Georgia has 4 programs titled software engineering at 3 schools, 1 accredited by ABET, and 21 computer science programs. This guide covers each one, what it costs, and what software developers earn in the state.
Kevin ToFounder & Editor·B.S. in Computer Science, Temple University·Updated
Software engineering programs
4
titled software engineering
ABET-accredited
1
ABET’s list, 2026-09-30
Computer science programs
21
IPEDS 2024
Median pay, software developers
$131,010
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Key takeaways
01Georgia has 4 degrees titled software engineering, 2 bachelor’s and 2 master’s, at 3 schools, plus 21 computer science programs. 1 of the software engineering programs is on ABET’s accredited list. Kennesaw State ranks first among the state’s bachelor’s programs, with a score of 72.5 out of 100, #13 nationally. Each program below is checked against the school’s own page.
02At Georgia’s public schools, the median undergraduate tuition for 2023–24 was $7,064 in state and $23,384 out of state, so residency saves about $16,320 a year at the median. Private schools had a median of $31,265. These IPEDS figures are one per school and leave out fees, housing and financial aid.
03Software developers in Georgia earned a median of $131,010 in May 2025, against $135,980 nationally, and half earned between $103,410 and $162,240. The state employed 49,700 of them. Nationally, BLS projects the occupation to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations.
04Prices in Georgia were 3.7% below the national average in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s measure, and housing stood at 88.7 against a national 100. At national prices, the state’s developer median goes as far as about $136,040. BEA’s 2024 figures are its latest, a year behind the pay data.
05Neighboring states with programs titled software engineering: Florida (8), North Carolina (3), Alabama (2) and South Carolina (2). Each has its own guide with the same comparisons of programs, cost and pay, so a program across the state line can be weighed against one at home, keeping in mind that a public school charges nonresidents more.
This guide
Studying software engineering in Georgia
A degree titled software engineering puts design, testing and the management of large software projects at the center, where computer science centers on computation itself. Georgia offers both, and many software engineers hold either one.
What this page covers
Software engineering programs: the 4 bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Georgia titled software engineering, each checked against the school’s own page.
Computer science programs: the state’s 21 bachelor’s and master’s programs in computer science, from federal data.
Online programs: software engineering degrees from our rankings that can be completed online.
Not included: associate degrees, certificates, bootcamps, doctoral programs and degrees in related fields such as information technology.
Methodology
How we ranked these programs
Programs in Georgia are ranked against each other at the same degree level, highest score first. The score is out of 100 and comes from our national rankings, so a program carries the same score on every page of this site. It isn’t curved for Georgia: each factor is measured against fixed national standards, which is why even the strongest program here can sit well below 100.
The bachelor’s score
Kennesaw State: #13 of 75 nationally
Kennesaw State leads in Georgia with 72.5 out of 100
Across the country the median bachelor’s score is 56.7 and the highest is 87.0. Its biggest gap is completion, where it earns 18.2 of 35 points. Every scored program is in Best Bachelor’s in Software Engineering.
Scored factors
100 pts total
Cost25 pts
The school’s average net price after grants (IPEDS), in fixed dollar tiers.
Under $12,00025 pts
$12,000 to $15,99920 pts
$16,000 to $19,99915 pts
$20,000 to $24,99910 pts
$25,000 to $31,9995 pts
$32,000 or more0 pts
Completion35 pts
The school’s eight-year completion rate for all entering students (IPEDS Outcome Measures), as a share of the points.
ABET accreditation25 pts
Full points if the program is on ABET’s own accredited list, none if not.
Program size15 pts
Graduates a year, on a log scale that reaches full points at 100.
The master’s score
Kennesaw State: #11 of 44 nationally
Kennesaw State leads in Georgia with 67.6 out of 100
Across the country the median master’s score is 52.0 and the highest is 86.9. Its biggest gap is cost, where it earns 24 of 40 points. Every scored program is in Software Engineering Master’s Programs.
Scored factors
100 pts total
Cost40 pts
The school’s graduate tuition (IPEDS), in fixed dollar tiers.
Under $10,00040 pts
$10,000 to $14,99932 pts
$15,000 to $19,99924 pts
$20,000 to $29,99916 pts
$30,000 to $39,9998 pts
$40,000 or more0 pts
Program size30 pts
Graduates a year, on a log scale that reaches full points at 500.
Research activity15 pts
The school’s Carnegie research class, from IPEDS.
R115
R29
Doctoral/professional3
Other0
ABET-accredited department15 pts
Full points if the school’s software engineering or computer science bachelor’s is on ABET’s list.
Each program is ranked against the others in Georgia at the same degree level, by the score our national rankings use. Tuition is IPEDS 2023–24; grad rate is the school’s. Full details for a ranked program are on its ranking page.
