Lancaster, Pennsylvania has 98 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $5,640 to $52,080 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 57,683. Median household income is $63,421 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lancaster, PA metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $104,740 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Software Development Schools to Lancaster
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software development programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster 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 Lancaster.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
87%
Graduation rate
39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,374
Avg net price
$15,376/yr
TuitionIn‑state$24,400
Out‑of‑state$24,400
Key stats- Retention rate: 73%
- Programs offered: 16
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,391
Avg net price
$6,576/yr
TuitionIn‑state$6,930
Out‑of‑state$15,540
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,436
Avg net price
$9,203/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,852
Avg net price
$11,911/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,727
Avg net price
$28,198/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 104
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,566
Avg net price
$12,119/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,235
Avg net price
$13,143/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 32
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,324
Avg net price
$6,389/yr
TuitionIn‑state$5,683
Out‑of‑state$13,963
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania software development page.
Software Development Wages Near Lancaster
Lancaster is part of the Lancaster, PA metro area (BLS area code 29540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Software Developer | $104,740 | Lancaster, PA | $106,551 |
| Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester | $90,540 | Lancaster, PA | $92,106 |
| Computer Programmer | $83,990 | Lancaster, PA | $85,443 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $86,830 | Lancaster, PA | $88,332 |
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.
Lancaster at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 57,683 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $63,421 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 27.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 98.3 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Software Development Programs
- Lebanon, PA – 21.6 mi away (77,839 pop)
- York, PA – 23.4 mi away (232,796 pop)
- Reading, PA – 28.5 mi away (264,736 pop)
- Harrisburg, PA – 34.7 mi away (438,995 pop)
- Pottstown, PA – 37.6 mi away (109,052 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited software development schools are near Lancaster, PA?
Our directory has 98 accredited schools offering software development programs near Lancaster. The closest is Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, PA (0.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cecil College (33.1 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying software development roles near Lancaster?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Lancaster are: Software Developer ($104,740), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($90,540), Computer Systems Analyst ($86,830). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Lebanon instead of Lancaster?
Lebanon, PA is 21.6 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study software development?
Lancaster’s median household income of $63,421 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 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.
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