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Key Takeaways
Best computer programming degree programs: Texas A&M, Texas State, Southern Methodist
Ranked by graduation rates, program outcomes, and institutional quality
Tuition ranges from $768 to $57,212/year
Houston Community College offers the most affordable option at $2,904/yr
Computer Programming degree programs available: 28 associate's, 12 master's, 5 doctoral in Texas
From community college pathways to advanced research degrees
26 online computer programming degree programs in Texas
Flexible scheduling for working professionals
Texas community college transfer can save 40-60% on total degree costs
28 associate's programs provide transfer pathways to bachelor's degrees
Education Commission of the States
Major employers: Dell, Oracle, AT&T, Texas Instruments
Tech hubs in Austin and Dallas
Hakia Research 2026
Computer Programming degree programs near 125+ cities across Texas
Search by city to find programs within 200 miles of your location
Updated July 13, 2026
How we ranked Texas Computer Programming programs
We rank 75 accredited computer programming programs in Texas 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.
Are Computer Programming Degree Programs in Texas Worth It?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Computer Programming Degree Rankings in Texas
Compare the top-ranked Computer Programming programs in Texas by degree level. Tuition, graduation rate, and Hakia Score for every accredited program.
Best Associate's Computer Programming Programs in Texas
Program Landscape
Texas offers 28 accredited associate's degree programs in computer programming, providing an affordable entry point into the technology field. The top-ranked programs include Houston Community College, San Jacinto Community Col..., Austin Community College ..., which combine rigorous technical curriculum with practical skills training.
Costs & Value
Community colleges in Texas offer these two-year programs at an average cost of $3,211/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 $63,311 in Texas.
Career Pathways
Many programs feature guaranteed transfer agreements with Texas's public universities, allowing students to complete their first two years at reduced cost before transferring to complete a bachelor's degree. The Austin, Dallas, Houston areas offer particularly strong job markets for associate's degree holders, with employers like Dell, Oracle, AT&T 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 Texas, these associate's programs offer the best value for students beginning their computer programming degrees in Texas.
Northeast Texas Community College
Show all 21 ranked programs
| Rank | School | Location | Type | Tuition | Grad Rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 | Texarkana College | Texarkana, TX | Public | $1,704 | 47% | 79.6 |
| #7 | McLennan Community College | Waco, TX | Public | $3,720 | 39% | 78.3 |
| #8 | Grayson College | Denison, TX | Public | $3,000 | 40% | 78.1 |
| #9 | Dallas College | Dallas, TX | Public | $4,662 | 32% | 76.5 |
| #10 | San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena, TX | Public | $4,320 | 30% | 75.2 |
| #11 | Tarrant County College District | Fort Worth, TX | Public | $3,537 | 34% | 75.0 |
| #12 | Amarillo College | Amarillo, TX | Public | $2,160 | 32% | 74.9 |
| #13 | Austin Community College District | Austin, TX | Public | $2,010 | 20% | 72.0 |
| #14 | El Paso Community College | El Paso, TX | Public | $2,784 | 24% | 71.0 |
| #15 | San Antonio College | San Antonio, TX | Public | $5,400 | 26% | 70.7 |
| #16 | Hill College | Hillsboro, TX | Public | $2,328 | 32% | 67.7 |
| #17 | St Philip's College | San Antonio, TX | Public | $5,400 | 28% | 66.3 |
| #18 | Alvin Community College | Alvin, TX | Public | $2,448 | 24% | 65.9 |
| #19 | Central Texas College | Killeen, TX | Public | $4,890 | 11% | 63.6 |
| #20 | Navarro College | Corsicana, TX | Public | $1,620 | 23% | 62.5 |
| #21 | Midland College | Midland, TX | Public | $3,930 | 23% | 59.5 |
Best Bachelor's Computer Programming Programs in Texas
Program Landscape
Texas ranks among the nation's top destinations for computer programming education, with 30 accredited bachelor's degree programs across 10 public and 20 private institutions. The highest-ranked programs are Texas A&M, Texas State, Southern Methodist, recognized for academic excellence, research opportunities, and strong industry connections.
Career Outcomes
Graduates from Texas computer programming programs earn a median salary of $97,844, 0% above the national average. The state's robust technology sector, anchored by the Austin, Dallas, Houston metropolitan areas, provides abundant internship and employment opportunities with companies including Dell, Oracle, AT&T.
