21 software engineering degrees you can complete online, each confirmed on the school’s own program page: 7 bachelor’s and 14 master’s.
Kevin ToFounder & Editor·B.S. in Computer Science, Temple University·Updated
Online programs
21
the school’s own page
Bachelor’s
7
the school’s own page
Master’s
14
the school’s own page
Fully online
8
the school’s own page
Key takeaways
0121 software engineering degrees can be completed online, 7 bachelor’s and 14 master’s, each confirmed on the school’s own page rather than in federal data alone. Some are fully online and some are campus programs with an online option, so ask either kind whether classes meet live and whether any part needs a campus visit.
02Kennesaw State, UH-Clear Lake and North Dakota State lead our online master’s ranking. Scores rest on the out-of-state campus rate and program size, so read them as a shortlist, then compare the teaching format and the support for remote students on each program’s page. The full list is in the online master’s ranking.
036 of these programs publish a price on their own page, from $490 to $950 a credit. That published rate, multiplied by the credit total, is a better guide than the federal campus figure in the tables, which an online program doesn’t always charge. See what they cost.
042 of the 7 online bachelor’s programs are ABET-accredited. ABET accredits a named program at a named campus, so a school’s campus degree can be accredited while its online version is not. Confirm on ABET’s search that the version you would enroll in is the one listed.
0513 of the 21 programs are at public universities, where tuition can depend on where you live, and 8 are at private schools that charge everyone the same rate. If a public university in your own state is on the list, ask whether its online program charges residents less.
Online master’s
Online master’s: the top 3
The three highest-scoring programs in our online master’s ranking, with the same scores they carry there. The full ranking has all 10.
#01
Kennesaw State University
Master of Science in Software Engineering · Kennesaw, GA
#1 in our online master’s ranking
Score67.6of 100
Top 10 in the ranking
Campus or online
Cost24/40
Size19.6/30
Research9/15
ABET dept.15/15
Credits
30
Grad tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$19,188
Grads/yr
57
Field earnings, 1 yr (not scored)
$92,217
Field median debt (not scored)
$35,556
School-wide average across all graduate students; excludes program fees. Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
You can finish Kennesaw State University's software engineering master's in one to two years. It is 30 credit hours, offered face-to-face, in a hybrid setting or fully online, with full-time and part-time options and evening classes among the schedules. Entry terms are fall, spring and summer. Admission asks for a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 2.75 from a regionally accredited college or university, official transcripts from each school you attended, and a resume or professional vitae.
Fundamental knowledge of the field has to show up through relevant coursework, foundation courses or foundation modules, and students from outside computing can be assigned up to four foundation courses. Coursework covers web, mobile and cloud software through analysis, design and architecture, system verification and data management. Listed job titles for graduates include DevOps engineer, agile scrum master, software project manager and solution architect.
#02
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Software Engineering M.S. · Houston, TX
#2 in our online master’s ranking
Score59.5of 100
Top 10 in the ranking
Campus or online
Cost24/40
Size17.5/30
Research3/15
ABET dept.15/15
Grad tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$17,532
Grads/yr
36.3
School-wide average across all graduate students; excludes program fees. Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
Four optional specializations, Gaming, Robotics Software, Software Project Management and Data Mining, come beyond the core at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. The coursework addresses the foundations, methodologies and tools used in the management, planning, design and engineering of software systems, and each core area of software engineering has its own set of core and extended courses. You finish with either the capstone option or the thesis option. The degree runs in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting and fully online.
Admission asks for a 3.0 GPA and a bachelor's degree in computer science or another computing-related or engineering field, though applicants with other degrees can qualify with evidence of significant work experience in software development. You also need foundation courses: Data Structures and at least two other programming classes, such as C, C++, Java or Object Oriented Programming. GRE scores are not required. The program balances theory and practice, and the page says you are best prepared with an undergraduate degree in computer science.
#03
North Dakota State University
Master of Software Engineering (MSE) · Fargo, ND
#3 in our online master’s ranking
Score58.9of 100
Top 10 in the ranking
Campus or online
Cost32/40
Size11.9/30
Research15/15
ABET dept.0/15
Grad tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$11,377
Grads/yr
10.7
School-wide average across all graduate students; excludes program fees. Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
Finishing this degree on your own timeline is possible at North Dakota State University, which offers the Master of Software Engineering online as well as on campus. The program goes past programming to a full, disciplined approach to software development and lifecycle management, from requirements gathering and design to testing, maintenance and project management. The curriculum builds skills in software design, software testing, project planning and more, with a strong emphasis on methodologies, tools and real-world application.
