Most Affordable Online Cybersecurity Degrees

Author: Shannon Lee
Editor: STEPS Staff

Est. Time: 4 mins

Earning your degree in cybersecurity doesn’t have to break the bank. Explore the many affordable undergraduate and graduate degree options available today from top online cybersecurity programs. Learn about the factors that affect program costs and the funding resources available to help you pay for your education.

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In today’s world, with our growing dependence on technology and online platforms for communication, purchases, and sensitive data storage, it’s not surprising that cyberattacks are becoming more frequent and risky. To address and prevent these attacks, companies, governments, and other organizations require well-trained cybersecurity experts. To meet this demand, many institutions now provide convenient and affordable online degrees in cybersecurity.

If you’re interested in becoming a cybersecurity expert, but are concerned about what it might cost, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will help you explore accredited universities that offer the most affordable online cybersecurity programs and find other ways to lower the cost of your college education.

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Dakota State University

Madison, South Dakota

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University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

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University of Illinois Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

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Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia

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University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

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Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

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Davenport University

Grand Rapids, Michigan

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University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

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Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, Georgia

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East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

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Norfolk State University

Norfolk, Virginia

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Auburn University

Auburn, Alabama

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University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio

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Oklahoma State University

Stillwater, Oklahoma

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University of Michigan-Dearborn

Dearborn, Michigan

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St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, Florida

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Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

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Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington

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University of Houston

Houston, Texas

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Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri

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Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

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Zane State College

Zanesville, Ohio

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Purdue University Global

West Lafayette, Indiana

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University of Missouri-St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

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Maryville University of Saint Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

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Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

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Peninsula College

Port Angeles, Washington

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West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

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Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

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Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

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Southern Utah University

Cedar City, Utah

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Saint Leo University

Saint Leo, Florida

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University of Rhode Island

Kingston, Rhode Island

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Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

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Baker College

Owosso, Michigan

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Mercy University

Dobbs Ferry, New York

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Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Webster University

Saint Louis, Missouri

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University of Detroit Mercy

Detroit, Michigan

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Oconee Fall Line Technical College

Sandersville, Georgia

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Albany Technical College

Albany, Georgia

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Atlanta Technical College

Atlanta, Georgia

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Northwood Technical College

Shell Lake, Wisconsin

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Cowley County Community College

Arkansas City, Kansas

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Sacramento City College

Sacramento, California

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Iowa Western Community College

Council Bluffs, Iowa

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Fayetteville Technical Community College

Fayetteville, North Carolina

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Mesa Community College

Mesa, Arizona

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Public

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Cosumnes River College

Sacramento, California

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Trident Technical College

Charleston, South Carolina

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Copiah-Lincoln Community College

Wesson, Mississippi

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Horry-Georgetown Technical College

Conway, South Carolina

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Savannah Technical College

Savannah, Georgia

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Bristol Community College

Fall River, Massachusetts

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National Park College

Hot Springs, Arkansas

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GateWay Community College

Phoenix, Arizona

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Cecil College

North East, Maryland

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Cerritos College

Norwalk, California

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Northcentral Technical College

Wausau, Wisconsin

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Central Texas College

Killeen, Texas

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American River College

Sacramento, California

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Portland Community College

Portland, Oregon

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Hinds Community College

Raymond, Mississippi

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Ridgewater College

Willmar, Minnesota

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Blue Ridge Community and Technical College

Martinsburg, West Virginia

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Klamath Community College

Klamath Falls, Oregon

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Columbus Technical College

Columbus, Georgia

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Arkansas State University-Mountain Home

Mountain Home, Arkansas

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Central Georgia Technical College

Warner Robins, Georgia

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Moraine Park Technical College

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

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Camden County College

Blackwood, New Jersey

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Mount Wachusett Community College

Gardner, Massachusetts

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Allegany College of Maryland

Cumberland, Maryland

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Mt Hood Community College

Gresham, Oregon

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Fox Valley Technical College

Appleton, Wisconsin

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Finger Lakes Community College

Canandaigua, New York

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Pima Community College

Tucson, Arizona

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Bossier Parish Community College

Bossier City, Louisiana

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Middlesex Community College

Bedford, Massachusetts

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5 Ways to Lower the Cost of Your Online Cybersecurity Degree

Tuition for a degree in cybersecurity can be expensive. Fortunately, there are many ways to make earning a degree more affordable. We discuss a few of those ways below and encourage you to utilize as many as possible to make getting your degree easier and less of a drain on your bank account.

