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Key Takeaways
Best software engineering degree programs: Cornell, Columbia University in th..., Stony Brook
Ranked by graduation rates, program outcomes, and institutional quality
Tuition ranges from $4,800 to $66,622/year
CUNY Borough of Manhattan... offers the most affordable option at $4,800/yr
Software Engineering degree programs available: 34 associate's, 27 master's, 10 doctoral in New York
From community college pathways to advanced research degrees
25 online software engineering degree programs in New York
Flexible scheduling for working professionals
New York community college transfer can save 40-60% on total degree costs
34 associate's programs provide transfer pathways to bachelor's degrees
Education Commission of the States
Major employers: Google, Amazon, IBM, JPMorgan
Tech hubs in New York City and Albany
Hakia Research 2026
Software Engineering degree programs near 153+ cities across New York
Search by city to find programs within 200 miles of your location
Updated July 13, 2026
How we ranked New York Software Engineering programs
We rank 119 accredited software engineering programs in New York 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 Software Engineering Degree Programs in New York Worth It?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Software Engineering Degree Rankings in New York
Compare the top-ranked Software Engineering programs in New York by degree level. Tuition, graduation rate, and Hakia Score for every accredited program.
Best Bachelor's Software Engineering Programs in New York
Program Landscape
New York ranks among the nation's top destinations for software engineering education, with 48 accredited bachelor's degree programs across 21 public and 27 private institutions. The highest-ranked programs are Cornell, Columbia University in th..., Stony Brook, recognized for academic excellence, research opportunities, and strong industry connections.
Career Outcomes
Graduates from New York software engineering programs earn a median salary of $111,104, 13% above the national average. The state's robust technology sector, anchored by the New York City, Albany, Rochester metropolitan areas, provides abundant internship and employment opportunities with companies including Google, Amazon, IBM.
Costs & Value
Tuition ranges from $6,930 to $66,622 annually, with an average of $29,698/yr. Top programs maintain graduation rates above 89%, with the highest reaching 100%. 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 New York's leading technology employers. For students seeking software engineering degrees in New York, these top-ranked software engineering schools offer the strongest combination of academic rigor and career preparation.
Best Master's Software Engineering Programs in New York
Program Landscape
New York offers 27 master's degree programs in software engineering, designed for professionals seeking to advance into senior engineering, technical leadership, and specialized roles. The top programs, Columbia University in th..., Cornell, New York, combine advanced technical training with research opportunities and leadership development.
Career Outcomes
Master's graduates in New York earn a median salary of $130,710, approximately 20-30% higher than bachelor's degree holders. The concentration of technology companies in New York City, Albany, Rochester creates strong demand for graduate-level talent, with Google, Amazon, IBM actively recruiting from these programs.
Costs & Value
Program formats include traditional full-time study (typically 2 years), part-time options for working professionals (2-3 years), and accelerated tracks. Tuition averages $32,462/yr, with many employers offering tuition reimbursement for graduate education. Some programs offer thesis and non-thesis tracks, allowing students to focus on research or professional development based on their career goals.
Curriculum & Specializations
Curriculum covers advanced topics including machine learning, distributed systems, software architecture, and technical management. Many programs include practicum experiences, industry capstone projects, or consulting engagements that provide real-world application of advanced concepts. Among New York's software engineering schools at the graduate level, these programs stand out for both academic quality and career outcomes.
Rochester Institute of Technology
Software Engineering Degree Costs & Tuition in New York
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average in-state tuition | $19,792/year |
| Average out-of-state tuition | $49,480/year |
| Community college tuition | $4,948/year |
| 4-year savings for residents | $118,752 |
| 2+2 transfer pathway savings | $29,688 |
Source: IPEDS 2024
Financial Aid for New York Software Engineering Students
Verdict: New York software engineering students benefit from the strong NY state aid stack (TAP, Excelsior, STEM Incentive Program) plus the standout US ABET-EAC SE program at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), one of the strongest US undergraduate software engineering programs by industry placement and ABET-EAC accreditation depth. For NY-resident SE-track students, the combined SUNY/CUNY aid stack plus RIT institutional aid creates multiple competitive paths to high-quality SE education.
Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provides up to $5,665/year for NY residents at qualifying NY institutions. The Excelsior Scholarship covers SUNY and CUNY tuition for NY residents with family income up to $125,000. The STEM Incentive Program is particularly relevant for SE-bound students: top 10% NY HS graduating class members entering STEM at SUNY/CUNY receive full SUNY/CUNY tuition coverage in exchange for a 5-year STEM employment commitment in New York post-graduation.
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)'s Software Engineering Program is one of the strongest US ABET-EAC SE programs, RIT's combined Department of Software Engineering plus its Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences offer comprehensive SE-specific curriculum (software architecture, software requirements engineering, formal methods, software project management). RIT's mandatory co-op program produces graduates with multiple 6-month industry placements before graduation, substantially more applied SE experience than typical 4-year programs. Substantial institutional aid is available for admitted students with demonstrated need.
Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken NJ, NYC commute) offers ABET-EAC SE programs. Other NY options: NYU Tandon's Computer Engineering and Software Engineering programs offer ABET-CAC accredited SE-track curriculum within CE/CS. Columbia's CS offers software engineering as a track within CS (ABET-CAC). Stony Brook, SUNY Buffalo, and SUNY Albany offer SE within CS programs. Federal Pell stacks on top. Industry-track scholarships from NYC-based SE employers (Bloomberg LP, Goldman Sachs technology, JPMorgan, Citadel, Two Sigma, Jane Street) provide additional industry-track funding most students don't pursue.
Software Engineering Degree ROI Calculator, New York
Use our interactive ROI calculator to estimate your return on investment for a software engineering degree in New York. 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.
Software Engineering Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your return on investment for a software engineering degree
Leave blank to use average cost for selected program type
+1116%
Net gain divided by total investment. ROI above 200% is considered excellent for education investments.
$2,064,777
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.
$94,118
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
Software Engineering Salaries by Metro Area
Median annual salary in New York metro areas
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| New York City | $144K |
| Albany | $137K |
| Rochester | $131K |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Hakia.com
Top Employers Hiring Software Engineering Graduates in New York
New York's diverse economy creates opportunities across multiple industries beyond traditional tech companies. Major financial services firms like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley employ thousands of software engineers to develop trading platforms, risk management systems, and mobile banking applications. Media companies including NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS, and The New York Times hire engineers for content management systems, streaming platforms, and digital advertising technologies. Healthcare systems like NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai Health System need engineers for electronic health records, telemedicine platforms, and medical device integration.
Traditional technology companies maintain significant New York presence, including Google, Amazon, Facebook (Meta), and Microsoft, which have expanded their New York offices substantially in recent years. The city's startup ecosystem, documented by the NYC Comptroller's office, shows continued growth in fintech, healthtech, and AI companies (NYC Comptroller Tech Sector Report). These companies often offer competitive salaries and stock options, plus exposure to advanced technologies and rapid career advancement opportunities.
Government agencies and contractors also provide stable employment opportunities. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), and New York City government employ software engineers for infrastructure management, public safety systems, and citizen services platforms. Defense contractors with New York operations need engineers with security clearances for specialized projects. Students interested in exploring different career paths can research data scientist roles, which often overlap with software engineering skills and offer additional career flexibility across these same industries.
Transfer Pathways for New York Software Engineering Students
Verdict: New York's SUNY Transfer Path and CUNY ASAP support SE-track transfer pathways well for in-state students. The SE-specific consideration is that RIT's ABET-EAC software engineering program has accessible transfer admission (substantially more open than its CS transfer admission), for NY community college students who specifically want ABET-EAC SE, RIT is the strongest available pathway.
Best New York community college SE-feeder schools: Monroe Community College (MCC, Rochester, strong RIT transfer pipeline, geographically adjacent), Nassau Community College, Westchester Community College, Suffolk County Community College, and CUNY community colleges (BMCC, Queensborough, Bronx CC, La Guardia). Each has refined CS/SE prerequisite sequences via SUNY Transfer Path or CUNY ASAP articulation.
