Texas has 10 programs titled software engineering at 7 schools, 2 accredited by ABET, and 40 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
10
titled software engineering
ABET-accredited
2
ABET’s list, 2026-09-30
Computer science programs
40
IPEDS 2024
Median pay, software developers
$132,150
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Key takeaways
01Texas has 10 degrees titled software engineering, 4 bachelor’s and 6 master’s, at 7 schools, plus 40 computer science programs. 2 of the software engineering programs are on ABET’s accredited list. UT Dallas ranks first among the state’s bachelor’s programs, with a score of 84.5 out of 100, #3 nationally. Each program below is checked against the school’s own page.
02At Texas’s public schools, the median undergraduate tuition for 2023–24 was $7,842 in state and $20,086 out of state, so residency saves about $12,244 a year at the median. Private schools had a median of $35,600. These IPEDS figures are one per school and leave out fees, housing and financial aid.
03Software developers in Texas earned a median of $132,150 in May 2025, against $135,980 nationally, and half earned between $103,350 and $162,530. The state employed 163,880 of them. Nationally, BLS projects the occupation to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations.
04Prices in Texas were 2.9% below the national average in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s measure, and housing stood at 96.5 against a national 100. At national prices, the state’s developer median goes as far as about $136,100. BEA’s 2024 figures are its latest, a year behind the pay data.
05Neighboring states with programs titled software engineering: Oklahoma (1). 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 Texas
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. Texas offers both, and many software engineers hold either one.
What this page covers
Software engineering programs: the 10 bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Texas titled software engineering, each checked against the school’s own page.
Computer science programs: the state’s 40 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 Texas 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 Texas: 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
UT Dallas: #3 of 75 nationally
UT Dallas leads in Texas with 84.5 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 24.5 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
UT Arlington: #1 of 44 nationally
UT Arlington leads in Texas with 86.9 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 16.9 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.
Each program is ranked against the others in Texas 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 Texas
Not ranked
Bachelor’s in software engineering
4 programs
#1 in Texas
84.5of 100
UT Dallas
Richardson, TX
BSCampus
In-state
$14,564
Out-of-state
$40,064
Completion
70%
✓ ABET-accredited
Lowest in-state tuition of Texas’s 4 bachelor’s programs
Fast track option to earn the BS and MS together
UT Dallas offers its Software Engineering B.S. through the Department of Computer Science in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. The degree requires 123 semester credit hours and is accredited by ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission. It shares a core with the computer science degree, including analysis of algorithms and data structures, modern programming methodologies and operating systems, then diverges into requirements engineering, software validation and testing and software architecture. The sequence ends with a challenging project course in which students must demonstrate software engineering techniques.
Electives range across artificial intelligence, computer graphics, databases and compiler design. Majors need a C or better in each major requirements course and in each prerequisite before taking the next one. A fast track option lets students work toward the bachelor's and master's degrees together. The page lists the stated goals as preparing students for software engineering positions in industry or government, preparing them for graduate study, and giving a foundation in computer science that lets graduates adapt in a quickly changing field. Faculty include professors of instruction alongside research professors.
#2 in Texas
78.5of 100
UT Arlington
Arlington, TX
BSCampus
In-state
$9,206
Out-of-state
$27,138
Completion
58%
✓ ABET-accredited
Programming readiness exam for prior experience
The UT Arlington BSSE is accredited by ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission and has been since 2002. Students meet the profession through cooperative education programs, professional society activities, plant trips and industry speakers, and design work appears throughout the first three years before a senior team project that approximates an industrial work experience. Entry to the professional program requires a 2.5 GPA in three categories: overall, required science, math and engineering courses, and required CSE courses.
Incoming students are expected to have math through precalculus, high school chemistry and programming experience in C, C++, Java or Python, and students with programming experience but no course credit can sit a readiness examination. The professional core includes Software Testing and Maintenance, Software Project Management, Software Design Patterns and Information Security, along with a two-course computer system design project. Students choose three technical electives from options such as game design and development, machine learning, computer vision and cloud computing fundamentals. The listed total is 124 hours.
#3 in Texas
33.9of 100
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, TX
BSCampus
In-state
$35,144
Out-of-state
$35,144
Completion
59%
Year-long design project for every engineering senior
St. Mary's University houses its Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering in the School of Science, Engineering and Technology, and the degree is 133 credit hours. A five-year combined program lets students earn the B.S. and the M.S. in software engineering together. Highlighted courses are Fundamentals of Logic Design, Programming for Engineers, Software Project Management and Software Design and Architecture. Outside class, many engineering majors intern at organizations such as City Public Service, Harris Electronics, NASA and Southwest Research Institute, and every engineering senior completes a year-long design project, some of which have been patented.
Students take part in funded faculty research, and juniors and seniors volunteer as tutors for freshmen and sophomores in math and engineering. Laboratory space covers electronics, digital signal processing, control systems, microelectronics, communications, embedded systems, power and digital systems, and the research lab has both UNIX and Windows workstations. Students in any science can join the Science Living Community, where members live together.
