Information Assurance and Cyber Security Degrees in Rhode Island

Rhode Island offers cyber security professionals a variety of opportunities through the state’s diverse economy. Health services, tourism, and manufacturing are among the state’s largest industries, with additional major employers in financial services, government, education, insurance, and information technology. Similar to states across the nation, cyber security workers are in high demand at the entry-, mid-, and senior-levels, and Rhode Island is doing its best to train future IS professionals through undergraduate and graduate programs at six in-state colleges and universities.

Cyber Security Jobs in Rhode Island

Despite its small size, Rhode Island has a fair concentration of information security analysts and excellent pay. Compared to the national average of $92,600, Rhode Island IS professionals earn $100-120K per year, and entry-level workers earn above-average wages as well, with some jobs offering $70k salaries. Newport, Providence, Cranston, and Warwick are the biggest job hubs, but of course many Rhode Islanders commute to prestigious security jobs in Boston, Connecticut, New York, and around New England. Healthcare and pharmacare are big sectors – Lifespan Hospital Group, CVS Caremark, and Care New England – and cyber defense specialists should look into opportunities with the US Navy or defense contractors like Raytheon. Citizens Financial Group, Bank of America, Fidelity Investments, MetLife Insurance, and The Home Depot have large offices in Rhode Island, too.

Cyber Security Degrees in Rhode Island

Certificates in cyber security are available from Rhode Island College, University of Rhode Island, and Salve Regina University in areas like Cybersecurity and Intelligence and Digital Forensics.

New England Institute of Technology and Johnson & Wales University offer bachelor’s specializations in cyber security. J&W offerings include a BSBA in Organizational Risk and Cyber Security Management and BS in Cyber Threat Intelligence & Defense.

Johnson & Wales University, Brown University, and University of Rhode Island each offer master’s degrees in cyber security, including an Executive Master in Cyber Security from Brown and MS in Information Security/Assurance from J&W.

Cyber Security Resources in Rhode Island

Cyber Security Degree Providers in Rhode Island

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.