Information Assurance and Cyber Security Degrees in Ohio

Ranked among the best business climate states in the country, Ohio’s GDP has grown to over $620 billion. Aerospace and defense employs 16,000 Ohioans; bioscience and healthcare centers rank in the top five nationally. Insurance, financial services, research and development, and information technology each represent major in-state industries, as well, and cyber security professionals are needed across the board. Fortunately, over a half-dozen colleges and universities offer cyber security degrees, including undergraduate and graduate tracks that are CAE-designated by the NSA and DHS.

Cyber Security Jobs in Ohio

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Ohio has one of the largest populations of information security analysts in the US. Mean annual wage is $80-$90k, which is about average and appears to be increasing. Of the current job openings, over half pay at least $80k and one in five pay over $105k. Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Cleveland are the largest employment hubs for companies like MacAulay-Brown, JP Morgan Chase, PNC Financial Services Group, Battelle, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Ohio’s major military presence provides a range of cyber defense, ethical hacking, and high-level security jobs, and Wright Patterson Air Force Base is the fourth-largest employer in the state.

Cyber Security Degrees in Ohio

Certificates in cyber security are available at Kent State University, University of Cincinnati, Wright State University, Owens Community College, and Sinclair Community College, with specializations in Cyber Operations, Cyber Security Analytics, Computer Forensics and Information Security, Linux Security and Networking, Microsoft Security Specialist, and Secure System Administration.

Franklin University and Ohio State University offer bachelor’s programs in cyber security specializations. (Ohio State’s offerings include a BS in Computer Science and Engineering and BS in Computer and Information Science, with cyber security emphases.)

Master’s tracks in Cyber Operations and Cyber Security are offered by Air Force Institute of Technology and Wright State University, respectively.

The 5 Best Cyber Security Degree Providers in Ohio

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are many high quality cyber security (and related field) degree providers in the state of Ohio. We’ve taken a look at all cyber security degree providers in the state (and you can too in our directory below) and pulled out the top programs based on our detailed ranking methodology. Factors in the ranking of a school include whether they are an NSA Center of Academic Excellence, the range of cyber security-related degrees offered, and a wide range of metrics checking out academic quality, affordability, return on investment, and student satisfaction. For a detailed rundown of our ranking methodology as well as national cyber security degree rankings, check out our rankings page.

1.) Ohio State University

Ohio State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant university with a main campus located in Columbus, Ohio. The university is home to close to 60,000 students at the Columbus campus and over 65,000 students on all campuses. Degrees are offered in a comprehensive array of disciplines from the bachelor’s through doctoral levels. Known as a “public Ivy” OSU is presently ranked in the top 20 public universities in the United States. Particularly noteworthy programs include the bachelor’s in business programming, MBA programs, law school, political science, interior design, ceramics, and architecture schools. For a school with very high research activity, OSU is also known for quality student support measures including a high graduation rate, retention rate, and a low student-to-faculty ratio.

Currently Ohio State University offers a number of information assurance-related degree programs including a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science and Engineering (BS CSE) – Information Security Focus, and a Bachelors of Science with a major in Computer and Information Science (BS CIS) – Information Security Focus. Whichever degree program one chooses from OSU, one can rest assured that their degree complies with national standards and employer expectations through the fact that Ohio State University is designated as a center of academic excellence. Additionally, OSU’s undergraduate cyber security programs are some of the most affordable of schools surveyed in the state.

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Average Net Price Undergrad: $17971

Online cyber Security Degree Programs

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2.) University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati (UC) is a public comprehensive research university with a main campus located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Home to 44,000 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, UC is one of the largest schools in the region. Courses of study are comprehensive at UC, with over 600 courses of study, and 100 at the bachelor’s level. The university is also known as the originator of Co-Op education, in which students work full-time several times during their course of study to hone on-the-job skills and bridge the gap between full time study and employment. UC’s co-op program has the largest number of partners for a public institution in the world, partnering with over 2,200 corporations to place students in 27 countries.

Two courses of study in cyber security are currently available through the University of Cincinnati, a Bachelor’s of IT in Cyber Security, and an undergraduate certificate in foundations of cyber security. Currently the Bachelor’s of Information Technology in Cyber Security is offered fully online. The bachelor’s degree also takes part in UC’s innovative co-op education program, where student may get valuable hands-on experience before graduation. Whatever your choice of cyber security study at UC, you can rest assured that it is in line with national and large employer standards as UC is a designated center of academic excellence according to the NSA. Furthermore, quality retention, graduation, and student faculty rates translate in high levels of student satisfaction with their UC degrees.

