Software Engineering Degrees Near Milwaukee for 2027
The Milwaukee area has 3 programs titled software engineering at 2 schools, 1 accredited by ABET, and 5 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 Milwaukee’s city limits, so this guide covers the whole Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area.
Kevin ToFounder & Editor·B.S. in Computer Science, Temple University·Updated
Software engineering programs
3
titled software engineering
ABET-accredited
1
ABET’s list, 2026-09-30
Computer science programs
5
IPEDS 2024
Median pay, software developers
$123,730
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Key takeaways
01The Milwaukee area has 3 degrees titled software engineering, 2 bachelor’s and 1 master’s, at 2 schools, plus 5 computer science programs. 1 of the software engineering programs is on ABET’s accredited list. Milwaukee School of Engineering ranks first among the area’s bachelor’s programs, with a score of 64.6 out of 100, #25 nationally. Each program below is checked against the school’s own page.
02Software developers in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area earned a median of $123,730 in May 2025, against $122,660 across Wisconsin and $135,980 nationally. The metro area employed 6,170 of them. Nationally, BLS projects the occupation to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations.
03Prices near Milwaukee were 3.1% below the national average in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis’s measure, and housing stood at 97.1 against a national 100. At national prices, the metro area’s developer median goes as far as about $127,690. BEA’s 2024 figures are its latest, a year behind the pay data.
04This page covers the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area only. The Wisconsin guide covers all 5 programs titled software engineering across the state, 3 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 Milwaukee 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. Milwaukee offers both, and many software engineers hold either one.
What this page covers
Software engineering programs: the 3 bachelor’s and master’s degrees near Milwaukee titled software engineering, each checked against the school’s own page.
Computer science programs: the area’s 5 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee: 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
Milwaukee School of Engineering: #25 of 75 nationally
Milwaukee School of Engineering leads near Milwaukee with 64.6 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 5 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-Wisconsin: #22 of 44 nationally
No software engineering master’s is inside Milwaukee’s city limits
The highest score in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area is Concordia University-Wisconsin in Mequon, WI, 51.6 out of 100. Across the country the median master’s score is 52.0 and the highest is 86.9. Concordia University-Wisconsin’s biggest gap is department accreditation, where it earns 0 of 15 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 near Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee
Not ranked
Bachelor’s in software engineering
2 programs
#1 near Milwaukee
64.6of 100
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee, WI · about 3 mi from central Milwaukee
BSCampus
In-state
$46,385
Out-of-state
$46,385
Completion
65%
✓ ABET-accredited
The only ABET-accredited bachelor’s program near Milwaukee
Two software development labs before a two-term capstone
The BS in Software Engineering at MSOE totals 120 credits and is built on computer science, with extra weight on requirements, process, design, measurement, analysis and verification. The four-year plan runs Calculus I and II, Discrete Mathematics, Linear Algebra and Optimization, and Probability and Statistics next to Physics I. Software courses include Software Design, Web Applications and Networking, Software Tools and Process, Introduction to Software Verification, Software Requirements and Architecture, DevSecOps and two terms of Software Development Laboratory.
Computing courses include Data Structures and Graphical Interfaces, Procedural and Object-Oriented C++, Operating Systems, Algorithms and Advanced Data Structures and Databases, alongside Introduction to Cybersecurity Principles and Human-Centered Design. The degree finishes with Software Engineering Capstone I in the fall and Capstone II in the spring of year four. You also take Building Inclusive Teams, Professional Presentations and a Raider Core of humanities and social science courses. Students placed into a lower math course shift the calculus sequence a term later. The page suggests the major suits people who enjoy working with software and computer systems and can do mathematics and detailed work accurately. ABET accredits the BS under its General Criteria and its Program Criteria for Software Engineering.
#2 near Milwaukee
31.9of 100
Concordia University-Wisconsin
Mequon, WI · about 13 mi from central Milwaukee
BSCampus
In-state
$33,750
Out-of-state
$33,750
Completion
53%
Concordia University Wisconsin lists software engineering as a concentration inside its 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, alongside a Cyber Security concentration. The degree has 45 hours of core requirements, 36 hours of technical courses, 16 to 18 hours in your concentration, and 21 to 23 hours of electives. Technical courses include Software Engineering, Operating Systems, Database Fundamentals, User Experience and Interactive Systems, and Advanced Database and Web Development, and every student completes a three-credit Capstone Project.
The Software Engineering concentration adds Systems Programming, Programming Language Theory, Theoretical Computer Science, Coding III on data structures, one computer science elective, and an internship worth one to three credits. The suggested eight-semester plan places the Software Engineering course in semester 3 and the internship and capstone in semester 7, and the Scholars plan totals 150 hours. The program is STEM designated, and a Computer Science Scholars pathway lets you earn the bachelor's and a master's in computer science in four years.
