Key takeaways
- Finding the ideal college from the many cybersecurity colleges in the United States can be difficult.
- The first cyberattack took place in 1834 in France, when criminals hacked the telegraph system to steal financial market information.
- Cybercrime is defined as any activity carried out with ill intent to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or penetrate information and network security systems to cause hindrances.
- According to a report by Statista, the global cost of cybercrime is expected to rise to $13.82 trillion by 2028.
- When browsing cybersecurity colleges, look at available specializations, student resources, program curriculum, and cost.
- Specializations in cybersecurity include security architecture, security engineering, incident response, and more.
- Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Illinois at Springfield, Franklin University, and Utica University are some of the best colleges for cybersecurity in the US.
The cybersecurity landscape is ever-evolving as new threats continue to emerge and pose security risks. In such a dynamic field, choosing the right college from the many cybersecurity colleges, old and new, is essential. It dictates the level of success students enjoy in the professional field.
Several colleges across the US now offer cybersecurity majors and a wide range of specializations that students can pursue. Selecting from the many available options nationwide requires significant thought. Here we discuss all you need to know about cybersecurity, and how to choose from the best colleges for cybersecurity in the United States.
How to select the most suitable cybersecurity colleges?
There are several factors to consider when choosing from the best cybersecurity colleges. During college planning, students must conduct significant research and give substantial thought to the program, college, and dissemination format.
Here are a few factors to consider before applying to colleges with cybersecurity majors. Students can also explore some of the signs that indicate who cybersecurity is the ideal career path for.
Career goals
Students should first and foremost keep their career goals and ambitions in mind. It will help them shortlist and select specializations that best meet their requirements. Not all colleges offer every available specialization in the cybersecurity field. And not every cybersecurity degree is ideal for all students.
Those who want to obtain employment as a security engineer must choose a bachelor’s degree in cyber security engineering such as that from George Mason University. However, aspiring security analysts can pursue IT or computer science degrees with a minor in cybersecurity.
Program curriculum
Secondly, students must give the program curriculum careful consideration. With a clear career trajectory in mind, you can assess whether the courses offered by a particular cybersecurity college meet your requirements or not. The Western Governors University’s cybersecurity degree program features an extensive curriculum. Students aspiring to build comprehensive expertise should explore the program.
College reputation
College reputation and faculty and alumni achievements are vital considerations. These dictate not only the quality of education but also how easily graduates of the cybersecurity college get jobs.
Some educational institutes have been termed centers for educational excellence in the field of cybersecurity by the National Security Agency. Read on for a list of the best colleges for cybersecurity in the US.
Cost
The cost of attendance is a significant consideration. A bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity costs a lot more from a private for-profit university than a public college. Additionally, the tuition cost for in-state students is a lot lower than for out-of-state students at public colleges.
With some research, students can find affordable colleges with cybersecurity majors.
Mode of delivery
Students enjoy greater flexibility in the educational landscape nowadays. They can either opt for a traditional degree format where they attend all classes on campus. Or students can opt to take some classes online and pursue a hybrid learning format.
For those students, who want flexibility, convenience, and affordability, the online option is ideal. To find the best online colleges for cybersecurity, candidates will have to take some extra factors into consideration, such as available resources, asynchronous or synchronous formats, and more.
What do cybersecurity colleges offer?
If you want to pursue a career in cybersecurity, a bachelor’s degree in the field is the ideal starting point. Cybersecurity colleges provide students the knowledge, and training needed to excel in the dynamic field. Moreover, students enrolled in a cybersecurity program have the opportunity to apply for apprenticeships, boot camps, and part-time employment opportunities.
Through a rigorous four-year curriculum that combines theoretical knowledge and application-based learning, students develop a wide range of skills. A key focus of the program is to equip students with job-specific skills and to build their professional portfolio.
Thus, cybersecurity colleges offer a wide range of specializations in different branches within the cybersecurity umbrella. Students learn essential and advanced skills in security principles, risk management, and information security. Additionally, they learn to use tools and techniques to develop hands-on experience in the field.
Cybersecurity professionals are in demand, and on-campus and online cybersecurity degrees aim to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the professional landscape.
Why is it important to bridge the knowledge gap in cybersecurity?
Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of harmful activities, including data breaches, financial losses, productivity disruptions, intellectual property theft, identity theft, fraud, business interruptions, forensic investigations, data recovery, and reputational damage.
According to Statista, the global cost of cybercrime is expected to rise to $13.82 trillion by 2028 from $9.22 trillion in 2024. To combat the rising crime, organizations are investing in strengthening cybersecurity systems to protect intellectual property and sensitive data.
There are several types of cyber threats companies must protect their network and IT infrastructures from. These include malware, social engineering, insider threats, advanced persistent threats, distributed denial of service, man in the middle, supply chain, and ransomware attacks.
Today, ransomware attacks are the most common and proving to be quite costly. According to the World Economic Forum, ransomware attacks rose by 50% in the first half of 2023 alone. The attacks continued to rise throughout the year and in 2024 as well.
Most cyber threats are persistent by nature. They can sit dormant in a computer system for years undetected just waiting to find a weak link in the security system. They can inflict significant damage within seconds.
Cybersecurity experts must be vigilant, and up to date with the latest industry trends. Additionally, a strong foundation of the discipline and knowledge of tools and techniques to prevent attacks is essential. A degree in cyber security, combined with professional experience and additional certifications can help professionals build expertise.
You can learn all this and more, provided you select the right cybersecurity college and program. But to succeed in the cybersecurity field, it is better to be a master of one trade, than to be a jack of all.
Complete list of cybersecurity colleges offering the best value
Whether you are searching for the best online colleges for cybersecurity or cybersecurity colleges for an on-campus bachelor’s in the field, we have an option for everyone. A career in cybersecurity has the potential to be incredibly financially rewarding, provided students are given the right degree advice.