Costs & Value
Tuition ranges from $2,010 to $57,212 annually, with an average of $25,600/yr. Top programs maintain graduation rates above 76%, with the highest reaching 99%. Many programs hold ABET accreditation, the gold standard for computing education, ensuring curriculum meets rigorous industry standards.
Curriculum & Specializations
Students can choose from specializations including software engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data science, and systems architecture. Strong industry partnerships provide access to co-op programs, capstone projects with real companies, and direct recruiting pipelines to Texas's leading technology employers. For students seeking computer programming degrees in Texas, these top-ranked computer programming schools offer the strongest combination of academic rigor and career preparation.
Computer Programming Degree Costs & Tuition in Texas
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average in-state tuition | $14,457/year |
| Average out-of-state tuition | $36,143/year |
| Community college tuition | $3,614/year |
| 4-year savings for residents | $86,744 |
| 2+2 transfer pathway savings | $21,686 |
Source: IPEDS 2024
Financial Aid & Scholarships for Computer Programming Students in Texas
State Aid Programs
Texas offers strong state-funded financial aid programs that complement federal assistance.
The flagship program is the TEXAS Grant (Towards Excellence, Access, and Success), providing need-based aid exclusively for Texas residents at public universities. Eligibility requires demonstrated financial need (determined via FAFSA), enrollment in an approved degree program, and satisfactory academic progress. The TEXAS Grant can cover a significant portion of tuition costs, making flagship universities accessible to students from all economic backgrounds. Students must reapply annually and maintain eligibility requirements (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board).
Key Programs & Amounts
Key state aid programs and amounts:
- TEXAS Grant: Need-based aid for public university students. Amounts vary by institution but often cover most tuition at public schools
- Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG) for community colleges: For students at community colleges, state colleges, and technical institutes. Provides need-based grants for lower-division study
- Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) up to $5,810/year for private schools: Up to $3,873/year for students at private universities (or $5,810/year for low-income students with Student Aid Index below 3,698)
- TASFA for DACA and undocumented students: Texas Application for State Financial Aid for students ineligible for FAFSA (including DACA recipients and undocumented students). Priority deadline: February 15. Application window runs December 2 through June 30
- Federal Pell Grant: Up to $7,395 maximum for 2024-25 academic year (apply via FAFSA at studentaid.gov)
- FORWARD Loan Program: Low-interest loans for students in high-demand fields including technology
Institutional Scholarships
These programs can be combined, a low-income student at UT Austin might receive TEXAS Grant, Pell Grant, and institutional aid covering nearly all expenses.
Computer Programming Degree ROI Calculator, Texas
Use our interactive ROI calculator to estimate your return on investment for a computer programming degree in Texas. 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
+907%
Net gain divided by total investment. ROI above 200% is considered excellent for education investments.
$1,677,254
Your additional lifetime earnings with this degree vs. working without one, minus the total investment.
5 years
Years until your cumulative earnings exceed total investment. Shorter programs often break even faster due to lower opportunity cost.
$133,333
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
Tuition plus opportunity cost (earnings you miss while in school)
Direct cost of the degree program
4 years × $35K/year foregone salary while studying full-time
Projected career earnings starting after graduation, with salary growth
What you'd earn working at $35K/year with 2% annual growth
Median salary for this role in your selected location (BLS 2024)
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 Texas metro areas
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Austin | $127K |
| Dallas | $121K |
| Houston | $115K |
| San Antonio | $109K |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Hakia.com
Top Employers Hiring Computer Programming Graduates in Texas
Find computer programming jobs in Texas. These major employers across Texas metro areas are actively hiring computer programming degree holders. Click employer names to view current job openings.
Computer Programming Jobs in Austin
TXAustin is the fastest-growing tech hub in the US. Tesla, Oracle, and major tech companies have relocated headquarters here.
Nearby cities: Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, San Marcos, Kyle, Leander
Computer Programming Jobs in Dallas-Fort Worth
TXDallas-Fort Worth has major corporate headquarters and a growing tech presence. AT&T and Texas Instruments are based here.
Nearby cities: Fort Worth, Plano, Irving, Arlington, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson, Garland
Computer Programming Jobs in Houston
TXHouston leads in energy tech, healthcare IT, and aerospace. NASA Johnson Space Center drives space technology.