Bachelor’s
Master’s
Top 3 in Georgia
Not ranked
Bachelor’s in software engineering
2 programs
#1 in Georgia
72.5of 100
Kennesaw State
Kennesaw, GA
BSCampus + online
In-state
$4,450
Out-of-state
$15,704
Completion
52%
✓ ABET-accredited
Online
The only ABET-accredited bachelor’s program in Georgia
Only undergraduate software engineering degree at a Georgia public university
The BS in software engineering at Kennesaw State is 120 credit hours on the Marietta campus, with classes face to face, online or hybrid and entry in fall, spring or summer. The major requirement is 41 credit hours, and you need a C or better in those courses and in the 18-hour core field of study. Required courses include Database Systems, Data Structures, Operating Systems, Computer Organization and Architecture, Introduction to Software Engineering, Software Systems Requirements, Software Architecture and Design, Software Testing and Quality Assurance, User-Centered Design and Software Project Management.
The sequence ends with SWE 4724, the Software Engineering Capstone Project. Math preparation starts with MATH 1190 and MATH 2202, adds Discrete Structures or Discrete Mathematics and Probability and Data Analysis, and includes 8 more hours of math or science plus two four-hour lab sciences. Admission is open to students who meet the university's general admission standards, and the major has no separate enrollment criteria. Through Double Owl Pathways, students with a 3.25 GPA and 60 hours completed can start the software engineering MS early. ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission accredits the degree.
#2 in Georgia
23.8of 100
Morehouse College
Atlanta, GA
BSCampus
In-state
$27,984
Out-of-state
$27,984
Completion
50%
Required Computer Ethics course and an agile-style senior capstone
Morehouse's BS in software engineering requires 45 hours of major coursework, plus 33 to 48 hours of general education and 25 hours of additional requirements. The major starts with Introduction to Computer Science, Computer Programming I and II with labs, Computer Ethics and Human Values and Computer Organization. It continues with Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis, Web Programming, Human Computer Interaction, Database Systems, Organization of Programming Languages and Full Stack Development, then Software Engineering, Advanced Software Engineering and one software engineering elective.
The additional requirements are Comprehensive Biology, Calculus I and II, Introduction to Set Theory, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics I and Mechanics. The page says the coursework balances computer science theory against practical software engineering method. Specific training is listed in data structures, discrete structures, object-oriented methodology, programming, software design, maintenance and testing. The program ends with a Senior Capstone Project aimed at imitating an agile experience in a formal work environment. Student outcomes also name ethical awareness and teamwork.
Master’s in software engineering
2 programs
#1 in Georgia
67.6of 100
Kennesaw State
Kennesaw, GA
MSCampus + online
Tuition
$5,328
Out-of-state
$19,188
Grads/yr
57
Online
The only master’s program in Georgia offered online
Up to four foundation courses for non-computing bachelor's holders
The MS takes 30 credit hours, which the school puts at one to two years to complete. You attend on campus, hybrid or entirely online, with either a full-time or part-time load, and you can start in fall, spring or summer. To apply, students need a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with at least a 2.75 GPA, transcripts from every institution you attended, a resume or vitae and the $60 non-refundable application fee.
The page also expects fundamental knowledge of the field, which you can show through relevant transcript coursework, foundation courses or foundation modules. If your undergraduate degree is outside computing, you may be assigned up to four foundation courses before the graduate work. The curriculum has you develop web, mobile and cloud products, working through analysis, design, architecture, verification and data management in different application domains. The program is tailored for working professionals, with evening and online classes.
#2 in Georgia
58.4of 100
Mercer
Macon, GA
MSOnline
Tuition
$17,565
Out-of-state
$17,565
Grads/yr
7.7
Mercer's Software Engineering M.S.E. sits in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the School of Engineering, and it is offered online as a distance learning program. Enrollment depends on the state where you live. The program teaches you to run a software development or maintenance project through its whole life cycle, from requirements analysis and object-oriented design to object-oriented programming and testing, using iterative, incremental processes.
You learn refactoring for lower-level designs and design patterns for higher-level ones, and you build proficiency in Java, C++ or C#. You can also develop capabilities in software architectures, software testing and software security, apply agile software development processes, and run data science analyses in a language such as Python.
Compare
Georgia software engineering programs side by side
Georgia software engineering programs compared, by level
Tuition: IPEDS 2023–24, at the program’s level (a master’s figure is the school’s graduate average). Grad rate: the school’s six-year rate for bachelor’s students; N/A on master’s rows, because federal data has no graduation rate for master’s programs. Grads/yr: IPEDS, three-year average. ABET: ABET’s list, retrieved 2026-09-30. #: the program’s rank among Georgia’s ranked programs at its level; NR, not ranked. Score: out of 100, the same score as on the ranking pages.
Computer science
Computer science programs in Georgia
14 schools, 20 programs in the table below.
