Best Web Design Master's Degrees Online 2025
Our list of the best web design master’s degrees online shows institutionally accredited schools ranked by the number of program graduates, helping you identify graduate programs with the strongest online web design communities.
Key Takeaways:
- Academy of Art University ranks #1 overall with 91 graduates from its online master’s in interaction and UI/UX design.
- If high faculty access matters most, the University of Baltimore has the lowest student-to-faculty ratio (10:1). This often means closer critique cycles, iterative feedback, and more individualized portfolio guidance.
See our methodology for details on how we rank the best master's programs. Below our list, we also included an interview with higher education expert, Joel Butterly, who discusses what makes an online web design master's program successful.
Best Web Design Master's Degrees Online 2025
| Rank | School | Graduates | Annual Tuition | Median Salary | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy of Art University | 91 | $25,326 | $115,316 | 62% | |
| University of Baltimore | 11 | $21,654 | N/A | 89% | |
| Lynn University | 2 | $13,875 | N/A | 83% |
Best Web Design Master's Degrees Online 2025 - Program Details
- Graduates: 91
- Annual Tuition: $25,326
- Median Salary: $115,316
- Recommendation: 62%
Why we like them: AAU ranks #1, graduating 91 MA Interaction and UI/UX Design learners, which signals strong market validation and gives you a sizable peer community to collaborate and network with. The web design program's portfolio-first presentation includes embedded student work video galleries and curated showcases, so you engage with exemplars while you build your own artifacts. We also want to mention the median earnings among these graduates are the highest on our list at $115,316, just four years after graduation.
- Graduates: 11
- Annual Tuition: $21,654
- Median Salary: N/A
- Recommendation: 89%
Why we like them: At UBalt, you receive a STEM-designated M.S. in a design-focused field, which we view as a rare combo that strengthens your technical prowess in HCI/UX while keeping human-centered design at the core. Even as an online student, you can leverage UBalt’s User Research Lab and incorporate on-campus experiments that elevate online coursework in web design. You also choose between thesis and non-thesis tracks, and you are encouraged by research-active faculty to present at national conferences. UBalt has an 89% recommendation rate from students we've surveyed, the best on our list.
- Graduates: 2
- Annual Tuition: $13,875
- Median Salary: N/A
- Recommendation: 83%
Why we like them: Lynn's online M.S. in UX Design is unique for its future-forward design focus. The master's program explicitly trains students not only to design for screens as they exist now, but also to prototype for emerging and not-yet-fully realized platforms. We appreciate this speculative design thinking because it deliberately prepares students to design for what comes next in immersive, adaptive, and multi-modal experiences. This aspect has the potential to give you a forward-looking creative edge in a competitive industry like web design.
Expert Perspective: Web Design Master's Education Must Integrate Creativity and Code
CEO of InGenius Prep
How do online programs balance creative design training with technical development skills like coding and database integration?
"The better online programs don't keep design and coding separate.
Students need to create a layout sketch on Monday which they must implement in a browser environment by Friday. Designers need to understand how their creative concepts will function as operational elements during the design process. The creative and technical aspects of design find their connection through this process."
What core technologies are most valuable for today’s web professionals?
"The basic requirements consist of:
-
HTML
-
CSS
-
JavaScript
-
React or Vue
Students who grasp how these frameworks operate their components and data flow systems will perform better in their work. Teams use Git as their main system for working together on code development."
How do students in online programs build strong portfolios that stand out to employers/clients?
"Portfolios matter more than grades. The most effective ones demonstrate how someone approaches problems. I instruct students to maintain brief case studies which should present authentic information. The final version should contain sketches together with test results and documentation of all learned lessons including minor errors. It shows curiosity and real-world awareness."
What role do accessibility standards, responsive design, and SEO play in modern web development education?
"Accessibility together with responsive layouts and SEO operate under the same conceptual framework. A design needs to function properly because it must both load correctly and read well and achieve good search engine rankings. Every assignment in a good program includes these checks as standard elements which students learn to perform automatically."
EXPERT TIP
"Select a program which provides feedback while allowing you to complete your work assignments. A degree becomes useful only when you create products which benefit others. Your main goal should be to complete your education with confidence about your methods instead of following only the necessary coursework."
FAQs About an Online Web Design Master's Degree
Which Master's Degree Is Best for Web Development?
Software engineering is likely the best master's degree for aspiring web developers. The coursework requires you to learn computer languages that are used to create websites. Software engineering degrees include web development courses because of the similar languages used in coding, but it will also cover systems engineering and software development, which make it more complex than web development as a standalone practice.
What Degree Is Best for Web Design?
Information technology degrees are great for web designers because they look at the various systems along with the hardware and software components that make up modern-day computers. This will give you a technical edge in website design because you'll understand how different system components interact.
