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2023 Best Value Colleges for Software Engineering

69 Ranked Colleges
4,251 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Software Engineering is the 167th most popular major in the country with 4,251 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools” ranking analyzed 69 colleges that offered a degree in software engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great software engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the software engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Software Engineering

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools. BYU is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s computer software engineering degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Software Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for computer software engineering students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Software Engineering at Brigham Young University - Provo

2

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer software engineering degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Software Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,998 for computer software engineering students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University - Main Campus Software Engineering Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools list. Mayaguez, is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer software engineering degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez is $10,975 for computer software engineering students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Software Engineering Report

4

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 186 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also made our “Best Software Engineering Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $16,002 for Computer Software Engineering students per year to attend Iowa State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Software Engineering at Iowa State University

5

Out of the 69 schools in the Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is a small school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that handed out 16 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,421 for Computer Software Engineering students per year to attend Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

Full Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Software Engineering Report

6
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 541 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Software Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $16,542 for Computer Software Engineering students per year to attend San Jose State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Software Engineering at San Jose State

7

Rasmussen University - Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Ocala, Florida, this medium-sized private for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s computer software engineering students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Rasmussen University - Florida is $19,249 for computer software engineering students.

Read more about Software Engineering at Rasmussen University - Florida

8
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking. Located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s computer software engineering students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Villanova, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Software Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Villanova University is $43,577 for computer software engineering students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Software Engineering at Villanova

9

Rasmussen University - North Dakota did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #9. Rasmussen University - North Dakota is a private for-profit institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Rasmussen University - North Dakota is $19,746 for Computer Software Engineering students.

Read full report on Software Engineering at Rasmussen University - North Dakota

10

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 41 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,565 for computer software engineering students per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Read more about Software Engineering at UW - Platteville

11
Fairfield U crest
Fairfield University
Fairfield, Connecticut

Fairfield University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #11. Fairfield U is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Fairfield, Connecticut. It awarded 5 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Fairfield U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Software Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fairfield University is $36,633 for computer software engineering students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Software Engineering at Fairfield University

12

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking. ASU - Skysong is a large school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 118 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Software Engineering at ASU - Skysong

13
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #13. Saint Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s computer software engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,581 for Computer Software Engineering students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full St. Cloud State University Software Engineering Report

14

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #14. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s computer software engineering degrees to qualified students.

UNL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Software Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $17,013 for computer software engineering students per year to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Software Engineering at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

15

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools list. Arizona State University - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 167 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Software Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $13,107 for Computer Software Engineering students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full ASU - Tempe Software Engineering Report

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified ’s computer software engineering students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Software Engineering Schools” list. It costs about $17,878 for computer software engineering students per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Software Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

17
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

With a ranking of #17, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools list. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 4 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $16,194 for computer software engineering students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Texas Tech University Software Engineering Report

18
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools list. Northeastern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 619 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern also took the #7 spot in our “Best Software Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $29,714 for Computer Software Engineering students per year to attend Northeastern.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Software Engineering at Northeastern University

19

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 61 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our computer software engineering students list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Software Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $20,677 for Computer Software Engineering students per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Software Engineering Report

20

Utah Valley University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking. This large school is located in Orem, Utah, and it awarded 22 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UVU is $9,955 for computer software engineering students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UVU Software Engineering Report

21

Rasmussen University - Minnesota ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools list. Rasmussen University - Minnesota is a small school located in St. Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 5 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Rasmussen University - Minnesota is $19,075 for Computer Software Engineering students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Software Engineering at Rasmussen University - Minnesota

22

Rasmussen University - Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #22. Rockford, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s computer software engineering degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Rasmussen University - Illinois is $18,908 for Computer Software Engineering students.

Full Rasmussen University - Illinois Software Engineering Report

23

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools list. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s computer software engineering degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for computer software engineering students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Software Engineering Report

23
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking. Washington State University is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s computer software engineering degrees to qualified students.

Wazzu also took the #25 spot in our “Best Software Engineering Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,300 for Computer Software Engineering students per year to attend Washington State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Software Engineering at Washington State University

25
KSU Georgia crest
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, Georgia

Kennesaw State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Computer Software Engineering Schools ranking. Kennesaw State University is a large public school situated in Kennesaw, Georgia. It awarded 110 ’s computer software engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Kennesaw State University is $18,522 for computer software engineering students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full KSU Georgia Software Engineering Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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