20 Best Colleges for Software Engineering

Located in downtown San Jose, San Jose State University is a large public university with more than 145 different bachelor’s and master’s degrees and 108 concentrations. As one of the leading suppliers of alumni to Silicon Valley technology firms, it makes sense that earning a bachelor’s in software engineering from San Jose State University is a smart choice.

This software engineering school is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET and covers all topics of data science, including: 

• Data ethics
• Data visualization
• Data security
• Data storage

The bachelor’s degree in software engineering will prepare you to work in a variety of computer science occupations and takes most students just four years to complete. You’ll be able to take a number of relevant technical electives, including: 

• Wireless Mobile Software Engineering
• Fundamentals of Data Mining
• Machine Learning for Big Data
• Server Side Web Programming

A total of 120 units are required for graduation.

Iowa State University is perhaps best known for its prominent athletic teams. Known as the Cyclones, Iowa State athletes compete in Division I of the NCAA and are also part of the Big 12. However, it’s not all fun and games at Iowa State—this public land grant research university is known for its high levels of research activity and offers more than 100 different bachelor’s degrees spread out among eight colleges.

It is in the College of Engineering where the software engineering bachelor’s degree can be found. This program, home to approximately 825 undergraduates, features an impressive job placement rate of 95%. That’s right—95% of this program’s graduates find job placement within just six months of graduation.

Despite only being established in 2007 as a joint program between the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Computer Science, the degree is one of the most popular in the country. In fact, the software engineering degree repeatedly ranks in the top ten of all programs nationwide by a variety of ranking organizations. 

Today, the degree is an interdisciplinary program between the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering. It includes core classes as well as the choice from a variety of electives like:

• Formal Methods in Software Engineering
• Software System Safety
• Principles and Practice of Compiling

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has a reputation as being one of the most revolutionary and groundbreaking institutions in the country. In fact, it is here that the “Nebraska Method” of ecological study was founded, a method that laid the foundation for theoretical ecology research for many years to come. 

But you don’t have to be an ecologist to see the difference that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is making in the world. This school, which is organized into eight colleges on two campuses, has a dedication to research and development in many other fields, too—including software engineering. 

Through this software engineering college, you’ll take classes both in software engineering and computing as well as topics outside these disciplines to fulfill your course requirements here. All software engineering classes are hands-on and highly innovative. In fact, you’ll be able to participate in not just one, but two separate Senior Design capstone courses that will prepare you for professional work with real-world projects that take one year apiece. 

With areas of study including data modeling, human factors, technical communication, and more, this bachelor’s degree in software engineering is clearly one of the best of its kind.

Combining the arts and humanities with professional and technical curriculums, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo has a commitment to interdisciplinary education that is hands-on and career-relevant. This public university, founded more than 119 years ago as one of two polytechnics in the California State University system, is one of the best in the country. 

The College of Engineering offers a software engineering bachelor’s degree that will prepare you with the in-depth skills in software engineering and computer science that you need to be successful in software design. It features several unique areas of concentration, including:

• Interactive entertainment
• Programming languages
• Operating systems
• Artificial intelligence

Many software engineering majors also choose to complete a computer science or computing for interactive arts minor. There is even a cross-disciplinary minor in data science. All of these minors will enable you to work in a wide variety of relevant fields and to pursue the topics that interest you most. 

Not only that, but California Polytechnic also offers a blended software engineering program that allows students to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the same time. To be eligible, you will need to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

As one of ten companies in the University of California system, the University of California-Irvine is often referred to simply as UCI. The school offers more than 200 different majors and is classified among R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity by the Carnegie Foundation. It’s home to a variety of teaching and learning institutions, including the UC Irvine Medicine Center. 

The Bachelor of Science in software engineering at the University of California-Irvine is perfect for students who like to work in teams and want to be at the cutting edge of software innovation.

Through this best software engineering college, you’ll take a variety of core courses that will introduce you to the core fundamentals of software engineering, like requirements analysis, design, and testing. You will also study programming and other relevant computer science concepts. You’ll also be able to take up to two dozen different electives to specialize your studies in an area of interest.