An information technology master's degree is ideal if you can include a creative concentration, such as graphic design or multimedia production.
Is Web Design the Same as Web Developer?
Web designers tend to focus on the visual components and efficacy of a website, such as the graphics, layout, and overall user experience. Web developers are primarily responsible for writing the code that dictates how a website operates at its core. They build interfaces, manage databases, and ensure property functionality. Designers work in tandem with web developers by integrating the creative and functional components from their designs.
How Difficult Is Web Designing?
Web design isn't as complex as software engineering, for example, but it can be difficult for some students to pick up on. There are coding languages that need to be learned on top of developing a good sense of creative direction and usability. If you have a strictly technical mindset, it may be hard to pick up on the creative nuances of the role. Conversely, highly creative students may find it hard to understand complex coding tasks.
Can I Get a Web Design Master's Degree Online?
There are a wide variety of schools for web design that offer online programs. They can be found at every level, from associate degrees to online bachelor's degrees in web design, and even graduate degrees, as the rankings list above illustrates.
Students finish their online coursework through a learning management system (LMS), which facilitates tests, homework, discussion forums, and classroom projects. Your school's LMS may also offer forums and chat rooms for live discussions between your peers and teachers. For MS web design classes, you're required to use professional software, such as Adobe Dreamweaver, GIMP, or Google Web Designer. You'll also be asked to complete projects by developing your own websites.
What Is an Online Master's in Web Design?
A web design master's degree online offers an in-depth exploration of web aesthetics, user experience, and design technologies. This program provides the skills necessary to create visually appealing and functional websites, integrating both creative and technical elements. jmcomicÂţ» enrollment allows you to balance your studies with personal commitments while accessing cutting-edge resources and industry insights.
A master of science in web design teaches you how to build websites through both technical and non-technical skills at varying levels of complexity. You'll discover the nuances of creating mobile applications, interactive websites, and all the visual design components that make up these digital products. In order to learn web design, you'll also need to understand various methods of computer programming and web development.
Web master's degrees require between 30 and 60 course credits, which will include everything from HTML to JavaScript, as well as more creative classes covering graphic design and digital product design. Most online web design degrees at the master's level take between one and three years to complete, depending on your schedule. In order to be accepted into such a program, you'll need to have completed a bachelor's degree, such as a computer science degree or an information technology degree.
What Courses Will I Take in an Online Master's in Web Design?
Before you apply for college, you may want to know what coursework lies ahead of you. The curriculum for a master's in design online combines several subjects to help students understand the creative and technical processes of website design and development. This involves teaching a combination of software and design programs alongside courses in product development and graphic design. Information technology and data communication courses are also included in the curriculum.
Let's take a look at some core courses you'll encounter in a web design master's program:
- User Experience (UX) Theory and Research: In this course, you'll learn how User Experience Design (UED) is driven by Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) by taking practical tools and using them to build web properties. You'll learn processes, such as user flows, information architecture, usability testing, and optimization techniques.
- Business Data Communication and Networks: This course teaches data communication through the lens of network security, management concepts, wireless networks, signal processing, and IoT areas. Through these aspects of data communication, you'll be skilled at creating more user-friendly websites.
- UX/UI Design Principles: UX and User Interface (UI) make websites more appealing to specific audiences. UX and UI design principles look at the visual, creative, and conceptual components of website building, alongside the accessibility of page layouts, which make for an appealing browsing experience.
- Social Media Advertising for Conversions: Social media is often directly tied to web design by click-through-rates and customer acquisition. Courses in social media advertising for conversions teach you how to develop social media campaigns by utilizing design and marketing techniques.
- Interactive Design for Mobile: To start the interactive design class for mobile, you'll get a crash course in interactive concepts for mobile devices, such as how dialogue plays a part in the people and product relationship. Then you'll get hands-on experience designing actual mobile applications for iOS and Android.
What Concentrations Are Available in an Online Master's in Web Design?
If you want to expand on the required coursework that many web design colleges offer, you may be able to choose a concentration to go along with your degree.
Much of web design falls on the creative side; therefore, a concentration in graphic design or multimedia production may help you better understand the aesthetics of digital products and give you more skills for developing creative assets.
Or you may want to further explore mobile applications through a mobile development concentration, which looks at the software and application development for tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches. Alternatively, you can pursue a web development degree.
What Can You Do With a Web Design Degree?
By earning a degree from a web design graduate school, you'll be eligible for careers in development, design, management, and even marketing.
Your job path ultimately depends on what aspect of web design you identify with most. If you prefer the technical side of HTML or JavaScript, you may pursue a career in web development, which relies heavily on coding languages. Or, perhaps your affinities lie with website aesthetics. In this case, a graphic design degree may be a preferable path.
