Best Software Engineering Schools Near Saint Cloud, MN (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Saint Cloud, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering software engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $44,226 to $58,569 per year for indexed programs. Saint Cloud has a population of about 69,926. Median household income is $61,112 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Cloud, MN metro area, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $142,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Engineering Schools to Saint Cloud

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

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN 1.6 miles from Saint Cloud
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,813
Avg net price $13,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Software Engineering Wages Near Saint Cloud

Saint Cloud is part of the St. Cloud, MN metro area (BLS area code 41060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $103,000 St. Cloud, MN $117,580
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $101,700 MN statewide $116,096
Computer Programmers $77,640 St. Cloud, MN $88,630
Web Developers $101,020 MN statewide $115,320
Computer and Information Systems Managers $142,510 St. Cloud, MN $162,683
Computer Occupations, All Other $105,790 St. Cloud, MN $120,765
Computer Network Architects $133,270 MN statewide $152,135
Computer Systems Analysts $87,090 St. Cloud, MN $99,418

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.

Saint Cloud at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 69,926 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,112 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 87.6 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Saint Cloud-Area Cities With Software Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software engineering schools are near Saint Cloud, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering software engineering programs near Saint Cloud. The closest is Saint Cloud State University in Saint Cloud, MN (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (59.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying software engineering roles near Saint Cloud?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles near Saint Cloud are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($142,510), Computer Network Architects ($133,270), Computer Occupations, All Other ($105,790). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Monticello instead of Saint Cloud?

Monticello, MN is 24.4 miles from Saint Cloud 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 Saint Cloud an affordable place to study software engineering?

Saint Cloud’s median household income of $61,112 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Saint Cloud while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Saint Cloud

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

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 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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