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South Hills School of Business & Technology
State College, PAPrivate for-profit
$19,600
Tuition/yr
73%
Grad rate
71.0
Hakia Score
On this page
Reviewed by Taylor Rupe, Founder & EditorSee methodology
Key Takeaways
Best computer programming degree programs: Carnegie Mellon, U of Pennsylvania, U of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh
Ranked by graduation rates, program outcomes, and institutional quality
Tuition ranges from $6,990 to $68,180/year
Community College of Alle... offers the most affordable option at $7,560/yr
Computer Programming degree programs available: 14 associate's, 11 master's, 5 doctoral in Pennsylvania
From community college pathways to advanced research degrees
21 online computer programming degree programs in Pennsylvania
Flexible scheduling for working professionals
Pennsylvania community college transfer can save 40-60% on total degree costs
14 associate's programs provide transfer pathways to bachelor's degrees
Education Commission of the States
Major employers: Comcast, SAP, Vanguard, Bentley Systems
Tech hubs in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
Hakia Research 2026
Computer Programming degree programs near 162+ cities across Pennsylvania
Search by city to find programs within 200 miles of your location
Updated July 13, 2026
How we ranked Pennsylvania Computer Programming programs
We rank 74 accredited computer programming programs in Pennsylvania using IPEDS 2024 institutional data, BLS OEWS 2024 state salary data, and College Scorecard outcomes. A 4-factor weighted composite is normalized to a 0–100 score. Schools cannot pay for placement; rankings are produced algorithmically.
Program completions (35%)Graduation rate (25%)Selectivity (20%)Career outcomes (20%)
See full methodologyAre Computer Programming Degree Programs in Pennsylvania Worth It?
Answer
$108,830
Yes. The best computer programming degree programs in Pennsylvania deliver strong ROI, graduates earn $108,830 median salary with +22% job growth through 2032. In-state tuition averages $33,608/year.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Computer Programming Degree Rankings in Pennsylvania
Compare the top-ranked Computer Programming programs in Pennsylvania by degree level. Tuition, graduation rate, and Hakia Score for every accredited program.
Best Associate's Computer Programming Programs in Pennsylvania
5
Programs ranked
$10,172
Avg tuition/yr
36%
Avg grad rate
Program Landscape
Pennsylvania offers 14 accredited associate's degree programs in computer programming, providing an affordable entry point into the technology field. The top-ranked programs include Montgomery County Communi..., Community College of Alle..., Northampton County Area C..., which combine rigorous technical curriculum with practical skills training.
Costs & Value
Community colleges in Pennsylvania offer these two-year programs at an average cost of $11,751/yr, significantly less than four-year university tuition. Students completing associate's degrees can pursue entry-level technical positions and transfer opportunities, with entry-level salaries averaging $59,857 in Pennsylvania.
Career Pathways
Many programs feature guaranteed transfer agreements with Pennsylvania's public universities, allowing students to complete their first two years at reduced cost before transferring to complete a bachelor's degree. The Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg areas offer particularly strong job markets for associate's degree holders, with employers like Comcast, SAP, Vanguard hiring for technical support, junior development, and IT specialist positions.
Curriculum & Specializations
Programs typically include coursework in programming fundamentals, database management, networking basics, and software development. Among computer programming schools in Pennsylvania, these associate's programs offer the best value for students beginning their computer programming degrees in Pennsylvania.
