes
Who should take this course? This web design course is best suited for web designers who want to learn the additional skills needed to develop websites.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Self-paced program. | Long course length. |
| Teaches web development. |
Don’t Fear the Internet
Basic HTML & CSS for Non-Web Designers
Intelligent Award: Best for Non-Web Designers
Don’t Fear the Internet’s introduction to basic web design is designed for individuals who want to build the basic skills needed to develop websites for personal use. Instead of creating a curriculum for aspiring web design professionals, this course aims to help individuals in other professions create personal online websites and portfolios through eight short videos covering the basics of HTML, CSS, typography, and web page layouts. The course is free and self-paced, making it a great option for those with busy schedules who simply want to develop a basic understanding of modern web design best practices.
- Price: Free
- Time to complete: Self-paced
- Prerequisites required: None
- Flexible schedule: Yes
- Includes verified certificate of participation: No
Who should take this course? It is designed specifically for individuals who do not want a career in web design but want to learn how to build basic websites for personal and professional use.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Covers the basics of web design. | Does not cover more advanced topics. |
| Self-paced curriculum. | |
| Good for building a personal portfolio site. |
Udacity
Front End Development Nanodegree
Intelligent Award: Best Career Services
Udacity’s Nanodgrees aim to replace traditional degrees by teaching individuals everything they need to know about web design and front-end web development in a fast-paced, streamlined manner. Instead of spending four years on a bachelor’s degree, Nanodegrees take four months to complete and cover all necessary skills for an entry-level web design position. This includes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and the curriculum includes several projects that students can add to their professional portfolios. Unlike many other options on our list, this course includes career services to help students build their resumes and land high-paying roles after completing the program. Students can also talk to technical mentors to ask questions and receive advice from experienced web development professionals.
- Price: $249 per month
- Time to complete: 3 months
- Prerequisites required: Knowledge of basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Flexible schedule: Yes
- Includes verified certificate of participation: Yes
Who should take this course? This is a great choice for individuals who value career coaching services and direct interaction with instructors. Anyone who wants to build an impressive portfolio while learning how to design and build websites should take this course.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Great career coaching services. | More expensive than other options. |
| Impressive portfolio projects. |
Udemy
Web Design for Beginners: Real World Coding in HTML & CSS
Intelligent Award: Best for Beginners
Taught by professional web developer and educator Brad Schiff, Web Design for Beginners is designed to help complete beginners launch a new career through 11 hours of on-demand videos. These videos teach participants how to build responsive websites with HTML, CSS, Sass, and Bootstrap. You’ll also learn how to build forms, add interactivity with JavaScript, and launch live websites using GitHub Pages. After buying the course, you’ll have lifetime access, so you can always revisit course content to refresh your skills. The course is entirely self-paced, and students can access 51 downloadable resources to help them develop their skills.
- Price: $139.99
- Time to complete: 11 hours
- Prerequisites required: None
- Flexible schedule: Yes
- Includes verified certificate of participation: Yes
Who should take this course? This course doesn’t assume any prior experience, making it a perfect option for complete novices who must start at square one of the web design process.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Covers the basics of web design. | Only one project. |
| Includes popular tools like GitHub. | No career services or interaction with the instructor. |
BrainStation
UX Design Certification
Intelligent Award: Best Interactive Learning Environment
BrainStation’s UX Design course teaches students to improve their websites and web apps through expert-level UX (user experience) design. The course can be online or on-campus in New York, Toronto, Vancouver, or London. During the course, students will master UX tools like Figma and InVision and learn to perform high-level user research, develop functioning prototypes, and create intuitive web-based experiences. This is one of the few options on our list that enables participants to learn through live lectures and collaborate with other students through interactive working sessions. To achieve the UX design certification, students must develop and design a fully functioning digital experience. While the course is quite expensive at $3,250, several financing options are available, including payment plans, employer sponsorship, and scholarships.
- Price: $16,500
- Time to complete: 11 weeks
- Prerequisites required: None
- Flexible schedule: No
- Includes verified certificate of participation: Yes
Who should take this course? This course is best suited for web designers and developers who want to improve their UX design capabilities and those who value learning in an interactive environment.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Multiple financing options. | Most expensive course on our list. |
| Interactive lectures. | |
| Introduces you to a network of other industry professionals. |
Microsoft Learn
HTML5 & CSS3 Fundamentals
Intelligent Award: Best Free Course
Microsoft Learn offers one of the most accessible and comprehensive free web design courses for beginners. This course consists of 21 videos that cover the fundamentals of HTML5 & CSS3 programming. Each lesson can be completed at your own pace, and by the end of the course, participants will have the skills and knowledge they need to build basic websites from scratch. You’ll learn how to structure pages, work with images, create and validate forms, embed videos, and work with SVG files in HTML5.