#4 in Texas
19.9of 100
Howard Payne
Brownwood, TX
BSCampus
In-state
$29,522
Out-of-state
$29,522
Completion
40%
Required microprocessors and embedded systems courses
Howard Payne runs its software engineering major through the Division of Engineering as a Bachelor of Science of 130 hours, with 70 of them in the major. The courses lean toward hardware as well as code: computer architecture, microprocessors, embedded systems and engineering ethics, plus a two-semester design project sequence that every senior completes after choosing a focus area. Electives can be filled by maximizing the engineering internship, of which six hours count toward the degree, or by choosing two courses from a list of six in computer information systems.
Majors must earn a C or better in all ENS, SEN and CIS courses. The curriculum is built on a Christian worldview, and the stated aim is to prepare students for immediate entry into the workforce or for a master's degree in computer science, software or computer engineering. Preparation matters here: the page recommends high school physics, chemistry and four years of math, and placement tests send students who cannot start Calculus I into leveling math courses first.
Master’s in software engineering
6 programs
#1 in Texas
86.9of 100
UT Arlington
Arlington, TX
MSCampus
Tuition
$9,015
Out-of-state
$23,507
Grads/yr
32.3
No recommendation letters or statement of purpose
UT Arlington's Master of Software Engineering is a 30-credit-hour degree that includes a two-course sequence devoted to implementing a software project. Foundations cover algorithm design and analysis, software testing and software design patterns. Students then choose three specialization courses, such as secure programming, advanced automation testing or agile software development, and two more from topics that include cloud computing and big data and machine learning. Two electives round out the plan, and one may come from outside the department.
Stated competencies include web and mobile application development and several programming languages, among them C, C++, C# and Java. Admission looks at an undergraduate degree preferably in a related area, a 3.0 GPA overall and a 3.2 across the final two years, and a GRE sum of at least 305 verbal plus quantitative. The department neither requires nor reviews recommendation letters or statements of purpose from master's applicants. Graduates of the department's own bachelor's program with a 3.2 GPA can ask about a GRE waiver, and a foundations course levels students missing background. Courses must be passed with a C or better.
#2 in Texas
70.7of 100
UT Dallas
Richardson, TX
MSCampus
Tuition
$15,088
Out-of-state
$29,468
Grads/yr
31
Evening course program for part-time students
The UT Dallas Master of Science in Software Engineering requires a minimum of 33 semester credit hours. Students without a computer science or software engineering degree complete leveling courses first, which include Computer Science I and II, discrete structures, operating systems concepts and an introductory software engineering course. The five-course core covers object-oriented software engineering, advanced requirements engineering, advanced software architecture and design, software testing, validation and verification, and an advanced software engineering project.
Students must earn a 3.19 average in the core, or a 3.0 plus an extra approved elective. At least 18 hours of electives follow, and six of them can be thesis credit with approval. A comprehensive program of evening courses lets part-time students earn the degree. Applicants should hold a bachelor's degree with two semesters of calculus and one of linear algebra, a strong foundation in programming and a 3.0 GPA over the last 60 hours, plus three letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose. Students are accepted for fall, spring and summer, and a PhD in software engineering is also offered.
#3 in Texas
69.8of 100
UTEP
El Paso, TX
MSCampus
Tuition
$5,865
Out-of-state
$15,320
Grads/yr
20.3
Lowest tuition of Texas’s 6 master’s programs
Secure Cyber-Systems concentration option
UTEP's Master of Science in Software Engineering sits in the Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering and runs 30 semester credit hours with no thesis. Students complete core courses in software construction, requirements engineering, architecture and design, integration and verification, and project management, finishing with a three-credit Software Engineering Practicum. Prescribed electives come from graduate computer science courses, and up to six credits from other programs can replace some of them.
Core courses must be passed with a B average and no more than one C. A concentration in Secure Cyber-Systems adds computer security and lets students choose electives such as software safety and risk analysis, software reverse engineering and secure web-based systems. The page ties the curriculum to Homeland Security requirements, specifically its National Cyber Security Division, and research centers such as Cyber-ShARE support work in cyber defense and forensics. The PASSE program offers student support. Admission is open to holders of a science or engineering bachelor's in any field, plus a personal statement and recommendation letters, and may take leveling coursework at the undergraduate level that does not count toward the degree.
#4 in Texas
59.5of 100
UH-Clear Lake
Houston, TX
MSCampus + online
Tuition
$7,920
Out-of-state
$17,532
Grads/yr
36.3
Online
Largest master’s program in Texas by graduates a year
Specializations in gaming, robotics and data mining
The M.S. in Software Engineering at UH-Clear Lake covers how software systems are managed, planned, designed and built, using foundations, methodologies and tools, with a balance of theory and practice. Students finish with either a capstone option or a thesis option, and there are four optional specializations: data mining, gaming, robotics software and software project management. The program is taught face to face and fully online.
