Information Assurance and Cyber Security Degrees in West Virginia

West Virginia is on its way to becoming one of the best places for cyber security opportunities in the country. Long known for its energy and mining industries, the state’s biotech and research & development initiatives should produce a variety of security roles in the future, and sectors like healthcare, aerospace, and defense already need top security talent. Another cyber catalyst? West Virginia has at least eight colleges and universities that offer cyber security degrees – an impressive number for a state of its size – and more programs are expected.

Cyber Security Jobs in West Virginia

Information security analysts earn a mean annual wage of $45k-80k in West Virginia, which is below the national average but an upgrade over the state’s median household income. Further, experienced mid- and upper-level workers’ pay is excellent: the 75th percentile makes $93k, and the 90th percentile earns a six-figure salary. Ranked by Forbes as a top-ten small city for business, Morgantown leads West Virginia in cyber security job opportunities, followed by Clarksburg, Charleston, Fairmont, and Martinsburg. In addition to several health insurance companies and medical centers, cyber security professionals work at national consulting, finance, and IT corporations like Leidos, United Bank, IBM, ManTech International Corporation, ActioNet, and Salient CRGT, among others.

Cyber Security Degrees in West Virginia

Certificates in cyber security, digital forensics, information assurance, and more are available at West Virginia University, Marshall University, American Public University, and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College.

APU, Salem International University, and University of Charleston offer bachelor’s degrees in cyber security.

For those interested in an advanced program, APU also offers West Virginia’s only master’s tracks in cyber security, with an MA in Nation Security Studies and an MS in Cyber Security Studies, which are designed for maximum flexibility to accommodate adult learners and working professionals.

Cyber Security Resources in West Virginia

Cyber Security Degree Providers in West Virginia

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.