Through this software engineering bachelor’s degree, you’ll gain a wealth of hands-on experience as you complete your courses, learn how to use different programming languages, apply your skills to various domains, and work in teams. You’ll even be able to complete a three-quarter long capstone course that will enable you to work with a team to develop a real system for a client, like a company outside of the university.

With a campus that lies in the heart of Tempe, AZ, Arizona State University-Tempe is also home to a broad online learning community. This public research university, established in 1885, is dedicated both to its traditional style of education as well as to driving innovation in all kinds of disciplines. Arizona State also houses one of the best software engineering schools in the country!

The Bachelor of Science in software engineering at Arizona State University-Tempe combines project leadership, computing, engineering, and software construction to create a truly one-of-a-kind degree.

As a student at this software engineering school, you’ll learn how to develop creative software solutions that can be applied to many of today’s problems.

The software engineering curriculum is project-driven and allows you to learn by doing. In fact, you’ll be able to complete projects every semester of the program, helping you to gain skills in:

• Teamwork
• Communication
• Professionalism
• Critical thinking

The software engineering bachelor’s degree features technical electives that span multiple disciplines, including web and mobile applications and embedded systems. The degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, a feature that will lend you serious credibility when it comes time to apply for a job.

A public research university, Kennesaw State University has two campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta, GA. Founded in 1963, the school was one of the country’s first space-grant institutions and today is the second-largest university in the state of Georgia.

A fully accredited program, the Bachelor of Science in software engineering at Kennesaw State University is the only one offered at a public university in the state of Georgia. You’ll focus on the engineering of software systems within cost and schedule requirements and take core classes like: 

• Data structures
• Computer Organization and Architecture
• Software Project Management

You will also be able to choose from a long list of interdisciplinary and highly technical electives, like: 

• Cloud Software Development
• User Interaction Engineering
• Information Security Administration and Privacy

All in all, you’ll complete a total of 120 total credit hours of study.

To apply for this bachelor’s degree in software engineering, you will need to submit an online application along with high school transcripts and letters of recommendation. Several financial aid and scholarship opportunities are available.

Washington State University is a public research university located in Pullman, WA. Founded in 1890, it’s a school of many nicknames, including WSU and the alumni favorite—Wazzu. WSU houses one of the best software engineering schools in the United States, but that’s not all. It is also one of the oldest land-grant universities in the West but offers many forward-thinking majors. 

The Bachelor of Science in software engineering will prepare you to develop and to maintain large and complex software engineering programs by treating you to courses in topics like: 

• Testing and validation
• Software development
• Integration
• Management

You can pursue courses both at the main campus in Pullman as well as in Everett, WA. 

Whichever option you choose, you’ll be able to gain hands-on experience in creating a large variety of software systems that use all kinds of programming languages. You will also receive assistance with pursuing your career goals from the engineering school’s internship and career contacts as well as its exclusive industrial advisory board.

One more unique feature of this software engineering degree program is the fact that it allows software engineering majors to join a math, science, and engineering community residence hall. Join, and you’ll be able to share classes with your neighbors, study together, and even get free tutoring.

Founded in 1885 as the first university in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Michigan Technological University—or Michigan Tech—was first created to train mining engineers to operate local copper mines. Since then, the school has added a number of business, forestry, science, and technology-focused majors, including the Bachelor of Science in software engineering. 

This software engineering program will help you to secure your position in a well-regarded profession. You’ll be able to work with teams in your classes as well as labs and in the Senior Enterprise or Design programs.

The Enterprise Program is a unique opportunity that brings together students of all majors to work on real projects with real clients in a business-like environment. You’ll receive guidance and coaching from faculty mentors throughout every step of your journey here. 

In addition to the stand-alone bachelor’s degree, Michigan Technological University also offers a 4+1 bachelor’s and master’s degree that will allow you to earn both degrees at once. It will only take one year of accelerated study beyond the bachelor’s. Michigan Technological University offers one of the best software engineering schools in the country–check it out!

A public research and land-grant university, Auburn University is home to more than 30,000 students spread out among dozens of majors. It’s ranked as a Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, a designation that makes sense given the high quality of this school’s programs. Auburn is also home to one of the best software engineering colleges in the country.

The bachelor’s degree in software engineering at Auburn prepares learners for professional careers as software engineers well as graduate study. The program combines a unique and personally-tailored blend of computer science theory and software engineering methodology. 

