Chief software architect education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chief software architect. Chief software architects usually study computer science, computer engineering, or electrical engineering. 68% of chief software architects hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 328 real chief software architect resumes to see exactly what chief software architect education sections show.

The most common colleges for chief software architects are the University of Florida and the University of Florida.

There are also many online chief software architect courses to help get the education required to be a chief software architect.

What education do you need to become a chief software architect?

What degree do you need to be a chief software architect?

The most common degree for chief software architects is bachelor's degree, with 68% of chief software architects earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 6%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Master's, 19%

Doctorate, 6%

Associate, 5%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a chief software architect?

You should major in computer science to become a chief software architect. 40% of chief software architects major in computer science. Other common majors for a chief software architect include computer engineering and electrical engineering.

Computer Science, 40%

Computer Engineering, 10%

Electrical Engineering, 8%

Business, 7%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for chief software architects

Chief software architects often get their degrees at University of Florida, Georgia Institute of Technology, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for chief software architects in the US based on their resumes.

Chief software architect common college	Percentages
University of Florida	6.00%
Georgia Institute of Technology	6.00%
University of Illinois at Chicago	6.00%
Mercer University	6.00%
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	6.00%

Show more common chief software architect colleges

Best majors for chief software architects

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	40.1%
2	Computer Engineering	9.7%
3	Electrical Engineering	7.7%
4	Business	6.8%
5	Mathematics	5.3%

Show more common chief software architect majors

Best colleges for chief software architects

The best colleges for chief software architects are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A chief software architect with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chief software architects. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become chief software architects.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for chief software architects

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief software architects

The most affordable schools for chief software architects are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for chief software architects are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for chief software architects.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief software architects

The hardest universities for chief software architects to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for chief software architects are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for chief software architects based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief software architects

The easiest schools for chief software architects to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief software architect without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for chief software architects.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

9. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

10. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

Average chief software architect salary by education level

Chief software architects with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $177,387 annually. With a Master's degree, chief software architects earn a median annual income of $177,042 compared to $157,782 for chief software architects with an Bachelor's degree.

Chief software architect education level	Chief software architect salary
Master's Degree	$177,042
Bachelor's Degree	$157,782
Doctorate Degree	$177,387
Some College/ Associate Degree	$130,767

Chief software architect education FAQs

What is the best college for Chief Software Architects?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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