Learn Web Development:
The Best Courses and Resources
The best online web development courses are what you need to become a web developer. These paid and free courses teach you everything you need to know about the modern web, including JavaScript, React, HTML5, and CSS3.
In this article, you will find the best online courses and resources for learning web development, as well as a step-by-step guide to becoming a web developer.
What Is Web Development?
Web development is the process of developing a website for the Internet or private networks. Unlike web design, web development focuses on the functional aspects of a website instead of design. Web developers must write markups and code to ensure websites are responsive and perform as intended.
The web development process includes client-side and server-side scripting, setting up network security, and debugging code. Essentially, web development covers the operations and updates required to build and maintain a website. Web developers must complete the tasks in accordance with company website requirements.
Sometimes web developers might need to optimize a website for Google search rankings. We call this technique search engine optimization (SEO).
What Jobs Use Web Development Skills?
UX designers, game developers, application developers, and front end developers use web development skills. All the skills required for the jobs in the following list are available in online web development courses.
UX designer
UX designers have to ensure that software products and websites will deliver optimal usability and functionality. Web development skills like coding languages, CSS, and HTML are vital for UX designers to accomplish this. Professionals also need a few web design skills like wireframing and prototyping.
Applications developer
Android developers typically need Java skills and iOS developers use Objective-C or Swift. However, the more programming languages these professionals know, the better. It’s also vital for applications developers to know database management, CSS, and C#.
Game developer
Successful game developers use many skills taught in web development courses. Game developers need to know how to use C#, C++, and JavaScript to ensure the games function smoothly. It’s also essential to use web development skills like software design and database management.
Front end developer
Front-end developers require web development skills to design the client-side of websites. HTML, CSS, Java, JavaScript, jQuery, and Bootstrap are crucial skills for this profession. You need to also know how to use GitHub.
Steps to Learn Web Development
There are many tools, techniques, and concepts you need to learn for web development. To make this easier for you, check out our detailed steps for learning web development in 2021.
1
Understand the Difference between Front End and Backend
The front end refers to the elements on a website or app that users interact with. Backend describes the parts of websites and apps that users can’t see. Understanding the difference between front-end and back-end developers helps you learn the basics and navigate your web development career.
2
Get Familiar with Programming
Programming is the holy grail of web development. There is no web development operation you can execute without knowing how to code. Getting the hang of coding can take time, so start with beginner-friendly languages and practice as often as possible.
3
Learn the Basics of HTML and CSS
HTML and CSS are two of the most important languages for web developers to know. Once you learn HTML and CSS, you will be able to design and implement visual elements for a website. Having basic skills in these types of technologies can enhance your portfolio and raise your earning potential.
4
Learn Advanced Web Development Technologies
To become an expert web developer, you can learn advanced web development technologies, such as Ruby on Rails, Angular, Django, and Scala, as well as data formats like JSON and XML. You can do this by self-studying or attending a course.
5
Practice Your Skills
Web development requires a lot of practice. Use online resources to participate in web development exercises, tutorials, and quizzes. Doing this will prepare you for online courses and reveal where you need to improve your skills.
6
Earn a Certificate or Degree
To increase your job prospects and verify your web development skills, you can earn a certificate by completing a course or a college program. While it is easier, cheaper, and faster to gain a certificate upon completing an online course, a community college certificate will put you miles ahead of the competition.
It is critical that the certificate program you choose offers hands-on experience. Remember that practice is the key to becoming an expert in web development, so choose a course, certificate, or degree that makes this possible.
The Best Courses to Learn Web Development
Choosing to take an online web development course is a fantastic idea. You will learn basic and advanced techniques for database management, data structures, and front end web development, to name a few.
Below are 15 of the best online web development courses and programs in 2021.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 20 hours
Cost: Varies
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
LinkedInLearning offers this course to enable you to become a web development professional. Besides learning the basics, you will also learn Git and other vital workflow tools. A few of the basic web development concepts in this learning track include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, front-end development, and full-stack development.
