Best Software Developer programs in Wisconsin, ranked by enrollment
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
40 schools in Wisconsin run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,995 people a year. The job pays a median of $122,660 in Wisconsin across about 21,730 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Wisconsin that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
15 programs in Wisconsin that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Wisconsin (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 Wisconsin page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 30.7001In Wisconsin → | 812 | 27.1% | 19 | — | — |
| 2 | CIP 11.0103In Wisconsin → | 514 | 17.2% | 6 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 3 | CIP 11.0401In Wisconsin → | 402 | 13.4% | 4 | $57,313 | $25,833 |
| 4 | CIP 11.0701In Wisconsin → | 363 | 12.1% | 16 | $70,374 | $23,250 |
| 5 | CIP 11.0201In Wisconsin → | 337 | 11.3% | 14 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 6 | CIP 14.0903In Wisconsin → | 170 | 5.7% | 4 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 7 | CIP 14.0901In Wisconsin → | 139 | 4.6% | 5 | $78,333 | $24,098 |
| 8 | CIP 11.0102In Wisconsin → | 68 | 2.3% | 3 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 9 | CIP 11.0804In Wisconsin → | 63 | 2.1% | 1 | $33,504 | $27,000 |
| 10 | CIP 11.0202In Wisconsin → | 62 | 2.1% | 4 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 11 | CIP 11.0902In Wisconsin → | 26 | 0.9% | 3 | $43,901 | $22,822 |
| 12 | CIP 11.0104In Wisconsin → | 12 | 0.4% | 1 | $57,986 | $24,286 |
| 13 | CIP 11.0203In Wisconsin → | 12 | 0.4% | 2 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 14 | CIP 11.0204In Wisconsin → | 9 | 0.3% | 1 | $46,719 | $20,729 |
| 15 | CIP 30.0801In Wisconsin → | 6 | 0.2% | 1 | $89,651 | $23,175 |
Top 25 schools in Wisconsin
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 12 of the 40 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 3 feeder programs | 910 | Data Science, General | — | 90% | — | 45% |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI Public · 5 feeder programs | 618 | Computer Science | $73,795 | 49% | — | 91% |
| 3 | Concordia University - Wisconsin Mequon, WI Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 368 | Information Technology | — | 68% | $24,409 | 78% |
| 4 | Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 184 | Artificial Intelligence | — | 67% | $20,167 | 59% |
| 5 | Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 138 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | $44,673 | 50% | — | — |
| 6 | Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI Public · 3 feeder programs | 80 | Computer Programming, Specific Applications | — | 25% | — | — |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin - Stout Menomonie, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 75 | Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation | $54,639 | 55% | — | 88% |
| 8 | Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee, WI Public · 4 feeder programs | 72 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 44% | — | — |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, WI Public · 3 feeder programs | 58 | Computer Science | $52,324 | 48% | — | 89% |
| 10 | Marquette University Milwaukee, WI Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 46 | Computer Science | — | 83% | $25,376 | 81% |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI Public · 3 feeder programs | 39 | Information Technology | $59,680 | 51% | — | 92% |
| 12 | Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 38 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | $54,652 | 65% | — | — |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI Public · 4 feeder programs | 31 | Computer Software Engineering | $71,635 | 56% | — | 89% |
| 14 | Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 26 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | $41,728 | 51% | — | — |
| 15 | University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 23 | Data Science, General | — | 71% | — | 76% |
| 16 | University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Flex Milwaukee, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Information Science/Studies | $51,582 | — | — | 100% |
| 17 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Data Science, General | — | 64% | — | 82% |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Information Technology | — | 40% | — | 75% |
| 19 | Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI Public · 3 feeder programs | 19 | Cloud Computing | $65,324 | 29% | — | — |
| 20 | Northcentral Technical College Wausau, WI Public · 3 feeder programs | 19 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 45% | — | — |
| 21 | Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 51% | — | — |
| 22 | Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 58% | — | — |
| 23 | Northwood Technical College Rice Lake, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 56% | — | — |
| 24 | Western Technical College La Crosse, WI Public · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Computer Programming/Programmer, General | — | 34% | — | — |
| 25 | Carroll University Waukesha, WI Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 15 | Computer Science | — | 71% | $22,601 | 67% |
All 40 schools in Wisconsin
Every school in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin - Madison | Madison | Public | 910 | 3 |
| University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee | Milwaukee | Public | 618 | 5 |
| Concordia University - Wisconsin | Mequon | Private not-for-profit | 368 | 5 |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | Milwaukee | Private not-for-profit | 184 | 4 |
| Chippewa Valley Technical College | Eau Claire | Public | 138 | 2 |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College | Milwaukee | Public | 80 | 3 |
| University of Wisconsin - Stout | Menomonie | Public | 75 | 2 |
| Waukesha County Technical College | Pewaukee | Public | 72 | 4 |
| University of Wisconsin - Green Bay | Green Bay | Public | 58 | 3 |
| Marquette University | Milwaukee | Private not-for-profit | 46 | 5 |
| University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point | Stevens Point | Public | 39 | 3 |
| Fox Valley Technical College | Appleton | Public | 38 | 2 |
| University of Wisconsin - Platteville | Platteville | Public | 31 | 4 |
| Gateway Technical College | Kenosha | Public | 26 | 2 |
| University of Wisconsin - La Crosse | La Crosse | Public | 23 | 2 |
What software developers earn in Wisconsin
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $135,980. Wisconsin pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin.
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 Data Science, General, which awarded 812 degrees in Wisconsin in 2024-25, 27.1% 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 Data Science, Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Programming, Information Science/Studies, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 2,995 people a year in Wisconsin.
How much do software developers earn in Wisconsin?+
The median is $122,660 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 9.8% 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 Wisconsin?+
40 institutions in Wisconsin 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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