A computer science undergraduate degree is the best preparation, but a computing or engineering degree also qualifies, and other degrees may be acceptable with significant work experience in software development. Prerequisite coursework is Data Structures plus at least two further programming classes (C, C++, Java or object-oriented programming, for instance). Applicants need a 3.0 GPA, and the GRE is not required. A Program Qualification Estimator helps applicants check whether they meet requirements. New degree-seeking students can start in fall, spring or summer.
#5 in Texas
44.6of 100
SMU
Dallas, TX
MSCampus + online
Tuition
$31,590
Out-of-state
$31,590
Grads/yr
12.7
Online
Dual MS and SMU Cox MBA option
SMU delivers its master's in software engineering through the Lyle School both in person and online, and students can go full time or part time. The listed duration is two years for full-time study and three for part-time. Instead of a purely technical track, the program blends engineering depth with managerial skills like leading programming teams, plus scheduling and budgeting, and many courses follow those proposed by the Software Engineering Institute, an organization the Department of Defense founded.
Featured courses are Software Project Planning and Management, Software Architecture and Design, and User Interfaces, User Experience, which covers usability metrics and interaction styles from GUI to VR/AR. A dual M.S. computer science and SMU Cox MBA option is listed under specializations. Research touches software testing, measurement, reliability, safety, and service and cloud computing. Admission asks for a bachelor's in a quantitative science, math, computer science or an engineering field, with transcripts and an application fee, and every file gets a holistic review. Internships, clubs and community engagement are described as part of life outside the classroom.
#6 in Texas
33.2of 100
St. Mary's University
San Antonio, TX
MSOnline
Tuition
$19,782
Out-of-state
$19,782
Grads/yr
5.7
Online
12 credit hour certificate as a shorter route
Working professionals are the target audience for the St. Mary's University Master of Science in Software Engineering, which is delivered online and can be finished in as little as two years alongside a full-time job. The degree is 30 credit hours with three finishing routes (all coursework, a capstone project or a thesis), and up to six credits may come from other disciplines with approval. Courses named on the page include Software Testing and Quality Assurance, Agile System Development and an introduction to machine learning. A separate 12-credit-hour certificate offers a shorter route.
The expected background is a bachelor's in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering or a close relative, a 3.00 GPA, and prior coursework in C programming and object-oriented C++ design. The package includes a resume, a statement of purpose, two recommendation letters and transcripts, and no GRE is required. Undergraduates can begin graduate study as early as their junior year through combined degrees. A research assistantship brings a monthly stipend and a tuition waiver, and military members and their dependents may qualify for a tuition discount.
Compare
Texas software engineering programs side by side
Texas 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 Texas’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 Texas
30 schools, 39 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 in Texas
Public, in-state
$7,842
median of 9 schools
Public, out-of-state
$20,086
median of 9 schools
Private
$35,600
median of 21 schools
Living in Texas is worth about $12,244 a year in tuition at the median public school, the gap between the two public medians. Over a four-year degree that is roughly $48,976, before any change in rates.
Prices in Texas were 97.1 against a national 100 in 2024, and housing 96.5, 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 30 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 Texas
Texas employed 163,880 software developers in May 2025. Its location quotient for the occupation is 1.07: the jobs are more 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, Texas. 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, 4 are in Texas. 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 Texas
$82,60010th
$103,35025th
$132,150median
$162,53075th
$183,68090th
Software developers, Texas, BLS OEWS May 2025. National median: $135,980.
The state median is $132,150, $3,830 below the national $135,980. Half of the state’s software developers earn between $103,350 and $162,530.
BEA puts prices in Texas at 97.1 against a national 100 (2024), so the median goes as far as $136,100 would nationally, $120 more than the national median.
BEA price parities, 2024; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Online options
Online software engineering degrees for Texas residents
If no program in Texas fits, these are the highest-scoring online programs in our rankings. Confirm with each school that it enrolls students living in Texas.
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 Texas?
10 degrees titled software engineering, 4 bachelor’s and 6 master’s, at 7 schools. 2 of them are on ABET’s accredited list.
What is the best software engineering school in Texas?
UT Dallas ranks first of the 4 ranked bachelor’s programs in Texas, with a score of 84.5 out of 100 (#3 nationally). The score combines completion, net price, ABET accreditation and program size.
Which software engineering programs in Texas are ABET-accredited?
UT Arlington (bachelor’s) and UT Dallas (bachelor’s), according to ABET’s accredited program list retrieved 2026-09-30.
How much does a software engineering degree cost in Texas?
Across Texas’s public schools in this guide, median undergraduate tuition for 2023–24 was $7,842 for residents and $20,086 for nonresidents; at private schools the median was $35,600. These IPEDS figures exclude fees and housing.
How much do software engineers make in Texas?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that includes software engineers, earned a median of $132,150 in Texas in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $82,600 and the 90th $183,680.
Is Texas pay worth it after cost of living?
BEA puts Texas’s prices at 97.1 against a national 100 in 2024. Divided by that, the developer median of $132,150 is worth about $136,100 at national prices.
Can Texas 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 Texas.
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 .
