Best Computer Programming Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Computer Science Colleges in the Midwest
This page ranks the 7 Computer Programming programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Computer Programming graduates four years after completing. University of Michigan-Dearborn leads with $106,484, followed by DePaul University at $101,315.
Across the list, median earnings range from $106,484 to $41,193, and the median stands at $83,746.
The group includes 4 public and 3 private nonprofit institutions. University of Michigan-Dearborn ranks 88th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it also posts the lowest average net price on the page at $9,492.
Fort Hays State University reports the highest admission rate, admitting 90% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Dearborn · Dearborn, MI | $106,484 | $9,492 | $7,211 | 55.6% |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn reports median earnings of $106,484 for its Computer Programming graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,492. | |||||
| 2 | DePaul University · Chicago, IL | $101,315 | $30,902 | $27,359 | 75.9% |
| DePaul University admits 76% of applicants and its Computer Programming completers earn a median of $101,315 four years after graduating. | |||||
| 3 | University of Akron Main Campus · Akron, OH | $86,965 | $13,946 | $10,413 | 59.7% |
| University of Akron Main Campus's Computer Programming completers who borrowed left with a median of $23,104 in federal loans and earned $86,965 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Southwestern College · Winfield, KS | $83,746 | $29,824 | $26,294 | 75.6% |
| Southwestern College ranks 855th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Computer Programming graduates earned a median of $83,746 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Fort Hays State University · Hays, KS | $73,380 | $12,569 | $7,661 | 90.3% |
| Fort Hays State University reports an average net price of $12,569 and median earnings of $73,380 for its Computer Programming graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Baker College · Owosso, MI | $52,941 | $13,157 | $11,976 | 81.9% |
| Baker College has an admission rate of 82% and its Computer Programming graduates earned a median of $52,941 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $41,193 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
| Youngstown State University reports median earnings of $41,193 for its Computer Programming graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $12,767. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Computer Programming graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished. For 2 of the 7 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between University of Michigan-Dearborn and DePaul University is $5,169, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $65,291.
Job market context in the Midwest
Computer Programming graduates in the Midwest enter occupations such as Software Developers, Computer Network Support Specialists, and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $113,493, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $89,831. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 9.1% higher, with 21,620 projected openings a year, or about 3,179 openings a year for every hundred graduates, which means more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, not the broader occupational wage figures shown here.
Related rankings
- Computer Programming Programs
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Computer Science Colleges in the Midwest