Software Engineering
Software Engineering graduates earn an average annual wage of $148,349, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 59,230 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Software Engineering and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$N/A Median In-State Public
$N/A Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Software Engineering majors are, on average, $N/A for in-state public colleges, and $N/A for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Software Engineering programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Software Engineering from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Software Engineering.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Husson University | ME | 2,395 |
| 2 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston | TX | 559 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Software Engineering programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Husson University | ME | $22,194 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Software Engineering programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Husson University | ME | $20,798 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Software Engineering programs.
Graduation Rates
55.50% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
56.31% Average Graduation Rate
364 Institutions Reporting
44.34% - 69.94% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Software Engineering programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Software Engineering graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$148,349 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Software Engineering majors is $148,349.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Software Engineering majors.
Occupations by Share
59,230 2023 Workforce
The number of Software Engineering graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Software Engineering by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Software Engineering degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Software Engineering degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Software Engineering in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Software Engineering.
Age distribution for Software Engineering degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
197,615 Total Degrees Awarded
145,715 Male (73.74%)
51,900 Female (26.26%)
Gender distribution of Software Engineering degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
88,283 White (44.67%)
23,939 Hispanic or Latino (12.11%)
21,854 Asian (11.06%)
7,528 Black or African American (3.81%)
7,064 Two or More Races (3.57%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Software Engineering degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Software Engineering are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Software Engineering.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Software Engineering field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Software Engineering majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Software Engineering majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Software Engineering majors.
About
Software Engineering
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Software Engineering.
CIP Code
14.0000 - Software Engineering
Insights and Analysis
High Earning Potential: Software Engineering graduates earn an average annual wage of $148,349, placing them among the top earners in the workforce. This strong earning potential reflects both the demand for skills in this field and the value employers place on this degree.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.