Advanced coursework is paired with hands-on experience, and you can collaborate with researchers on pressing problems in the field. Three graduate certificates sit alongside the degree, each on campus or online: building software projects, fundamentals of software engineering, and management of software engineering projects. Various departments offer graduate assistantships to help cover costs, and each student works with a dedicated academic advisor on a personalized plan.
The three differ most on price. Out-of-state graduate tuition for 2023–24 is $19,188 at Kennesaw State University, $17,532 at University of Houston-Clear Lake, $11,377 at North Dakota State University, and they graduate 57.0, 36.3, 10.7 students a year, in that order. Tuition carries 57 of the 100 points and size the other 43.
Every bachelor’s degree in software engineering that the school’s own page says can be completed online. There are 7, too few for a meaningful ranking, so they are listed without scores, ABET-accredited first.
2 of the 7 are on ABET’s list. The schools’ six-year graduation rates run from 34% to 68%, a figure for the whole school rather than its online students. 4 state a credit total, from 120 to 126 credits.
Net price: the school’s average net price from IPEDS (2022-23), what aided first-year students pay after grants for tuition, fees, housing and books; public schools report in-state.
Completion: the school’s eight-year award rate for all entering students, part-time and transfer included (IPEDS Outcome Measures), for the whole school.
Grads/yr: IPEDS completions, 3-year average (2021–22 to 2023–24).
✓ ABET: on ABET’s own accredited list.
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Online Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering · Scottsdale, AZ
Most graduates a year on this list
ABET-accredited
Fully online
Credits
120
Tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$13,512
Grads/yr
137.3
Completion, 8 yr (school)
44%
Field earnings, 1 yr (not scored)
$81,123
Field median debt (not scored)
$25,000
Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
This ASU Online degree runs 41 classes, each lasting 7.5 to 15 weeks, for 120 credit hours in all. Coursework covers calculus for engineers, database management, physics and mechanics and programming fundamentals, and group projects are a core part of the curriculum.
The same degree is also available in person. Students can count the bachelor's toward an Accelerated Master's program and earn a master's degree in as little as one year after finishing it.
Kennesaw State University
Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering · Kennesaw, GA
ABET-accredited
Campus or online
Credits
120
Tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$15,704
Grads/yr
80.7
Avg net price (school)
$17,566
Completion, 8 yr (school)
52%
Field earnings, 1 yr (not scored)
$77,455
Field median debt (not scored)
$23,250
Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
Systems that meet specified requirements, reach mission-critical quality levels and stay within cost and schedule requirements: that is what the software engineering bachelor's at Kennesaw State University trains you to build. It is 120 credit hours over a four-year program, taken face-to-face, online or hybrid, with day and after-hour classes. The primary campus is Marietta, and entry terms are fall, spring and summer. Labs and classroom work give hands-on training, you can work in teams and on group projects, and the school keeps class sizes small.
A degree pathway maps out your courses by semester and by year. The Department of Software Engineering and Game Design and Development runs the degree. Double Owl Pathways lets undergraduates pursue a graduate degree, including the Software Engineering MS, in less time and at lower cost than earning each separately. Careers the page lists include software engineer, embedded systems developer, computer systems analyst and technical project manager. The degree is accredited by ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission.
Grand Canyon University
Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering · Phoenix, AZ
Campus or online
Credits
120
Tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$16,390
Grads/yr
0.7
Avg net price (school)
$22,239
Completion, 8 yr (school)
46%
Published cost, school’s page (not scored)
Campus: $8,250 per semester; online: $490 per credit
Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
Tuition at Grand Canyon University is $8,250 per semester on campus and $490 per credit online. The degree totals 120 credits, with 80 in the major, taught in 15-week terms on campus or 7-week terms online.
The software engineering sequence runs through three courses: SE I: Requirements, Analysis and Design, SE II: Architectural & Deployment and SE III: Quality, Testing & Secure Delivery. Every student submits a capstone project, completed across Capstone Project I and Capstone Project II. A Christian worldview course is part of the general education requirements.
University of Arizona
Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering · Tucson, AZ
Campus or online
Tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$37,053
Grads/yr
4.7
Avg net price (school)
$18,144
Completion, 8 yr (school)
63%
Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
The University of Arizona teaches its software engineering degree in Tucson, in Yuma and online through Arizona Online. The curriculum is built around Agile development, automated testing with continuous integration and DevOps, and it includes a DevSecOps course.
