Best Online Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity

Best Online Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity

By James Barham and Dr. Winston Ewert

Published: Jun 23, 2021
Updated: May 22, 2023

In this article you will find top-ranked online bachelor’s in cybersecurity degree programs that prepare students to help defend against growing cybersecurity threats from hackers, criminals, and hostile foreign governments.

Top 10 Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity Degrees

University of Arizona

66%

Syracuse University

65%

University of South Carolina

56%

Saint Louis University

54%

University of Alabama at Birmingham

46%

University of Alaska Fairbanks

42%

Old Dominion University

42%

Liberty University

40%

Eastern Michigan University

40%

Southern New Hampshire University

35%

Liberty University

99%

Old Dominion University

96%

Keiser University

96%

Southern New Hampshire University

92%

Roger Williams University

91%

Stevenson University

91%

University of Alabama at Birmingham

89%

Utica University

89%

University of Arizona

87%

86%

St. Petersburg College

23 to 1

Southern New Hampshire University

21 to 1

University of Alabama at Birmingham

20 to 1

University of the Cumberlands

20 to 1

University of Missouri–St. Louis

19 to 1

Boise State University

18 to 1

University of South Carolina

18 to 1

Old Dominion University

18 to 1

Liberty University

17 to 1

National University

16 to 1

Syracuse University

$57,591

Saint Louis University

$48,824

Roger Williams University

$39,594

Abilene Christian University

$39,350

Stevenson University

$38,168

Albertus Magnus College

$36,442

McKendree University

$33,050

Holy Family University

$31,640

Notre Dame College

$31,350

Utica University

$24,214

Syracuse University

$41,616

Utica University

$32,464

Keiser University

$29,632

Abilene Christian University

$24,174

Saint Louis University

$21,960

Albertus Magnus College

$21,744

Southern New Hampshire University

$18,900

Roger Williams University

$17,476

$16,974

Eastern Michigan University

$16,562

Utica University

21%

Albertus Magnus College

22%

University of the Cumberlands

23%

Holy Family University

23%

Notre Dame College

23%

Stevenson University

25%

Keiser University

27%

St. Petersburg College

28%

29%

McKendree University

29%

National University

55%

University of Missouri–St. Louis

57%

Syracuse University

59%

University of South Carolina

62%

University of Alaska Fairbanks

65%

Abilene Christian University

70%

Saint Louis University

70%

Holy Family University

77%

McKendree University

78%

Notre Dame College

82%

Saint Louis University

9 to 1

University of Alaska Fairbanks

11 to 1

Utica University

12 to 1

Notre Dame College

13 to 1

Abilene Christian University

13 to 1

Holy Family University

13 to 1

Albertus Magnus College

14 to 1

McKendree University

14 to 1

Stevenson University

15 to 1

Keiser University

15 to 1

St. Petersburg College

$1,943

Boise State University

$5,532

Old Dominion University

$7,029

University of Alaska Fairbanks

$7,296

University of Alabama at Birmingham

$8,568

University of the Cumberlands

$9,875

University of Arizona

$10,990

University of Missouri–St. Louis

$12,015

University of South Carolina

$12,288

National University

$13,320

University of the Cumberlands

$4,282

Boise State University

$7,110

Liberty University

$7,847

University of Alabama at Birmingham

$8,100

Stevenson University

$8,340

McKendree University

$9,756

Old Dominion University

$10,207

University of Alaska Fairbanks

$11,265

Holy Family University

$11,851

University of Arizona

$12,106

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degrees

Cybersecurity is definitely growing in demand. Information security jobs are expected to grow by 33% over the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s much faster than average career growth. With current median salaries around $100,000 a year, it’s a good time to prepare yourself to compete in the field. That’s why we’ve ranked cybersecurity degrees as the best degree for jobs over the next decade.

Cybersecurity is also new and its need is very widespread. In our interview with world-leading cyber security expert Isaac Ben-Israel, Ben-Israel says Because we understand that nowadays everyone is dependent on computers, not only military organisations, defense organisations. And therefore, the citizen, the simple citizen, needs a protection as well as the big organisation. And we decided to make it legitimate for education and industry. ...At that time, 2011, it’s hard to believe but this is true, there was not even one university in the world, neither in Israel nor in the States, in which you could go and study cybersecurity. Only 10 years ago. It’s hard to believe but this was the situation 10 years ago. Today ... you can learn cyber security in almost every university.