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Apply to scholarships, grants, and fellowships created for cybersecurity students.

One of the most common ways to lower the cost of your cybersecurity degree is through scholarships, grants, and fellowships. These are popular because they don’t have to be paid back and are often awarded based on merit, financial need, or both. CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service Program is an example of these types of awards. Find out about additional grant, scholarship, and fellowship opportunities through prospective schools, our financial aid guide, and this list of cybersecurity scholarships.

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Employer Tuition Reimbursement

Cybersecurity is a quickly evolving field, so cybersecurity employers understand the value of continuing education. That’s why many employers like the National Security Agency help their employees pay for additional training. Employers differ in how they implement these programs with some directly paying for an employee’s tuition and others offering fellowships to eligible employees. Keep in mind that some employers place certain conditions on tuition reimbursement. Most common is asking employees to continue working for them for a set period of time.

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Public Service Loan Forgiveness

National governments play a significant role in how cyber threats and security concerns are addressed, and many graduates of cybersecurity programs find employment with government agencies. One benefit of working for the government after graduation is potential eligibility for public service loan forgiveness. Specifically, the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program allows eligible students working in a public service job to enjoy forgiveness of any remaining student loan debt after 120 qualified monthly payments are made. Learn more about PSLF financial aid programs.

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Work-Study

Work-study is an often-overlooked form of financial aid. While it doesn’t need to be paid back, students must work to earn this financial aid assistance. The primary work-study option is the Federal Work-Study program. The type of work varies, but schools try to give students jobs in fields related to their areas of study or that provide civil education.

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Paid Internships

One of the best ways to enhance your cybersecurity educational experience is to gain real-world exposure to the cyber defense field. One way to do this is through internships. Many internships are unpaid, but a good number have a respectable income. One prominent example in the cybersecurity field is the paid internship at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

What Affects the Cost of an Online Cybersecurity Degree?

Learning about a cybersecurity program’s tuition rate gives you a starting point as to how much your degree will cost. There are many other factors, however, that influence the total dollar amount of your degree. We’ve identified five notable factors below that may impact the total cost of your online degree.

Accelerated Learning Options

Although most bachelor’s degrees require approximately four years of full-time study, many online cybersecurity bachelor’s degree programs offer accelerated curriculums and generous transfer policies, allowing students to graduate much earlier. Some accelerated programs can even reduce the time required to earn a bachelor’s degree by one or two years, resulting in significant cost savings.

Type of School

Post-secondary institutions are either private or public. Private schools usually have higher tuition costs compared to public schools. Public schools, however, are generally more affordable, particularly for students who are residents of the state where the institution is located, as much of their funding comes from state-based government aid.

In-State Residency

Public schools may be less expensive than private schools, at least with respect to tuition rates, but that is usually only the case when a student is taking classes as an in-state student. Often, the cost of attending a public college or university as a non-resident is roughly equal to the tuition of private post-secondary institutions.

Financial Aid Availability

There is an abundance of financial aid options available to students pursuing a cybersecurity degree, including private scholarships, state grants, and subsidized federal student loans. Some schools are particularly noteworthy for their financial aid programs because they provide superior assistance to students in accessing available financial aid sources. Additionally, many institutions offer exclusive scholarships to their students, which can significantly reduce overall costs.

Education Fees and Added Costs

Tuition cost is typically the biggest number you see when checking the tuition and financial aid information of a potential school. It’s important to realize that there are almost always additional fees that can easily double a tuition rate. Schools use various terms to describe these fees, but they range from technology fees to health fees to books and supplies.

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