Master’s in software engineering
1 program
#1 near Milwaukee
51.6of 100
Concordia University-Wisconsin
Mequon, WI · about 13 mi from central Milwaukee
MSOnline
Tuition
$12,960
Out-of-state
$12,960
Grads/yr
30
The software engineering listing at Concordia University Wisconsin is a concentration within its Master of Science in Computer Science, a 30-credit degree. Six core courses cover AI Ethics and Vocation, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Mobile Computer Architecture, Applied Computer Networking, and an Applied Research Practicum. You then select a 12-hour concentration. Its software engineering track is made up of Database Administration, Advanced Algorithms, Applied Restful APIs and Integrations, and Language Theory, each worth 3 hours.
The other option is Business Data Applications. The plan of study spreads the 30 hours across five semesters at six hours each, and the program culminates in applied capstone experiences. Learning outcomes include advanced technical proficiency in topics such as artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, and software architecture, applied research and development, and leadership and collaboration skills for guiding teams and projects. The program also builds a Christian worldview and ethical principles into decisions about computing.
Compare
Programs side by side
Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee’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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area whose campus is outside Milwaukee’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
4 schools, 5 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
$35,550
median of 3 schools
Prices near Milwaukee were 96.9 against a national 100 in 2024, and housing 97.1, 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 4 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area employed 6,170 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, Milwaukee-Waukesha, 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area.
Industry
Businesses
Employees
Payroll per employee
Computer systems design and related services
574
7,836
$95,500
Software publishers
57
6,553
$119,300
Data processing, hosting and related services
48
1,437
$120,400
Computer and electronic product manufacturing
80
5,052
$87,100
The first three of those industries employ 2.0% of the metro area’s private-sector workers, against 2.6% nationally, below the national share.
Of these industries, computer systems design and related services employs the most people in the metro area, 7,836, while data processing, hosting and related services pays the most per employee, $120,400.
Businesses, employees (mid-March) and annual payroll: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, metropolitan areas and United States (cbp23msa, cbp23us), private sector, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area; payroll per employee covers every job in the industry, not only developers.
Pay
What software developers earn
$77,74010th
$99,99025th
$123,730median
$138,59075th
$164,66090th
Software developers, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, BLS OEWS May 2025. National median: $135,980.
The metro area’s median is $123,730, $12,250 below the national $135,980. Half of the metro area’s software developers earn between $99,990 and $138,590.
BEA puts prices in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area at 96.9 against a national 100 (2024), so the median goes as far as $127,690 would nationally, $8,290 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee’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 Milwaukee you’ve got two bachelor’s programs titled software engineering, at Milwaukee School of Engineering and Concordia University-Wisconsin, plus five 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 Milwaukee, that’s three software engineering programs and eight computer science programs across the metro, so you really can choose. An easy way to decide: put Milwaukee School of Engineering’s course list next to Wisconsin-Milwaukee’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 Concordia University-Wisconsin and Milwaukee School of Engineering, 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 574 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 Milwaukee is Milwaukee School of Engineering’s bachelor’s in Milwaukee, about 3 miles away. Check any program’s accreditation before you apply.
5
Look for your first job nearby
The Milwaukee area had 6,170 software developers in May 2025, earning a median of $123,730. The biggest software industries here are computer systems design (7,836 jobs) and software publishing (6,553 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 Milwaukee fits, these are the highest-scoring online programs in our rankings. Confirm with each school that it enrolls students living near Milwaukee.
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 Milwaukee?
3 degrees titled software engineering, 2 bachelor’s and 1 master’s, at 2 schools. 1 of them is on ABET’s accredited list.
What is the best software engineering school near Milwaukee?
Milwaukee School of Engineering ranks first of the 2 ranked bachelor’s programs near Milwaukee, with a score of 64.6 out of 100 (#25 nationally). The score combines completion, net price, ABET accreditation and program size.
Which software engineering programs near Milwaukee are ABET-accredited?
Milwaukee School of Engineering (bachelor’s), according to ABET’s accredited program list retrieved 2026-09-30.
How much do software engineers make near Milwaukee?
Software developers, the BLS occupation that includes software engineers, earned a median of $123,730 near Milwaukee in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $77,740 and the 90th $164,660.
Is Milwaukee pay worth it after cost of living?
BEA puts Milwaukee’s prices at 96.9 against a national 100 in 2024. Divided by that, the developer median of $123,730 is worth about $127,690 at national prices.
Who hires software engineers near Milwaukee?
No source counts software hiring by company the same way in every metro, so we don’t name employers. The Census Bureau counted 574 computer systems design businesses in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area in 2023, employing 7,836 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee.
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 .
13NCES IPEDS HD2024: campus coordinatesCampus latitude and longitude, for the distance from Milwaukee to the nearest ABET-accredited software engineering program (straight line).