Nearby cities: The Woodlands, Sugar Land, Katy, Pearland, League City, Pasadena, Baytown
Computer Programming Jobs in San Antonio
TXTexas Tech Industry & Infrastructure
Texas now sits second only to California in tech-job employment and has been the destination of the heaviest tech-employer relocations of the last five years — Oracle, Tesla, HPE, Charles Schwab, and CBRE moved headquarters to the state. No state income tax, business-friendly regulation, and a deep pool of state universities have produced one of the largest tech-graduate markets in the country.
Austin
Austin metro
Capital tech hub anchored by Apple, Tesla, Oracle, Indeed, Dell, IBM, and a dense startup/VC scene. UT Austin's CS program feeds directly into this market; entry-level total comp at named employers commonly clears $150,000.
Dallas-Fort Worth
DFW metro
Largest Texas tech-employer concentration: AT&T, Texas Instruments, Toyota North America IT, Capital One, USAA, Charles Schwab. Strong enterprise/IT, telecom, and financial-services tech markets.
Houston
Houston metro
Energy-tech, healthcare-IT (Texas Medical Center), and growing aerospace/defense software. Rice and University of Houston are the principal CS feeders.
No state income tax. Texas Enterprise Fund and R&D franchise-tax credit are the principal state-level tech incentives.
Texas Regulation Affecting Computer Programming Graduates
Texas passed comprehensive privacy legislation in 2023, joining a small set of states with binding consumer privacy laws. The state's approach generally favors employers and remains less restrictive than California's, but compliance is now a real engineering concern for any business serving Texas residents at scale.
Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA)
Effective July 2024. Grants Texas consumers rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of sale of personal data. Applies to businesses conducting business in Texas that process personal data of Texas residents.
Engineers building consumer-facing products serving Texas users must implement opt-out mechanisms, data-access flows, and breach-notification logic.
Read moreTexas SB 8 (Consumer Data Protection)
Part of the broader TDPSA package establishing the Texas AG as the primary privacy enforcement authority.
Texas AG's office actively investigates non-compliance; tech-employer legal/engineering review of privacy posture has expanded since 2024.
Read moreTexas Cybersecurity Act (HB 8)
Establishes data-breach notification requirements and minimum cybersecurity standards for state agencies and contractors.
Engineers working with state/local government tech in Texas operate under these standards; the law shapes hiring criteria for state-IT and gov-tech roles.
Read moreProfessional Engineer Licensure in Texas
Texas is one of the few US states that still actively administers a Software Engineering PE license. ABET-EAC accredited software engineering degrees count toward eligibility; ABET-CAC computer science does not. Most Texas CS graduates do not pursue PE licensure; the credential is most relevant for state agency, infrastructure, or defense-adjacent software work.
Texas licensing boardTexas Financial Aid Programs
Up to ~$5,195/yr for universities, $2,790/yr for community colleges
Texas residents with demonstrated financial need at public colleges/universities
Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG)
State grantUp to ~$3,800/yr
Texas residents at independent (private) Texas colleges/universities
Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG)
State grantUp to ~$1,860/yr
Texas residents at public two-year community colleges with financial need
Top 10% Scholarship
State scholarship$2,000 per academic year
Texas high-school students graduating in top 10% of class enrolling at participating Texas universities
Transfer Pathways for Computer Programming Degrees in Texas
State Transfer System
Texas has one of the nation's most strong transfer systems.
The Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) is a voluntary cooperative effort among 137 participating institutions in TCCNS, including all 50 community college districts plus public and private universities (TCCNS). Courses bearing TCCNS numbers are guaranteed to transfer if they fall within your approved degree curriculum. This statewide coordination means Texas transfer students experience far less credit loss than the national average of 43% of credits lost in transfer. The system covers all freshman and sophomore-level courses, precisely the ones community college students complete before transferring.
How Transfers Work
How TCCNS works in practice: Each participating school maps its courses to common numbers, for example, a programming course at any Texas community college may transfer as equivalent to introductory courses at UT Austin. When you transfer, the receiving institution automatically recognizes courses by their TCCNS numbers rather than requiring individual evaluation. This eliminates the frustrating credit reviews that plague transfer students elsewhere. Additionally, UT Austin maintains the Automated Transfer Equivalency (ATE) system with over 300,000 evaluated courses from institutions nationwide (UT Admissions). Austin Community College has specific partnership programs including the "Bats to Cats" program with Texas State and transfer agreements with multiple UT System schools (ACC Transfer).
