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Senior software designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a senior software designer. Senior software designers usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering. 64% of senior software designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 184 real senior software designer resumes to see exactly what senior software designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for senior software designers are the Villanova University and the Villanova University.
There are also many online senior software designer courses to help get the education required to be a senior software designer.
What education do you need to become a senior software designer?
What degree do you need to be a senior software designer?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 30%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a senior software designer?
- Computer Science, 43%
- Business, 5%
- Other Majors, 33%
Most common colleges for senior software designers
| Senior software designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Villanova University | 12.50% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 6.25% |
| National University | 6.25% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.25% |
| North Carolina State University | 6.25% |
Best majors for senior software designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 43.0% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 12.5% |
| 3 | Computer Engineering | 6.3% |
| 4 | Business | 4.7% |
| 5 | Mathematics | 3.9% |
Best colleges for senior software designers
The best colleges for senior software designers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A senior software designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior software designers. 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 senior software designers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
9. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
10. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
20 best online courses for senior software designers
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...
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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. Software Design and Architecture
In the Software Design and Architecture Specialization, you will learn how to apply design principles, patterns, and architectures to create reusable and flexible software applications and systems. You will learn how to express and document the design and architecture of a software system using a visual notation.\n\nPractical examples and opportunities to apply your knowledge will help you develop employable skills and relevant expertise in the software industry...
6. Software Architecture: Meta and SOLID Principles in C#
Learn how to develop maintainable software systems applying Design Patterns based on Meta and SOLID Principles...
7. 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...
8. 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...
9. 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...
10. 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...
11. 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...
12. 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...
13. 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!...
14. 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...
15. 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...
16. Data Engineer
Learn to design data models, build data warehouses and data lakes, automate data pipelines, and work with massive datasets...
17. iOS Developer
Master the Swift programming language, and create a portfolio of iOS apps for iPhone and iPad to showcase your skills!...
18. Software Architecture & System Design Practical Case Studies
Design Real-life Large Scale Systems, Practice Modern Software Architecture & Prepare for a System Design Interview...
19. Software architecture
Architecture is an important engineering step in the design and creation of software...
20. React Development (Part Time)
Expand your JavaScript programming skills, and boost your profile at work — and on the job market. Learn to build sophisticated, scalable web applications. This course is offered in person and live online, in a remote classroom setting...
Top 10 most affordable universities for senior software designers
The most affordable schools for senior software designers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for senior software designers 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 senior software designers.
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior software designers
The hardest universities for senior software designers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for senior software designers 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 senior software designers 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior software designers
The easiest schools for senior software designers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior software designer 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 senior software designers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
4. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
5. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
6. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
7. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
8. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
9. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
10. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
Average senior software designer salary by education level
| Senior software designer education level | Senior software designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $109,860 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $102,997 |
| Doctorate Degree | $116,669 |
Senior software designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025