Best Software Developer programs in Tennessee, ranked by enrollment
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
44 schools in Tennessee run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,671 people a year. The job pays a median of $122,430 in Tennessee across about 19,030 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Tennessee that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
10 programs in Tennessee that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Tennessee (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 Tennessee page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0701In Tennessee → | 1,320 | 49.4% | 24 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | CIP 11.0103In Tennessee → | 904 | 33.8% | 28 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 3 | CIP 30.7001In Tennessee → | 254 | 9.5% | 9 | — | — |
| 4 | CIP 14.0901In Tennessee → | 91 | 3.4% | 5 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0401In Tennessee → | 84 | 3.1% | 3 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 6 | CIP 14.0903In Tennessee → | 6 | 0.2% | 1 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 7 | CIP 30.0801In Tennessee → | 4 | 0.1% | 1 | $89,651 | $23,175 |
| 8 | CIP 11.0102In Tennessee → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 9 | CIP 11.0104In Tennessee → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 10 | CIP 11.0201In Tennessee → | 2 | 0.1% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
Top 25 schools in Tennessee
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 22 of the 44 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Memphis Memphis, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 569 | Computer Science | $57,233 | 51% | — | 72% |
| 2 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 4 feeder programs | 333 | Computer Science | $70,193 | 74% | — | 42% |
| 3 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 281 | Computer Science | $122,244 | 94% | $14,854 | 6% |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 231 | Computer Science | $57,653 | 54% | — | 69% |
| 5 | Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 189 | Computer Science | $63,180 | 58% | — | 76% |
| 6 | Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 126 | Information Technology | $35,042 | 28% | — | — |
| 7 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 106 | Computer Science | $59,567 | 50% | — | 81% |
| 8 | Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 66 | Information Technology | $44,224 | 31% | — | — |
| 9 | Strayer University - Tennessee Nashville, TN Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 47 | Information Technology | $67,315 | 0% | $18,466 | — |
| 10 | Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 44 | Information Technology | $58,060 | 40% | — | 96% |
| 11 | Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Information Technology | $27,882 | 33% | — | — |
| 12 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Murfreesboro Murfreesboro, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 42 | Information Technology | — | 76% | — | — |
| 13 | South College Knoxville, TN Private for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 41 | Information Technology | — | 42% | $20,346 | — |
| 14 | Rhodes College Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 40 | Computer Science | $60,225 | 85% | $19,854 | 50% |
| 15 | Tennessee State University Nashville, TN Public · 3 feeder programs | 40 | Computer Science | $50,628 | 34% | — | 70% |
| 16 | East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN Public · 2 feeder programs | 39 | Information Technology | $52,008 | 53% | — | 86% |
| 17 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 36 | Data Science, General | — | 55% | $11,063 | 87% |
| 18 | Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 32 | Information Technology | $42,160 | 18% | — | — |
| 19 | Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 31 | Information Technology | $41,400 | 26% | — | — |
| 20 | Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 30 | Information Technology | $33,171 | 19% | — | — |
| 21 | Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Information Technology | $30,258 | 26% | — | — |
| 22 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 22 | Computer Science | — | 72% | $24,309 | 68% |
| 23 | Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Information Technology | — | 30% | — | — |
| 24 | Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 21 | Information Technology | $59,514 | 53% | $14,286 | 69% |
| 25 | Walters State Community College Morristown, TN Public · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Information Technology | $36,266 | 33% | — | — |
All 44 schools in Tennessee
Every school in Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Memphis | Memphis | Public | 569 | 4 |
| The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville | Public | 333 | 4 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | Private not-for-profit | 281 | 1 |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro | Public | 231 | 3 |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville | Public | 189 | 2 |
| Volunteer State Community College | Gallatin | Public | 126 | 1 |
| The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Public | 106 | 2 |
| Pellissippi State Community College | Knoxville | Public | 66 | 1 |
| Strayer University - Tennessee | Nashville | Private for-profit | 47 | 2 |
| Austin Peay State University | Clarksville | Public | 44 | 2 |
| Northeast State Community College | Blountville | Public | 42 | 1 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Murfreesboro | Murfreesboro | Public | 42 | 1 |
| South College | Knoxville | Private for-profit | 41 | 5 |
| Rhodes College | Memphis | Private not-for-profit | 40 | 1 |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville | Public | 40 | 3 |
What software developers earn in Tennessee
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $135,980. Tennessee pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Tennessee
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 Tennessee
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 Tennessee.
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 Computer Science, which awarded 1,320 degrees in Tennessee in 2024-25, 49.4% 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 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer Science, Computer and Information Sciences, Data Science, Computer Engineering, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 2,671 people a year in Tennessee.
How much do software developers earn in Tennessee?+
The median is $122,430 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 10.0% 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 Tennessee?+
44 institutions in Tennessee reported graduates from at least one of the 10 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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