Software Engineering Degree in Plymouth, MN — Salary & ROI 2026
Software Engineering degree analysis for Plymouth, MN. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$94K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$137K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2 yrs
in Plymouth
Cost of Living
107.3
index (100 = avg)
Software Engineering in Plymouth, MN Overview
While Plymouth has a smaller college scene with 4 institutions, Software Engineering students benefit from the close-knit academic community. Room and board averages $14,754/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Software Engineering has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Software Design and Testing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Plymouth is approximately $94,424.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
4
Public Tuition
$14,200/yr
Private Tuition
$38,000/yr
Room & Board
$14,754/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,061/yr
Unemployment
3.4%
Graduation Rate
71%
Software Engineering Salary in Plymouth (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Plymouth's cost of living index of 107.3 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Software Engineering salary: $88,000 starting, $128,000 mid-career, $160,000 senior level.Plymouth adjustment factor: 1.07x based on the local cost of living index.
Software Engineering ROI Calculator for Plymouth
Estimate your return on investment for a Software Engineering degree using local Plymouth tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,200 | Private avg: $38,000
Plymouth avg aid: $10,061/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$115,816
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$56,869
vs HS diploma in Plymouth
ROI Payback Period
2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Plymouth
$1,150,324
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,266,140) minus total education cost ($115,816)
Student Loan Payoff for Software Engineering in Plymouth
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Plymouth for Software Engineering
Plymouth State University
public
$14,111/yr
$56,444 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Plymouth Community College
$6,023/yr
Top Employers for Software Engineering in Plymouth
Plymouth offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Software Engineering graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Plymouth Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Software Engineering Job Titles
Software Engineering in Nearby Minnesota Cities
Minneapolis, MN
$85K starting · COL 97
15 colleges
Saint Paul, MN
$89K starting · COL 101.5
11 colleges
St. Paul, MN
$95K starting · COL 108
20 colleges
Rochester, MN
$92K starting · COL 105
8 colleges
Duluth, MN
$88K starting · COL 100
5 colleges
Bloomington, MN
$88K starting · COL 100.2
4 colleges
Brooklyn Park, MN
$87K starting · COL 98.8
4 colleges
Maple Grove, MN
$95K starting · COL 107.4
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Plymouth
Prompt Engineering
$54K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$102K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$91K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Data Science
$88K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$54K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$86K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$54K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$54K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Software Engineering Degree in Plymouth — 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 Plymouth.