Michigan has 6 programs titled software engineering at 5 schools, 2 accredited by ABET, and 29 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
6
titled software engineering
ABET-accredited
2
ABET’s list, 2026-09-30
Computer science programs
29
IPEDS 2024
Median pay, software developers
$125,570
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Key takeaways
01Michigan has 6 degrees titled software engineering, 4 bachelor’s and 2 master’s, at 5 schools, plus 29 computer science programs. 2 of the software engineering programs are on ABET’s accredited list. Michigan Technological University ranks first among the state’s bachelor’s programs, with a score of 74.8 out of 100, #11 nationally. Each program below is checked against the school’s own page.
02At Michigan’s public schools, the median undergraduate tuition for 2023–24 was $15,446 in state and $17,873 out of state, so residency saves about $2,427 a year at the median. Private schools had a median of $33,520. These IPEDS figures are one per school and leave out fees, housing and financial aid.
03Software developers in Michigan earned a median of $125,570 in May 2025, against $135,980 nationally, and half earned between $97,300 and $140,100. The state employed 43,460 of them. Nationally, BLS projects the occupation to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations.
04Prices in Michigan were 3.8% below the national average in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s measure, and housing stood at 82.3 against a national 100. At national prices, the state’s developer median goes as far as about $130,530. BEA’s 2024 figures are its latest, a year behind the pay data.
05Neighboring states with programs titled software engineering: Ohio (7), Indiana (6) and Wisconsin (5). 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 Michigan
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. Michigan offers both, and many software engineers hold either one.
What this page covers
Software engineering programs: the 6 bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Michigan titled software engineering, each checked against the school’s own page.
Computer science programs: the state’s 29 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 Michigan 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 Michigan: 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
Michigan Technological University: #11 of 75 nationally
Michigan Technological University leads in Michigan with 74.8 out of 100
Across the country the median bachelor’s score is 56.7 and the highest is 87.0. Its biggest gap is cost, where it earns 15 of 25 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
Concordia University Ann Arbor: #39 of 44 nationally
Concordia University Ann Arbor leads in Michigan with 33.3 out of 100
Across the country the median master’s score is 52.0 and the highest is 86.9. Its biggest gap is program size, where it earns 1.3 of 30 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.
Not ranked. 2 programs here have no score, because a figure the score needs wouldn’t describe them: Michigan-Dearborn (no federal graduation rate for our score to use); University of Detroit Mercy (no graduates yet to measure). We never score a program on a guess.
Each program is ranked against the others in Michigan 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 Michigan
Not ranked
Bachelor’s in software engineering
4 programs, 2 ranked
#1 in Michigan
74.8of 100
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI
BSCampus
In-state
$19,429
Out-of-state
$42,771
Completion
72%
✓ ABET-accredited
Largest bachelor’s program in Michigan by graduates a year
Michigan Tech offers software engineering as a four-year bachelor's degree in Houghton, with accreditation from ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission. The sample four-year outline adds up to 120 credits. You start with computer science, including Programming I, Data Structures, Discrete Structures and Databases, then spend your last two years on software engineering topics such as Team Software Project, Software Architecture and Software Quality Assurance. You also take Front End Dev & Accessibility, Ethics in Computing and software engineering electives, along with Calculus, Linear Algebra and Statistics.
For senior year you choose between a two-semester Senior Design sequence and the Enterprise option, where you work on a student-run team under a faculty advisor. The Enterprise Program teams include Husky Game Development, Humane Interface Design Enterprise and IT Oxygen, which supports student organizations and businesses with IT work. The department also points to co-ops and internships as ways to apply what you learn. Course topics listed on the program page include design, reliability, quality, usability, requirements and testing, teamwork and management.
#2 in Michigan
21.9of 100
Lawrence Technological University
Southfield, MI
BSCampus
In-state
$40,672
Out-of-state
$40,672
Completion
56%
Lawrence Tech's software engineering degree is the Bachelor of Science in Embedded Software Engineering, which prepares you to design the software that runs complex machinery. LTU says it was created with input from automotive OEMs and industry leaders. The curriculum is laid out over four years and mixes software with engineering and science: University Chemistry 1, Intro. to ECE, Digital Electronics, Circuits and Electronics, Embedded Systems, which covers microcontrollers, and Real Time Systems.
On the software side you take Embedded Software Eng. Lab 1 and Lab 2, where you work on team based software engineering projects, plus Software Quality & Project Management. Your education ends in a senior capstone project, with ESE Senior Design Projects 1 and 2 in the fourth year. You also build a foundation in mathematics, science, engineering and design. LTU points to its location in a major technology hub with co-op, internship and career opportunities, and to small class sizes and faculty guidance.
Not ranked 2 programs, each missing something the score needs
Not rankedNo federal graduation rate for our score to use
Michigan-Dearborn
Dearborn, MI
BSCampus
In-state
$14,544
Out-of-state
$30,960
Completion
59%
✓ ABET-accredited
Lowest in-state tuition of Michigan’s 4 bachelor’s programs
The University of Michigan-Dearborn offers its Bachelor of Science in software engineering through the Department of Computer and Information Science in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Its accreditation comes from ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission. Your courses walk through all the phases of the software development life cycle, from designing and building to testing, optimizing, implementing and managing software systems, and you work on team-based projects along the way. The emphasis is on the technical side of large, complex systems, with some attention to the managerial side of the process. You tailor part of the degree by choosing one of four sequences: Artificial Intelligence, Web Engineering, Computer Game Design or Information Systems.
