Best Software Development Schools Near Herndon, VA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Herndon, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs. Herndon has a population of about 24,529. Median household income is $141,418 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning software development-related role is Software Developer at a median $154,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Development Schools to Herndon

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

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

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#1

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 10.4 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Marymount University

Arlington, VA 14.6 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,516
Avg net price $29,137/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Strayer University-Virginia

Arlington, VA 17.1 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $19,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 42%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA 46.4 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
60.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,613
Avg net price $20,667/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Randolph-Macon College

Ashland, VA 83.7 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
54.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,448
Avg net price $27,866/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 88.1 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,954
Avg net price $23,322/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 88.4 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA 96.6 miles from Herndon
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,178
Avg net price $31,309/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Software Development Wages Near Herndon

Herndon is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developer$154,930Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$142,268
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$126,350Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$116,024
Computer Programmer$130,390Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$119,734
Computer Systems Analyst$127,040Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$116,657

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.

Herndon at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,529Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$141,418Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Herndon-Area Cities With Software Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software development schools are near Herndon, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs near Herndon. The closest is George Mason University in Fairfax, VA (10.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Strayer University-Virginia (17.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Herndon are: Software Developer ($154,930), Computer Programmer ($130,390), Computer Systems Analyst ($127,040). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fairfax instead of Herndon?

Fairfax, VA is 9.3 miles from Herndon 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 Herndon an affordable place to study software development?

Herndon’s median household income of $141,418 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Herndon while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Herndon

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

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.

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