The sample plan puts Software Assurance and Security and Software Design Process in the third year. Seniors take a two-semester cross-disciplinary design course, ENGR 498A and 498B. The major has no pre-major requirement and no second-language requirement.
University of Minnesota-Crookston
Software Engineering major · Crookston, MN
Lowest net price on this list
Campus or online
Tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$11,478
Grads/yr
6.7
Avg net price (school)
$13,442
Completion, 8 yr (school)
52%
Published cost, school’s page (not scored)
$14,364 tuition and fees, full-time on campus, 2026-2027
Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
UMN Crookston teaches software engineering on campus and online, with areas of emphasis in financial and e-commerce systems, network-centric systems, and gaming, 3D modeling and simulation.
The department points to its Undergraduate Collaborative Learning and Experiential Applied Research Lab. Tuition and fees are $14,364 for the 2026-2027 year for full-time students on campus, and on-campus degree-seeking students are given a laptop.
North Dakota State University
Software Engineering · Fargo, ND
Highest completion on this list
Campus or online
Tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$13,963
Grads/yr
0.3
Avg net price (school)
$16,461
Completion, 8 yr (school)
65%
Field earnings, 1 yr (not scored)
$76,558
Field median debt (not scored)
$21,500
Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
Two departments share this degree: computer science and electrical and computer engineering teach it jointly at North Dakota State University in Fargo. The coursework builds a foundation in mathematics, physics, software design, circuit theory and engineering principles.
Students choose on-campus or online delivery, and each works with a dedicated academic advisor to create a personalized plan. Alongside the major, the university offers an undergraduate software engineering certificate in both formats. The program page points to careers such as software engineer, software developer, DevOps engineer and full stack developer.
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering · University Park, PA
Fully online
Credits
126
Tuition 2023–24, out-of-state
$15,204
Grads/yr
30.3
Avg net price (school)
$21,171
Completion, 8 yr (school)
40%
Field earnings, 1 yr (not scored)
$85,446
Field median debt (not scored)
$26,471
Published cost, school’s page (not scored)
$644 per credit with 59 or fewer credits accrued, $692 per credit with 60 or more, at 11 or fewer credits a semester (2026-27)
Out-of-state campus rate; an online program may charge a different flat rate.
Tuition for this online degree is $644 per credit for students with 59 or fewer credits and $692 per credit at 60 or more, for 11 or fewer credits a semester in 2026-27. Penn State World Campus lists 126 credits in a 100% online format that students complete at their own pace.
Seniors work with real companies on an industry-sponsored design project, and a capstone course has students design software in groups. Courses cover discrete mathematics, probability and statistics.
Format
Fully online or campus and online
“Online” covers two kinds of program here. 8 of the 21 are fully online: the school’s page describes them as online programs. The other 13 are campus programs that can also be completed online, so online students earn the same degree as the students on campus.
Fully online bachelor’s: Arizona State University Digital Immersion, Pennsylvania State University-World Campus.
Fully online master’s: St. Cloud State, Washington State, St. Mary's University, Bowling Green State, Purdue, West Virginia.
Neither kind is better on its face. A fully online program is built around remote students from the start; a campus program offered online gives you the same courses as the campus students. Ask either kind how its online courses are taught, live or recorded, and whether any part needs a trip to campus.
Cost
What online programs cost
The price on the program’s own page, where it publishes one.
An online program can set its own price, so the most useful figure is the one on the program’s page. 6 of the 21 programs publish one, quoted here as the school states it:
Program
Published price
Credits
Grand CanyonBachelor’s
Campus: $8,250 per semester; online: $490 per credit
120
Minnesota-CrookstonBachelor’s
$14,364 tuition and fees, full-time on campus, 2026-2027
Penn State World CampusBachelor’s
$644 per credit with 59 or fewer credits accrued, $692 per credit with 60 or more, at 11 or fewer credits a semester (2026-27)
126
Bowling Green StateMaster’s
$615 per credit hour
30
PurdueMaster’s
$950 per credit hour (Indiana resident and non-resident)
30
West VirginiaMaster’s
$805 per credit hour
30
For every program, the tables above use IPEDS 2023–24 out-of-state tuition, the rate a non-resident pays on campus. It runs from $11,478 to $37,053 a year for the bachelor’s programs and from $11,377 to $41,380 for the master’s. Where a program publishes its own online rate, that rate is the better guide: multiply it by the credit total and add fees.