You also get hands-on experience through internship, research and study abroad programs. The accelerated masters option lets you finish this bachelor's degree plus a master's in Computer and Information Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Information Assurance or Data Science in five years. To qualify you need 60 undergraduate credit hours, specific courses and a GPA of at least 3.2, among other requirements. Admission is rolling throughout the year. In-state students from qualifying backgrounds can look at the Go Blue Guarantee, which promises free tuition to high-achieving undergraduates. Student groups include the Society of Women Engineers, Upsilon Pi Epsilon and the Association for Computing Machinery.
Not rankedNo graduates yet to measure
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI
BSCampus
In-state
$32,300
Out-of-state
$32,300
Completion
66%
Newer program
Five-year BS Computer Science plus MS Software Engineering
UDM's route to this degree is a five-year combined program: a BS in Computer Science plus an MS in Software Engineering, called the BSCS-MSSE. The requirements are 124 undergraduate credits and 30 graduate credits, with six credits double-counted, so you finish with at least 148 credits. New freshmen need an ACT composite of 26, with at least 22 in each section and 23 in math, or SAT scores of 560 math, 560 ERW and 1230 combined.
High school GPA must be 3.4, or 3.6 without test scores. Current UDM students can apply with a 3.25 GPA after at least 30 credits in the program. You can take up to six graduate credits in your fourth year that count toward both degrees, and up to two graduate courses at the undergraduate tuition rate. In the fifth year you register as a full-time graduate student, with at least nine graduate credit hours per term at graduate rates. You have to keep a 3.25 GPA to stay in the program.
Master’s in software engineering
2 programs
#1 in Michigan
33.3of 100
Concordia University Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
MSCampus
Tuition
$14,700
Out-of-state
$14,700
Grads/yr
0.3
Concordia University Ann Arbor, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is listed with a master's program in software engineering.
Curriculum, credit requirements and admission steps come from the university directly, and the graduate admissions team at cuaa.edu can answer questions before you apply.
#2 in Michigan
25.7of 100
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI
MSCampus
Tuition
$22,250
Out-of-state
$22,250
Grads/yr
3
Thesis or non-thesis route with a design project option
UDM's Master of Science in Software Engineering is 30 credit hours, and at least half of them, 15 credits minimum, must come from graduate-level-only options. You pick 15 credits from required options such as Software Engineering, Software Quality Engineering, Architectures for Software Systems, Software Requirements Engineering and Software Systems Project Management. Then you choose a thesis or a non-thesis route. The thesis option is six credits and the non-thesis option is three credits, taken as the Graduate Design Project in your last semester or semesters.
Technical electives fill the rest: 9 credits with the thesis and 12 without. Electives include Data Mining, Artificial Intelligence, Web Technology, Network Security, Machine Learning and Ethical Hacking. To be admitted you need a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA, though 2.7 or higher may be considered with added prerequisite courses. You also need coursework or proven skill in a modern programming language such as C++ or Java, plus Data Structures and Algorithms. The program says its focus is team-based projects and practical lab assignments.
Compare
Michigan software engineering programs side by side
Michigan software engineering programs compared, by level
#
Program
Format
In-state
Out-of- state
Grads/ yr
ABET
Scoreof 100
Bachelor’s in software engineering · 4 programs, 2 ranked
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. Grads/yr: IPEDS, three-year average. ABET: ABET’s list, retrieved 2026-09-30. #: the program’s rank among Michigan’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 Michigan
21 schools, 26 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 Concordia University Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University and Kettering.
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 Michigan
Public, in-state
$15,446
median of 6 schools
Public, out-of-state
$17,873
median of 6 schools
Private
$33,520
median of 12 schools
Living in Michigan is worth about $2,427 a year in tuition at the median public school, the gap between the two public medians. Over a four-year degree that is roughly $9,708, before any change in rates.
Prices in Michigan were 96.2 against a national 100 in 2024, and housing 82.3, 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 18 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 Michigan
Michigan employed 43,460 software developers in May 2025. Its location quotient for the occupation is 0.91: 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, Michigan. 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, 2 are in Michigan. 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 Michigan
$78,93010th
$97,30025th
$125,570median
$140,10075th
$166,51090th
Software developers, Michigan, BLS OEWS May 2025. National median: $135,980.
The state median is $125,570, $10,410 below the national $135,980. Half of the state’s software developers earn between $97,300 and $140,100.
BEA puts prices in Michigan at 96.2 against a national 100 (2024), so the median goes as far as $130,530 would nationally, $5,450 less than the national median.
BEA price parities, 2024; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Online options
Online software engineering degrees for Michigan residents
If no program in Michigan fits, these are the highest-scoring online programs in our rankings. Confirm with each school that it enrolls students living in Michigan.
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 Michigan?
6 degrees titled software engineering, 4 bachelor’s and 2 master’s, at 5 schools. 2 of them are on ABET’s accredited list.
What is the best software engineering school in Michigan?
Michigan Technological University ranks first of the 2 ranked bachelor’s programs in Michigan, with a score of 74.8 out of 100 (#11 nationally). The score combines completion, net price, ABET accreditation and program size.
Which software engineering programs in Michigan are ABET-accredited?
Michigan Technological University (bachelor’s) and Michigan-Dearborn (bachelor’s), according to ABET’s accredited program list retrieved 2026-09-30.
How much does a software engineering degree cost in Michigan?
Across Michigan’s public schools in this guide, median undergraduate tuition for 2023–24 was $15,446 for residents and $17,873 for nonresidents; at private schools the median was $33,520. These IPEDS figures exclude fees and housing.
How much do software engineers make in Michigan?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that includes software engineers, earned a median of $125,570 in Michigan in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $78,930 and the 90th $166,510.
Is Michigan pay worth it after cost of living?
BEA puts Michigan’s prices at 96.2 against a national 100 in 2024. Divided by that, the developer median of $125,570 is worth about $130,530 at national prices.
Can Michigan 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 Michigan.
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 .
