Best Software Engineering Schools Near Erie, PA (2026)

Erie, Pennsylvania has 4 accredited schools offering software engineering programs, with tuition ranging from $15,972 to $34,081 per year for indexed programs. Erie has a population of about 94,156. Median household income is $43,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer Network Architects at a median $131,840 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Software Engineering Schools to Erie

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

Gannon University

Erie, PA 1.1 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,845
Avg net price $22,553/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 87

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College

Erie, PA 4.6 miles from Erie
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
43.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,435
Avg net price $24,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,972
Out‑of‑state$26,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Software Engineering Wages Near Erie

Erie is part of the Erie, PA metro area (BLS area code 21500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $101,550 Erie, PA $111,593
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $93,030 PA statewide $102,231
Computer Programmers $78,060 Erie, PA $85,780
Web Developers $86,380 PA statewide $94,923
Computer and Information Systems Managers $131,610 Erie, PA $144,626
Computer Occupations, All Other $104,800 Erie, PA $115,165
Computer Network Architects $131,840 PA statewide $144,879
Computer Systems Analysts $80,500 Erie, PA $88,462

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.


Erie at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 94,156 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,397 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 22.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Erie-Area Cities With Software Engineering Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software engineering schools are near Erie, PA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering software engineering programs near Erie. The closest is Gannon University in Erie, PA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cleveland State University (92.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles near Erie are: Computer Network Architects ($131,840), Computer and Information Systems Managers ($131,610), Computer Occupations, All Other ($104,800). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Meadville instead of Erie?

Meadville, PA is 32.6 miles from Erie 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 Erie an affordable place to study software engineering?

Erie’s median household income of $43,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Erie while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Erie

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

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.