Best Software Developer programs in Arizona, ranked by enrollment
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
32 schools in Arizona run programs that feed this job, graduating 8,349 people a year. The job pays a median of $129,690 in Arizona across about 38,050 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Arizona that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
15 programs in Arizona that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Arizona (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Arizona page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0103In Arizona → | 3,225 | 38.6% | 18 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 2 | CIP 11.0701In Arizona → | 2,943 | 35.2% | 21 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 3 | CIP 30.7001In Arizona → | 532 | 6.4% | 7 | — | — |
| 4 | CIP 14.0903In Arizona → | 487 | 5.8% | 8 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 5 | CIP 14.0901In Arizona → | 273 | 3.3% | 4 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 6 | CIP 11.0902In Arizona → | 246 | 2.9% | 5 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 7 | CIP 11.0201In Arizona → | 213 | 2.6% | 7 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 8 | CIP 11.0104In Arizona → | 155 | 1.9% | 4 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 9 | CIP 11.0401In Arizona → | 92 | 1.1% | 4 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 10 | CIP 11.0202In Arizona → | 61 | 0.7% | 7 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 11 | CIP 11.0102In Arizona → | 44 | 0.5% | 5 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 12 | CIP 11.0204In Arizona → | 43 | 0.5% | 2 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 13 | CIP 11.0804In Arizona → | 19 | 0.2% | 3 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 14 | CIP 15.1204In Arizona → | 14 | 0.2% | 2 | $48,829 | $21,696 |
| 15 | CIP 11.0203In Arizona → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
Top 25 schools in Arizona
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 32 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 5 feeder programs | 2,178 | Computer Science | $80,686 | 68% | — | 90% |
| 2 | University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 1,847 | Information Technology | $59,291 | 21% | $15,478 | — |
| 3 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ Public · 6 feeder programs | 981 | Information Technology | — | 61% | — | 90% |
| 4 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 7 feeder programs | 715 | Computer Science | $86,040 | 68% | — | 86% |
| 5 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 671 | Information Technology | $59,500 | 43% | $21,535 | 79% |
| 6 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 609 | Computer Science | — | 0% | — | 67% |
| 7 | American InterContinental University System Chandler, AZ Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 349 | Information Technology | $51,687 | 9% | $15,785 | — |
| 8 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 214 | Cloud Computing | — | 16% | — | — |
| 9 | The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 196 | Information Technology | — | 11% | $26,445 | — |
| 10 | University of Advancing Technology Tempe, AZ Private for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 127 | Computer Science | — | 35% | $21,175 | 98% |
| 11 | Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 89 | Cloud Computing | — | 16% | — | — |
| 12 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 65 | Information Technology | — | 14% | — | — |
| 13 | Chandler - Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 55 | Computer Science | — | 30% | — | — |
| 14 | Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 46 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 15 | Western Maricopa Education Center Glendale, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 39 | Information Technology | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Prescott, AZ Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 23 | Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation | — | 68% | $38,461 | 77% |
| 17 | Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 22 | Information Technology | — | 9% | — | — |
| 18 | Cochise County Community College District Sierra Vista, AZ Public · 5 feeder programs | 19 | Computer Science | — | 30% | — | — |
| 19 | Mohave Community College Kingman, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Computer Game Programming | — | 38% | — | — |
| 20 | South Mountain Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 15 | Information Technology | — | 16% | — | — |
| 21 | Central Arizona College Coolidge, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 27% | — | — |
| 22 | Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 12 | Information Technology | — | 19% | — | — |
| 23 | Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Computer Science | — | 17% | — | — |
| 24 | Yavapai College Prescott, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 34% | — | — |
| 25 | GateWay Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 9 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
All 32 schools in Arizona
Every school in Arizona with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | Tempe | Public | 2,178 | 5 |
| University of Phoenix - Arizona | Phoenix | Private for-profit | 1,847 | 6 |
| Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff | Public | 981 | 6 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson | Public | 715 | 7 |
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix | Private not-for-profit | 671 | 5 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion | Scottsdale | Public | 609 | 3 |
| American InterContinental University System | Chandler | Private for-profit | 349 | 3 |
| Mesa Community College | Mesa | Public | 214 | 4 |
| The University of Arizona Global Campus | Chandler | Public | 196 | 2 |
| University of Advancing Technology | Tempe | Private for-profit | 127 | 7 |
| Glendale Community College | Glendale | Public | 89 | 4 |
| Phoenix College | Phoenix | Public | 65 | 4 |
| Chandler - Gilbert Community College | Chandler | Public | 55 | 4 |
| Estrella Mountain Community College | Avondale | Public | 46 | 3 |
| Western Maricopa Education Center | Glendale | Public | 39 | 1 |
What software developers earn in Arizona
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $135,980. Arizona pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Arizona
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Software Developers page.
How to become a Software Developer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Arizona
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 20 majors mapped to Software Developers20 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 11.0102Artificial Intelligence
- 11.0103Information Technology
- 11.0104Informatics
- 11.0201Computer Programming/Programmer, General
- 11.0202Computer Programming, Specific Applications
- 11.0203Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
- 11.0204Computer Game Programming
- 11.0205Computer Programming, Specific Platforms
- 11.0401Information Science/Studies
- 11.0701Computer Science
- 11.0804Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation
- 11.0902Cloud Computing
- 14.0901Computer Engineering, General
- 14.0903Computer Software Engineering
- 15.1204Computer Software Technology/Technician
- 30.0801Mathematics and Computer Science
- 30.1601Accounting and Computer Science
- 30.3901Economics and Computer Science
- 30.4801Linguistics and Computer Science
- 30.7001Data Science, General
Common questions
Answers for people weighing software developers programs in Arizona.
What degree do you need to become a Software Developer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Information Technology, which awarded 3,225 degrees in Arizona in 2024-25, 38.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Software Developer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 15 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 8,349 people a year in Arizona.
How much do software developers earn in Arizona?+
The median is $129,690 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 4.6% below the U.S. median of $135,980. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for software developers growing?+
BLS projects a +15.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 115,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Arizona?+
32 institutions in Arizona reported graduates from at least one of the 15 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do software developers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Developer, Software Engineer, Software Architect, Software Developer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1252.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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