Best Software Engineering Schools Near Kent, WA (2026)

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

Kent, Washington has 1 accredited school offering software engineering programs. Kent has a population of about 135,015. Median household income is $90,416 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning software engineering-related role is Computer and Information Systems Managers at a median $214,680 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Software Engineering Schools to Kent

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

DigiPen Institute of Technology

Redmond, WA 20.9 miles from Kent
  • 4 year
43.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $79,878
Avg net price $44,446/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 242.2 miles from Kent
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,905
Avg net price $14,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 157

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Software Engineering Wages Near Kent

Kent is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Software Developers $167,280 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $150,567
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers $129,690 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $116,733
Computer Programmers $125,620 WA statewide $113,069
Web Developers $130,440 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $117,408
Computer and Information Systems Managers $214,680 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $193,231
Computer Occupations, All Other $136,120 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $122,520
Computer Network Architects $172,650 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $155,401
Computer Systems Analysts $133,690 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $120,333

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.

Kent at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 135,015 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $90,416 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Kent-Area Cities With Software Engineering Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited software engineering schools are near Kent, WA?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering software engineering programs near Kent. The closest is DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond, WA (20.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DigiPen Institute of Technology (20.9 miles).

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying software engineering-related roles near Kent are: Computer and Information Systems Managers ($214,680), Computer Network Architects ($172,650), Software Developers ($167,280). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Des Moines instead of Kent?

Des Moines, WA is 4.8 miles from Kent 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 Kent an affordable place to study software engineering?

Kent’s median household income of $90,416 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kent while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Kent

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

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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