Software Engineering Degrees Near Minneapolis-St. Paul for 2027
The Minneapolis-St. Paul area has 2 programs titled software engineering at 2 schools, and 9 computer science programs. This guide covers each one, what it costs, and what software developers earn in the metro area. Fewer than 5 programs titled software engineering sit inside Minneapolis-St. Paul’s city limits, so this guide covers the whole Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area.
Kevin ToFounder & Editor·B.S. in Computer Science, Temple University·Updated
Software engineering programs
2
titled software engineering
ABET-accredited
0
ABET’s list, 2026-09-30
Computer science programs
9
IPEDS 2024
Median pay, software developers
$130,920
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Key takeaways
01The Minneapolis-St. Paul area has 2 degrees titled software engineering, 1 bachelor’s and 1 master’s, at 2 schools, plus 9 computer science programs. Bethel University ranks first among the area’s bachelor’s programs, with a score of 31.5 out of 100, #67 nationally. Each program below is checked against the school’s own page. Across Minnesota as a whole, 6 programs carry the title.
02Software developers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area earned a median of $130,920 in May 2025, against $130,050 across Minnesota and $135,980 nationally. The metro area employed 27,410 of them. Nationally, BLS projects the occupation to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations.
03Prices near Minneapolis-St. Paul were 4.8% above the national average in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s measure, and housing stood at 111.8 against a national 100. At national prices, the metro area’s developer median goes as far as about $124,920. BEA’s 2024 figures are its latest, a year behind the pay data.
04This page covers the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area only. The Minnesota guide covers all 6 programs titled software engineering across the state, 4 bachelor’s and 2 master’s, with the same comparisons of cost and pay, so a program elsewhere in the state can be weighed against one here.
05If nothing near Minneapolis-St. Paul fits, the degree can be taken online. The highest-scoring online programs in our rankings are Kennesaw State’s bachelor’s, at 72.5 out of 100, and Kennesaw State’s master’s, at 67.6. Check with each school that it enrolls students living where you do before you apply.
This guide
Studying software engineering here
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. Minneapolis-St. Paul offers both, and many software engineers hold either one.
What this page covers
Software engineering programs: the 2 bachelor’s and master’s degrees near Minneapolis-St. Paul titled software engineering, each checked against the school’s own page.
Computer science programs: the area’s 9 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 near Minneapolis-St. Paul 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul: 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
Bethel University: #67 of 75 nationally
No software engineering bachelor’s is inside Minneapolis-St. Paul’s city limits
The highest score in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area is Bethel University in Arden Hills, MN, 31.5 out of 100. Across the country the median bachelor’s score is 56.7 and the highest is 87.0. Bethel University’s biggest gap is ABET accreditation, where it earns 0 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
Minnesota-Twin Cities: #23 of 44 nationally
Minnesota-Twin Cities leads near Minneapolis-St. Paul with 51.6 out of 100
Across the country the median master’s score is 52.0 and the highest is 86.9. Its biggest gap is program size, where it earns 12.6 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.
Software engineering programs near Minneapolis-St. Paul
Each program is ranked against the others near Minneapolis-St. Paul 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 near Minneapolis-St. Paul
Not ranked
Bachelor’s in software engineering
1 program
#1 near Minneapolis-St. Paul
31.5of 100
Bethel University
Saint Paul, MN · about 8 mi from central Minneapolis-St. Paul
BSCampus
In-state
$42,760
Out-of-state
$42,760
Completion
73%
Three credit engineering design project is required
Bethel's software engineering major is 67 credits inside a 122 credit degree, with 44 to 52 credits of general education. The department sets it apart from its computer science degree by focusing on what it takes to build software in practice, from its applications to its real-world challenges. Required computing courses are Introduction to Programming, Data Structures, Computer Systems, Software Development Fundamentals, Database Systems, Computer Security, Organization of Programming Languages, Data Communications and Computer Networks, Software Process, Humans and Computers and a Software Engineering course, plus nine credits of electives at the 300 level or above.