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Community College of Allegheny County
Pittsburgh, PAPublic
$7,560
Tuition/yr
24%
Grad rate
66.2
Hakia Score
#4
Westmoreland County Community College
Youngwood, PAPublic
$8,400
Tuition/yr
31%
Grad rate
62.5
Hakia Score
#5
Northampton County Area Community College
Bethlehem, PAPublic
$7,800
Tuition/yr
24%
Grad rate
61.6
Hakia Score
Computer Programming Degree Costs & Tuition in Pennsylvania
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average in-state tuition | $33,608/year |
| Average out-of-state tuition | $84,020/year |
| Community college tuition | $8,402/year |
| 4-year savings for residents | $201,648 |
| 2+2 transfer pathway savings | $50,412 |
Source: IPEDS 2024
Financial Aid & Scholarships for Computer Programming Students in Pennsylvania
State Aid Programs
Pennsylvania State Grant provides up to $5,260 annually (PHEAA). Federal Pell Grants apply to degree programs. Coding bootcamp financing includes income share agreements and payment plans. Nucamp offers programs under $2,500. Employer tuition assistance commonly covers programming education. See our affordable programming programs.
Computer Programming Degree ROI Calculator, Pennsylvania
Use our interactive ROI calculator to estimate your return on investment for a computer programming degree in Pennsylvania. Enter your expected tuition costs, financial aid, and career goals to see projected payback periods and lifetime earnings. The calculator uses current salary data from BLS and tuition data from IPEDS to provide accurate estimates.
Computer Programming Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your return on investment for a computer programming degree
Leave blank to use average cost for selected program type
20 years
10 years20 years30 years
20-Year ROI
+802%
Net gain divided by total investment. ROI above 200% is considered excellent for education investments.
Net Gain
$1,483,492
Your additional lifetime earnings with this degree vs. working without one, minus the total investment.
Break-Even
5 years
Years until your cumulative earnings exceed total investment. Shorter programs often break even faster due to lower opportunity cost.
COL-Adjusted Salary
$118,182
Your starting salary adjusted for local cost of living. This shows real purchasing power compared to a $100K national baseline.
Why does break-even change with program type? Your "total investment" includes both tuition AND opportunity cost (foregone earnings while in school). A 4-year full-time public university (in-state) means 4 years of not earning a salary ($140,000 in opportunity cost). Shorter full-time programs may have higher tuition but lower total investment because you return to the workforce sooner.
Detailed Breakdown
How we calculate your degree ROI using real salary data
Total Investment$185,000
Tuition plus opportunity cost (earnings you miss while in school)
Program Cost (Tuition)$45,000
Direct cost of the degree program
Opportunity Cost$140,000
4 years × $35K/year foregone salary while studying full-time
20-Year Earnings (with degree)$2,518,900
Projected career earnings starting after graduation, with salary growth
20-Year Earnings (without degree)$850,408
What you'd earn working at $35K/year with 2% annual growth
Starting Salary (Philadelphia, PA)$130,000
Median salary for this role in your selected location (BLS 2024)
Annualized Return4.5%
Your investment's compound annual growth rate (similar to stock market returns)
Data sources: BLS OEWS May 2024, IPEDS 2024. Calculations use median salaries, 3% discount rate, and assume salary growth declines from 6% to 2% over career. Individual results will vary. | Powered by Hakia.com
Computer Programming Salaries by Metro Area
Median annual salary in Pennsylvania metro areas
Philadelphia$120K
Pittsburgh$114K
Harrisburg$109K
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $120K |
| Pittsburgh | $114K |
| Harrisburg | $109K |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Hakia.com
Top Employers Hiring Computer Programming Graduates in Pennsylvania
Find computer programming jobs in Pennsylvania. These major employers across Pennsylvania metro areas are actively hiring computer programming degree holders. Click employer names to view current job openings.
Computer Programming Jobs in Philadelphia
PAPhiladelphia has a strong fintech and pharma tech presence, anchored by Comcast and Vanguard.
Nearby cities: King of Prussia, Conshohocken, Malvern, Wayne
Comcast
Telecommunications/Media
Vanguard
Financial Technology
SAP
Enterprise Software
Susquehanna International Group
Financial Technology
GSK
Pharma/Biotech
Bentley Systems
Infrastructure Software
Computer Programming Jobs in Pittsburgh
PAPittsburgh is a robotics and AI hub, with CMU research spinning off major autonomous vehicle and AI companies.
