Lead programmer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a lead programmer. Lead programmers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering. 69% of lead programmers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,510 real lead programmer resumes to see exactly what lead programmer education sections show.

The most common colleges for lead programmers are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.

There are also many online lead programmer courses to help get the education required to be a lead programmer.

There are certain lead programmer certifications that you should consider. These lead programmer certifications include Programming in C# Certification and Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP).

What education do you need to become a lead programmer?

What degree do you need to be a lead programmer?

The most common degree for lead programmers is bachelor's degree, with 69% of lead programmers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 69%

Master's, 13%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a lead programmer?

You should major in computer science to become a lead programmer. 40% of lead programmers major in computer science. Other common majors for a lead programmer include electrical engineering and computer engineering.

Computer Science, 40%

Electrical Engineering, 7%

Computer Engineering, 6%

Computer Information Systems, 6%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for lead programmers

Lead programmers often get their degrees at DeVry University, Full Sail University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for lead programmers in the US based on their resumes.

Lead programmer common college	Percentages
DeVry University	10.56%
Full Sail University	10.00%
University of Maryland - College Park	8.89%
University of California - Davis	6.67%
University of Washington	5.56%

Show more common lead programmer colleges

Best majors for lead programmers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	39.7%
2	Electrical Engineering	6.9%
3	Computer Engineering	6.4%
4	Computer Information Systems	6.1%
5	Business	5.9%

Show more common lead programmer majors

Best colleges for lead programmers

The best colleges for lead programmers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A lead programmer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for lead programmers. 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 lead programmers.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for lead programmers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead programmers

The most affordable schools for lead programmers are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for lead programmers 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 lead programmers.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Cost of attendance

13,564

10. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead programmers

The hardest universities for lead programmers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for lead programmers 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 lead programmers 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Amherst College

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,449

5. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

6. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

7. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead programmers

The easiest schools for lead programmers to get into are Nyack College, saint martin's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead programmer 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 lead programmers.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Saint Xavier University

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

74%

SAT average

1,061

9. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

10. Longwood University

Farmville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,065

Average lead programmer salary by education level

According to our data, lead programmers with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $131,033 annually. Lead programmers with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $127,874.

Lead programmer education level	Lead programmer salary
Master's Degree	$127,874
Bachelor's Degree	$122,862
Doctorate Degree	$131,033
Some College/ Associate Degree	$108,632

Lead programmer education FAQs

What is the best college for Lead Programmers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for lead programmer jobs

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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