Software Engineering Degree in Fort Worth, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Software Engineering degree analysis for Fort Worth, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$89K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$129K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.6 yrs
in Fort Worth
Cost of Living
101
index (100 = avg)
Software Engineering in Fort Worth, TX Overview
Fort Worth, Texas (pop. 918,915) has 19 colleges offering Software Engineering programs. The local cost of living index of 101 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,344/month. Software Engineering has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Software Design and Testing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Fort Worth is approximately $88,880.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
19
Public Tuition
$10,870/yr
Private Tuition
$43,547/yr
Room & Board
$10,247/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$7,933/yr
Unemployment
5.7%
Graduation Rate
68%
Software Engineering Salary in Fort Worth (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Fort Worth's cost of living index of 101 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Software Engineering salary: $88,000 starting, $128,000 mid-career, $160,000 senior level.Fort Worth adjustment factor: 1.01x based on the local cost of living index.
Software Engineering ROI Calculator for Fort Worth
Estimate your return on investment for a Software Engineering degree using local Fort Worth tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,870 | Private avg: $43,547
Fort Worth avg aid: $7,933/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$84,468
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$53,530
vs HS diploma in Fort Worth
ROI Payback Period
1.6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Fort Worth
$1,107,332
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,191,800) minus total education cost ($84,468)
Student Loan Payoff for Software Engineering in Fort Worth
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Fort Worth for Software Engineering
Texas Christian University
private
$54,620/yr
$218,480 total
Texas Wesleyan University
private
$32,474/yr
$129,896 total
University of Texas at Arlington
public
$10,870/yr
$43,480 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Tarrant County College
$2,220/yr
Top Employers for Software Engineering in Fort Worth
Fort Worth offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Software Engineering graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Fort Worth Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Software Engineering Job Titles
Software Engineering in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$101K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$106K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$92K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$94K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
El Paso, TX
$82K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$82K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$72K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$75K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Fort Worth
Prompt Engineering
$51K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$96K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$86K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Data Science
$83K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$51K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$81K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$51K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$51K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Software Engineering Degree in Fort Worth — 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 Fort Worth.