Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Software consultant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a software consultant. Software consultants usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or business. 68% of software consultants hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,006 real software consultant resumes to see exactly what software consultant education sections show.
The most common colleges for software consultants are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.
There are also many online software consultant courses to help get the education required to be a software consultant.
There are certain software consultant certifications that you should consider. These software consultant certifications include Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC) and Object-Oriented Software Engineering Certified Professional.
What education do you need to become a software consultant?
What degree do you need to be a software consultant?
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 21%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a software consultant?
- Computer Science, 32%
- Business, 10%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for software consultants
| Software consultant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Houston | 7.49% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.83% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 6.61% |
| Northeastern University | 6.17% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.73% |
Best majors for software consultants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 32.3% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 11.5% |
| 3 | Business | 10.5% |
| 4 | Computer Engineering | 7.0% |
| 5 | Accounting | 5.0% |
Best colleges for software consultants
The best colleges for software consultants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A software consultant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for software consultants. 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 software consultants.
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 software consultants
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. 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!...
6. C#.NET Core 7 with MS SQL Complete Beginner to Master 2023
Learn API Development with C# .NET Core 7 and MS SQL Server from Mac, Linux or Windows!...
7. 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...
8. 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...
9. 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...
10. 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...
11. Rest Api's in Asp.Net and C#
Build REST Api's With Asp.Net , Entity Framework and C#...
12. Software Architecture Case Studies
Become an even better Software Architect by learning from real-world architecture case studies...
13. 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...
14. 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...
15. Data Engineer
Learn to design data models, build data warehouses and data lakes, automate data pipelines, and work with massive datasets...
16. iOS Developer
Master the Swift programming language, and create a portfolio of iOS apps for iPhone and iPad to showcase your skills!...
17. C# Console and Windows Forms Development w/ Entity Framework
C# .NET Core Console Programming Windows Forms Data-driven development OOP Git Hub SQL Entity Framework...
18. Build ASP.NET Core Web API - Scratch To Finish (.NET 7 API)
Use C# and Build an ASP.NET Core Web API with Entity Framework Core, SQL Server, Authentication & Authorization .NET 7...
19. 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...
20. Intro to Coding
Discover if coding is a career fit for you In this free, two-hour livestream, explore the building blocks of the web — HTML and CSS — and learn how you can apply these programming languages to develop your own simple sites. All in real time, taught by an industry professional. Come learn the basics and gain the skills you need to write your first line of code!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for software consultants
The most affordable schools for software consultants 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 software consultants 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 software consultants.
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 software consultants
The hardest universities for software consultants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for software consultants 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 software consultants 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. 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
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for software consultants
The easiest schools for software consultants 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 software consultant 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 software consultants.
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 software consultant salary by education level
| Software consultant education level | Software consultant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,824 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $87,084 |
| Doctorate Degree | $100,578 |
Software consultant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
Search for software consultant jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025