How Much is a HTML & CSS Course?

When exploring your options for HTML & CSS training, cost will be a crucial deciding factor. You’ll want to make sure that the price is within your budget, but you’ll also want to make sure that the cost of the course is worth the knowledge and skills you will learn. While attending a professional development class is a good way to advance in your career and increase your earnings, you might not want to (or be able to) pay any price to further your HTML & CSS skills, and you may find there aren’t enough benefits to enrolling in the most expensive training option possible.

Overall, the cost of a HTML & CSS course will depend on the depth of knowledge, course length, and whether it’s live or on-demand. Typically, the most immersive courses are the most expensive. A college programming degree can cost tens of thousands of dollars and take four years to complete, but will provide in-depth learning. Alternatively, a bootcamp or on-demand training course will cost substantially less, but these will only provide you with entry-level skills. So, when considering cost, you also need to consider how much you want to learn and the value of the long-term benefits of the courses on your list. 

College Web Development Programs: The Most Expensive Option

If you’re willing to invest substantial time and money, an undergraduate or graduate degree in web development may be a good fit. These can range in length from two to four years with hundreds (if not thousands) of coursework hours. This length means that you will learn much more than in other shorter training programs. These programs require you to apply and get accepted, and‌ have prerequisites involving SAT and ACT scores, foreign language requirements, and a minimum acceptable GPA. College is substantially more expensive than other training options, too, costing between $27,000 and $100,000 per year. Of course, scholarships and financial aid are available, and community colleges can help make a degree more affordable.

Pew Research surveyed the public and found that only one-in-four U.S. adults say it’s extremely or very important to have a four-year college degree in order to get a well-paying job in today’s economy. Only 22% say the cost of getting a four-year college degree today is worth it even if someone has to take out loans. So, while a college degree still holds value, there are disadvantages to this pathway that need to be considered. 

Professional Development Programs: Immersive Career-Focused Classes

Another option is to attend professional development programs like bootcamps, certifications, or certificate programs. Certifications are often required by employers to prove that you have continuing competency in ever-evolving tools and technology. They are a tried-and-tested method of proving one’s competence in a chosen field and, because of this, some employers will often cover the cost of these certifications and exams, eliminating the need for you to financially invest in this continuing education. But, if you’re attempting to transition into a new field, a certificate may not be the right choice, especially if cost is a concern.

Certificate and certification programs can be lengthy as well. They typically fall somewhere between a bootcamp and a four-year degree, taking up to a year or two to complete. While their curriculum is robust and a certificate of competency will look good to potential employers, they aren’t the best option for folks looking to change careers quickly. 

Certificates and certifications cost more than bootcamps or intro courses, but both are much more affordable than a four-year degree. You can expect to pay a few thousand dollars or fewer for these and, as previously mentioned, sometimes employers will help pay for these classes.

Live Training Classes: Ideal for Beginners and Unsure Students

The most affordable classes you’ll find will be introductory level courses. These classes typically can be completed in just a day or two. You’ll learn what HTML & CSS is, how it’s used, and the fundamental techniques and tools associated with it. These classes are often held live, either in-person or online, allowing you to participate in conversation with your instructor and receive feedback in real time. It’s important to keep in mind that these classes won’t cover advanced subjects (unless you attend an advanced live training) so if you need to learn more than just the basics, an introductory class may not be the best option for you. Live training classes usually cost a few hundred dollars or fewer, making them a great way to begin your education without financially over-investing. 

On-Demand Classes: Excellent Supplements at Reasonable Prices

A self-paced course, also known as an on-demand course, is offered online and can be completed at the time and speed of your choosing. Self-paced courses are ideal for those with complicated schedules as they allow you more flexibility with no set class times or assignment due dates. These classes are also a great way to learn the ins and outs of HTML & CSS from whatever angle you find to be the most interesting.

If your schedule is complicated or you prefer to learn at your own pace, on-demand classes offer the most flexibility and freedom. All lessons are prerecorded and there’s no due dates or class times to worry about. You can skip any lessons you’ve already mastered or spend more time on more difficult subjects. With this comes the disadvantages of no live collaboration with other students or instant feedback from an expert instructor. While you’ll have more time to master challenging subjects, you won’t have someone to help walk you through those challenges or provide additional insight. 

It’s also important to remember that with more freedom comes less accountability. On-demand classes work for independent learners who can keep themselves on task and motivated, but may not be the best fit for those who find motivation through accountability. Without scheduled class times and due dates, you may fall behind or take longer to complete your training. And without the right level of motivation, you can easily lose interest in completing the training altogether.

Free Resources: What are They Good For?

Free resources are available for learning HTML & CSS. YouTube boasts a wide range of tutorials and informative videos on all kinds of HTML & CSS subjects: from short five-minute episodes on the fundamentals to more in-depth breakdowns of advanced topics. YouTube is a great way to explore your initial interest or get answers to specific questions on HTML & CSS. 

Other websites like Google and LinkedIn offer short free tutorials and trainings designed to help you grasp the history and basic principles of HTML & CSS. Free resources are often your fastest option and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. Their brevity is one reason they are so valuable, but the drawback of these courses is that they will lack the in-depth knowledge and real-time interaction with an expert instructor that more immersive programs offer. It's best to use these resources as a brief introduction to make sure you’re interested in the subject as opposed to the sole source of your education. 

Learn HTML & CSS Skills with Noble Desktop

Live HTML and CSS courses are an ideal learning method for those entirely new to the field. Live online classes are great for those who prefer a solitary learning environment with minimal distractions. They allow you to learn from the comfort of your own home (or wherever you choose), providing more flexibility. Additionally, if you live in an area with limited (or no) in-person options, online classes open up more opportunities for you. 

A great place to start would be Intro to HTML & CSS, a hands-on course that will teach you the basics of both of these fundamental tools. You’ll hand code a webpage from scratch using HTML, learning how to format paragraphs, headings, and lists. You’ll also learn how to create links, add images, and modify tags with attributes. By the end of class, you’ll be familiar with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), including tag selectors, class selectors, and the class attribute.

Noble Desktop’s HTML Email Certificate will help you gain skills to create responsive emails with personality. Boasting small class sizes led by expert instructors, you’ll learn HTML and CSS coding, including how to code effective and cross-mail-client compatible emails and optimize emails for desktop, webmail, and mobile users. By the end of this program, you’ll be able to code emails that display properly in various email apps for your business or clients.

Their Web Development with HTML & CSS will teach you how to develop websites with HTML and CSS, the coding languages used to create web pages. Using HTML, you’ll learn how to create webpages with text, images, and more. Then you’ll use CSS to style the content, create centered page layouts, add background images, style navigation, and make the page responsive so it adapts to various screen sizes using media queries. Finally, you’ll upload files to FTP to make your site go live.

If you’re looking to go a little deeper, you could try the Front End Web Development Certificate. You’ll learn HTML to mark up web pages, CSS for styling, JavaScript to add interactivity and animation, and Git to track code changes and collaborate with other developers. Ideal for those new to coding, you’ll develop the skills to create responsive websites optimized for any size screen (mobile, tablet, and desktop). Additionally, you’ll learn how to use WordPress, the world's leading content management system, to create customizable websites and edit content without the need to be a programming expert.