Nearby cities: Oakland, Shadyside, Strip District, Squirrel Hill
Google
Search/Cloud/AI
Apple
Consumer Electronics
Meta
Social/VR/AI
Amazon
E-commerce/Cloud/Robotics
Uber
Mobility/Autonomous Vehicles
Aurora Innovation
Autonomous Vehicles
Argo AI
Autonomous Vehicles
Duolingo
EdTech
UPMC
Healthcare IT
PNC Financial
Financial Technology
Pennsylvania Tech Industry & Infrastructure
Pennsylvania's tech market is split between Philadelphia (financial services, healthcare-IT, Comcast's media-tech footprint) and Pittsburgh (Carnegie Mellon-anchored robotics, AI/ML research, and autonomous vehicle engineering). The state's mid-Atlantic location, lower cost of living vs NY/NJ, and CMU's pipeline make it one of the strongest second-tier tech hubs in the US.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh metro
Carnegie Mellon University drives one of the most research-active tech ecosystems in the country. Anchor employers: Google's Pittsburgh AI lab, Aurora Innovation (autonomous trucking), Duolingo HQ, Aurora Innovation. Strong robotics, AI/ML, and autonomous-systems engineering market.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia-Camden metro
Comcast HQ anchors a deep media-tech and telecom-engineering market. Vanguard, Independence Blue Cross, and a substantial healthcare-IT cluster (UPenn Health, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia tech) round out the employer base.
Harrisburg / Capital Region
Harrisburg metro
State government IT, defense contractors near Carlisle Barracks, and a growing data-center cluster. Smaller market but accessible cost of living.
Pennsylvania levies a flat state income tax (3.07%). PA-TIP (Targeted Industry Program) provides forgivable loans for STEM students who work in PA after graduation.
Pennsylvania Regulation Affecting Computer Programming Graduates
Pennsylvania has not passed a comprehensive consumer privacy law on the scale of CCPA or VCDPA, but the state's Breach of Personal Information Notification Act and recent legislative activity on AI and biometric data shape the engineering compliance landscape for any company serving PA residents.
Pennsylvania Breach of Personal Information Notification Act
Requires businesses to notify PA residents of data breaches involving personal information; recently amended (Act 151 of 2022) to expand definitions and tighten timelines.
Engineers building data-handling systems for PA-resident-serving businesses must implement breach detection, logging, and notification workflows.
Read morePennsylvania consumer privacy legislation (proposed)
Multiple bills have been introduced (HB 1201, HB 708) to create comprehensive consumer privacy rights similar to CCPA/VCDPA; none has passed as of 2026.
Engineers should watch this space — PA passing comprehensive privacy would add to the patchwork of state laws governing consumer data work.
Read morePennsylvania Computer Crimes Act (18 Pa.C.S. § 7611 et seq.)
State-level computer fraud and unauthorized access statute, parallel to federal CFAA. Establishes Pennsylvania jurisdiction over cyber offenses.
Relevant for cybersecurity professionals working in incident response, ethical hacking, or security research within PA.
Read moreProfessional Engineer Licensure in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania does not currently administer a separate Software Engineering PE license. Standard engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, civil) require ABET-EAC accreditation for PE eligibility, but software engineering is not a recognized PE discipline in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania licensing boardPennsylvania Financial Aid Programs
PA State Grant Program (PHEAA)
State grantUp to $5,750/yr
PA residents with financial need at approved PA institutions or some out-of-state schools
Pennsylvania Targeted Industry Program (PA-TIP)
Forgivable loan / STEM grantUp to $5,750/yr
PA students enrolled in approved STEM programs (CS, engineering, healthcare tech, advanced manufacturing) who commit to PA employment after graduation
Pennsylvania Ready to Succeed Scholarship
State merit-need scholarshipUp to $2,000/yr
PA residents with family income up to $110,000 and academic achievement
Chafee Education and Training Grant
State grantUp to $5,000/yr
Current/former PA foster youth pursuing post-secondary education or training
Transfer Pathways for Computer Programming Degrees in Pennsylvania
State Transfer System
Community colleges provide affordable programming foundations. CCAC, Community College of Philadelphia, and Bucks County CC offer associate degrees in computer science and programming. PA TRAC ensures courses transfer to four-year institutions (PA TRAC). Complete introductory programming, data structures, and mathematics before transfer. Maintain 3.0+ GPA for competitive admission.