The Monroe Community College → RIT Software Engineering pathway is the most reliable NY ABET-EAC SE transfer progression, MCC is geographically adjacent to RIT, has dedicated transfer counseling for RIT engineering admissions, and RIT's SE transfer admission is competitive but accessible (30-50% for qualified applicants). MCC's refined CS/SE prerequisite sequences plus dedicated co-op program awareness substantially improve student preparation for RIT's mandatory co-op SE curriculum.
Beyond RIT: Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken NJ) offers ABET-EAC SE with NYC-metro accessibility, substantial transfer admission for qualified applicants. NYU Tandon offers ABET-CAC accredited SE-track curriculum within CE/CS but transfer admission is competitive (~10-15%). SUNY Buffalo and SUNY Albany offer SE within CS with accessible transfer admission and strong state aid integration via Excelsior. Stony Brook University has growing SE-track CS programs. For NY SE-track students, the RIT pathway is the ABET-EAC optimization with mandatory co-op industrial experience; Stevens is the NYC-metro ABET-EAC alternative; SUNY Buffalo/Albany are the affordable SUNY-system optimizations; NYU Tandon is the NYC-private optimization with financial-services SE placement.
Software Engineering Program Availability in New York
Source: IPEDS 2024
New York Software Engineering Job Market & Salary
Verdict: New York's software engineering job market is dominated by financial-services SE, one of the highest-paying US SE subsectors. NYC's combined hedge fund / trading firm SE (Citadel, Two Sigma, D.E. Shaw, Jane Street, Hudson River Trading), investment bank SE (Goldman Sachs Strats and Engineering, JPMorgan Chase Technology, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America NYC technology), and Bloomberg LP's massive engineering organization (one of the largest US enterprise SE operations) create SE employment with senior compensation that routinely exceeds Bay Area Big Tech at the staff/principal engineer level, $400,000-$700,000+ total comp at top financial-services SE roles.
By metro: New York City averages ~$185,000-$240,000 for software engineer roles per Levels.fyi and industry compensation surveys, with substantial premiums at trading firms and senior financial-services SE roles. Major NYC SE employers: Bloomberg LP (one of the largest US enterprise SE operations, fixed-income trading systems, data infrastructure, terminal software at scale), Goldman Sachs (Marquee + Strats + Engineering, substantial SE workforce with strong technical reputation), JPMorgan Chase Technology, Morgan Stanley Technology, Citadel Securities (substantial trading-systems SE at extreme compensation), Two Sigma (trading-and-research-systems SE), D.E. Shaw, Jane Street Capital, Hudson River Trading, plus substantial NYC engineering operations of Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple.
Beyond financial services: Bloomberg LP is distinctively important, its substantial enterprise SE organization is one of the largest US private-company SE workforces, with technically demanding work (real-time financial data systems, large-scale data infrastructure, terminal software) and compensation comparable to Big Tech. Media/ad-tech SE at NBCUniversal, NYT digital, Spotify NYC, Disney NYC operations, Verizon Media, Twitter (X) NYC. Healthcare/biotech SE at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mount Sinai Health System, Pfizer's NYC tech operations.
Two distinctive NYC SE dynamics: (1) Financial-services SE compensation exceeds Bay Area Big Tech for senior practitioners, for SE graduates with strong technical chops and tolerance for finance-industry culture, NYC quant/bank SE is the highest-compensation US SE career path. Staff/principal engineer roles at Citadel, Two Sigma, and similar regularly clear $500,000-$1,000,000+ total comp. (2) NYC's combined financial services + media + healthcare SE markets are structurally counter-cyclical to consumer-tech downturns, when Bay Area Big Tech SE hiring slows, NYC financial-services SE hiring continues. For NY SE-track graduates, the structural employment-stability advantage of NYC over the Bay Area in volatile macro environments is real. See Software Engineer Career Guide and AI/ML Engineer Career Guide.
