Information Assurance and Cyber Security Degrees in Iowa

Iowa is considered one of seven states that make up a swath of startup-rich inland area dubbed the “Midwest Silicon Prairie”. Two Iowa cities, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, made SmartAsset’s 2016 list of Top 10 Cities for Tech Workers. Individuals with cyber security degrees are in high demand here; the state has the third-lowest supply relative to demand in the nation.

Iowa Cyber Security Jobs

The capital city of Des Moines is home to the largest number of cyber security jobs in the state. Here, Wells Fargo regularly looks for professionals with cyber security degrees to protect sensitive financial data. Many experts find careers with insurance companies such as Nationwide, which make up a large portion of the city’s economy. Tech companies based in the state include Dwolla and Integrity. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a mean wage of $74,270 for cyber security analysts, which is 20% lower than the national average. This is largely offset, however, by the state’s lower cost of living, which is more than 10% below the national average.

Cyber Security Degrees in Iowa

Associate’s Degrees in cyber security are available through four Iowa schools: Western Iowa Tech Community College, North Iowa Area Community College, Eastern Iowa Community College District, and Indian Hills Community College.

Bachelor’s Degrees in cyber security are offered by just one Iowa school. The University of Dubuque has a bachelor’s program in Computer Forensics and Security.

Master’s Degrees in cyber security are available through just one institute- Iowa State University. Iowa State is also the only school here to be recognized by the NSA as a “National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security”.

Certificates and Doctoral Degrees in cyber security are offered by three Iowa schools. Des Moines Area Community College awards a Digital Forensic Investigation Certificate, Northeast Iowa Community College-Calmar offers a Certificate in Information Security, and Iowa State University has an online Information Assurance Graduate Certificate.

Cyber Security Resources in Iowa

Cyber Security Degree Providers in Iowa

Below we’ve included some of the most pertinent information for choosing a cyber security degree program. Affordability looked at the average in-state tuition rate (where applicable) and divided the range of tuition rates into five bins. Each bin contains a roughly $8,000 jump in tuition. So one $ contains schools from roughly $1,000 in in-state tuition to $9,000, $$’s contains schools from >$9,000 to $17,000, and so forth. Retention rate is one of the best predictors of undergraduate education quality. While the NSA/CAE designation marks programs deemed excellent by the NSA.