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Software leader education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a software leader. Software leaders usually study computer science, electrical engineering, or computer engineering. 69% of software leaders hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,111 real software leader resumes to see exactly what software leader education sections show.
The most common colleges for software leaders are the University of California - Davis and the University of California - Davis.
There are also many online software leader courses to help get the education required to be a software leader.
There are certain software leader certifications that you should consider. These software leader certifications include Software Engineering Master Certification (SEMC) and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
What education do you need to become a software leader?
What degree do you need to be a software leader?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a software leader?
- Computer Science, 36%
- Computer Engineering, 12%
- Business, 11%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for software leaders
| Software leader common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California - Davis | 10.95% |
| University of Texas at Austin | 9.49% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.30% |
| University of Central Florida | 6.57% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.84% |
Best majors for software leaders
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science | 35.7% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 14.2% |
| 3 | Computer Engineering | 11.8% |
| 4 | Business | 11.5% |
| 5 | Mathematics | 3.0% |
Best colleges for software leaders
The best colleges for software leaders are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
A software leader 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 leaders. 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 leaders.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
20 best online courses for software leaders
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20. Intro to Coding
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Top 10 most affordable universities for software leaders
The most affordable schools for software leaders are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for software leaders 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 leaders.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for software leaders
The hardest universities for software leaders to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for software leaders 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 leaders 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for software leaders
The easiest schools for software leaders to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, capitol technology university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a software leader 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 leaders.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average software leader salary by education level
| Software leader education level | Software leader salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $132,787 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $122,343 |
| Doctorate Degree | $143,325 |
Software leader 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