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Software Developer Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a software developer. Software developers usually study computer science, computer engineering, or electrical engineering. 72% of software developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 49,913 real software developer resumes to see exactly what software developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for software developers are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online software developer courses to help get the education required to be a software developer.
There are certain software developer certifications that you should consider. These software developer certifications include Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
What education do you need to become a software developer?
What degree do you need to be a software developer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a software developer?
- Computer Science, 41%
- Computer Engineering, 13%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for software developers
| Software Developer Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 6.61% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 6.57% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.33% |
| University of Houston | 5.66% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.54% |
Best majors for software developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 40.9% |
| 2 | Computer Engineering | 12.6% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 9.2% |
| 4 | Information Technology | 6.8% |
| 5 | Business | 3.8% |
Best colleges for software developers
The best colleges for software developers are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University.
A software developer 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 developers. 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 developers.
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,816
Enrollment
6,840
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
20 best online courses for software developers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for software developers
The most affordable schools for software developers are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for software developers 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 developers.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,456
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,992
Cost of Attendance
22,430
8. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,893
Cost of Attendance
18,870
9. 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
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 software developers
The hardest universities for software developers to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for software developers 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 developers 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions Rate
15%
SAT Average
1,506
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
15%
SAT Average
1,461
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,512
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for software developers
The easiest schools for software developers to get into are Linfield College, san francisco state university, and saint mary's university of minnesota.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a software developer 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 developers.
1. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions Rate
81%
SAT Average
1,117
2. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
72%
SAT Average
1,054
3. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,148
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
999
5. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
1,086
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions Rate
96%
SAT Average
1,111
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
9. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
1,111
10. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,035
Average software developer salary by education level
| Software Developer education level | Software Developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $92,617 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,035 |
| Doctorate Degree | $99,206 |
Software Developer 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