- Price: Free
- Time to complete: 21 self-paced episodes
- Prerequisites required: None
- Flexible schedule: Yes
- Includes verified certificate of participation: No
Who should take this course? This web design course by Microsoft Learn is best for aspiring web designers who can’t afford the tuition for other online courses and those who want a free comprehensive introduction to web design and development.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Completely free. | No projects or certificate of completion. |
| Self-paced. | Does not cover advanced topics. |
Design+Code
UI Design for Developers
Intelligent Award: Best for Web Developers
Design+Code’s UI Design course is designed to help experienced developers improve their visual design capabilities. Participants will learn design systems, well-established principles, and modern design techniques that translate well to code. You’ll learn to master Figma to easily create intuitive web-based experiences, how to create wireframes, build app mockups, and build working prototypes. Students will also learn how to use other in-demand design and development tools, including Sketch, XD, and Framer. Unlike many of the other courses on our list, you’ll have to pass an assessment to receive your certificate of completion to prove your mastery of the skills. While the course costs $19 per month, a free trial is available to help users decide whether or not this program is right for them.
- Price: $19 per month
- Time to complete: 3 hours
- Prerequisites required: None
- Flexible schedule: Yes
- Includes verified certificate of participation: Yes
Who should take this course? This course is built for developers who need to improve their design skills. As such, it is not ideal for beginners and is best suited for experienced web and app developers.
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Free trial available. | Not suited for design novices. |
| Teaches multiple popular design tools. |
Online Course Comparison Chart
| Course | Price | Features |
| Coursera — Web Design for Everybody — Top Pick | $49 per month | ✓ No prerequisites required
✓ Flexible Schedule ✓ Certificate of completion |
| Webflow University — Ultimate Web Design Course — Best Introduction to Web Design | Free | ✓ No prerequisites required
✓ Flexible Schedule X Certificate of completion |
| edX — W3Cx Frontend Developer Professional Certificate — Most Comprehensive Curriculum | $1,195 | ✓ No prerequisites required
✓ Flexible Schedule ✓ Certificate of completion |
| Don’t Fear the Internet — Basic HTML & CSS for Non-Web Designers — Best for Non-Web Designers | Free | ✓ No prerequisites required
✓ Flexible Schedule X Certificate of completion |
| Udacity — Front End Web Developer Nanodegree — Best Career Services | $249 per month | X No prerequisites required
✓ Flexible Schedule ✓ Certificate of completion |
| Udemy — Web Design for Beginners: Real World Coding in HTML & CSS — Best for Beginners | $139.99 | ✓ No prerequisites required
✓ Flexible Schedule ✓ Certificate of completion |
| BrainStation — UX Design Certification — Best Interactive Learning Environment | $16,500 | ✓ No prerequisites required
X Flexible Schedule ✓ Certificate of completion |
| Microsoft Learn — HTML5 & CSS3 Fundamentals — Best Free Course | Free | ✓ No prerequisites required
✓ Flexible Schedule X Certificate of completion |
| Design+Code — UI Design for Developers — Best for Web Developers | $19 per month | ✓ No prerequisites required
✓ Flexible Schedule ✓ Certificate of completion |
Tips for Succeeding in an Online Web Design Course
1. Consider the cost
How much do online web design classes cost?
Online web design courses range from completely free to over $10,000. Our list includes several free options, including Webflow University, Don’t Fear the Internet, and Microsoft Learn, while the most expensive course provider on our list is BrainStation at $16,500. Depending on the course provider, you may be able to find financing options, including loans and discounts.
Will my employer pay for me to take the course?
Many employers will pay for employees to take web design courses like these to encourage employees to further their education and develop new skills. If you are having trouble paying for your online course, check with your boss or HR department to find out whether or not your employer can help cover these expenses.
2. Get your tech squared away
Many tools you need to complete these courses, including GitHub, Bootstrap, and text editors, are free to use. In most cases, the only tech you’ll need to complete these courses is a computer with at least 8GB of RAM and a modern processor to ensure it can run the necessary programs. As these courses are conducted online, you’ll also need a reliable internet connection to view online lectures without any issues.
3. Use the right study resources
Most of the online courses on this list focus on taking individuals from complete beginners to industry-ready web design professionals, meaning you ideally won’t need to spend too much time studying third-party resources. That said, it’s never a bad idea to dedicate extra time to polishing your skills and refining your knowledge.
If you’re interested in supplemental study resources while going through an online web design course, check out Khan Academy’s Intro to HTML and CSS, W3Schools’ free web design tutorials, and web design tutorials by Envato Tuts+.
Frequently Asked Questions About Web Design Courses
What jobs can you get after completing a web design course?
After completing a web design course, you may be qualified for web designer, web developer, frontend developer, UX designer, UI designer, or WordPress developer positions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a web developer or digital designer is $92,750 per year. However, this varies depending on your specific job title and location.
Are there free online web design courses?
Yes, there are many free online web design courses, tutorials, and resources available online — many of which are included on our list. While most of the best online web design courses cost money, free courses and resources offer a great way for students and beginner web designers to bolster their knowledge and learn new skills.
How long is the average online web design course?
Web design courses vary in length depending on the range of topics they cover. The courses on our list can take anywhere from a few hours to several months to complete. On average, you should expect to spend at least a few weeks on a web design course to complete it in its entirety.
What qualifications are needed to be a web designer?
As a fast-growing field that values results over everything else, web designers don’t typically need college degrees to find employment. Instead, most employers value a robust portfolio that demonstrates your skills and knowledge as a designer and developer. In most cases, you’ll be expected to complete a technical interview before being hired as a web designer.