2027 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Massachusetts
[Software Engineering](/majors/engineering/ce-computer-engineering/software-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong software engineering education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value software engineering schools.
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2027 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Massachusetts
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in software engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Software Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked Harvard University the best value for a degree in software engineering in Massachusetts. Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $61,676. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Harvard University generally make around $177,890. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Harvard University admits about 4% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in software engineering will find it at University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth, which ranked #2. University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of North Dartmouth. In-state tuition and fees average $15,612, compared with $32,567 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for software engineering graduates is $30,000. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth generally make around $79,383. That is a strong return on a $30,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northeastern University earned it the #3 place for software engineering. Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,162. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,005 in student loans. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Northeastern University generally make around $99,499. That is a strong return on a $25,005 median debt. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Tufts University one of the best values for software engineering. Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford. Students from in state pay about $70,704 in tuition and fees. Software Engineering graduates carry a median of $17,074 in student loans. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Tufts University generally make around $68,154. That is a strong return on a $17,074 median debt. The acceptance rate is 12%.
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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.