Here are a few factors to consider when choosing from cybersecurity colleges across the United States.
Utica University
Students pursuing a BS in Cybersecurity from Utica University can opt for the cybercrime and fraud investigation specialization. Where students passionate about catching cybercriminals can learn the tools and techniques needed to succeed in the professional landscape.
The curriculum features courses that help students build essential digital forensic skills needed to detect and prevent cybercrime. Through the program, students learn to secure data, learn techniques to detect malicious activity and protect IT infrastructure including networks and cloud structures.
Specific program benefits include that it is an online program, offering students flexibility in combination with education excellence. Moreover, the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security dub Utica University’s cybersecurity program as a leader in the field.
| Location | Minimum GPA | Acceptance rate | Cost |
| Utica, New York | 3.0 | 81% | $24,308 |
Franklin University
Franklin University offers a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. The key highlight of the program is the apprenticeship program offered by the university. Students benefit from the opportunity to pursue paid employment in an aligned job to build practical competencies.
As students progress in the academic field, and complete one of the 9 courses in the apprenticeship program, they get a salary increment. Through the program curriculum and apprenticeship program, students develop in-depth knowledge of the systems development lifecycle (SDLC).
They also learn essential skills such as threat monitoring, risk identification, security testing, and threat modeling. With courses in security architecture and controls, network and application security, business continuity, and operations, candidates can develop professional aptitude suited for a variety of roles in the cybersecurity field.
| Location | Minimum GPA | Acceptance rate | Cost |
| Columbus, Ohio | 3.0 | 71% | $9,577 |
University of Illinois at Springfield
The University of Illinois at Springfield offers a BS in Information Systems Security which is a specialized track within the field of cybersecurity. The four-year program features a wide array of courses designed to build competencies in the cybersecurity field.
Students have the option to pursue the program either online or on-campus, offering them flexibility. Additionally, they can take part in the ongoing research on campus, which will help broaden their understanding of the field.
The primary learning outcomes of the program include security systems assessment, design and implementation of security systems, ethical hacking, and laws and regulations in the cybersecurity field. Graduates can then pursue careers in computer and network administration, customer support, system analysis, and so on.
| Location | Minimum GPA | Acceptance rate | Cost |
| Springfield, Illinois | 2.0 | 82% | $12,707 (in-state)
$21,842 (out-of-state) |
Stevens Institute of Technology
The Stevens Institute of Technology offers a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity. The program combines elements from computer science, information technology, and management segments to provide a holistic understanding of what a career in cybersecurity can look like.
A key focus of the program is to create innovative cybersecurity experts. Innovation drives the cybersecurity field and is what will equip individuals to face the challenges in the evolving cybersecurity landscape.
The BS in cybersecurity from Stevens is validated by the National Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, adding credibility to a student profile. Through collaborations with industry leaders, undergraduate research opportunities, apprenticeship programs, and the availability of specialized minors, students can build a skill set ideal for their ambitions.
One of the major benefits of pursuing a bachelor’s from Stevens is that your undergraduate credits are going to earn you the ability to opt for an accelerated master’s program. A master’s degree can help you land senior-level positions in the cybersecurity field.
| Location | Minimum GPA | Acceptance rate | Cost |
| Hoboken, New Jersey | n/a | 46% | $58,624 |
What specializations do cybersecurity colleges offer?
To keep up with the developments in cybercrime activity, cybersecurity colleges offer many specializations. Organizations require many types of specialists to ensure the construction, implementation, and maintenance of an optimal cybersecurity network.
Specialized cybersecurity career paths include security analysts, incident response specialists, network security engineers, cybersecurity architects, and so on. To cater to the demands of the professional landscape, the best cybersecurity colleges offer many specializations.
Security architecture
Here, students learn how to build and maintain the cybersecurity structures of organizations. Additionally, they learn to test system viability through penetration testing, ethical hacking, and more. They also learn basic skills such as incidence response, database management, artificial intelligence, algorithms, and more.
Governance, risk, and compliance
In the governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) specialization, students build knowledge on governance in the cybersecurity field. Additionally, they learn how to integrate risk management and approval systems for information management and authorization. Lastly, they learn how to assess, implement, monitor, and control privacy and security settings.
Data loss prevention
Through the data loss prevention specialization, students learn to use a variety of tools and processes to prevent data leaks. Students also build in-depth knowledge of regulatory policies that govern the classification of sensitive data such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI-DSS.
Additionally, students learn immediate response measures in combination with alert and encryption tactics to prevent data loss.
Identity and access management
Students wishing to specialize in cloud security must take the identity and access management specialization. It governs the end-to-end lifecycle of user information, including identities across all company resources.
Identity and access management specialists write the code that dictates how a company authenticates users to grant them access to data across different digital devices.
Digital forensics and incident response (DFIR)
As the name suggests the digital forensics and incident response specialization involves two components. The digital forensics component focuses on building skills needed to collect, preserve, and analyze forensic data in case a cybercrime is committed.
The incident response component focuses on remedial measures such as containing the perpetrator, cutting off access, and sealing the entry point to prevent further break-ins.
Security Engineering
Where a security architect provides the blueprint for security systems, security engineers build the systems from the ground up. Through the specialization of security engineering, students learn how to implement and test new security features, troubleshoot, plan new upgrades, and respond to security breaches.
Apply to cybersecurity colleges and become a cybersecurity expert!
There are several colleges with cybersecurity majors. But before you select a college and send applications, make sure you vet the program curriculum and gauge the value offered by the program. Choosing the right program is essential for a successful career in the evolving cybersecurity field.
If you don’t want to put in the work, you can refer to the list above, as we have done extensive research for you. We wish you the best of luck in your academic career!