Charleston, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $4,415 to $14,301 per year for indexed programs. Charleston has a population of about 17,212. Median household income is $49,057 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $132,110 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Software Development Schools to Charleston
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software development programs near Charleston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Charleston 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Charleston.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,346
Avg net price
$14,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$53,213
Avg net price
$20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 69%
- Programs offered: 85
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,163
Avg net price
$12,937/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 60%
- Programs offered: 83
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,656
Avg net price
$10,970/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 61
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,987
Avg net price
$30,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 19
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
55%
Graduation rate
74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$82,592
Avg net price
$18,425/yr
TuitionIn‑state$52,386
Out‑of‑state$52,386
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 76
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,462
Avg net price
$24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 74
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$29,963
Avg net price
$21,697/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 37%
- Programs offered: 8
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois software development page.
Software Development Wages Near Charleston
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide) |
|---|
| Software Developer | $132,110 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester | $104,910 |
| Computer Programmer | $72,540 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $101,570 |
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.
Charleston at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 17,212 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $49,057 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 34.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Charleston-Area Cities With Software Development Programs
- Terre Haute, IN – 42.8 mi away (92,841 pop)
- Urbana, IL – 43.3 mi away (42,014 pop)
- Champaign, IL – 43.8 mi away (155,368 pop)
- Decatur, IL – 47.7 mi away (89,653 pop)
- Danville, IL – 54.5 mi away (48,785 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited software development schools are near Charleston, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs near Charleston. The closest is Lake Land College in Mattoon, IL (11.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (45.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying software development roles in Illinois?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles in Illinois are: Software Developer ($132,110), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($104,910), Computer Systems Analyst ($101,570). Wages for Charleston workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Terre Haute instead of Charleston?
Terre Haute, IN is 42.8 miles from Charleston 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 Charleston an affordable place to study software development?
Charleston’s median household income of $49,057 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charleston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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
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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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