You’ll take core software engineering classes like:

• Introduction to Operating Systems
• Computer Ethics
• Software Quality Assurance

You’ll also be able to choose from a variety of electives and complete a senior design project, too.

To apply, you will need to submit a high school transcript along with one supplemental document. The supplemental document can be a graded writing assignment, an AP or IB score report, an ACT or SAT score report, or an expanded resume. You will also need to submit a short answer essay.

Originally established as a teacher training school, it makes sense that East Carolina University would remain dedicated to providing some of the best instruction to its more than 25,000 students. Founded in 1907, East Carolina is the fourth-largest university in the state of North Carolina. East Carolina is home to one of the best software engineering schools in the United States.

The software engineering program here prepares students to keep up with rapid advances in digital media, search technologies, mobile computing, and other technologies. The program will prepare you to become a leader and innovator who can help drive change in the software industry. 

One hundred twenty total semester hours are required. You will take 42 semester hours of core courses like: 

• Technical Writing
• Software Verification and Validation
• Software Architecture and Design

To be eligible for admission, you will need to have an unweighted high school GPA of 3.0. You will also need to submit SAT or ACT test scores.

Originally known as the Montana State School of Mines, Montana Technological University is a public school located in Butte, MT. It was founded in 1900 and has gone through multiple name changes, including that from Montana Tech of the University of Montana. The school has an emphasis on engineering, applied, and health science.

An ABET-accredited program, the Bachelor of Science in software engineering program will prepare you to work with cutting-edge careers in computing and technology by helping you gain experience in testing, designing, maintaining, and building new software systems. As you move through your courses, you’ll be able to interact with world-renowned faculty who bring a wealth of industry experience to the classroom. 

You will also enjoy access to state-of-the-art equipment and computers along with a developed suite of servers for research and project work. This top school for software engineering is one of the few to have the heterogeneous computing platform Hydra, too.

As an upperclassman, you’ll be able to gain real-world experience through all kinds of software engineering internships, with students working for organizations like Google, the City of Butte, and Dish Network.

The second-largest public university in the Dallas area, the University of Texas at Dallas has grown rapidly in regards to its research output. The school is home to more than 140 academic programs and has more than 50 research centers and institutes.

Despite being a relatively young major, the software engineering degree at the University of Texas at Dallas is one of the best. You’ll work with internationally-recognized faculty in a 150,000 square foot building with all the modern accoutrements, including cutting-edge laboratories and classrooms. 

The curriculum for this program is built on a mathematical foundation and a solid computer science core.

You’ll take classes in subjects like linear algebra, calculus, and discrete mathematics before moving on to classes in areas like:

• Advanced data structure
• Programming languages
• Software architecture

The software engineering bachelor’s degree even features multiple application areas, including computer imaging, digital systems design, and machine learning. No matter what kinds of courses you choose to take, you’ll have access to one of the largest internship and cooperative education programs of its kind.

The program averages more than 1,200 placements each year, with students working at high-profile companies like Intel, IBM, and Texas Instruments.

Originally founded as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University has made major leaps since its inception in 1855. This school is a designated space-, sun-, and sea-grant university, one of only four universities in the United States to hold this unique distinction. 

In the software engineering program, you’ll gain the skills necessary to work directly in industry or to pursue further study in graduate school.

You’ll complete a broad-based science core in subjects like physics, chemistry, and mathematics before pursuing your interests in software engineering subjects like: 

• Object-oriented design
• Information systems
• Data communications

All software engineering majors are also required to complete a final capstone that will require you to work with a team to plan and manage a software design project.

This software engineering degree program is offered at all of Penn State’s campuses, including online. To apply, you will need to have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. While enrolled, you will take a minimum of 126 credits of study.

A public university in Dearborn, MI, the University of Michigan-Dearborn is home to more than 100 different majors and minors along with multiple specialist and doctoral programs. The school is known for its commitment to the local community as well as to the continued quality of education for its students. 

The software engineering program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of Abet and includes courses in everything from the design and optimization of software systems to their implementation and management. You’ll also gain the technical skills necessary to modify software solutions later on.

