2026 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Minnesota
[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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for software engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Software Engineering Schools in Minnesota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in software engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Software Engineering Schools
Saint Cloud State University earned the #1 spot for value among software engineering schools in Minnesota. Saint Cloud State University is a large public school located in the city of Saint Cloud. In-state tuition and fees average $10,245. Typical student debt for software engineering graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Saint Cloud State University generally make around $77,792. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Saint Cloud State University admits about 95% of applicants.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Typical student debt for software engineering graduates is $23,000. Software Engineering graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $106,498 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities admits about 80% of applicants.
Rasmussen College Minnesota came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value software engineering schools. Rasmussen College Minnesota is a large private for-profit school located in the city of St. Cloud. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,199. Students borrow a median of $23,635 to complete the software engineering program here. Early-career software engineering graduates make about $48,263. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