The math is Calculus 1, Linear Algebra, Introduction to Proofs and Mathematics of Computer Science, and calculus placement comes from the department's placement exam. Engineering and project work adds Classic Project Management, Introduction to Engineering, an Engineering Design Seminar and a three credit Engineering Design Project. You work in C/C++ and Java, along with web development and computer graphics, and advanced topics include artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. The catalog bars you from declaring the major together with a computer science minor or an engineering minor, though a second major or another minor is possible. Beyond coursework, you can join faculty research, work as a peer tutor or student grader, take a job in the university IT department, or complete an internship.
Master’s in software engineering
1 program
#1 near Minneapolis-St. Paul
51.6of 100
Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · about 2 mi from central Minneapolis-St. Paul
MSCampus
Tuition
$19,116
Out-of-state
$29,580
Grads/yr
12.7
One all-day class session per week, Friday or Saturday
Minnesota's MSSE is a 30 credit degree with a fixed curriculum for the first three semesters and electives in the fourth, which can include an optional independent project. Graduation takes 30 semester credits and satisfactory performance on an independent project. Courses include Software Engineering I on requirements and modeling, Software Design, Software Architecture, Data Modeling, Software Testing and Verification, Quality Assurance and Process Improvement, and Software Project Management, which covers both traditional and Agile methodology. Four half-day Industrial Seminars run each fall, generally on Saturdays.
The schedule suits working professionals: you come to campus one full day a week, alternating Fridays and Saturdays, with an 8:00am start. Admission asks for a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field such as mathematics or electrical engineering, plus some professional work experience in software development, which can be an internship. A 3.0 undergraduate GPA is preferred. You submit two letters of recommendation, a personal statement, official transcripts and a resume. Tuition follows the University-wide model for graduate and professional programs. The program is not accepting applications while it is revamped.
Compare
Programs side by side
Minneapolis-St. Paul 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul’s ranked programs at its level; NR, not ranked. Score: out of 100, the same score as on the ranking pages.
Nearby
Within driving distance
Programs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area whose campus is outside Minneapolis-St. Paul’s city limits.
City limits: Census TIGER incorporated place boundaries; campus locations: IPEDS 2024. Distances are straight-line miles from the city’s Census internal point, rounded.
Computer science
Computer science programs
7 schools, 9 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.
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
Private
$40,792
median of 6 schools
Prices near Minneapolis-St. Paul were 104.8 against a national 100 in 2024, and housing 111.8, 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 8 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 metro area, 2024, all items and housing services.
Job market
The software job market
The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area employed 27,410 software developers in May 2025. 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, metropolitan areas, May 2025, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI. Metro estimates are published for fewer occupations than state estimates; the occupations BLS doesn’t publish here are left out. Growth: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35, national.
Who hires
Who hires software developers
We don’t list company names: no source counts software hiring by employer the same way in every metro. What the Census Bureau does count is the businesses themselves, by industry, in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area.
Industry
Businesses
Employees
Payroll per employee
Computer systems design and related services
2,456
24,165
$110,400
Software publishers
231
13,745
$153,600
Data processing, hosting and related services
219
14,857
$124,300
Computer and electronic product manufacturing
240
36,064
$95,500
The first three of those industries employ 2.8% of the metro area’s private-sector workers, against 2.6% nationally, close to the national share.
Of these industries, computer and electronic product manufacturing employs the most people in the metro area, 36,064, while software publishers pays the most per employee, $153,600.
Businesses, employees (mid-March) and annual payroll: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, metropolitan areas and United States (cbp23msa, cbp23us), private sector, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area; payroll per employee covers every job in the industry, not only developers.
Pay
What software developers earn
$83,02010th
$103,04025th
$130,920median
$161,61075th
$170,06090th
Software developers, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, BLS OEWS May 2025. National median: $135,980.
The metro area’s median is $130,920, $5,060 below the national $135,980. Half of the metro area’s software developers earn between $103,040 and $161,610.
