Software Engineering Degree in Chicago, IL — Salary & ROI 2026
Software Engineering degree analysis for Chicago, IL. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$96K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$140K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.7 yrs
in Chicago
Cost of Living
109
index (100 = avg)
Software Engineering in Chicago, IL Overview
Chicago is one of Illinois's top college towns, with 98 institutions and a student population of 177,322. Public tuition averages $14,816/year here — near the national average for public universities. Software Engineering has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Software Design and Testing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Chicago is approximately $95,920.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
98
Public Tuition
$14,816/yr
Private Tuition
$62,666/yr
Room & Board
$9,117/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$16,009/yr
Unemployment
4%
Graduation Rate
63%
Software Engineering Salary in Chicago (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Chicago's cost of living index of 109 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Software Engineering salary: $88,000 starting, $128,000 mid-career, $160,000 senior level.Chicago adjustment factor: 1.09x based on the local cost of living index.
Software Engineering ROI Calculator for Chicago
Estimate your return on investment for a Software Engineering degree using local Chicago tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,816 | Private avg: $62,666
Chicago avg aid: $16,009/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$95,732
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$57,770
vs HS diploma in Chicago
ROI Payback Period
1.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Chicago
$1,190,468
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,286,200) minus total education cost ($95,732)
Student Loan Payoff for Software Engineering in Chicago
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Chicago for Software Engineering
University of Chicago
private
$62,940/yr
$251,760 total
Northwestern University
private
$62,391/yr
$249,564 total
University of Illinois at Chicago
public
$14,816/yr
$59,264 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
City Colleges of Chicago
$3,918/yr
Top Employers for Software Engineering in Chicago
Chicago offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Software Engineering graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Chicago Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Software Engineering Job Titles
Software Engineering in Nearby Illinois Cities
Aurora, IL
$82K starting · COL 92.8
7 colleges
Joliet, IL
$95K starting · COL 108
12 colleges
Naperville, IL
$90K starting · COL 102
13 colleges
Rockford, IL
$79K starting · COL 90
8 colleges
Elgin, IL
$70K starting · COL 79
13 colleges
Springfield, IL
$81K starting · COL 92
9 colleges
Peoria, IL
$92K starting · COL 104
5 colleges
Waukegan, IL
$79K starting · COL 90.3
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Chicago
Prompt Engineering
$55K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$104K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$93K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Data Science
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$87K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$55K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Software Engineering Degree in Chicago — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Software Engineering ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Chicago.