Best Software Engineering Schools Near Worcester, MA (2026)

Worcester, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering software engineering programs. Worcester has a population of about 205,501. Median household income is $67,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Worcester, MA metro area, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $193,890 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Software Engineering Schools to Worcester

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

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

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#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA 36.0 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 98%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $101,817
Avg net price $19,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 174

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tufts University

Medford, MA 36.5 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,214
Avg net price $39,998/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 37.1 miles from Worcester
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Software Engineering Wages Near Worcester

Worcester is part of the Worcester, MA metro area (BLS area code 49340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $146,950 Worcester, MA $143,366
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $107,370 Worcester, MA $104,751
Computer Programmers $119,010 Worcester, MA $116,107
Web Developers $80,840 Worcester, MA $78,868
Computer and Information Systems Managers $193,890 Worcester, MA $189,161
Computer Occupations, All Other $104,140 Worcester, MA $101,600
Computer Network Architects $130,060 Worcester, MA $126,888
Computer Systems Analysts $119,260 Worcester, MA $116,351

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.


Worcester at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 205,501 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $67,544 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 34.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.5 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Worcester-Area Cities With Software Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software engineering schools are near Worcester, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software engineering programs near Worcester. The closest is Harvard University in Cambridge, MA (36.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Connecticut State Community College (56.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying software engineering roles near Worcester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles near Worcester are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($193,890), Software Developers ($146,950), Computer Network Architects ($130,060). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Marlborough instead of Worcester?

Marlborough, MA is 14.4 miles from Worcester and has its own set of local software engineering programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Worcester an affordable place to study software engineering?

Worcester’s median household income of $67,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Worcester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Engineering Programs

Other Programs Available in Worcester

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

Data verified: September 5, 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.