Students who earn a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity can help defend against growing cybersecurity threats from hackers, criminals, and hostile foreign governments.

Both online and on-campus degree programs are available, and students will learn the fundamentals of the cyber domain, including cryptography, system security resiliency, cyber vulnerability, and RF communications.

Many programs offer specialized concentrations as well, such as cloud computing, data management, software programming, and analytics.

Typically, a bachelor’s in cybersecurity requires a minimum of 120 credits, which takes about four to five years to complete. Some programs offer an accelerated path that permits students to work at their own pace, allowing them to potentially finish early.

Graduates often find positions in the energy, healthcare, finance, and government industries as software developers, security administrators, information assurance engineers, and IT security consultants.

Learn more about how to major in computer science.

We recently interviewed one of the world’s most influential cyber security experts, Dr. Isaac Ben-Israel. Dr. Ben-Israel says that cyber security is one of the most important fields of study today, and one of the newest. In 2011 cyber security programs in colleges and universities were scarce. Today, they are offered at colleges and universities around the world, and in some cases cyber security is making its way into core curriculum. Why? Dr. Ben-Israel’s answer is simple: As long as computers are the dominant technology of our time, this is the anticipation, the need for cyber security will only grow.

Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity Degree Programs — Download Badge

How do we determine the best online cybersecurity bachelor's degree programs?

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of similar occupations to Information Security Analysts in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

57650Computer User Support Specialists

71350Computer Network Support Specialists

102210Computer Systems Analysts

113270Information Security Analysts

142650Computer and Information Research Scientists

25 Best Online Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity Degree Programs

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require a time of adjustment. Although you’ll typically learn the same material and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, going online will require greater independence and responsibility than going in person. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, for harnessing the online educational technology that you’ll need to use, and for completing the course requirements, such as listening to lectures, learning lessons, reading texts, and handing in assignments. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take the initiative in building relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier than campus-based education is ease of access: all you need is a computer and an internet connection for online education. But even this seeming advantage of online education can be misleading: what’s easier, studying online with your computer and internet connection from your home where you need to cook, clean, pay rent, and maintain a job? Or studying on campus in a dorm where all your living needs are handled by the school, and college staff are there to help you every step of the way?

If you take the commute to campus out of the equation, campus-based education is easier. All the support structures available on campus for students, especially with real people to help you in person, are not there online. The demands on you as an online student will largely be the same as for your campus-based counterpart, but without the same helps.

In general, your online courses will present the same material and test you in the same way as traditional in-person courses. In many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning with remote educational technology for the first time, online college may be considerably more challenging than campus-based college. For a few insights on how to manage this new online experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable non-profit institutions on the one end and less-than-reputable for-profit institutions on the other end. Accreditation gives you the power to identify the more reputable actors in online education. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency indicating that a college or university is meeting standards of quality and credibility. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university that is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. For students seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that they opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree. For more on this important topic, check out our What is Accreditation and Why Does It Matter? College & University Accreditation Guide.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited (see the previous point), you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer of credits. In many cases, you will encounter some bureaucratic haggling in which some of your credits will be transferred and others may be refused. However, provided that you have attended an online school with recognized regional accreditation, you should be in good shape in transferring your credits earned online.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript, or resumé differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

Some employers may express the concern that because you did your degree online, you may need to transition from an online education experience to in-person workplace experience. But in an age of Covid, that concern seems much diminished. The fact is that much employment these days is remote. And collaboration increasingly happens online over Zoom. Many employers will therefore view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will be less than ideal for you (though depending on your circumstances, it may also be the only viable option).

While there is much in traditional campus-based education that can be substituted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing that can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual in-person classroom setting. As you transition to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face in getting the most out of your online classes is overcoming this difference between “real reality” and “virtual reality.” Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. Above all, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.