2026 Best Software Engineering Schools in Massachusetts

Software Engineering is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their software engineering programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools to find the best for software engineering students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Software Engineering Schools in Massachusetts

Best Schools for Software Engineering in Massachusetts

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall software engineering education in Massachusetts.

Top Schools in Software Engineering

1

Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

33 Software Engineering Degrees Awarded

$177,890 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Harvard University, our #1 school for software engineering. Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. The six-year graduation rate is 98%. There were roughly 33 software engineering students who graduated with this degree at Harvard University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the software engineering program make about $177,890 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in software engineering from Harvard University

2

Northeastern University
Boston, MA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

1,086 Software Engineering Degrees Awarded

$99,499 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong software engineering program will find one at Northeastern University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. About 90% of students finish within six years. About 1,086 software engineering degrees were awarded at Northeastern University in the most recent year. Graduates of the software engineering program make about $99,499 in their early career. Northeastern University graduates carry a median of $25,005 in student loans. More information about a degree in software engineering from Northeastern University

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.

• 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.