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

East Chicago, Indiana has 57 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $4,176 to $52,386 per year for indexed 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.

#1

Indiana University-South Bend

South Bend, IN 63.5 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 43.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion

Marion, IN 121.7 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 56.6
  • 4 year
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: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Indiana Institute of Technology

Fort Wayne, IN 127.4 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 34.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,327
Avg net price $23,206/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,361
Out‑of‑state$31,361
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies

Fort Wayne, IN 127.4 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 28.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,327
Avg net price $20,473/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,896
Out‑of‑state$9,896
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN 144.6 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 49.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,186
Avg net price $7,258/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,154
Out‑of‑state$9,935
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 162

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Franklin College

Franklin, IN 167.5 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 43.4
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 70%
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,376
Avg net price $22,855/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,710
Out‑of‑state$38,710
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Vincennes University

Vincennes, IN 204.6 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 48.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,110
Avg net price $11,225/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 51%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Indiana University-Southeast

New Albany, IN 244.2 miles from East Chicago BOC Score 46.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,596
Avg net price $7,888/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 31

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 57 accredited schools offering software development programs near East Chicago. The closest is Calumet College of Saint Joseph in Whiting, IN (2.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Trinity Christian College (17.1 miles). 9 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 11, 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.