You will also gain practical experience by building web pages and websites that users enjoy navigating. As this course is from LinkedIn, you can effortlessly share your certificate and flaunt your web development skills.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 11 weeks
Cost: $199
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
Web development newbies can take up this course to learn data structures, programming basics, computer science, and how to solve programming problems. It also covers software engineering, project management, resource management, and encapsulation. You will also join a community of experienced peers.
Upon completion, you will be proficient in Python, SQL, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Students are required to complete a hands-on programming project and present it for peer study.
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 12 weeks
Cost: $199
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
Students will explore HTML, CSS, Python, Git, Java, and Django. You will also cover SQL, website security, user experience, and writing and implementing APIs. The course, which includes a hands-on project for practical experience, can be completed at your own pace.
Two Harvard University professors teach this course and request that students have some programming experience to apply. Following the course, students will be competent working with frameworks like React and Bootstrap.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 2 hours
Cost: Free with trial subscription
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
Do you desperately need to know how to work with TypeScript, or are you looking to expand your web development toolkit? This short course by Pluralsight is the answer. Students will learn to configure, compile, and debug TypeScript projects for maximum efficiency.
The topics in this course include troubleshooting, installing Visual Studio, and type declaration. You don’t need any experience for this course. With Pluralsight’s 10-day free trial, you can complete this course for free.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 40 hours
Cost: Free
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
Looking for a short, beginner-friendly course to teach you the bare basics of web design? Look no further than this course, which covers CSS, CSS frameworks, JavaScript, and HTML. After completion, you will understand how to apply the core concepts of web development to optimize user experience.
This is a self-paced course, and it includes quizzes, video lectures, assessments, and readings. You can have your assessments peer-reviewed while relying on instructor feedback to guide you.
Level: Advanced
Duration: 18 months
Cost: $35,712
Outcome: Master of Science (MS)
This program is for students with a Bachelor’s Degree in Web Development. There are 12 courses in this program, and the content covers enterprise architecture, business foundations, and technical foundations. You will also learn about usability design for websites, web-enabled information systems, and website design and management.
To gain hands-on experience, you can complete a capstone project or attend a capstone seminar. There is financial aid available in the form of federal loans, GI Bill benefits, and scholarships.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 3.5 years
Cost: $390 per credit (full-time), $455 per credit (part-time)
Outcome: Bachelor of Science (BS)
If you want an undergraduate degree in web development, this could be the program for you. Students cover basic topics like database management, web architecture, and mobile programming languages. You can also learn about human-computer interaction, information security, and computing sciences.
At the end of the program, you will have gained expertise in web development or game development. To help students fund their studies, Liberty University Online offers grants, scholarships, and federal loans. It also accepts GI Bill benefits.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 4 months
Cost: Varies
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
This course requires no experience. Students can learn the fundamentals of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. Students can work on real-world projects for practical experience, and join a bustling student community.
Udacity offers various student services, such as mentor support, LinkedIn profile optimization, and resume support. There is also an option to fund your course via scholarships.
Level: Advanced
Duration: 12 months
Cost: $29,280 per semester (full-time)
Outcome: Graduate Certificate
If you know the ins and outs of web development, this course is something to consider. This program extensively covers several topics like JavaScript, HTML5, jQuery, PHP, and Node.js. You will create real-world web applications with Oracle and MySQL as well. Students will also use databases like MongoDB.
Students can pay for this program through federal loans, scholarships, grants, or payment plans. Boston University also offers student resources including online tutoring, a virtual library, a bookstore, and disability services. You will have free access to the HeadSpace app, too.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 12 weeks
Cost: $39 per month
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
This self-paced course will teach you data visualization using Matplotlib and Seaborn, how to use source code, and cloud computing. Students will learn about programming with Python and multiple infrastructures like software as a service (SaaS). There are three courses on this track and each requires four hours of study.
