Earn an Online Software Engineering Degree
By earning an online software engineering degree students can enter a growing, fascinating, and lucrative field.
The average annual salary of someone with an online software engineering degree is $75,000, according to Payscale. These individuals go on to work as software engineers and developers, systems engineers, computer analysts, web developers, and leading or senior software engineers. They work in cyber security, ensuring that places like hospitals and banks can keep their clients' data safe, or in businesses or governmental organizations.
The difference between earning a degree on-campus and earning a degree online amounts to programs allowing students to adapt their learning to their needs. Some individuals do not want to sacrifice time with their families, and other individuals cannot afford to interrupt their work life to earn an education. Still others are trying to balance work, family, and education. This is why nontraditional learners prefer the flexibility of an online learning environment.
What kind of online software engineering degree should you get?
If you find yourself in a situation that makes going back to school or enrolling for the first time either logistically or financially problematic, then getting an online degree can be a great option for you. Online undergraduate programs in software engineering are an affordable, accessible, and flexible way to earn your BS in software engineering.
Despite the stigma online programs once held, they have mostly shed those stereotypes and have increasingly solid reputations, in large part because online programs are developed and taught by the same faculty who teach the traditional, on-campus courses. And in most cases, the diploma looks exactly the same as those garnered by "traditional students," yet it was obtained at half the price.
Recommended Schools
How much money does one make with an online software engineering degree?
In the next few years, the employment of software engineers is projected to increase by a huge 22 percent. Furthermore, those engineers will make, on average, an annual salary of $100,690, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And these numbers reflect just those engineers who have a Bachelor's of Science degree. Both employment rate and salary go up exponentially for those with advanced degrees. So if you're committed to getting a degree, expand your horizon by looking at our list of the top online colleges.
What can you do with an online software engineering degree?
Naturally, graduates from these programs have gone on to become software engineers for a range of companies and across industries. But the opportunities don't stop there. In fact, this is a highly versatile degree.
But don't just take it from us. Look at the stats! Graduates from these programs have secured careers as:
Computer and Information Systems Managers
Sales Engineers
Chief Technology Officers
Video Game Designer
and much more
What are the requirements for an online software engineering degree?
Because these are bachelor degrees you will have to allocate at least the first year or so to completing some general education coursework. But once those credits are fulfilled you will jump into the major. This will first entail foundational classes that will introduce you to software engineering fundamentals.
In your final years you will take highly technical and specialized coursework in software engineering. It will also be expected that, before graduation, you participate in either a capstone research project or internship, sometimes even both. We've been sure to note which programs have which requirements.
What are the best online Bachelor's of Science in Software Engineering degree programs?
Below are the Best Online Bachelor's in Software Engineering degree programs in the country. Here at College Choice we've collated and compared the academic reputation, student satisfaction, affordability, and average annual salary of early career software engineering from online programs across the country to create a definitive ranking of the nation's fifteen best.
We first chose programs with the most renowned academic reputation according to U.S. News & World Report, and from those pared the list down to those with high retention rates—a reflection of student satisfaction.
Then, we ordered them by weighting reputation and retention rates with tuition price and the averages of early career salaries (care of PayScale) to arrive at a list marked by thorough research and extensive data aggregation.
Our figures come from the university and colleges' websites as well as nationally recognized U.S. News & World Reportand The National Center for Education Statistics.
Top 10 Best Online Software Engineering Degrees
See our rankings methodology page.