Computer Programming Job Growth in Pennsylvania
15%
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15% growth for computer programming occupations in Pennsylvania through 2024-2034. The median salary stands at $108,830 with 60 accredited programs statewide.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook
Computer Programming Job Market & Salary Data in Pennsylvania
Employment Outlook
Pennsylvania's programming job market offers strong opportunities. Computer programmers and software developers combined represent thousands of positions. Philadelphia hosts 500+ open software engineering positions regularly. Pittsburgh's technology companies including Google, Duolingo, and Aurora hire programmers. Healthcare systems require clinical application developers. Financial services firms need programmers for trading and banking systems.
Salaries by Metro
Language demand includes Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, and SQL. Web development frameworks (React, Angular) are heavily used. Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) increasingly require programming skills. Defense contractors require cleared programmers for government systems. See our programming salary guide.
Entry-Level (0-2 yrs)
New graduates and career changers
Senior (8+ yrs)
Technical leads and architects
Median Salary in Pennsylvania$70,740$157,804
Typical RolesJunior Developer, AnalystStaff Engineer, Architect
Remote Work AccessLimitedCommon
Degree ExpectationBachelor's sufficientMaster's preferred
Online vs On-Campus Computer Programming Programs in Pennsylvania
Online Programs
21 available in Pennsylvania
On-Campus Programs
Traditional classroom experience
Typical Tuition$30,247/yr$33,608/yr
Schedule FlexibilitySelf-paced or asyncFixed schedule
NetworkingVirtual cohortsIn-person, career fairs
Best ForWorking professionalsTraditional students
Completion Time2-4 years (flexible)4 years (standard)
Compare Computer Programming Programs in Other States
Best Computer Programming Degree Programs in New York
- Total Programs
- 111
- Median Tuition
- $7,100
Best Computer Programming Degree Programs in New Jersey
- Total Programs
- 25
- Median Tuition
- $35,200
Best Computer Programming Degree Programs in Maryland
- Total Programs
- 24
- Median Tuition
- $9,200
Best Computer Programming Degree Programs in West Virginia
- Total Programs
- 11
- Median Tuition
- $9,600
Best Computer Programming Degree Programs in Ohio
- Total Programs
- 72
- Median Tuition
- $12,500
Best Computer Programming Degree Programs in California
- Total Programs
- 193
- Median Tuition
- $5,700
Best Computer Programming Degree Programs in Washington
- Total Programs
- 51
- Median Tuition
- $4,600
Computer Programming Degree Programs in Pennsylvania: FAQ
What are the best computer programming degree programs in Pennsylvania?
The best computer programming degree programs in Pennsylvania based on our methodology are: 1) Carnegie Mellon University (98% graduation rate), 2) University of Pennsylvania, and 3) University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus. Our rankings weight graduation rates (25%), program completions (35%), selectivity (20%), and career outcomes (20%). Pennsylvania offers 60 total accredited programs across 18 public and 40 private institutions. See our complete rankings for all 44 bachelor's programs.
How much do computer programming degree programs cost in Pennsylvania?
Computer Programming degree program costs in Pennsylvania vary significantly by institution type. In-state public tuition averages $33,608/year, while private institutions average $73,938/year. Community colleges offer the most affordable path at approximately $8,402/year for associate's degrees. The total 4-year cost ranges from $134,432 at public schools to $295,750 at private institutions before financial aid. Most students don't pay full sticker price, federal grants, state aid, and institutional scholarships can reduce costs by 30-60%.
