Quick answer: Cybersecurity is close to a native online degree. The credential runs through a bachelor’s in cybersecurity or information technology. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are covered below.
Cybersecurity is close to a native online degree. The subject is networks, systems and adversary behavior, and the laboratory is virtual by nature - programs typically run cloud ranges and capture-the-flag exercises that work identically at a distance. What varies is whether a program gives you real hands-on range time or teaches security as theory, and that difference decides employability.
Before you request information anywhere, ask whether the program holds ABET-CAC accreditation and how much hands-on range time students actually get. With those filters set, compare online cybersecurity programs enrolling now:
Every school listed is verified in federal IPEDS data both to award this degree and to offer programs that can be completed entirely by distance education at this level. Whether this exact degree is delivered fully online varies by school, so confirm the format before you apply.
This page lists 10 schools, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.
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.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Cybersecurity is not a licensed occupation - there is no state board. Hiring runs on certification: CompTIA Security+ at the entry tier, and the (ISC)2 CISSP once you have the experience it requires. A degree supplies the networking and systems foundation those certifications assume rather than replacing them, and ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission accredits some programs.
Separately from any programmatic accreditation, the institution should hold accreditation from a recognized institutional accreditor. Credit transfer between institutions is decided by the receiving school and genuinely varies, so get any transfer evaluation in writing before enrolling.
Ask how much hands-on range time students actually get, because the gap between programs running live labs and programs teaching security as theory is a major quality difference in this field. Ask which certifications the curriculum prepares you for and whether exam vouchers are included. If industrial or building systems are your background, ask whether the program covers operational technology security at all - most do not, and that is precisely where your existing knowledge converts.
The national framework is the constant: a bachelor’s in cybersecurity or information technology, then the CompTIA Security+ and, at the senior tier, the (ISC)2 CISSP. What sits on top of that framework is set jurisdiction by jurisdiction, and this site does not hold a sourced dataset of per-state rules, so confirm the specifics with the certifying bodies and employers you are targeting before enrolling.
Ask these before an application fee, and get the answers in writing rather than over the phone:
Before you shortlist schools, it also helps to be precise about the job this degree points at.
Employment is projected to change by 28.5% between 2024 and 2034, with roughly 16,000 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34). Openings come from growth and from replacing people who leave the occupation, which is why the annual figure can look large relative to the percentage.
Information security analysts monitor for intrusions, investigate incidents, run vulnerability management and harden systems before something goes wrong. The part most relevant to this site is operational technology security: the industrial control systems, SCADA and building automation a controls technician already understands physically. That knowledge is scarce among security professionals and increasingly in demand, because attacks on physical infrastructure carry consequences beyond data loss.
Coursework usually runs networking and protocols, operating systems and system administration, cryptography fundamentals, secure architecture, incident response and digital forensics, vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, and governance and risk. Programs aimed at technicians increasingly add industrial control system security, which is the specialization where a trade background is worth the most and where the supply of qualified people is thinnest.
This degree sits above credentials many readers already hold. The rungs run:
The administrator-to-analyst pay gap is documented in the pay section below.
Information security analysts earn a median $129,180 per year, or $62.11 per hour (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $129,180 |
| Median hourly wage | $62.11 |
| Employed nationally | 190,650 |
| Bottom 10 percent | $75,090 |
| Top 10 percent | $199,850 |
| Middle half | $97,810 to $163,500 |
| Projected change, 2024-34 | 28.5% |
| Annual openings | about 16,000 |
Wage and employment figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Growth and openings: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34.
For scale, network and computer systems administrators show a median of $99,130 against $129,180 for information security analysts (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $154,940 | 6,030 |
| Maryland | $139,640 | 8,650 |
| California | $138,570 | 15,570 |
| Delaware | $137,030 | 720 |
| Massachusetts | $136,550 | 6,100 |
Highest-paying states, BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living is not held constant, so a higher median does not automatically mean more disposable income.
| State | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 19,120 | $134,900 |
| Texas | 16,130 | $129,890 |
| California | 15,570 | $138,570 |
| Florida | 14,220 | $124,860 |
| New York | 10,060 | $134,660 |
Largest employing states, BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment concentration and pay do not track each other. State and metro pages linked below carry the full distribution.
This site does not publish tuition figures, because there is no sourced dataset behind them and the number varies enormously by institution and residency. What can be stated is the wage structure the degree can lead into. The middle half of information security analysts earn between $97,810 and $163,500, with the bottom 10 percent at $75,090 and the top 10 percent at $199,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile is the honest range to plan against - not the median alone, and not the top figure.
Two honest caveats. The 28.5% projected growth is real and the strongest figure on this site, but entry-level security hiring is genuinely competitive - most analysts arrive from a systems or network administration role rather than straight from a degree, which is why the administrator tier sits between the trade and the analyst on the ladder above. And certification often moves a career faster than the degree does here. What the degree changes is the ceiling and the route into architecture and leadership. The destination is strong: a median of $129,180 with a top decile of $199,850 (BLS OEWS, May 2025) and about 16,000 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Yes, and it is a natural online fit. Labs are typically virtual by nature - cloud ranges and capture-the-flag exercises can run identically at a distance. Ask how much live range time is included, because that varies far more than delivery format does.
The national median annual wage is $129,180, or $62.11 per hour (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The bottom 10 percent earn $75,090 or less and the top 10 percent earn $199,850 or more, across 190,650 analysts nationally.
Employment of information security analysts is projected to change by 28.5% from 2024 to 2034, with about 16,000 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34) - the fastest growth of any occupation covered on this site. Entry-level competition is still real, because many roles expect prior systems experience.
In this field certification frequently moves a career faster in the short term - Security+ at entry, CISSP later. The degree matters for the ceiling: architecture, management and employers that screen on education. Many people do both, in that order.
It can be a strong crossover. Operational technology security is short of people who understand the physical equipment, and that is exactly what a controls technician brings. Check whether a program teaches OT security specifically, because most cover enterprise IT only.
Administrators run the infrastructure; analysts defend it, investigate incidents and own the security posture. Most analysts come up through administration, which is why the two sit on the same ladder and why the administrator role is the common entry point.
Best Online Cybersecurity Degrees in 2026 - the top schools ranked by BOC Score The careers this degree sits above or beside:
Related reading across the degree silo:
State pay, licensing and metro-level data for this degree. Wage and employment figures on every state page come from BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Alabama * Alaska * Arizona * Arkansas * California * Colorado * Connecticut * Delaware * District of Columbia * Florida * Georgia * Hawaii * Illinois * Indiana * Iowa * Kansas * Kentucky * Louisiana * Maine * Maryland * Massachusetts * Michigan * Minnesota * Mississippi * Missouri * Montana * Nebraska * Nevada * New Hampshire * New Jersey * New Mexico * New York * North Carolina * North Dakota * Ohio * Oklahoma * Pennsylvania * Rhode Island * South Carolina * South Dakota * Tennessee * Texas * Utah * Vermont * Virginia * Washington * Wisconsin * Wyoming
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/.
