Best Software Development Schools Near Staunton, VA (2026)

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

Staunton, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs, with tuition ranging from $5,646 to $20,788 per year for indexed programs. Staunton has a population of about 25,765. Median household income is $62,586 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Virginia, the top-earning software development-related role is Computer Programmer at a median $121,610 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Software Development Schools to Staunton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software development programs near Staunton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Staunton 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 Staunton. 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

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 21.7 miles from Staunton
  • 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

#2

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 31.5 miles from Staunton
  • 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

#3

Southern Virginia University

Buena Vista, VA 33.0 miles from Staunton
  • 4 year
34.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,002
Avg net price $22,213/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, VA 52.9 miles from Staunton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,380
Avg net price $22,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 56.3 miles from Staunton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA 86.6 miles from Staunton
  • 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

#7

Randolph-Macon College

Ashland, VA 90.5 miles from Staunton
  • 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

#8

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA 92.2 miles from Staunton
  • 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 Staunton

Staunton is part of the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area (BLS area code 44420). 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$115,610Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$126,905
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester$121,590VA statewide$133,469
Computer Programmer$121,610VA statewide$133,491
Computer Systems Analyst$91,380Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$100,307

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.

Staunton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population25,765Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,586Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Staunton-Area Cities With Software Development Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software development programs near Staunton. The closest is Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, VA (10.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Piedmont Virginia Community College (33.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software development-related roles near Staunton are: Computer Programmer ($121,610), Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester ($121,590), Software Developer ($115,610). 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 Waynesboro instead of Staunton?

Waynesboro, VA is 10.8 miles from Staunton 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 Staunton an affordable place to study software development?

Staunton’s median household income of $62,586 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Staunton 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 Staunton

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

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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