How Long Does it Take to Learn Front-End Web Development?

Many aspiring programmers, freelancers, and small business owners want to learn front end web development but are unsure how much time it will take to master it. Luckily, you can master the basics of HTML in less than three weeks and front end web development as a whole within six months if you diligently focus. Your exact circumstances will dictate exactly how long it will take you. This guide will help you determine which factors can influence how long it takes to learn and provide you with resources to speed up the process.

What is Front End Web Development?

When people think of the internet, websites are one of the first things that come to mind. Front end web development covers the parts of websites everyone can see, known as the “client-side.” HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the programming languages that tie everything together. This power trio is commonly associated with front end web development, but they also have uses in other programming fields, giving you the option to pivot if you desire.

Web development has been a highly welcoming field, especially over the last few decades. Many people can get jobs as Front End Developers after taking a certificate program. HTML and CSS are two of the simplest programming languages you can learn, and JavaScript is known for its versatility in the programming world. A few months of dedication can launch you into a brand new career or amplify your importance to your current one.

Read more about front end web development and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Front End Web Development?

On the surface, front end web development has plenty to offer. You can build a website for your business, passion project, or hobby, and that’s only a handful of topics you can approach. Front end web development is versatile because it can adapt to your interests—and the interests of others. The internet allows us to connect for a common cause, and you can foster that connection through your own website.

Once you’ve established the kind topic of your website, you can leave a unique impression on your visitors by customizing it with code. Even if someone else has the same topic idea as you, they may approach creating their website differently, and that slight difference can make you stand out. That’s where front end web development can help. By honing your skills in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you can create a website that others will feel compelled to use again and again because of the special touch you’ve left on it.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Front End Web Development

You may want to start your business and build your website as soon as possible. Thankfully, you can learn HTML within a few weeks under the guidance of a mentor. CSS takes slightly longer to learn, but most people can become efficient within three months.

JavaScript is slightly more advanced because it’s used for many purposes besides web development. Most people can use JavaScript’s fundamentals, which should be enough to create a website that will run smoothly.

Altogether, you can reasonably expect to learn practical front end web development skills within six months under perfect circumstances.

Other Factors

Everyone strives for perfect circumstances when they’re learning something new. Of course, no one’s circumstances are perfect, and you might have some obligations that will interfere with your education. On the other hand, you might have parts of your life that will help you learn faster. Here are some factors that might affect how long it will take you to learn front end web development:

Prior Programming Experience

Having prior experience with programming will be a tremendous asset to you once you start taking classes. It doesn’t have to be strictly front end web development—programming experience in any coding field will have plenty of transferable skills to make things easier. If you have experience with web design or WordPress, you’ll already have skills that accelerate your learning process and make it easier for you to create well-designed websites after your courses are over.

You can also benefit from conceptual programming knowledge, even if you don’t have direct experience. Suppose you have someone in your family that is a computer specialist—you may already understand some basic programming concepts without knowing their exact terms. That tiny bit of knowledge can go a long way in learning a new subject.

Your Learning Style

What circumstances allow you to learn best? Most have sat through in-person classes, and while they’re often distraction-free, you might feel awkward about getting up to stretch. If you’ve been in an online class, you might’ve enjoyed the freedom to move around your room but weren’t sure how to set up your workspace.

You might be someone who prefers to work on your bed and would benefit from taking classes online. Or, you might benefit from having your instructor in the room with you to look over your shoulder and point out better ways to approach a problem.

No matter what your case may be, it helps that you know yourself. Reach out to your instructors and see if they have any insights. They’ll likely have more tips and tricks than you would’ve expected.

Your Current Obligations

Life tends to create obstacles that can affect the amount of time we can study. Family, friends, work, and other obligations will vie for your attention, which will be hard to ignore. Important matters like bringing your kids home from school will take priority. It helps to make a list of everything that you currently have on your plate. Are you able to delegate any tasks during class days? For example, can your partner pick up the kids from school several times a week?

