Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Principle software engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a principle software engineer. Principle software engineers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering. 69% of principle software engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 566 real principle software engineer resumes to see exactly what principle software engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for principle software engineers are the University of Massachusetts Boston and the University of Massachusetts Boston.
There are also many online principle software engineer courses to help get the education required to be a principle software engineer.
What education do you need to become a principle software engineer?
What degree do you need to be a principle software engineer?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 23%
- Associate, 5%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a principle software engineer?
- Computer Science, 41%
- Computer Engineering, 11%
- Business, 5%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for principle software engineers
| Principle software engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 9.09% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.95% |
| Stanford University | 6.82% |
| University of Connecticut | 5.68% |
| University of Central Florida | 5.68% |
Best majors for principle software engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 40.7% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 16.1% |
| 3 | Computer Engineering | 11.3% |
| 4 | Business | 5.4% |
| 5 | Mathematics | 5.4% |
Best colleges for principle software engineers
The best colleges for principle software engineers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University.
A principle software engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for principle software engineers. 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 principle software engineers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for principle software engineers
Advertising disclosure
1. Software Engineering Immersive (Full-time)
Meet the global demand for technical problem-solvers by developing your coding skills to create full-stack web applications across multiple frameworks, incorporating functionality from third-party APIs, executing software engineering projects in an Agile development workflow, and more...
2. Data Science Immersive (Full-time)
Harness the power of data science to solve the world’s most challenging problems by developing your skills in predictive modeling, pattern recognition, data visualization, wrangling massive data sets, forecasting trends, and informing strategy across diverse industries like public policy, robotics, and FinTech...
3. Programming for Data Science with R
Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...
4. Full Stack Web Developer
Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...
5. Applied Software Engineering Fundamentals
If you want to enter the exciting world of software development, this Software Engineering Foundations Specialization is for you. No prior degrees or knowledge of programming or application development are necessary. Software Developers are in great demand earning a median salary of US$110,140 per year according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The field is growing at a rate of 22% making it a great time to start a career in software engineering.. The self-paced courses in this program...
6. Software Engineering
Software development is not just about coding, it also involves the application of scientific knowledge and well-defined engineering techniques to produce maintainable, scalable, cost-effective and on-schedule software products. This specialization covers software engineering methodologies, techniques, and tools for planning, capturing requirements, designing, implementing, testing, and maintaining large-scale software systems. It combines scientific and technological knowledge with many...
7. Software Architecture: Meta and SOLID Principles in C#
Learn how to develop maintainable software systems applying Design Patterns based on Meta and SOLID Principles...
8. Solid Principles (2023) for Software Design & Architecture
Master SOLID Principles of software design and software Architecture and write clean code in C# object oriented design...
9. Data Science (Part Time)
Create robust predictive models with statistics and Python programming. Build confidence and credibility to tackle complex machine learning problems on the job. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
10. Python Programming (Part Time)
Gain fluency in Python — the world's fastest-growing major programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build web and data science applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
11. Android Kotlin Developer
Master Android app development with Kotlin, a modern programming language that enables developers to be more concise and productive. Build professional apps for the world's most popular mobile platform using Android Studio and Kotlin...
12. Artificial Intelligence for Trading
Complete real-world projects designed by industry experts, covering topics from asset management to trading signal generation. Master AI algorithms for trading, and build your career-ready portfolio...
13. Complete Software Engineering Course with Python
Learn Python 3 with Software Engineering Concepts Learn Python GUI, Object Oriented Programming, Data Visualization.....
14. Software architecture
Architecture is an important engineering step in the design and creation of software...
15. Front-End Web Development (Part Time)
Start building responsive websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — a versatile skill set with powerful applications in a variety of design, marketing, and other tech-adjacent roles. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
16. JavaScript Development (Part Time)
Gain fluency in JavaScript — the world's most popular programming language — and start leveraging its versatile capabilities to build rich, interactive websites and applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
17. Data Engineer
Learn to design data models, build data warehouses and data lakes, automate data pipelines, and work with massive datasets...
18. iOS Developer
Master the Swift programming language, and create a portfolio of iOS apps for iPhone and iPad to showcase your skills!...
19. Full Stack Web Development with C# OOP, MS SQL & ASP.NET MVC
Web development with C#, ASP.NET MVC, MS SQL, C# OOP. All gathered for full stack web development in one course!...
20. Software Design: Functional Programming in C#
Learn the principles of Functional Programming & how to apply them with the power of C# to improve software architecture...
Top 10 most affordable universities for principle software engineers
The most affordable schools for principle software engineers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for principle software engineers 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 principle software engineers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
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 - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for principle software engineers
The hardest universities for principle software engineers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for principle software engineers 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 principle software engineers 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for principle software engineers
The easiest schools for principle software engineers to get into are Capitol Technology University, oregon institute of technology, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a principle software engineer 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 principle software engineers.
1. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
2. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
7. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
8. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
9. Suffolk University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,131
10. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
Average principle software engineer salary by education level
| Principle software engineer education level | Principle software engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $140,315 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $129,252 |
| Doctorate Degree | $151,481 |
Principle software engineer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
Search for principle software engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025