2026 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in New York
[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 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value software engineering schools.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in New York
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
Rochester Institute Of Technology tops our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools in New York. Rochester Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Rochester. Students from in state pay about $59,210 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for software engineering graduates is $28,500. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Rochester Institute Of Technology generally make around $90,829. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Pace University New York is a great value for students pursuing a degree in software engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of New York, Pace University New York is a large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $53,510. Typical student debt for software engineering graduates is $25,670. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Pace University New York generally make around $59,662. That is a strong return on a $25,670 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Clarkson University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools. Located in the town of Potsdam, Clarkson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $59,398. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career software engineering graduates make about $80,942. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 5 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.
