Software Development
Students study software development for multimedia applications, including web development, mobile apps, game design, and digital media tools. Graduates typically pursue careers as application developers, web developers, UX/UI developers, and multimedia software engineers. This major blends programming skills with creative media applications for the growing digital content industry.
What Software Development graduates do
Your degree in Computer Software and Media Applications places you at the intersection of technology and creativity. In your first role, you might be a software developer, spending your days in team meetings to plan new app features before diving into the code, hunting for bugs, and testing your work. Alternatively, you could be a web and digital interface designer, sketching user flows on a whiteboard, building interactive prototypes in Figma, and running user tests to refine a website’s usability.
With experience, you can advance to senior technical roles or transition into management, overseeing entire tech departments and budgets. Fields like data science and software development are seeing explosive growth, but be aware that more traditional computer programming jobs are declining. AI is the driving force behind this shift. With high exposure across these careers, AI is automating the routine coding and design tasks that juniors once performed. This makes entry-level jobs more competitive. Your long-term value will not be in simple execution, but in architecting systems, critically evaluating AI output, and making strategic decisions.
You may also want to evaluate Software Development against Computer Science, Computer Networking, and Information Sciences on salary and long-run job outlook.
Where Software Development graduates work
Common career paths for Software Development graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 262,500 combined openings per year across these roles.
| Role | Median Pay | Annual Openings | 10-yr Growth | AI Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Computer and information systems managers
|
$171,200
$134K–$216K
|
55,600 | +15.2% | High · 53% |
|
Computer and information research scientists
|
$140,910
$103K–$181K
|
3,200 | +19.7% | High · 63% |
|
Database architects
|
$135,980
$108K–$169K
|
4,000 | +8.7% | Very High · 94% |
|
Software developers
|
$133,080
$103K–$169K
|
115,200 | +15.8% | Very High · 87% |
|
Data scientists
|
$112,590
$83K–$156K
|
23,400 | +33.5% | High · 64% |
|
Database administrators
|
$104,620
$76K–$133K
|
3,800 | -0.7% | Very High · 94% |
|
Special effects artists and animators
|
$99,800
$73K–$136K
|
5,000 | +1.6% | High · 52% |
|
Computer programmers
|
$98,670
$72K–$129K
|
5,500 | -6.0% | Very High · 95% |
|
Web and digital interface designers
|
$98,090
$65K–$142K
|
9,100 | +7.0% | High · 67% |
|
Computer science teachers, postsecondary
|
$96,690
$65K–$132K
|
3,500 | +5.3% | High · 51% |
|
Web developers
|
$90,930
$63K–$124K
|
5,400 | +7.5% | Very High · 93% |
|
Career/technical education teachers, postsecondary
|
$61,490
$48K–$80K
|
8,800 | +0.7% | Moderate · 49% |
|
Graphic designers
|
$61,300
$47K–$79K
|
20,000 | +2.1% | High · 50% |
Best schools for Software Development
Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 10 of 55.
| # | School | DW Score | 1-yr Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT · Private nonprofit
|
76 | $95,292 | 27.7x |
| 6 |
Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, MO · Public
|
76 | $51,790 | 17.9x |
| 7 |
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Stevens Point, WI · Public
|
73 | $50,796 | 17.8x |
| 8 |
Florida Polytechnic University
Lakeland, FL · Public
|
72 | $61,197 | 30.0x |
| 9 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
|
71 | $98,117 | 13.2x |
| 10 |
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY · Private nonprofit
|
70 | $69,052 | 3.4x |
| 11 |
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, CO · Public
|
68 | $62,018 | 15.0x |
| 12 |
Baker College
Owosso, MI · Private nonprofit
|
68 | $41,784 | 15.8x |
| 13 |
University of Phoenix-California
Ontario, CA · Private for-profit
|
64 | $83,476 | — |
| 14 |
University of Phoenix-Texas
Dallas, TX · Private for-profit
|
64 | $83,476 | — |
| 15 |
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit
|
64 | $54,859 | 3.5x |
| 16 |
DigiPen Institute of Technology
Redmond, WA · Private for-profit
|
63 | $81,885 | 4.5x |
| 17 |
Champlain College
Burlington, VT · Private nonprofit
|
63 | $52,260 | 3.3x |
| 18 |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA · Private nonprofit
|
62 | $86,193 | 2.6x |
| 19 |
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
|
62 | $47,112 | 10.0x |
| 20 |
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA · Public
|
62 | $47,112 | 10.1x |
Highest Earnings Top 5
| University of Southern California
CA |
$103,071 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
MI |
$98,117 |
| Western Governors University
UT |
$95,292 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute
MA |
$86,193 |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona
AZ |
$83,476 |
Best ROI Top 5
| Brigham Young University-Idaho
ID |
45.0x |
| Florida Polytechnic University
FL |
30.0x |
| Western Governors University
UT |
27.7x |
| Utah Valley University
UT |
21.8x |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout
WI |
18.5x |
Related majors
Similar fields of study often offered alongside Software Development.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Software Development offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Software Development trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Software Development
How much do Software Development graduates earn?
First-year earnings for Software Development graduates average $46,352 annually, based on data from 55 programs. The range spans $15,617 at the low end to $103,071 at the top.
Will AI affect Software Development careers?
Software Development is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with 61% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Where should I study Software Development?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of Phoenix-Arizona ranks #1 for Software Development with a score of 80/100 and graduate earnings of $83,476/yr.
Is a Software Development degree worth the investment?
The average 10-year earnings multiple is 9.0x tuition. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.