Best Software Development Schools Near Lancaster, SC (2026)

Lancaster, South Carolina has 24 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $5,664 to $35,972 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $135,920 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:

  • 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.

#1

Winthrop University

Rock Hill, SC 20.5 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 53.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,185
Avg net price $15,343/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Limestone University

Gaffney, SC 54.3 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Greenville Technical College

Greenville, SC 90.8 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 52.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,473
Avg net price $11,713/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Anderson University

Anderson, SC 106.7 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 49.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,101
Avg net price $23,544/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Clemson University

Clemson, SC 115.6 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 80.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,513
Avg net price $22,253/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Trident Technical College

Charleston, SC 131.2 miles from Lancaster BOC Score 50.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,253
Avg net price $1,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Software Development Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developer$135,920Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$139,692
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$81,990Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$84,265
Computer Programmer$84,720Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$87,071
Computer Systems Analyst$110,790Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$113,864

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

MetricValueSource
Population8,738Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,234Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Software Development Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software development schools are near Lancaster, SC?

Our directory has 24 accredited schools offering software development programs near Lancaster. The closest is Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC (20.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Pfeiffer University (59.6 miles). 8 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 ($135,920), Computer Systems Analyst ($110,790), Computer Programmer ($84,720). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 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 $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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 Lancaster

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

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.