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Software engineering analyst education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a software engineering analyst. Software engineering analysts usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or information technology. 79% of software engineering analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,489 real software engineering analyst resumes to see exactly what software engineering analyst education sections show.
The most common colleges for software engineering analysts are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online software engineering analyst courses to help get the education required to be a software engineering analyst.
What education do you need to become a software engineering analyst?
What degree do you need to be a software engineering analyst?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 15%
- Associate, 4%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become a software engineering analyst?
- Computer Science, 27%
- Computer Engineering, 12%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for software engineering analysts
| Software engineering analyst common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 10.92% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 10.08% |
| University of the West | 8.40% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 5.88% |
| San Jose State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for software engineering analysts
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 27.1% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 14.3% |
| 3 | Information Technology | 12.9% |
| 4 | Computer Engineering | 11.9% |
| 5 | Computer Networking | 3.6% |
Best colleges for software engineering analysts
The best colleges for software engineering analysts are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.
A software engineering analyst 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 engineering analysts. 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 engineering analysts.
1. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
7. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$19,080
Enrollment
19,127
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for software engineering analysts
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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. Requirements Engineering: Secure Software Specifications
This specialization is intended for software engineers, development and product managers, testers, QA analysts, product analysts, tech writers, and security engineers. Even if you have experience in the requirements realm, this course will expand your knowledge to include new viewpoints, development styles, techniques and tools.\n\nFor anyone seeking a graduate degree, certificate, or professional degree in computer science, these courses will additionally give you a broad understanding of how...
6. IBM Data Warehouse Engineer
Prepare for a career in the field of data warehousing. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills like SQL, Linux, and database architecture to get job-ready in less than 3 months.\n\nData warehouse engineers design and build large databases called data warehouses, used for data and business analytics. They work closely with data analysts, data scientists, and project management to power analysis that enable insights and inform decision-making.\n\nThis program will teach you the...
7. Full Stack Web Development with C# OOP, MS SQL & ASP.NET MVC
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8. Data Engineering - ETL, Web Scraping ,Big Data,SQL,Power BI
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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
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13. Requirements Engineering: Software Engineering
Everything you need to know about software requirements: elicitation, analysis, documentation, validation and management...
14. PL/SQL by Example - Beginner to Advanced PL/SQL
Using PL/SQL learn how to combine the efficiency of SQL & Procedural Language(PL) to build a powerful PL/SQL Application...
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. Master C# And SQL By Building Applications
Become a better software developer by learning how to build real world applications using C# and SQL...
20. 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!...
Top 10 most affordable universities for software engineering analysts
The most affordable schools for software engineering analysts are California State University - Long Beach, brigham young university, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.
If the best universities for software engineering analysts 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 engineering analysts.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for software engineering analysts
The hardest universities for software engineering analysts to get into are Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for software engineering analysts 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 engineering analysts 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. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
10. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for software engineering analysts
The easiest schools for software engineering analysts to get into are Capitol Technology University, linfield college, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a software engineering analyst 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 engineering analysts.
1. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
2. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
3. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
5. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
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. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
9. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average software engineering analyst salary by education level
| Software engineering analyst education level | Software engineering analyst salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,009 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,932 |
| Doctorate Degree | $104,108 |
Software engineering analyst education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025