2026 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Massachusetts
[Software Engineering](/majors/engineering/ce-computer-engineering/software-engineering/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong software engineering education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for software engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Massachusetts
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
Harvard University tops our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools in Massachusetts. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,676. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans. Software Engineering graduates of Harvard University earn a median of $177,890 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Harvard University admits about 4% of applicants.
University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools. Located in the suburb of North Dartmouth, University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,612, compared with $32,567 for out-of-state students. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $30,000 in student loans. Early-career software engineering graduates make about $54,669. That is a strong return on a $30,000 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Northeastern University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,162. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,005 in student loans. Software Engineering graduates of Northeastern University earn a median of $99,499 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 5%.
Tufts University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $70,704 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $17,074 to complete the software engineering program here. Early-career software engineering graduates make about $68,154. Set against $17,074 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 12%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 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.
