Best Software Engineering Schools Near Columbus, OH (2026)

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

Columbus, Ohio has 1 accredited school offering software engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $18,161 to $41,221 per year for indexed programs. Columbus has a population of about 906,480. Median household income is $65,327 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbus, OH metro area, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $167,630 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Engineering Schools to Columbus

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

Miami University-Oxford

Oxford, OH 98.5 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
67.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,076
Avg net price $28,384/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,161
Out‑of‑state$41,221
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 136

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Cincinnati, OH 100.6 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,810
Avg net price $25,648/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 248

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH 102.0 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,896
Avg net price $24,022/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 139

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 112.8 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,122
Avg net price $27,603/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH 125.2 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,131
Avg net price $14,764/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Steubenville, OH 127.7 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,030
Avg net price $23,589/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Software Engineering Wages Near Columbus

Columbus is part of the Columbus, OH metro area (BLS area code 18140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $122,340 Columbus, OH $128,105
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $103,110 Columbus, OH $107,969
Computer Programmers $80,910 Columbus, OH $84,723
Web Developers $83,860 Columbus, OH $87,812
Computer and Information Systems Managers $167,630 Columbus, OH $175,529
Computer Occupations, All Other $129,940 Columbus, OH $136,063
Computer Network Architects $131,260 Columbus, OH $137,445
Computer Systems Analysts $107,230 Columbus, OH $112,283

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.

Columbus at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 906,480 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $65,327 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 38.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbus-Area Cities With Software Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software engineering schools are near Columbus, OH?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering software engineering programs near Columbus. The closest is Miami University-Oxford in Oxford, OH (98.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Miami University-Oxford (98.5 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles near Columbus are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($167,630), Computer Network Architects ($131,260), Computer Occupations, All Other ($129,940). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Upper Arlington instead of Columbus?

Upper Arlington, OH is 5.3 miles from Columbus 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 Columbus an affordable place to study software engineering?

Columbus’s median household income of $65,327 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbus while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Columbus

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

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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