Where to study
Where the schools are
Studying online doesn’t mean the school is local, but where it is still matters for tuition at a public university and for any campus visits. The 21 programs are based in 12 states. 13 of the 21 are at public universities, where the out-of-state rate usually applies to an online student from elsewhere, and 8 are at private schools, which charge the same rate wherever you live. If a public university in your own state is on the list, ask whether its online program charges residents less.
What software developers earn and how fast the job is growing, from BLS.
An online degree leads to the same jobs as a campus one, and BLS tracks the main one, software developer, closely. Software developers earned a median of $135,980 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the middle half between $105,210 and $171,980. About 1,688,000 people held the job.
BLS projects software developer jobs to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 95,300 openings a year. Software quality assurance analysts and testers, a related job BLS tracks separately, earned a median of $104,300, and that job is projected to grow 5.7% over the same decade.
$135,980Median pay, software developersBLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35.
How to choose
How to choose an online software engineering degree
Start with the level. If you don’t have a bachelor’s yet, the 7 online bachelor’s programs above are the full list; compare them with every campus program in the bachelor’s ranking. If you already have one, the online master’s ranking scores 10 programs on price and size, and the full master’s ranking puts them beside the campus programs.
Then check four things on each program’s page. First, the price per credit and the credit total, since the federal tuition figure is a campus rate. Second, how classes run: live sessions at set times or recorded lectures you watch when you can. Third, whether any part of the degree needs you on campus, for orientation, exams or a capstone. Fourth, accreditation: 2 of the online bachelor’s programs are on ABET’s list, and the ABET-accredited programs page explains why that matters for licensure.
Finally, ask about support built for remote students: advising, career services, and the team projects a software engineering degree depends on. A program that can explain how its online students form teams and work with a client has thought about the parts of the degree that are hardest to do remotely.
Yes. 21 software engineering degrees can be completed online, 7 bachelor’s and 14 master’s, according to each school’s own program page; 8 are fully online.
Are the online bachelor’s degrees ranked?
No. There are 7, too few for a meaningful ranking, so they are listed here without scores. Each also appears in our bachelor’s ranking.
Which online master’s programs rank highest?
Kennesaw State University (67.6), University of Houston-Clear Lake (59.5), North Dakota State University (58.9) lead the online master’s ranking, scored on 2023–24 out-of-state graduate tuition, graduates a year, research activity and ABET status.
How was each program confirmed as online?
A program is listed only when its own page says it can be completed online, fully or as an option alongside campus study. The federal distance-education flag is not used on its own.
How much does an online software engineering degree cost?
6 of the 21 online programs publish a price on their own page; the cost section quotes each as the school states it. IPEDS out-of-state tuition for 2023–24 has a median of $15,204 for the bachelor’s programs and $22,135 for the master’s.
Are online software engineering degrees ABET-accredited?
2 of the 7 online bachelor’s programs are on ABET’s list. ABET accredits a named program at a named campus, so confirm that the online version is the one on the list. No software engineering master’s program here is ABET-accredited.
Which software engineering bachelor’s degrees are fully online?
ASU Online and Penn State World Campus describe their programs as fully online. The other 5 online bachelor’s programs are campus degrees that can also be completed online.
Is an online software engineering master’s worth it?
It depends on the price you pay and the job you want. Software developers earned a median of $135,980 in May 2025, according to BLS. Compare that with the program’s published price per credit times its credit total, and with what you earn now.
How many credits is an online software engineering degree?
Of the programs that state a credit total on their own page, the 4 bachelor’s programs run 120 to 126 credits and the 8 master’s programs 30. How long that takes depends on how many courses you take each term, so ask each school whether it allows part-time study and what that schedule looks like.
Do you have to live in the school’s state to study online?
Not to enroll in these programs, but residency can change the price at a public university, which is why the tables use the out-of-state rate. The 21 programs are based in 12 states.
Sources
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these. Numbers are computed from the data at build time, never typed in.
2NCES IPEDS institutional charges, 2023-24 Annual tuition at the program’s own level: undergraduate for bachelor’s programs; for master’s, the school-wide average graduate tuition, which excludes program fees.
3NCES IPEDS graduation rates The school’s six-year graduation rate, reported for the whole school, not the program.
5NCES IPEDS distance education, 2023-24 Programs offered entirely online; used for the Format column only where the program’s page doesn’t state a format.