Computer science is the neighboring degree, and many software engineers hold it. These rows come from federal data, not from each school’s page.
Also offered: master’s at University of West Georgia.
Tuition: IPEDS 2023–24, in-state, before fees and aid; undergraduate for a bachelor’s, and for a master’s the school-wide average across graduate students, which excludes program fees. School grad rate: the school’s six-year rate for bachelor’s students (IPEDS); N/A on master’s rows, because federal data has no graduation rate for master’s programs. ABET: on ABET’s computing (CAC) or engineering (EAC) list, retrieved 2026-10-05; a blank cell means not accredited. A school is in the table when it has at least two of a tuition figure, a grad rate or ABET accreditation, and a program page we could link; the rest are listed under it. SE track: named on the school’s own page.
Cost
What it costs in Georgia
Public, in-state
$7,064
median of 7 schools
Public, out-of-state
$23,384
median of 7 schools
Private
$31,265
median of 5 schools
Living in Georgia is worth about $16,320 a year in tuition at the median public school, the gap between the two public medians. Over a four-year degree that is roughly $65,280, before any change in rates.
Prices in Georgia were 96.3 against a national 100 in 2024, and housing 88.7, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s Regional Price Parities. 2024 is BEA’s latest year, a year behind the May 2025 pay figures on this page.
Tuition: IPEDS 2023–24 undergraduate tuition, one figure per school, for the 12 schools with a bachelor’s program in this guide; a median needs at least 3 schools. Excludes fees, housing and aid. Prices: BEA Regional Price Parities by state, 2024, all items and housing services.
Job market
The software job market in Georgia
Georgia employed 49,700 software developers in May 2025. Its location quotient for the occupation is 0.94: the jobs are less concentrated in the state than nationally. Nationally, BLS projects software developer jobs to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Georgia. Location quotient: the state’s share of employment in the occupation divided by the national share (1.0 = the national rate). Growth: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35, national.
Metro areas
Among the 50 largest U.S. metros, 1 is in Georgia. Software developer employment and pay in each:
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan areas, May 2025, software developers. Metro areas are federal CBSAs and can cross state lines; only the 50 largest are on file.
Pay
What software developers earn in Georgia
$80,11010th
$103,41025th
$131,010median
$162,24075th
$176,00090th
Software developers, Georgia, BLS OEWS May 2025. National median: $135,980.
The state median is $131,010, $4,970 below the national $135,980. Half of the state’s software developers earn between $103,410 and $162,240.
BEA puts prices in Georgia at 96.3 against a national 100 (2024), so the median goes as far as $136,040 would nationally, $60 more than the national median.
BEA price parities, 2024; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Online options
Online software engineering degrees for Georgia residents
If no program in Georgia fits, these are the highest-scoring online programs in our rankings. Confirm with each school that it enrolls students living in Georgia.
Tuition: IPEDS 2023–24 out-of-state, the rate an online student from another state usually pays (a master’s figure is the school’s graduate average); a published rate is the school’s own price. National rank and score: our national ranking at the program’s level.
How many software engineering programs are in Georgia?
4 degrees titled software engineering, 2 bachelor’s and 2 master’s, at 3 schools. 1 of them is on ABET’s accredited list.
What is the best software engineering school in Georgia?
Kennesaw State ranks first of the 2 ranked bachelor’s programs in Georgia, with a score of 72.5 out of 100 (#13 nationally). The score combines completion, net price, ABET accreditation and program size.
Which software engineering programs in Georgia are ABET-accredited?
Kennesaw State (bachelor’s), according to ABET’s accredited program list retrieved 2026-09-30.
How much does a software engineering degree cost in Georgia?
Across Georgia’s public schools in this guide, median undergraduate tuition for 2023–24 was $7,064 for residents and $23,384 for nonresidents; at private schools the median was $31,265. These IPEDS figures exclude fees and housing.
How much do software engineers make in Georgia?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that includes software engineers, earned a median of $131,010 in Georgia in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $80,110 and the 90th $176,000.
Is Georgia pay worth it after cost of living?
BEA puts Georgia’s prices at 96.3 against a national 100 in 2024. Divided by that, the developer median of $131,010 is worth about $136,040 at national prices.
Can Georgia residents take a software engineering degree online?
Yes. Kennesaw State, Minnesota-Crookston and University of Arizona are among the online software engineering programs in our rankings. Check with each school that it enrolls students living in Georgia.
2NCES IPEDS institutional charges, 2023–24Tuition at the program’s level, and undergraduate tuition per school for the cost medians. Excludes fees, housing and aid.
3NCES IPEDS graduation ratesThe school’s six-year graduation rate, for the whole school rather than the program; IPEDS DRVGR2023 where the main pull has no figure.
4Each school’s own program pageProgram name, delivery, credits, and every bullet on the program cards, quoted from the saved page. Read .
