Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA, United States
QS #1Full need-based aid
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science · Mechanical Engineering · Economics
- Tuition
- Est. above $60,000 per year before aid
- Deadline
- Typically 1 November
All careers
Technology
Software Engineer
Designs, builds and maintains the software products people use.
What this career is
Software engineers write and maintain code for web, mobile, backend and infrastructure systems. They collaborate with designers and product managers and are responsible for quality, reliability and performance.
What professionals do
- Write and review code
- Design system components and APIs
- Debug and fix production issues
- Collaborate with product and design teams
Outlook: Large and global field; entry-level competition has increased, so projects and internships are important.
Official occupation data
- Software Developers$135,980
- Web Developers$92,650
- Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$104,300
Tasks, skills, US pay and job growth from O*NET and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Key skills
Software development
technicalThe core skill of software engineering roles and a strong advantage for founders and product managers.
Start with
- · Learn a language and data structures
- · Use Git and GitHub daily
Python
technicalPython is the default language for data analysis, machine learning and scripting, and a common first language for engineers.
Start with
- · Complete an introductory course with exercises
- · Automate a small task you do weekly
SQL
technicalAlmost every analyst, product and data role uses SQL to answer questions directly from company data.
Start with
- · Learn SELECT, WHERE, GROUP BY and JOIN on a practice dataset
- · Answer ten real questions about a public dataset
Structured problem solving
analyticalConsulting case interviews and analyst roles test this directly.
Start with
- · Practise issue trees on everyday problems
- · Do two case interviews per week with a partner
Project management
leadershipEvery consulting, product and operations role involves running projects.
Start with
- · Plan your applications as a project with milestones
- · Learn basic agile practices
Education paths
- 1Bachelor's in computer science or software engineering (most common)
- 2Self-taught or bootcamp routes are possible with a strong portfolio
- 3Master's for specialised areas such as ML or systems
Universities strong in Computer Science
Stanford University
Stanford, CA, United States
QS =2Full need-based aid
Computer Science · Management Science & Engineering · Economics
- Tuition
- Est. above $60,000 per year before aid
- Deadline
- Typically 1 November
Imperial College London
London, United Kingdom
QS #2Merit scholarships
Computing · Electrical & Electronic Engineering · Mathematics
- Tuition
- Est. £38,000–£50,000 per year for international students
- Deadline
- Typically late January
Typical entry-level roles
Junior Software EngineerSoftware Engineering InternFrontend / Backend DeveloperQA / Test Engineer
Build your profile
Recommended extracurriculars
- · Open-source contributions
- · Hackathons
- · ICPC and programming contests
- · Building and launching side projects
Recommended competitions
PrizesIn person
- Location
- Regional sites worldwide
- Deadline
- Regional contests typically held September–December
PrizesOnline
- Location
- Online
- Deadline
- Competitions open and close throughout the year
Recommended internships & programmes
PaidIn person
- Location
- Google offices worldwide
- Deadline
- Many summer internships open in early autumn of the previous year
PaidIn person
- Location
- IAESTE member countries
- Deadline
- Varies by country; offers mostly exchanged in winter
Certifications that help
Cloud
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Amazon Web Services
Entry-level proof that you understand cloud concepts, core AWS services, security and pricing.
- Cost
- US$100 exam
- Time
- 4–6 weeks part-time
Cloud
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
Microsoft
Foundational cloud concepts and Azure services.
- Cost
- Exam fee varies by country; free Microsoft Learn path
- Time
- 2–4 weeks part-time
Software
CS50: Introduction to Computer Science
Harvard University (edX / cs50.harvard.edu)
Harvard's famous intro to programming: C, Python, SQL and web.
- Cost
- Free (paid verified certificate optional on edX)
- Time
- 10–12 weeks
Software
freeCodeCamp certifications
freeCodeCamp
Web design, JavaScript, data analysis with Python and more — each ending with required projects.
- Cost
- Free
- Time
- About 300 hours per certification