UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13G

 (Name of Issuer)
Progress Software Corporation

(Title of Class of Securities)
Common Stock

(CUSIP Number)
743312100

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
Private Capital Management, Inc.

I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.
59-2756929

MEMBER OF A GROUP?
(b) X

PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Florida

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH:
SOLE VOTING POWER 0
SHARED VOTING POWER 0
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 1549900

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1549900

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
12.1%

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
IA

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
Bruce S. Sherman

I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.
###-##-####

MEMBER OF A GROUP?
(b) X

CITIZENSHIP
U.S. Citizen

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH:
SOLE VOTING POWER 33800
SHARED VOTING POWER 1500
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 33800
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 1724800

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1758600

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(yes)

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
13.7%

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
IN

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
Michael J. Seaman

I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.
###-##-####

MEMBER OF A GROUP?
(b) X

CITIZENSHIP
U.S. Citizen

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH:
SOLE VOTING POWER 0
SHARED VOTING POWER 5000
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 5000

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
5000

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(yes)

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
0.04%

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
IN

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
Gregg J. Powers

I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.
###-##-####

MEMBER OF A GROUP?
(b) X

CITIZENSHIP
U.S. Citizen

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH:
SOLE VOTING POWER 5000
SHARED VOTING POWER 0
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 5000
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 0

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
5000

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
(yes)

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY
OWNED
0.04%

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
IN

NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
SPS Partners, L.P.

I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO.
65-0496234

MEMBER OF A GROUP?
(b) X

PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware

NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH:
SOLE VOTING POWER 0
SHARED VOTING POWER 0
SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0
SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 173400

AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
173400

PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED
1.4%

TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
IA

ITEMS 1 - 10 OF GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

Item 1.
(a)Name of Issuer:  Progress Software Corporation
(b)Address of Issuer:  14 Oak Park, Bedford, MA  01730

Item 2.
(a)Name of Person Filing:  See Exhibit 1
(b)Address of Person Filing:3003 Tamiami Trail N., Naples, FL  33940
(c)Citizenship:  See Exhibit 1
(d)Title of Class of Securities:  Common Stock
(e)CUSIP Number:  743312100

Item 3. 
The reporting person is filing as an Investment Adviser registered
under section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

Item 4. Ownership
(a)Amount Beneficially Owned:  See Exhibit 1
(b)Percent of Class:  See Exhibit 1
(c)Number of Shares as to which such person has:
(i)sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
     See Exhibit 1
(ii)shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
     See Exhibit 1
(iii)sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
     See Exhibit 1
(iv)shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
     See Exhibit 1

Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of Class:
        N/A

Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
Person: N/A

Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding
Company: N/A

Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
        See Exhibit 1

Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group:
        N/A

Item 10. Certification:  
        By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were
acquired in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired
for the purpose of and do not have the effect of changing or
influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and were
not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any
transaction having such purposes or effect.

SIGNATURE
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement
is true, complete and correct.

Date:   See Exhibit 2
Signature:  See Exhibit 2
Name/Title: See Exhibit 2



                    Exhibit 1


Item 2.
(a) Name of Person Filing
     1)  Private Capital Management, Inc.
     2) *Bruce S. Sherman
     3) *Michael J. Seaman
     4) *Gregg J. Powers
     5)  SPS Partners, L.P.

(c)Citizenship
     1)  Florida
     2)  U.S.
     3)  U.S.
     4)  U.S.
     5)  Maryland

Item 4.
(a) Amount Beneficially Owned
     1) 1549900  
     2) 1758600
     3) 5000
     4) 5000
     5) 173400

(b) Percent of Class
     1)  12.1%
     2)  13.7%
     3)  0.04%
     4)  0.04%
     5)  1.4%


(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
   (i)   sole power to vote or to direct the vote
         1)  0
         2)  33800
         3)  0
         4)  5000
         5)  0



   (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote
         1)  0
         2)  1500
         3)  5000
         4)  0
         5)  0



   (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
         1)  0
         2)  33800
         3)  0
         4)  5000
         5)  0



   (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
         1)  1549900
         2)  1724800
         3)  5000
         4)  0
         5)  173400

*Bruce S. Sherman is President of Private Capital Management, Inc.
("PCM") and exercises shared dispositive power with respect to
shares held by it on behalf of its clients.  Mr. Sherman is also the
Managing General Partner of SPS Partners, LP ("SPS") which act as 
the Investment Advisor for the Entrepreneurial Value Fund, L.P. ("EVF"),
and exercises shared dispositive power with respect to those shares. 
Messrs. Seaman and Powers are employee of PCM or affiliates therof and
they (i) do not exercise sole or shared dispositive or voting powers
with respect to shares held by PCM or SPS, (ii) disclaim beneficial 
ownership of shares held by Mr. Sherman, PCM and SPS, and (iii) 
disclaim, along with Mr. Sherman, the existence of a group.


Exhibit 2

Signature

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and
belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement
is true, complete and correct.

Date:  Septmber 10, 1996     
        
Bruce S. Sherman
President of Private Capital Management, Inc.

Bruce S. Sherman
Managing Director of SPS Partners, LLC

Bruce S. Sherman
Individually        
                                                       
Michael J. Seaman
Individually

Gregg J. Powers
Individually