2026 Best Software Engineering Schools in the Southeast Region
Software Engineering degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their software engineering programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 31 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for software engineering students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Software Engineering in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall software engineering education in the Southeast Region.
Top Schools in Software Engineering
Leading the list is Auburn University, our #1 school for software engineering. Located in the city of Auburn, Auburn University is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 82%. About 62 software engineering degrees were awarded at Auburn University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Auburn University generally make around $80,067. Auburn University graduates carry a median of $22,125 in student loans.
See the full software engineering program report for Auburn University
George Mason University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in software engineering, ranking #2. George Mason University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax. George Mason University graduates 68% of students within six years. About 34 software engineering degrees were awarded at George Mason University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from George Mason University generally make around $109,917. Students borrow a median of $26,697 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in software engineering from George Mason University
Bellarmine University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in software engineering, ranking #3. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Louisville. Roughly 64% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 13 software engineering degrees were awarded at Bellarmine University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Bellarmine University generally make around $46,024. Bellarmine University graduates carry a median of $26,766 in student loans.
Read more about the software engineering program at Bellarmine University
University Of Miami is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in software engineering, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Coral Gables, University Of Miami is a very large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 84%. University Of Miami awarded about 17 software engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the software engineering program make about $57,234 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $17,750.
More information about a degree in software engineering from University Of Miami
Florida Institute Of Technology is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in software engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Melbourne, Florida Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 62%. About 26 software engineering degrees were awarded at Florida Institute Of Technology in the most recent year. Graduates of the software engineering program make about $79,244 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,125.
See the full software engineering program report for Florida Institute Of Technology
Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #6 for software engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 57%. There were roughly 64 software engineering students who graduated with this degree at Florida Gulf Coast University in the most recent data year. Software Engineering graduates of Florida Gulf Coast University earn a median of $60,746 early in their careers. Florida Gulf Coast University graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans.
More information about a degree in software engineering from Florida Gulf Coast University
West Virginia University placed #7 among the best software engineering schools. Set in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 64%. There were roughly 18 software engineering students who graduated with this degree at West Virginia University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the software engineering program make about $76,314 in their early career. West Virginia University graduates carry a median of $24,500 in student loans.
See the full software engineering program report for West Virginia University
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach landed the #8 spot for software engineering this year. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Daytona Beach. The six-year graduation rate is 66%. About 18 software engineering degrees were awarded at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach in the most recent year. Students who receive their software engineering degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach earn around $79,276 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,146 to complete this degree.
See the full software engineering program report for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach
Kennesaw State University placed #9 among the best software engineering schools. Set in the suburb of Kennesaw, Kennesaw State University is a very large public institution. About 52% of students finish within six years. About 173 software engineering degrees were awarded at Kennesaw State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their software engineering degree from Kennesaw State University earn around $84,836 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
See the full software engineering program report for Kennesaw State University
Keiser University Ft Lauderdale came in at #10 for software engineering this year. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Fort Lauderdale. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 19 software engineering students who graduated with this degree at Keiser University Ft Lauderdale in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, software engineering degree recipients from Keiser University Ft Lauderdale generally make around $45,453. Students borrow a median of $48,442 to complete this degree.
Get the full software engineering details for Keiser University Ft Lauderdale
Full Sail University landed the #11 spot for software engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Winter Park, Full Sail University is a very large private for-profit university. Full Sail University graduates 45% of students within six years. There were roughly 148 software engineering students who graduated with this degree at Full Sail University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their software engineering degree from Full Sail University earn around $61,553 in the first couple years of their career. Full Sail University graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans.
See the full software engineering program report for Full Sail University
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 31 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.