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Best Software Engineering Schools Near Rio Rancho, NM (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Rio Rancho, New Mexico is home to about 106,533 residents. Median household income is $85,755 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Albuquerque, NM metro area, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $139,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Software Engineering Schools to Rio Rancho
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer software engineering programs near Rio Rancho, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rio Rancho city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
Rio Rancho is part of the Albuquerque, NM metro area (BLS area code 10740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Mexico statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers
$123,700
Albuquerque, NM
$129,529
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
$108,230
Albuquerque, NM
$113,330
Computer Programmers
$83,750
Albuquerque, NM
$87,696
Web Developers
$77,920
Albuquerque, NM
$81,592
Computer and Information Systems Managers
$139,530
Albuquerque, NM
$146,105
Computer Occupations, All Other
$127,820
Albuquerque, NM
$133,843
Computer Network Architects
$109,080
Albuquerque, NM
$114,220
Computer Systems Analysts
$98,220
Albuquerque, NM
$102,848
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.
Rio Rancho at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
106,533
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$85,755
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
33.6%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
95.5 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Rio Rancho-Area Cities With Software Engineering Programs
What are the highest-paying software engineering roles near Rio Rancho?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles near Rio Rancho are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($139,530), Computer Occupations, All Other ($127,820), Software Developers ($123,700). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Mexico statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Albuquerque instead of Rio Rancho?
Albuquerque, NM is 12.9 miles from Rio Rancho 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 Rio Rancho an affordable place to study software engineering?
Rio Rancho’s median household income of $85,755 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rio Rancho while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Mexico 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.
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.