Best Software Development Schools Near Boulder, CO (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Boulder, Colorado has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $4,902 to $54,242 per year for indexed programs. Boulder has a population of about 106,274. Median household income is $85,364 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 76.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boulder, CO metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $164,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Development Schools to Boulder

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software development programs near Boulder, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Boulder city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Boulder. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Front Range Community College

Westminster, CO 14.3 miles from Boulder
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,910
Avg net price $13,031/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Regis University

Denver, CO 20.2 miles from Boulder
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,105
Avg net price $18,397/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Red Rocks Community College

Lakewood, CO 21.9 miles from Boulder
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,288
Avg net price $9,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Colorado Christian University

Lakewood, CO 23.2 miles from Boulder
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,416
Avg net price $29,500/yr
Tuition
In‑state$41,342
Out‑of‑state$41,342
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO 23.8 miles from Boulder
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
37.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,095
Avg net price $9,450/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,902
Out‑of‑state$17,136
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Denver

Denver, CO 28.6 miles from Boulder
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,155
Avg net price $36,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$61,398
Out‑of‑state$61,398
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO 29.3 miles from Boulder
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
61.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,270
Avg net price $11,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,383
Out‑of‑state$29,391
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Arapahoe Community College

Littleton, CO 31.5 miles from Boulder
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,341
Avg net price $11,571/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Colorado schools on the Colorado software development page.

Software Development Wages Near Boulder

Boulder is part of the Boulder, CO metro area (BLS area code 14500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Colorado statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developer$164,560Boulder, CO$156,426
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$136,410Boulder, CO$129,667
Computer Programmer$155,030Boulder, CO$147,367
Computer Systems Analyst$132,750Boulder, CO$126,188

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Boulder at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population106,274Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$85,364Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+76.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)105.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Boulder-Area Cities With Software Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software development schools are near Boulder, CO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs near Boulder. The closest is Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO (14.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Community College of Denver (23.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying software development roles near Boulder?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Boulder are: Software Developer ($164,560), Computer Programmer ($155,030), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($136,410). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Colorado statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Louisville instead of Boulder?

Louisville, CO is 6.9 miles from Boulder and has its own set of local software development programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Boulder an affordable place to study software development?

Boulder’s median household income of $85,364 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Boulder while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Colorado public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Software Development Programs

Other Programs Available in Boulder

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Boulder:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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