Through this software engineering college, you’ll gain real-world experience through a host of research, internship, and study abroad opportunities. As a result of these experiences and the hands-on education you’ll receive in your class on campus, you’ll be poised to pursue work for a variety of organizations, including Google, Ford Motor Company, and SOAR Tech, just to name a few.

A public university in Edmond, OK, the University of Central Oklahoma was founded in 1890 and is one of the oldest universities in the southwestern United States. This school offers one of the best bachelor’s in software engineering via its computer science department. 

The software engineering bachelor’s degree offers a curriculum that provides students with a comprehensive overview of the practices, principles, and tools required for the development, design, and maintenance of software.

It includes core classes like:

• Ethics in Computing
• Computer and Network Security
• Applications of Database Management Systems

You’ll also be able to choose from electives in one of two different application areas: Application Development and System Development. 

While enrolled, you’ll have access to a number of opportunities meant to enhance your experience and boost your resume. For example, the school offers students internship opportunities with Chesapeake Energy along with a number of scholarships within the General Academic Scholarship Program and the College of Mathematics and Science.

Although the University of Illinois at Chicago was originally established as a conglomeration of several of the region’s top private health colleges, including the Chicago College of Pharmacy and the Columbian College of Dentistry, the school is today known as one of the region’s premier research universities. 

The Bachelor of Science in computer science at the University of Illinois at Chicago has a concentration in software engineering that is perfect for aspiring leaders.

In this program, you’ll take core classes like: 

• Data Structures
• Software Design
• Machine Organization

You’ll also be able to choose from a wide array of technical electives like: 

• Programming Language Design
• Database Systems
• Codes and Cryptography

The software engineering degree is offered by the College of Engineering and is just one of the many exemplary hands-on programs offered by the University of Illinois at Chicago. The software engineering school is ranked within the top ten for value by Wall Street Journal and is also ranked as Chicago’s largest and most diverse university by U.S. News & World Report.

Despite the fact that Utah Valley University only attained university status in July 2008, Utah Valley University remains one of the most prestigious and forward-thinking institutions in the Western United States. Here, you’ll find one of the best bachelor’s in software engineering. 

Utah Valley offers a Bachelor of Science in software engineering that consists of 120 total program credits. In this software engineering program, you’ll learn how to work with users and customers to understand and best serve their needs. 

You’ll develop and employ major and innovative software development approaches to manage software development projects, too, taking core classes like: 

• Fundamentals of Programming
• Computer Organization and Architecture
• Global, Social, and Ethical Issues in Computing

The average class size is 23 students, meaning you’ll be able to interact safely with your instructors and fellow classmates. 

Ready to apply? Utah Valley University is an open-admission institution. To apply, you’ll need to submit an online application and your transcripts. This software engineering program is also highly affordable, with more than 250 scholarship opportunities and 52% of students receiving financial aid assistance.

Florida Gulf Coast University has academics that are divided into five colleges. A nationally-ranked school, students are encouraged to remember their roots and to give back to the local community via the required service-learning component prior to graduation. As a whole, students have contributed more than 2.2 million volunteer hours since 1997. 

The software engineering program at Florida Gulf Coast is offered by the U.A. Whitaker College of Engineering. You’ll take traditional computer science courses like object-oriented programming and operating systems along with software engineering courses like software architecture and design and team-oriented senior software engineering projects. 

In addition to being career-relevant, this software engineering college is also highly affordable. In fact, the school has not increased its tuition in seven years and awards more than $116 million in financial aid and scholarship annually. Fifty-two percent of students graduate with zero debt. You can’t beat the return on investment you’ll get from studying here!

Although Mississippi State University’s full name is technically the Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Sciences, this land-grant research university is often known simply as MSU. It was chartered as an agricultural and mechanical college and today offers some of the most technologically-sophisticated software engineering programs in the country.

While the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in software engineering at Mississippi State University change slightly every year, you can’t argue with the fact that the curriculum of this program prepares learners for career success.

You will take a variety of departmental requirements like: 

• Computer Organization
• Operating Systems
• Data Structures and Algorithms

A number of minors are available to help you further hone your studies, too. The software engineering department offers minors in computer science and software engineering but you might pursue one outside of the department in an area like business to help you further enhance your career prospects.