2026 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Illinois
[Software Engineering](/majors/engineering/ce-computer-engineering/software-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 7 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value software engineering schools.
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2026 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in software engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Software Engineering Schools
Leading the list is Illinois Institute Of Technology, our #1 best value for software engineering in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $52,202 in tuition and fees. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Early-career software engineering graduates make about $81,252. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. Illinois Institute Of Technology admits about 55% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in software engineering will find it at Depaul University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,405. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans. Software Engineering graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $121,173 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,310 median debt. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
Devry University Illinois came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Lisle, Devry University Illinois is a very large private for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $17,008 in tuition and fees. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $43,684 in student loans. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Devry University Illinois generally make around $55,470. Set against $43,684 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 98%.
Loyola University Chicago is a great value for students pursuing a degree in software engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $53,710 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for software engineering graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $68,020. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
