Software Engineering Degree in St. Paul, MN — Salary & ROI 2026
Software Engineering degree analysis for St. Paul, MN. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$95K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$138K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.7 yrs
in St. Paul
Cost of Living
108
index (100 = avg)
Software Engineering in St. Paul, MN Overview
St. Paul, Minnesota (pop. 308,096) has 20 colleges offering Software Engineering programs. The local cost of living index of 108 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $843/month. Software Engineering has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Software Design and Testing skills. The adjusted starting salary in St. Paul is approximately $95,040.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
20
Public Tuition
$10,448/yr
Private Tuition
$52,990/yr
Room & Board
$13,408/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,005/yr
Unemployment
4.7%
Graduation Rate
70%
Software Engineering Salary in St. Paul (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for St. Paul's cost of living index of 108 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Software Engineering salary: $88,000 starting, $128,000 mid-career, $160,000 senior level.St. Paul adjustment factor: 1.08x based on the local cost of living index.
Software Engineering ROI Calculator for St. Paul
Estimate your return on investment for a Software Engineering degree using local St. Paul tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,448 | Private avg: $52,990
St. Paul avg aid: $15,005/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$95,424
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$57,240
vs HS diploma in St. Paul
ROI Payback Period
1.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in St. Paul
$1,178,976
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,274,400) minus total education cost ($95,424)
Student Loan Payoff for Software Engineering in St. Paul
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in St. Paul for Software Engineering
Hamline University
private
$45,776/yr
$183,104 total
Macalester College
private
$60,204/yr
$240,816 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Saint Paul College
$5,772/yr
Top Employers for Software Engineering in St. Paul
St. Paul offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Software Engineering graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key St. Paul 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
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
Plymouth, MN
$94K starting · COL 107.3
4 colleges
Maple Grove, MN
$95K starting · COL 107.4
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in St. Paul
Prompt Engineering
$54K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$103K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$92K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Data Science
$89K 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 St. Paul — 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 St. Paul.