2027 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Illinois
[Software Engineering](/majors/engineering/ce-computer-engineering/software-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for software engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the software engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Software Engineering Schools
For return on investment in software engineering, no school beat Illinois Institute Of Technology this year. Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $52,202. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $26,500 in student loans. Software Engineering graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $81,252 early in their careers. Set against $26,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Illinois Institute Of Technology admits about 55% of applicants.
Devry University Illinois is a great value for students pursuing a degree in software engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Devry University Illinois is a very large private for-profit school located in the suburb of Lisle. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,008. Students borrow a median of $43,684 to complete the software engineering program here. Early-career software engineering graduates make about $55,470. That is a strong return on a $43,684 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in software engineering will find it at Depaul University, which ranked #3. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,405. Students borrow a median of $25,340 to complete the software engineering program here. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $121,173. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Loyola University Chicago earned it the #4 place for software engineering. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,710. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the software engineering program here. Software Engineering graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of $68,020 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
