Best Software Developer programs in Washington, ranked by enrollment
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
45 schools in Washington run programs that feed this job, graduating 4,031 people a year. The job pays a median of $166,540 in Washington across about 107,030 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Washington that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
14 programs in Washington that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Washington (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 Washington page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 11.0701In Washington → | 2,044 | 50.7% | 34 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 2 | CIP 11.0103In Washington → | 545 | 13.5% | 10 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0401In Washington → | 379 | 9.4% | 1 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 4 | CIP 11.0104In Washington → | 373 | 9.3% | 1 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0201In Washington → | 311 | 7.7% | 17 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 6 | CIP 11.0804In Washington → | 92 | 2.3% | 2 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 7 | CIP 14.0901In Washington → | 86 | 2.1% | 9 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 8 | CIP 30.7001In Washington → | 64 | 1.6% | 4 | — | — |
| 9 | CIP 11.0102In Washington → | 47 | 1.2% | 2 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 10 | CIP 14.0903In Washington → | 28 | 0.7% | 2 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 11 | CIP 11.0902In Washington → | 24 | 0.6% | 2 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 12 | CIP 30.0801In Washington → | 19 | 0.5% | 2 | $89,651 | $23,175 |
| 13 | CIP 11.0202In Washington → | 13 | 0.3% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 14 | CIP 11.0203In Washington → | 6 | 0.1% | 3 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
Top 25 schools in Washington
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 13 of the 45 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,561 | Computer Science | $128,887 | 85% | — | 39% |
| 2 | University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 304 | Computer Science | $128,887 | 65% | — | 91% |
| 3 | Washington State University Pullman, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 291 | Computer Science | $79,519 | 60% | — | 87% |
| 4 | Seattle University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 282 | Computer Science | $85,285 | 76% | $31,900 | 77% |
| 5 | Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 275 | Information Technology | $56,049 | 54% | — | 91% |
| 6 | University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 173 | Information Technology | $73,385 | 63% | — | 83% |
| 7 | Bellevue College Bellevue, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 122 | Computer Science | $73,214 | 36% | — | — |
| 8 | Green River College Auburn, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 107 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 39% | — | — |
| 9 | DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WA Private for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 98 | Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation | $81,885 | 61% | $39,863 | 64% |
| 10 | Gonzaga University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 69 | Computer Science | $76,636 | 86% | $30,006 | 82% |
| 11 | North Seattle College Seattle, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 65 | Computer Science | — | 33% | — | — |
| 12 | Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 51 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
| 13 | Lake Washington Institute of Technology Kirkland, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 50 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 37% | — | — |
| 14 | Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 44 | Cloud Computing | — | 52% | $22,131 | 90% |
| 15 | City University of Seattle Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 40 | Computer Science | — | — | $35,049 | — |
| 16 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 36 | Computer Science | $82,557 | 62% | $24,653 | 83% |
| 17 | Renton Technical College Renton, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 34 | Computer Science | — | 46% | — | — |
| 18 | Edmonds College Lynnwood, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 33 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 19 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 33 | Data Science, General | — | 65% | — | 93% |
| 20 | South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Computer Science | — | 44% | — | — |
| 21 | Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 29 | Information Technology | — | 33% | — | — |
| 22 | Shoreline College Shoreline, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Computer Science | — | 29% | — | — |
| 23 | Cascadia College Bothell, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 27 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 24 | Whitworth University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Computer Science | $62,139 | 71% | $23,510 | 90% |
| 25 | Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Computer Science | — | 32% | — | — |
All 45 schools in Washington
Every school in Washington 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 Washington - Seattle Campus | Seattle | Public | 1,561 | 6 |
| University of Washington - Bothell Campus | Bothell | Public | 304 | 2 |
| Washington State University | Pullman | Public | 291 | 3 |
| Seattle University | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 282 | 3 |
| Central Washington University | Ellensburg | Public | 275 | 3 |
| University of Washington - Tacoma Campus | Tacoma | Public | 173 | 3 |
| Bellevue College | Bellevue | Public | 122 | 2 |
| Green River College | Auburn | Public | 107 | 2 |
| DigiPen Institute of Technology | Redmond | Private for-profit | 98 | 4 |
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | Private not-for-profit | 69 | 2 |
| North Seattle College | Seattle | Public | 65 | 3 |
| Tacoma Community College | Tacoma | Public | 51 | 1 |
| Lake Washington Institute of Technology | Kirkland | Public | 50 | 2 |
| Saint Martin's University | Lacey | Private not-for-profit | 44 | 3 |
| City University of Seattle | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 40 | 2 |
What software developers earn in Washington
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $135,980. Washington pays above the national figure.
Concentrated here: Washington employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Washington
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 Washington
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 Washington.
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 2,044 degrees in Washington in 2024-25, 50.7% 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 Science, Computer and Information Sciences, Information Science/Studies, Computer Programming, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 4,031 people a year in Washington.
How much do software developers earn in Washington?+
The median is $166,540 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 22.5% above 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 Washington?+
45 institutions in Washington 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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