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Average Net Price Undergrad: $19978

Online cyber Security Degree Programs

Bachelor’s in Information Technology – Cyber Security

3.) Sinclair Community College

Sinclair Community College (SCC) is a urban, public community college with a main campus located in Dayton, Ohio. Additional campuses may be found at five locations throughout the region and online. The college is currently home to over 18,000 students, making it quite sizable for a community college. Courses are offered in a wide variety of disicplines including over 220 courses of study at the associates and certificate levels. Online courses of study include 14 fully-online associates degrees and 21 fully-online certificate programs. SCC is known for good marks on retention rate, graduation rate, and student-to-faculty ratios, all metrics that corrolate with student satisfaction and outcomes.

Sinclair Community College currently offers a wide array of cyber security degrees and certificate programs. Courses of study in cyber security include the Information Systems Security – Short Term Certificate, the Linux Security and Networking – Short Term Certificate, the Microsoft Security Specialist – Associate of Applied Science, the Secure System Administration – Associate of Applied Science Security, and the Computer Systems – Associate of Applied Science or Short Term Certificate. Whichever option you choose, one can rest assured that SCC offers quality programming in line with national standards as the College is one of the few community colleges in the nation to achieve the designation of a center of academic excellence by the NSA and DHS. Furthermore, SCC is the most affordable school surveyed for cyber security degrees in the state of Ohio, making it a great way to work your way into a highly lucrative and in-demand field.

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Average Net Price Undergrad: $3949

Online cyber Security Degree Programs

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4.) Wright State University

Wright State University (WSU) is a public research university with a main campus located in Fairborn, Ohio. The school is home to close to 18,000 students at the undergraduate and graduate level. Academic programming is available through eight colleges and three schools including the Education and Human Services college, the Engineering and Computer Science school, the school of Liberal Arts, the school of Nursing and Health, the Raj Soin College of Business, the school of Science and Mathematics, the University College, the Lake Campus, the Boonshoft School of Medicine, The Graduate School, and the School of Professional Psychology. Degrees are available at the undergraduate through doctoral and professional levels. A unique computer science-centered offering at the university includes the Kno.e.sis center, a designated center of academic excellence and research set up by the state of Ohio. This research center has drawn between 80-100 researchers in emerging and in-demand areas of computer science over the last few years.

Wright State University currently offers a number of cyber security-related degree programs including a master of science in cyber security, a Bachelor’s Certificate in Cyber Security, and a Master’s Certificate in Cyber Security. The Master of science in cyber security is available on campus or fully online. Cyber security students at Wright State University get to take advantage of the university’s state-of-the-art virtual cyber security lab where they can practice their skills, highly regarded faculty, and one of the most affordable tuition rates among public universities in the state. Along with quality measures of graduation rate, retention rate, and student-faculty ratio, students can rest assured that WSU offers great focus on teaching and support services to secure student outcomes.

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Average Net Price Undergrad: $8968

Online cyber Security Degree Programs

Master of Science in Cyber Security

5.) James A Rhodes State College

James A Rhodes State College (Rhodes State) is a public community college with a main campus located in Lima, Ohio. The school offers a full complement of primarily technical degrees at the associates level to some 3,000 students. Academic programs are currently offered through the division of allied health, division of nursing, and division of business, technology, and public service. Degrees are offered at the associates level, professional certification, and undergraduate certification levels. Students of all programs benefit from high quality retention rates, graduation rates, and student-to-faculty ratios at Rhodes State College, all metrics of student satisfaction and quality student outcomes.

Rhodes State currently offers two cyber-security related academic programs: an associates degree in network security, and an undergraduate certificate in cyber security. The associates degree in network security is a standard 60 credit hour degree that many students complete in two years, while the certificate is roughly half the length and comes in at 27 credit hours. The certificate program includes a number of industry-vaunted coverage including two courses in Cisco, two courses in ethical hacking, a course on Microsoft products, and a course in operating systems (among others). Rhodes State is currently the third most affordable school surveyed for cyber security programs in the state of Ohio.

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Average Net Price Undergrad: $8172

Online cyber Security Degree Programs