Best Software Development Schools Near Lawrence, KS (2026)

Lawrence, Kansas has 18 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $2,424 to $42,000 per year for indexed programs. Lawrence has a population of about 95,459. Median household income is $62,838 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lawrence, KS metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $104,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Software Development Schools to Lawrence

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

#1

MidAmerica Nazarene University

Olathe, KS 26.5 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 54.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,972
Avg net price $32,165/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Johnson County Community College

Overland Park, KS 28.8 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 55.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,387
Avg net price $14,176/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Flint Hills Technical College

Emporia, KS 63.6 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 75.5
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,007
Avg net price $16,017/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Neosho County Community College

Chanute, KS 89.8 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 55.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,966
Avg net price $10,271/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Butler Community College

El Dorado, KS 117.8 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 44.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,206
Avg net price $15,724/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Independence Community College

Independence, KS 124.5 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 45.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,941
Avg net price $3,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Southwestern College

Winfield, KS 150.4 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 36.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,646
Avg net price $29,824/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Fort Hays State University

Hays, KS 219.4 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 59.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,928
Avg net price $12,569/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Software Development Wages Near Lawrence

Lawrence is part of the Lawrence, KS metro area (BLS area code 29940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developer$104,990Lawrence, KS$116,397
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$94,490KS statewide$104,756
Computer Programmer$84,950Lawrence, KS$94,180
Computer Systems Analyst$82,360Lawrence, KS$91,308

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.


Lawrence at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population95,459Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,838Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+55.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)90.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lawrence-Area Cities With Software Development Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software development schools are near Lawrence, KS?

Our directory has 18 accredited schools offering software development programs near Lawrence. The closest is University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Avila University (36.3 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Lawrence are: Software Developer ($104,990), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($94,490), Computer Programmer ($84,950). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Gardner instead of Lawrence?

Gardner, KS is 20.6 miles from Lawrence 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 Lawrence an affordable place to study software development?

Lawrence’s median household income of $62,838 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lawrence while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Lawrence

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.