What salary can computer programming degree graduates earn in Pennsylvania?
Computer Programming professionals in Pennsylvania earn a median salary of $108,830, which is competitive with the national average of $115,500. Entry-level positions typically start around $70,740, while senior roles exceed $157,804. Salaries vary by metro area: Philadelphia ($119,713), Pittsburgh ($114,272) offer the highest compensation. Specialized roles like AI/ML engineers and cloud architects command premiums of 15-30% above median.
Are there online computer programming degree programs in Pennsylvania?
Yes, Pennsylvania offers 21 accredited online Computer Programming programs from state institutions. These programs award the same degree as on-campus options and include synchronous and asynchronous formats. Top-ranked online programs include offerings from University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus. Online programs typically cost the same as on-campus tuition for in-state students. Many programs offer flexible scheduling for working professionals, with some offering accelerated completion in 2-3 years. Ensure any online program holds regional accreditation and ideally ABET accreditation for engineering programs.
What companies hire computer programming degree graduates in Pennsylvania?
Major Computer Programming employers in Pennsylvania include Comcast, SAP, Vanguard, Bentley Systems, Duolingo. The Philadelphia and Pittsburgh metro areas serve as primary tech hubs with thousands of open positions. Top employers maintain recruiting pipelines directly from Pennsylvania universities, with many offering internship-to-hire programs. Beyond tech giants, opportunities exist in healthcare IT, financial services, defense contractors, and growing startups. Pennsylvania's tech sector shows +22% projected job growth through 2033, outpacing most other industries.
Is a computer programming degree program worth it in Pennsylvania?
A computer programming degree program in Pennsylvania offers strong ROI with a $108,830 median salary and +22% projected job growth. At average in-state tuition of $33,608/year, graduates typically recoup their educational investment within 3-5 years. The degree opens doors to high-paying careers in software development ($122,978), data science, cybersecurity, and AI/ML. Beyond salary, benefits include job security, remote work flexibility, and clear advancement paths. Alternative paths like bootcamps exist for career changers, but bachelor's degrees provide broader career options and higher lifetime earnings.
How long do computer programming degree programs take in Pennsylvania?
Standard completion times for computer programming degree programs in Pennsylvania are: Associate's (2 years, 60 credits), Bachelor's (4 years, 120 credits), and Master's (1-2 years, 30-36 credits). However, actual timelines vary based on course load, transfer credits, and program format. Accelerated programs can compress a bachelor's to 3 years or a master's to 12 months. Part-time students typically need 5-6 years for a bachelor's degree. Pennsylvania community colleges offer a cost-effective "2+2" path: complete your associate's in 2 years, then transfer to a Pennsylvania university for the final 2 years of a bachelor's program.
What financial aid is available for computer programming degree students in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania computer programming degree students can access multiple financial aid sources. Federal aid includes Pell Grants (up to $7,395/year for qualifying students) and federal student loans. Pennsylvania state grants provide additional support for residents attending in-state schools. Institutional scholarships from universities can significantly reduce costs, many schools offer merit-based awards for STEM students. Work-study programs and teaching/research assistantships (especially for graduate students) provide income while building experience. Complete the FAFSA by Pennsylvania's priority deadline to maximize aid eligibility. Some employers also offer tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing CS degrees.
Data Sources
Institutional characteristics, completions, graduation rates
Pennsylvania salary and employment data
Official University Websites
Program details and admissions information
Last Updated: June 26, 2026. Rankings based on IPEDS 2024 data. Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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Taylor Rupe
Co-founder & Editor (B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State • B.A. Psychology, University of Washington)
Taylor combines technical expertise in computer science with a deep understanding of human behavior and learning. His dual background drives Hakia's mission: leveraging technology to build authoritative educational resources that help people make better decisions about their academic and career paths.