Best Software Development Schools (2026): 24 Ranked by Salary & ROI
These are the top schools offering Software Development, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Software Development graduate earns $31,879/yr across 24 schools.
BLS projects 8.5% employment growth for occupations in this field from 2024–2034, with approximately 262 annual job openings per related program area.
All Software Development Programs Ranked
Click any row for full earnings projections and career path breakdown.
| # | School | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Madison Area Technical College
Madison, WI · Software Development |
78
71–81 |
$65,191/yr | 67.2x |
| 2 |
Dallas College
Dallas, TX · Software Development |
79
71–82 |
$41,477/yr | 174.0x |
| 3 |
Portland Community College
Portland, OR · Software Development |
66
56–69 |
$37,572/yr | 49.5x |
| 4 |
Hunter Business School
Levittown, NY · Software Development |
65
56–67 |
$45,301/yr | — |
| 5 |
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Minneapolis, MN · Software Development |
63
54–66 |
$38,262/yr | 38.8x |
| 6 |
College of Western Idaho
Nampa, ID · Software Development |
63
56–66 |
$33,165/yr | 48.7x |
| 7 |
Valencia College
Orlando, FL · Software Development |
69
58–72 |
$32,099/yr | 84.6x |
| 8 |
Dunwoody College of Technology
Minneapolis, MN · Software Development |
62
52–64 |
$52,264/yr | 12.8x |
| 9 |
Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, PA · Software Development |
61
50–65 |
$35,284/yr | 38.0x |
| 10 |
St Petersburg College
St. Petersburg, FL · Software Development |
63
53–66 |
$27,889/yr | 67.8x |
| 11 |
Southern Careers Institute-Austin
Austin, TX · Software Development |
57
48–60 |
$31,841/yr | — |
| 12 |
Santa Fe College
Gainesville, FL · Software Development |
56
49–59 |
$24,448/yr | 46.7x |
| 13 |
Ogden-Weber Technical College
Ogden, UT · Software Development |
56
47–59 |
$30,535/yr | — |
| 14 |
Visible Music College
Memphis, TN · Software Development |
55
47–58 |
$35,734/yr | 15.2x |
| 15 |
DeVry University-Illinois
Lisle, IL · Software Development |
55
47–58 |
$33,504/yr | 18.2x |
| 16 |
Stark State College
North Canton, OH · Software Development |
51
41–55 |
$22,525/yr | 34.9x |
| 17 |
Hudson Valley Community College
Troy, NY · Software Development |
50
40–54 |
$24,099/yr | 29.5x |
| 18 |
Quinsigamond Community College
Worcester, MA · Software Development |
49
38–52 |
$21,803/yr | 29.5x |
| 19 |
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA · Software Development |
49
40–52 |
$30,273/yr | 4.4x |
| 20 |
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College
New York, NY · Software Development |
49
38–52 |
$20,919/yr | 29.4x |
| 21 |
Academy of Interactive Entertainment
Seattle, WA · Software Development |
47
37–50 |
$24,750/yr | 14.7x |
| 22 |
Pittsburgh Technical College
Oakdale, PA · Software Development |
45
36–48 |
$25,671/yr | 6.8x |
| 23 |
CUNY LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, NY · Software Development |
44
34–48 |
$14,786/yr | 22.3x |
| 24 |
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus
Carolina, PR · Software Development |
45
37–48 |
$15,712/yr | 21.4x |
Programs by State
Top states by program availability. Click a state for the full in-state ranking.
| State | Programs | Avg Earnings | Avg TSW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 4 | $26,276/yr | 41 |
| Florida | 3 | $28,145/yr | 48 |
| Texas | 2 | $36,659/yr | 52 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | $30,478/yr | 42 |
| Minnesota | 2 | $45,263/yr | 51 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | $65,191/yr | 63 |
| Washington | 1 | $24,750/yr | 36 |
| Utah | 1 | $30,535/yr | 45 |
| Tennessee | 1 | $35,734/yr | 44 |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | $15,712/yr | 33 |
| Oregon | 1 | $37,572/yr | 55 |
| Ohio | 1 | $22,525/yr | 40 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | $21,803/yr | 38 |
| Illinois | 1 | $33,504/yr | 44 |
| Idaho | 1 | $33,165/yr | 52 |
About This Ranking
What we ranked
Best Software Development Schools ranks 24 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.
Data sources
Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.
How to read the table
Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.
Caveats & limitations
Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.
Methodology
Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.