Unfortunately, FutureLearn doesn’t offer many student services. However, in less than 12 weeks, you will have advanced Python skills for web development. You don’t need any prior experience for this course.
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 4 weeks
Cost: $149
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
Focusing on JavaScript, this course unravels the basics of the World Wide Web, web browser internals, how to create data-driven websites, and jQuery. You will also learn about server-side JavaScript applications and client-side JavaScript frameworks, as well as the Document Object Model (DOM).
To enroll in this course, you must have basic computer programming skills and knowledge of core data structures. While you have four weeks of access to this course, you can complete it at your preferred pace.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 7 months
Cost: Free
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
Building a responsive website with a user-centric design is made easy by this specialization. You can learn Mongo DB, HTML, JavaScript, and complex topics like APIs and data visualization. Stretched over six courses, the program also covers wireframe mockups, basic security features, and data validation.
To complete this specialization, you need to finish the capstone project. This hands-on project requires students to develop complete, functional websites based on what they’ve learned. Included in your study material are quizzes, video lectures, and assignments.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 3 semesters
Cost: Varies
Outcome: Associate Degree
If you want to get the first two years of a web development bachelor’s degree out of the way, this course is a fantastic choice. You will learn about operating systems, Python, HTML, networking basics, web architecture, and server-side scripting with PHP. It also covers database design, SQL, and client-side scripting with JavaScript.
Champlain College provides online career guidance to help you find a well-paying job, including interview preparation, job and internship search, and career assessment tools. You can also fund your studies through grants and federal loans.
Level: Beginner
Duration: 6 months
Cost: $49 per month after 7-day free trial
Outcome: Certificate of Completion
This detailed specialization teaches you to add interactivity to a web page with JavaScript and use the DOM to change web pages. The program also covers CSS, HTML, and web accessibility. There are five courses in this specialization and a capstone project to demonstrate what you’ve learned.
To enhance your learning experience, Coursera offers quizzes, assessments, and instructor feedback for this program. There is no experience required and you can complete this course at your own pace.
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 4 years
Cost: $398 per credit
Outcome: Bachelor of Science
Within 124 semester hours, students will learn about the principles of programming, database management systems, web page construction, and computer networks, as well as graphic design, how to solve problems with computing, and mobile programming. Better than a professional certificate, this program transforms students into web development experts.
You can opt for federal loans, scholarships, and payment plans to fund this program. Franklin University, unfortunately, doesn’t offer many student services. However, they make it easier for students to transfer credits from previous schools.
Best Web Development Resources
Web development is constantly changing, and your learning process shouldn’t stop after one course or program. To keep your knowledge and skills sharp, check out the online resources below.
Dev Community hosts over 600,000 developers from around the world and provides all the information you need for web development. On its feed, you will find tutorials and articles, regular podcast episodes, video tutorials, and job listings for developers. Users can also offer mentorship, find a mentor, sign up for short courses, and attend live events.
Providing users with an extensive library of tutorials, W3Schools also offers paid courses. You can learn artificial intelligence, CSS, social media marketing, cybersecurity, and front-end development. There are also interactive exercises and quizzes to test your web development knowledge.
Web developers can join Mozilla Developer Network (MDN) to learn technologies like HTML and HTTP and access references and guides. Some of the available references and guides include documentation and tutorials for web developers. MDN is the ideal web development resource for learning-oriented users.
Why Learn Web Development?
You should learn web development in 2021 because as technology evolves, the demand for tech professionals increases. Knowing web development will give you advanced skills in data structures, web applications, programming languages, and web page design. With these skills, you will have the expertise to land some of the best tech jobs.
As there are so many online web development resources, including paid and free courses, learning web development has never been easier. You can gain these skills from your couch and break into a rapidly growing industry with high earning potential. In fact, even freelance web developers can take home lucrative salaries after gaining the right skills.