It’s also important to note that classes tend to be temporary. While committing a few weeks or months to your studies, your time will eventually free up again. Take that into account when asking for assistance. If your friends and family know that their assistance won’t last forever, it’ll greatly increase the chances that they’ll help.

Your Personal Goals for Learning Front End Web Development

It might sound confusing to hear that your goals could affect the amount of time it takes to learn front end web development. Why would that be the case? The answer is based on your priorities. If making a website is a side hobby, you might have other obligations that take precedence. Meanwhile, learning front end web development for professional reasons—whether for launching your new business or for use in your current job—you’ll have more motivation to place that at the top of your priority list.

Set aside some time to take note of your current goals. They may differ from your current obligations, and it’s important to be mindful of both. See where there’s overlap and try to find ways to tackle both simultaneously. You might find it helpful to see how learning front end web development connects to your other goals. As long as you’re consciously making an effort to keep up with your studies, you’ll still make steady progress toward your learning goal.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost

Front end web development is one of the first fields people enter when they learn to program. Although there are technically no prerequisites to start, knowing WordPress, user experience (UX) design, user interface (UI) design, digital marketing, or search engine optimization (SEO) can significantly help once you start building websites. These skills, alongside front end web development, will make the process more manageable.

Learn about the prerequisites for front end web development.

Regarding pricing, front end web development training usually costs about $2,500 to $60,000, depending on the training facility. The only recurring costs associated with front end web development are registering the domain name and hosting the website. Domain names usually cost around $10 to $20 per year, and website hosting platforms usually charge around $20 to $600 per month, depending on your chosen price. Many hosting platforms, such as WordPress, also offer a free plan and tier-based plans for additional storage space and extra customization features.

Read about the costs associated with front end web development and what you can expect to spend on front end web development training.

Beginners might think that front end web development is difficult to learn before they take their first course. Most of the perceived difficulty stems from Imposter Syndrome. You might feel overwhelmed when you see everything you have to learn, but the concepts are simpler than they seem. Give yourself a grace period for making mistakes and take care of yourself to avoid burnout—you’ll feel more satisfied with your progress if you do.

Read about how difficult it is to learn front end web development.

Watch a Free Front End Web Development Online Course

Not ready to take a course yet? That’s completely understandable. When you’re learning something new, it’s best to start small. Ideally, you’ll want to try a free front end web development class. Most free courses are pre-recorded video tutorials that you can access anytime, and you can rewind and pause them as needed.

You can find plenty of free courses through Udemy, Coursera, General Assembly, and Noble Desktop. Each has a quality HTML and CSS class that will guide you through the fundamentals of front end web development. You’ll be in good hands no matter which one you choose.

Read about more free front end web development videos and online tutorials.

Learn Front End Web Development with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Ready to dive into front end web development? Many expert-led classes, bootcamps, and certificate programs are available through Noble Desktop that will bring you closer to your goals. The Front End Web Development Certificate program teaches HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WordPress concepts in one compact but effective bundle of courses. It’s essential for anyone who plans to add these skills to their resume.

Another excellent certificate is the Web Design Certificate program, which focuses on design principles. It complements the web development knowledge base effectively—while front end web development focuses on the programming of websites, web design covers design principles. This skill set is useful for making your website engaging and visually appealing to your visitors. Each program will give you a certificate upon completion, further displaying your knowledge to potential employers.

You might not be ready to dedicate your time to a bootcamp or certificate program. If that’s the case, you can try the Intro to Web Development with HTML & CSS class, which teaches the basic principles of front end web development. Use this class as a starting point to decide how you want to approach your learning.

You can also explore some front end web development courses and bootcamps on your own to find the ones that are a good fit. A large selection of courses is flexible to your current schedule—career preparation, financial assistance, and one-on-one mentoring are available through each certificate program and bootcamp. No matter your choice, you’ll be another step closer to a satisfying career.

Key Insights

• It takes approximately six months to learn front end web development under perfect conditions.
• Learning HTML tends to take about three weeks.
• Learning CSS and JavaScript can average between three to six months
• Most bootcamps and certificate programs teach all three subjects along with other web development concepts
• You can receive comprehensive front end web development training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.