Software Engineering Degree in Rochester, NY — Salary & ROI 2026
Software Engineering degree analysis for Rochester, NY. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$123K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$179K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.9 yrs
in Rochester
Cost of Living
140
index (100 = avg)
Software Engineering in Rochester, NY Overview
Rochester, New York (pop. 211,328) has 13 colleges offering Software Engineering programs. The local cost of living index of 140 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $1,592/month. Software Engineering has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Software Design and Testing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Rochester is approximately $123,200.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
13
Public Tuition
$13,886/yr
Private Tuition
$56,653/yr
Room & Board
$21,356/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,325/yr
Unemployment
5.8%
Graduation Rate
46%
Software Engineering Salary in Rochester (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Rochester's cost of living index of 140 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Software Engineering salary: $88,000 starting, $128,000 mid-career, $160,000 senior level.Rochester adjustment factor: 1.40x based on the local cost of living index.
Software Engineering ROI Calculator for Rochester
Estimate your return on investment for a Software Engineering degree using local Rochester tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $13,886 | Private avg: $56,653
Rochester avg aid: $10,325/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$140,968
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$74,200
vs HS diploma in Rochester
ROI Payback Period
1.9 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Rochester
$1,511,032
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,652,000) minus total education cost ($140,968)
Student Loan Payoff for Software Engineering in Rochester
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Rochester for Software Engineering
University of Rochester
private
$60,550/yr
$242,200 total
Rochester Institute of Technology
private
$52,756/yr
$211,024 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Monroe Community College
$5,504/yr
Top Employers for Software Engineering in Rochester
Rochester offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Software Engineering graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Rochester Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Software Engineering Job Titles
Software Engineering in Nearby New York Cities
New York City, NY
$146K starting · COL 166
49 colleges
New York, NY
$165K starting · COL 187.2
279 colleges
Oyster Bay, NY
$128K starting · COL 145
11 colleges
Buffalo, NY
$107K starting · COL 122
10 colleges
North Hempstead, NY
$124K starting · COL 141.3
9 colleges
Babylon, NY
$134K starting · COL 152.3
8 colleges
Yonkers, NY
$128K starting · COL 145.3
8 colleges
Huntington, NY
$119K starting · COL 135.6
8 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Rochester
Prompt Engineering
$70K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$133K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$119K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Data Science
$115K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$112K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$70K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$70K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Software Engineering Degree in Rochester — 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 Rochester.