Software Engineering and Computer Science Degrees, Ranked for 2027
1,189 software engineering and computer science programs, checked against each school’s own page and ranked on published federal data, not reputation.
No reputation polls and no paid placement in the rankings. How the rankings are built, and every source.
Find programs for you
The whole site, in six parts
Rankings
Software engineering and computer science programs, each scored out of 100.
9 ranked lists, 984 programs
- Best Bachelor’s in Software Engineering75 ranked
- Software Engineering Master’s Programs44 ranked
- ABET-Accredited Software Engineering Programs35 ranked
- Online Master’s in Software Engineering10 ranked
- Best Computer Science Degrees for Software Engineers592 ranked
- Best Master’s in Computer Science for Software Engineers213 ranked
Locations
Every program in a state or a large metro area, with local pay.
51 state pages and 50 city guides
States with the most software engineering programs
Cities with the most
Careers
What each job involves, the ways in, and where the jobs are.
10 career guides
- IT Manager$175,140 median
- Computer Research Scientist$140,300 median
- Software Engineer$135,980 median
- Information Security Analyst$129,180 median
- Data Scientist$120,230 median
- Computer Systems Analyst$105,850 median
Salaries
Pay by state, metro and employer type, from BLS.
10 salary reports, BLS OEWS May 2025
- IT Manager Salary$175,140
- Computer Research Scientist Salary$140,300
- Software Engineer Salary$135,980
- Information Security Analyst Salary$129,180
- Data Scientist Salary$120,230
- Computer Systems Analyst Salary$105,850
Resources
Plain answers to the questions people arrive with.
5 articles
- Software Engineering vs. Computer Science
- Software Engineer vs. Software Developer
- Software Engineering Degree Requirements
- Is Software Engineering Hard?
- Will AI Replace Software Engineers?
Methodology and data
How the scores are built and where every figure comes from.
Bachelor’s scores built from 4 published factors
Read the MethodologyPick the one that describes you
Common questions
What is the difference between software engineering and computer science?
Software engineering centers on building and maintaining large software systems: requirements, design, testing and project work. Computer science centers on computation itself: algorithms, theory and systems. This site tracks 138 programs titled software engineering and 1,051 in computer science, and most software engineers hold one or the other.
Is an online software engineering or computer science degree legitimate?
It is the same degree when the school is accredited and the program is one it awards. We list a program as online only when the school’s own page says it can be completed online; 40 of the programs here meet that test.
What does ABET accreditation mean?
ABET accredits individual programs, not whole schools, against published standards for curriculum, faculty and outcomes. 39 software engineering bachelor’s programs here are on ABET’s own list. Employers rarely require it, but it is a useful check on a program.
How much do software engineers earn?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that includes software engineers, earned a median of $135,980 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $82,460 and the 90th was $214,670.
How do you rank the programs?
Each list scores programs out of 100 on published federal data and the school’s own pages. The bachelor’s ranking uses 4 factors, including completion, cost, ABET status and size. No reputation surveys and no paid placement; the methodology page shows every weight.
Compare the programs, then decide.
Every program here is checked against the school’s own page; the ranked ones also carry federal cost, completion and size figures.