Best Software Development Schools Near East Chicago, IN (2026)

East Chicago, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs. East Chicago has a population of about 26,158. Median household income is $41,071 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 9.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $134,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Software Development Schools to East Chicago

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software development programs near East Chicago, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from East Chicago 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 East Chicago. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Indiana University-Northwest

Gary, IN 8.7 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,361
Avg net price $5,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN 62.8 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $99,980
Avg net price $26,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Indiana University-South Bend

South Bend, IN 63.6 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,947
Avg net price $8,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bethel University

Mishawaka, IN 65.0 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,860
Avg net price $18,610/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Purdue University Global

West Lafayette, IN 86.8 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,596
Avg net price $7,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 43%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Manchester University

North Manchester, IN 98.2 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,504
Avg net price $18,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Huntington University

Huntington, IN 114.0 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,672
Avg net price $19,310/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,870
Out‑of‑state$31,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion

Marion, IN 121.5 miles from East Chicago
  • 4 year
56.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,986
Avg net price $22,866/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Software Development Wages Near East Chicago

East Chicago is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developer$134,380Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$129,710
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$105,580Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$101,911
Computer Programmer$99,750Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$96,284
Computer Systems Analyst$103,490Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$99,894

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.


East Chicago at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,158Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$41,071Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+9.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other East Chicago-Area Cities With Software Development Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software development schools are near East Chicago, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs near East Chicago. The closest is City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College in Chicago, IL (8.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College (13.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying software development roles near East Chicago?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near East Chicago are: Software Developer ($134,380), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($105,580), Computer Systems Analyst ($103,490). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Hammond instead of East Chicago?

Hammond, IN is 2.9 miles from East Chicago 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 East Chicago an affordable place to study software development?

East Chicago’s median household income of $41,071 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Chicago while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 East Chicago

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

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.