In general, web design careers offer average to slightly above-average salaries and job growth projections. There is no need to worry about whether your online degree is respected by employers, as most hiring managers consider them equal to traditional degree programs.
As we check out the job options for people who finish a master's degree in web design, it's important to know that what employers expect can vary. Some jobs might only need a high school diploma or bachelor's degree when you're starting out. But having a master's degree could help you make more money in your job or move up to a manager's role faster.
- are all about visual communication with a well-rounded approach. They create the text, images, and videos that appear on a website while adding sound and other audio elements. They work on interface layouts and functionality as well to ensure a properly functioning website.
- are artists who create compelling visual works on digital platforms. Their projects can be used in advertising campaigns, websites, social media posts, or product marketing materials. Some graphic designers create works by hand, while others use computer software programs. The overall goal of graphic designers is to inspire, inform, and captivate consumers.
- The job of is to oversee the design, deployment, and maintenance of website projects. They may fix page errors, update important links, and add firewall security measures. In general, they're meant to ensure an effective and efficient browsing experience for users. They often earn salaries near six figures and have a comfortable job growth projection.
- research and analyze browsing data from consumers in order to increase engagement for websites. They look closely at search algorithms from engines like Google to create better marketing strategies. Search marketing strategists may also be called SEO strategists or internet marketers.
Is Web Designer a Good Career Choice?
According to of professionals in the field, web designers have a medium job satisfaction rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars. However, web design remains a good career choice for those with an interest in how consumers interact with the internet. In all the jobs listed above, you'll look at how to create better experiences for users on web products — whether that's through creative design, user interfaces, or marketing techniques.
Is a Master's in Web Design Worth It?
Examining online web design master's programs reveals a range of benefits and drawbacks worth considering. In this analysis, we'll objectively explore the pros and cons to help individuals make informed decisions about their educational and career paths.
Potential Benefits
- Mobile application design is growing in demand. According to 2022 survey data from Top Design Firms, of small businesses have their own app, as compared to 32% in 2021. In fact, graduates will see a positive job outlook in many roles within this field thanks to the growing demand for web products as a whole.
- Web design is a massive industry. Recent statistics from IBIS World show that web design services are an industry in the United States alone.
- You can easily enter into consulting or freelance work. Many companies want a simple website built without the hassle of a full-service creative agency. As a freelancer, you'll be able to use your skills to create your own small business without relying on outside employment.
Potential Drawbacks
- Your education continues long after earning a degree. With constant software updates, new technologies, and changing design trends, you'll always be required to re-learn the latest and most effective strategies for web design.
- There are limited opportunities for hands-on experience or networking. Unlike on-campus programs where students have direct access to instructors and peers, online programs may lack interactive experiences, such as in-person workshops, collaborative projects, or internships. Additionally, the absence of face-to-face interaction may hinder networking opportunities, making it challenging for students to build professional connections within the industry.
- Not every project will pique your interest. Website designers work for clients in every industry, from finance to health care. In many cases, projects you encounter will be fairly simple without the added benefit of challenging your skills or peaking your interest.
Deciding to pursue a master's degree in web design online is a personal choice, influenced by various factors and considerations. It may be helpful to consider that web designers are typically characterized by creativity and originality, thriving in environments that foster self-expression and innovation. Moreover, they often exhibit enterprising traits, naturally assuming leadership roles and excelling in influencing and persuading others to realize their vision.
However, amidst these qualities lies a myriad of considerations, ranging from educational pathways and career aspirations to personal preferences and financial implications. Ultimately, pursuing a web design master's degree online requires careful reflection and assessment of individual strengths, interests, and goals, ensuring alignment with one's unique talents and aspirations.
Student Reviews of Online Web Design Programs
I sympathize with those who gave bad reviews to the school because they probably didn't pass the classes or didn't get the degree. I am receiving my master degree soon, and planning to get another major here because I have learned and improved a lot while studying here. Sadly, not every student is prepared or ready when they enroll in the school.
Review Date: 5/26/2019
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
Several times throughout my degree program, I was humbled by the entire staff and faculty's committment to student success. While a distance learning degree always has its frustrations and is never perfect, despite those hiccups, I always had instructors and advisors always willing to step up and overcome alongside me. The Christian atmosphere of the school helped keep me grounded while in my studies, and it opened doors for meaningful conversations with instructors without the fear of being mocked.... Read More
Review Date: 3/13/2017
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
The Bentley Human Factors in Information Design Program is helping me build a portfolio and gain invaluable experience with client projects, group collaboration and independent work. I would recommend it to anyone looking to get into UX design and UX research.
Review Date: 11/30/2017
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No


