Do I need a degree to become a web developer?
Youâve been going the self-taught path for a while now or maybe youâve done a coding bootcamp. Youâre starting to get concerned, though, that the competition may be too fierce. Knowing your stuff might not be enough to get that web development job youâre dreaming of.
Is it worth it to get a Computer Science degree to increase your chances?
The short answer:Â probably not. Hereâs why.
Itâs expensive
If a CS degree were free, this might be a no-brainer⌠but itâs very much not free.
According to US News and World Report, the average annual tuition for an American in-state public school is $10k. That means youâre looking at $40k for a full BS in computer science.
If this were the difference between a minimum wage job and a guaranteed developer role, $40k might be worth it. Problem is, there are many other ways to get into a web development career. Also, the degree is not a guarantee of anything. That makes your tuition look like a big fat $40,000 gamble.
You could pay less at a community college, but your degree carries less weight too. If itâs just the education you want, there are more efficient ways to get it. The value of college is more in the networking and the credibility conveyed by that diploma.
Thatâs not the only cost though.
It takes lots of time
Youâre going to pay not only in money but in your time. This is commonly referred to as an opportunity cost. Itâs the cost you pay to do something in terms of not being able to do anything else. For four years while youâre doing school, youâre devoting most of your time to getting a degree instead of
- working on personal projects
- taking on freelance work
- finding an internship
- applying for jobs
Will this put you in a better position than you were before you spent those four years of your life? Who knows? You wonât until youâve already spent the four years and the money. And, as far as I know, universities donât offer any kind of money-back guarantee.
Depending on your path, it may not matter
I took a non-traditional approach to getting into web development. I actually have a computer science degree. Itâs a two-year degree from a small community college, but itâs still a degree. Itâs never done much for me though. Probably because no one except for you reading this even knows I have it.
Because I started my career by freelancing and all my full-time gigs have evolved from freelance gigs, Iâve never been asked for my credentials. Iâve never filled out an application, and Iâve never done an interview. (OK, thatâs not true. I have done those things, but my full-time gigs did not come out of that process. I stopped doing them because it hasnât been effective for me.)
What to do instead
Instead of trying to prove yourself by getting someone else (like a university) to sign off on your abilities, build your credibility by doing real work. Once you can build a site or a web app yourself and deploy it, nothing is stopping you from finding companies who need web sites or software and selling your services to them. You donât have to get a job. You can just solve a problem for them. When youâre done, you can move on to other companies who have other problems.
This is how Iâve made my way through my career and commanded great salaries and benefits with credentials that are both underwhelming and totally unknown to any of my employers. Think about why a degree is helpful: it provides some measure of proof you can do the work. But you know what provides even more proof you can do the work? Actually doing the work.
Besides, bootstrapping your career by freelancing is more empowering and less risky. Itâs the only way to build your credibility while making money at the same time. Thatâs a big difference from paying someone else $40k to tell prospective employers youâre legit. So, save your money⌠and start earning it instead.