BEA puts prices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area at 104.8 against a national 100 (2024), so the median goes as far as $124,920 would nationally, $11,060 less than the national median.
BEA price parities, 2024; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, metropolitan areas, May 2025.
Steps
How to become a software engineer
The path to software engineering near Minneapolis-St. Paul is the same one people take everywhere: a degree, real experience before you graduate, and a first job search. What changes is the schools you can choose from and who’s hiring nearby. Here are the five steps, with Minneapolis-St. Paul’s options in each.
1
Start with a bachelor’s degree
Most software developer jobs ask for a bachelor's degree, and you don’t need work experience to get your first one. Around Minneapolis-St. Paul you’ve got one bachelor’s program titled software engineering, at Bethel University, plus nine computer science bachelor’s programs across the metro if you want a wider net. Before you fall for one, compare what they cost; the tuition figures above make that quick.
2
Pick between software engineering and computer science
Employers hire from both majors. Software engineering leans toward building and maintaining large systems as a team; computer science gives you a broader base in theory. Around Minneapolis-St. Paul, that’s two software engineering programs and 12 computer science programs across the metro, so you really can choose. An easy way to decide: put Bethel University’s course list next to Augsburg’s and see which you’d rather spend four years in. Compare them.
3
Build experience before you graduate
Internships are often what turn a degree into a job offer. When you talk to Bethel University and Minnesota-Twin Cities, ask how they connect students with internships. Look for a capstone where you build real software with a team; it gives you something concrete to talk about in interviews. With 2,456 computer systems design firms in the metro, a summer role close to home is realistic.
4
Know where licensing stands
You don’t need a license to work as a software engineer, and there’s no longer a licensing exam for it: the last one was given in April 2019. Accreditation still matters if you might want a license or certification later, since those often ask for an ABET-accredited degree. The closest accredited software engineering program to Minneapolis-St. Paul is Wisconsin-Platteville’s bachelor’s in Platteville, about 201 miles away. Check any program’s accreditation before you apply.
5
Look for your first job nearby
The Minneapolis-St. Paul area had 27,410 software developers in May 2025, earning a median of $130,920. The biggest software industries here are computer and electronics manufacturing (36,064 jobs) and computer systems design (24,165 jobs), so start your search with those firms. Ask your program which local employers hire its graduates, and go to its career fairs from your first year. Across the country there are about 95,300 openings a year, so you can widen the search if you’re willing to move.
Online options
Online software engineering degrees
If no program near Minneapolis-St. Paul fits, these are the highest-scoring online programs in our rankings. Confirm with each school that it enrolls students living near Minneapolis-St. Paul.
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 near Minneapolis-St. Paul?
2 degrees titled software engineering, 1 bachelor’s and 1 master’s, at 2 schools. 0 of them are on ABET’s accredited list.
What is the best software engineering school near Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Bethel University ranks first of the 1 ranked bachelor’s programs near Minneapolis-St. Paul, with a score of 31.5 out of 100 (#67 nationally). The score combines completion, net price, ABET accreditation and program size.
How much do software engineers make near Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that includes software engineers, earned a median of $130,920 near Minneapolis-St. Paul in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $83,020 and the 90th $170,060.
Is Minneapolis-St. Paul pay worth it after cost of living?
BEA puts Minneapolis-St. Paul’s prices at 104.8 against a national 100 in 2024. Divided by that, the developer median of $130,920 is worth about $124,920 at national prices.
Who hires software engineers near Minneapolis-St. Paul?
No source counts software hiring by company the same way in every metro, so we don’t name employers. The Census Bureau counted 2,456 computer systems design businesses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area in 2023, employing 24,165 people. Nationally, the industries that employ the most software developers are computer systems design and related services, software publishers and management of companies and enterprises.
Can Minneapolis-St. Paul 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 near Minneapolis-St. Paul.
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 .
12NCES IPEDS HD2024: campus coordinatesCampus latitude and longitude, for the distance from Minneapolis-St. Paul to the nearest ABET-accredited software engineering program (straight line).
