Quick answer:26 colleges within 100 miles of Sterling, Illinois award a computer science degree, the nearest about 48 miles away (IPEDS Completions, 2024).
Compare computer science programs you can start from Sterling:
Computer Science Program Access Near Sterling, Illinois
Distance from Sterling
Colleges awarding this degree
Within 25 miles
0
Within 50 miles
4
Within 100 miles
26
Within 250 miles
115
Source: IPEDS Completions, 2024, counting institutions that reported awarding this degree, joined to IPEDS institution coordinates. Distances are straight-line.
There are 4 degree-awarding colleges within 50 miles of Sterling, rising to 26 within 100 miles. The nearest is about 48 miles away, so a hybrid schedule is workable but a daily commute would be a commitment.
Choosing a Computer Science Program From Sterling
The subject matter does not change by location: discrete mathematics and linear algebra, algorithms and data structures, software engineering, systems, and machine learning. What changes is how you take it. Ask each college whether the program holds accreditation from a recognized institutional accreditor, and ABET’s computing commission where the program holds it, how much of the coursework is delivered online, and which components require you on campus. Credit transfer is decided by the receiving institution and genuinely varies, so request a written transfer evaluation before you enroll.
Colleges Near Sterling
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 82 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Software Developers in Illinois earn a median $132,110 per year against $135,980 nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Illinois median for software developers is $132,110 per year, below the national median of $135,980, on state employment of 56,310 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
These are statewide figures. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish wages at city level, so no page can tell you what this job pays in Sterling specifically. For the metro-level picture where it is published, and the full percentile spread, see the Illinois page.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions, 2024 - institutions awarding this degree, with IPEDS institution coordinates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Software Developers (SOC 15-1252)
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