Entry-Level (0-2 yrs)
New graduates and career changers
Senior (8+ yrs)
Technical leads and architects
Online vs On-Campus Software Engineering Programs in New York
Online Programs
25 available in New York
On-Campus Programs
Traditional classroom experience
Compare Software Engineering Programs in Other States
- Total Programs
- 83
- Median Tuition
- $36,500
- Total Programs
- 29
- Median Tuition
- $35,200
- Total Programs
- 20
- Median Tuition
- $44,100
- Total Programs
- 72
- Median Tuition
- $44,200
- Total Programs
- 14
- Median Tuition
- $45,100
- Total Programs
- 200
- Median Tuition
- $5,700
- Total Programs
- 52
- Median Tuition
- $5,100
- Total Programs
- 90
- Median Tuition
- $7,600
New York Tech Industry & Infrastructure
New York's tech economy is anchored by financial services, media, ad-tech, and a growing AI/fintech startup ecosystem. The state ranks behind only California in tech-sector GDP contribution and is unique in the country for the depth of its financial-services tech employer base (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Bloomberg, Two Sigma, Citadel) alongside major consumer-tech offices for Google, Meta, and Amazon.
New York City
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens
Dominant US fintech hub. Engineering hiring concentrated at Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Citadel, Two Sigma, Jane Street, plus major NYC offices for Google, Meta, Amazon, Spotify. NYU and Columbia are the principal feeders.
Albany / Capital Region
Albany metro
Anchored by GlobalFoundries' chip fabrication and SUNY Polytechnic Institute. Growing semiconductor and AI-research footprint; state-government IT employs heavily.
Excelsior Jobs Program offers tax credits to qualifying tech employers. State income tax is high relative to other tech-heavy states.
New York Regulation Affecting Software Engineering Graduates
New York has one of the strictest US regulatory environments for tech, particularly in financial services. The state's cybersecurity rules for financial institutions are widely considered the US baseline, and NY has been an early mover on biometric, AI, and algorithmic-hiring legislation.
NY SHIELD Act (Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security)
Requires reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards for private information of NY residents. Expanded breach-notification requirements.
Every consumer-facing tech company serving NY users must maintain a documented security program; this drives security-engineer hiring at NY-resident employers.
Read moreNY DFS Cybersecurity Regulation (23 NYCRR 500)
Cybersecurity requirements for banks, insurance companies, and other DFS-regulated financial institutions operating in NY.
The US baseline for financial-services security engineering. Engineers at NY-based banks/insurers operate under this framework daily; the regulation is a major driver of security-team hiring.
Read moreNYC Local Law 144 (Automated Employment Decision Tools)
NYC employers using automated hiring tools must complete a bias audit and disclose use to candidates. Applies to any employer hiring for NYC-based positions.
ML/AI engineers building hiring/HR-tech products serving NYC employers must implement bias-audit logging and candidate-notification flows.
Read moreNY Privacy Act (proposed) and biometric notice requirements
NY has not yet passed a comprehensive consumer privacy law, but biometric-notice and facial-recognition disclosure rules apply in specific contexts (schools, commercial establishments).
Engineers building biometric features for NY users must implement consent and notice flows; broader NY privacy legislation is an active area to watch.
Read moreProfessional Engineer Licensure in New York
New York does not currently offer a separate Professional Engineer license in software engineering. ABET accreditation is still recognized for federal and consulting work that requires engineering credentials, but PE licensure is not a practical consideration for most NY software engineers.
New York licensing boardNew York Financial Aid Programs
NY Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
State grantUp to $5,665/yr
NY residents attending NY colleges/universities with financial need
Excelsior Scholarship
State scholarshipCovers tuition after other aid (up to ~$6,470/yr at SUNY)
NY residents attending SUNY/CUNY with family income up to $125,000
Enhanced Tuition Award (ETA)
State awardUp to $3,000/yr
NY residents attending private (non-SUNY/CUNY) NY colleges with family income up to $125,000
STEM Incentive Program
State scholarship (STEM-specific)Full SUNY/CUNY tuition coverage
Top 10% of NY high-school graduating class entering STEM at SUNY/CUNY; service obligation: work in STEM in NY for 5 years post-grad
Software Engineering Degree Programs in New York: FAQ
What are the best software engineering degree programs in New York?
How much do software engineering degree programs cost in New York?
What salary can software engineering degree graduates earn in New York?
Are there online software engineering degree programs in New York?
What companies hire software engineering degree graduates in New York?
Is a software engineering degree program worth it in New York?
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What financial aid is available for software engineering degree students in New York?
Data Sources
Institutional characteristics, completions, graduation rates
New York 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.