Transfer Planning Tips
Strategic transfer planning for Computer Programming students:
- 1Complete foundational coursework: Finish calculus, statistics, and introductory computer programming courses at community college
- 2Verify equivalencies early: Use TCCNS and ATE systems to confirm your courses will transfer before enrolling
- 3Maintain strong GPA: Target 3.0+ for university admission. 3.5+ for competitive programs like UT Austin
- 4Meet priority deadlines: Most universities have February-March deadlines for fall transfer admission
- 5Consider structured tracks: Many community colleges offer Associate of Science degrees specifically designed for computer programming transfer students
Texas Take-Home Pay Advantage
Source: Texas Department of Revenue
Computer Programming Job Market & Salary Data in Texas
Employment Outlook
Texas offers exceptional job prospects for Computer Programming graduates.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports strong demand across all Texas metros, with 15% projected growth for software developers through 2034, outpacing the national average (BLS OEWS May 2024). Texas tech employment grew 24% over the past decade, nearly double the national rate. The state added 40,051 new tech jobs in 2025, cementing its position as the second-largest tech workforce in the nation with 972,747 tech workers as of 2024 (CompTIA) (CompTIA State of Tech Workforce 2025). Entry-level computer programming positions start around $70,000-$90,000, with rapid advancement opportunities available.
Salaries by Metro
Salaries vary significantly by metro area, reflecting local industry concentrations:
- Austin: Austin: $135,000 median tech salary, with Austin: 16.3% of workforce in tech vs 9% nationally. AI/ML job market grew 35% since 2023. Software developers earn $85,000-$165,000+ depending on experience.
- Dallas-Fort Worth: Dallas-Fort Worth: $120,866 median tech salary with strong demand in enterprise technology and financial services. Tech contributed $85.3 billion to the regional economy. Entry-level positions start around $75,000-$95,000.
- Houston: $125,885 median, with Houston: 158,176 tech workers and Houston: 4,000+ startups. Energy technology dominates, with digital transformation roles at oil majors paying premium salaries for computer programming skills.
- San Antonio: $112,000 median for general tech, but San Antonio: #2 cybersecurity hub nationally. Cybersecurity and defense specialists command higher salaries with excellent job security. (BLS OEWS Metro Data)
High-Growth Sectors
High-growth sectors shaping Texas's tech future include: cloud computing infrastructure (CenterPoint Energy reported 700% spike in data center power requests), artificial intelligence and machine learning (35% job growth in Austin), cybersecurity (Texas launched the nation's largest state cyber command in 2025), and semiconductor manufacturing (Texas committed $1.4 billion to chip manufacturing incentives). Texas Tech University recently received a $2 million NSF grant to prepare students for semiconductor workforce opportunities (Texas Tech Semiconductor Grant). The Brookings Institution classifies Austin as a "Star Hub" for AI economy development, with Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston as emerging AI centers (Brookings AI Economy 2025). For related career paths, explore our AI degree programs, data science rankings, or cybersecurity rankings.
Entry-Level (0-2 yrs)
New graduates and career changers
Senior (8+ yrs)
Technical leads and architects
Online vs On-Campus Computer Programming Programs in Texas
Online Programs
26 available in Texas
On-Campus Programs
Traditional classroom experience
Compare Computer Programming Programs in Other States
- Total Programs
- 15
- Median Tuition
- $6,600
- Total Programs
- 16
- Median Tuition
- $7,400
- Total Programs
- 28
- Median Tuition
- $5,800
- Total Programs
- 6
- Median Tuition
- $7,000
- Total Programs
- 193
- Median Tuition
- $5,700
- Total Programs
- 51
- Median Tuition
- $4,600
- Total Programs
- 111
- Median Tuition
- $7,100
- Total Programs
- 67
- Median Tuition
- $43,700
Computer Programming Degree Programs in Texas: FAQ
What are the best computer programming degree programs in Texas?
How much do computer programming degree programs cost in Texas?
What salary can computer programming degree graduates earn in Texas?
Are there online computer programming degree programs in Texas?
What companies hire computer programming degree graduates in Texas?
Is a computer programming degree program worth it in Texas?
How long do computer programming degree programs take in Texas?
What financial aid is available for computer programming degree students in Texas?
Data Sources
Institutional characteristics, completions, graduation rates
Texas salary and employment data
Program details and admissions information
Last Updated: June 26, 2026. Rankings based on IPEDS 2024 data. Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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.