Best Software Developer programs in Florida, ranked by enrollment
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
79 schools in Florida run programs that feed this job, graduating 9,449 people a year. The job pays a median of $130,980 in Florida across about 87,890 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Florida that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
14 programs in Florida that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Florida (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 Florida page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0103In Florida → | 4,210 | 44.6% | 45 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 2 | CIP 11.0701In Florida → | 1,464 | 15.5% | 22 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0201In Florida → | 933 | 9.9% | 25 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 4 | CIP 14.0901In Florida → | 746 | 7.9% | 13 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0401In Florida → | 580 | 6.1% | 12 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 6 | CIP 30.7001In Florida → | 435 | 4.6% | 13 | — | — |
| 7 | CIP 14.0903In Florida → | 367 | 3.9% | 8 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 8 | CIP 11.0202In Florida → | 332 | 3.5% | 16 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 9 | CIP 11.0102In Florida → | 186 | 2.0% | 7 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 10 | CIP 11.0203In Florida → | 79 | 0.8% | 8 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 11 | CIP 11.0104In Florida → | 58 | 0.6% | 6 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 12 | CIP 11.0902In Florida → | 53 | 0.6% | 6 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 13 | CIP 11.0804In Florida → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 14 | CIP 30.0801In Florida → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $89,651 | $23,175 |
Top 25 schools in Florida
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 26 of the 79 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 799 | Information Technology | $52,497 | 39% | — | — |
| 2 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 663 | Information Science/Studies | — | 77% | — | 43% |
| 3 | Valencia College Orlando, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 662 | Information Technology | $31,754 | 48% | — | — |
| 4 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 659 | Information Technology | $49,903 | 46% | — | — |
| 5 | Full Sail University Winter Park, FL Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 657 | Computer Science | $50,359 | 44% | $32,163 | — |
| 6 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 604 | Information Technology | $68,793 | 78% | — | 40% |
| 7 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 509 | Information Technology | $61,376 | 86% | — | 24% |
| 8 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 408 | Data Science, General | — | 63% | — | 66% |
| 9 | Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 356 | Information Technology | $62,562 | 74% | — | 55% |
| 10 | Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 267 | Information Technology | $51,316 | 41% | — | — |
| 11 | Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 264 | Information Technology | $49,049 | 45% | — | — |
| 12 | Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 239 | Information Technology | $35,883 | 61% | $35,483 | 97% |
| 13 | University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 209 | Computer Science | — | 69% | — | 53% |
| 14 | Eastern Florida State College Melbourne, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 203 | Information Science/Studies | $57,313 | 52% | — | — |
| 15 | Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 191 | Computer Science | — | 55% | — | 58% |
| 16 | Santa Fe College Gainesville, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 180 | Information Technology | $49,302 | 53% | — | — |
| 17 | Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 166 | Computer Science | $72,237 | 45% | $18,986 | 78% |
| 18 | Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 165 | Computer Science | $75,231 | 64% | $33,585 | 58% |
| 19 | Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL Public · 2 feeder programs | 158 | Information Technology | — | 37% | — | — |
| 20 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 151 | Information Technology | — | 38% | — | — |
| 21 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 145 | Computer Engineering, General | $87,949 | 91% | — | 24% |
| 22 | University of West Florida Pensacola, FL Public · 4 feeder programs | 141 | Information Technology | $45,733 | 59% | — | 58% |
| 23 | Hillsborough College Tampa, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 132 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | $42,710 | 34% | — | — |
| 24 | Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 112 | Information Technology | — | 39% | — | — |
| 25 | University of Miami Coral Gables, FL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 107 | Computer Science | $76,877 | 84% | $26,589 | 19% |
All 79 schools in Florida
Every school in Florida 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broward College | Fort Lauderdale | Public | 799 | 4 |
| University of South Florida | Tampa | Public | 663 | 5 |
| Valencia College | Orlando | Public | 662 | 3 |
| Miami Dade College | Miami | Public | 659 | 5 |
| Full Sail University | Winter Park | Private for-profit | 657 | 3 |
| University of Central Florida | Orlando | Public | 604 | 4 |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee | Public | 509 | 4 |
| Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton | Public | 408 | 5 |
| Florida International University | Miami | Public | 356 | 2 |
| Seminole State College of Florida | Sanford | Public | 267 | 3 |
| Indian River State College | Fort Pierce | Public | 264 | 2 |
| Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale | Private not-for-profit | 239 | 3 |
| University of North Florida | Jacksonville | Public | 209 | 4 |
| Eastern Florida State College | Melbourne | Public | 203 | 5 |
| Florida Polytechnic University | Lakeland | Public | 191 | 3 |
What software developers earn in Florida
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $135,980. Florida pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Florida
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 Florida
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 Florida.
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 4,210 degrees in Florida in 2024-25, 44.6% 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 14 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Science, Computer Programming, Computer Engineering, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 9,449 people a year in Florida.
How much do software developers earn in Florida?+
The median is $130,980 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 3.7% 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 Florida?+
79 institutions in Florida reported graduates from at least one of the 14 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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