Central Georgia Technical College Online Cybersecurity (Associate Degree)

This is a 60-credit online associate degree at a Georgia public technical college, and for Georgia residents it is one of the cheapest ways to start in security: $107 per credit, $6,420 in tuition for the whole degree. The program also carries an NSA Center of Academic Excellence designation. The catches are that out-of-state students pay double, and some courses may need a campus visit.

Central Georgia Technical College is a public technical college in Warner Robins, Georgia, with campuses in Macon and Milledgeville, and it belongs to the Technical College System of Georgia. It offers 100% online degree, diploma and certificate programs, and the Cybersecurity Associate of Applied Science is one of them.

At 60 credits it is shorter than the 72-credit Cybersecurity degree at Albany Technical College, another Georgia technical college. That is 12 fewer credits to pay for and complete, although the two schools may organize general education differently, so compare the course maps.

Central Georgia Tech also offers a Cybersecurity technical certificate and a Cybersecurity Fundamentals certificate. These are shorter credentials, not degrees, and they are worth a look if you only want a quick start.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Georgia residents pay $107 per credit, which is $6,420 over 60 credits. Out-of-state students pay $214 per credit, or $12,840. Tuition for out-of-state students is double the Georgia resident rate.

Required fees are $450 per term for a full-time load, and those are on top of tuition. For a full-time student, fees can add up to a sizeable share of the bill, so ask for the all-in cost per term.

HOPE will pay $107 per credit hour for eligible students, which can cover a resident's tuition rate. Check your eligibility with the financial aid office before you assume it.

Albany Technical College also charges $107 per credit but asks for 72 credits, which brings tuition to $7,704. Central Georgia's 60-credit path is shorter and less expensive for residents.

60 credits at $214 a credit comes to $12,840 in tuition, before fees. At the in-state rate of $107, the same 60 credits come to $6,420.

Who It Fits

• You live in Georgia and want the lowest tuition bill for a security degree, at $6,420 for 60 credits.
• You qualify for HOPE, which will pay $107 per credit hour for eligible students.
• You want a degree from a program designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the NSA.
• You are starting from a high school diploma or GED, or you are 16 or older and ready for college-level work.

Who Should Skip It

• You live outside Georgia. Out-of-state tuition is double the Georgia resident rate, so the 60 credits cost $12,840 and other online options may cost less.
• You can't get to a campus. An online course may require on-campus visits for exams or hands-on labs, and may require proctored assignments.
• You want a bachelor's degree. Check credit transfer before you count on this associate degree to shorten one.

The notable courses show a defense-and-offense mix. Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing has you probe systems the way an attacker would, with permission, so you learn where the gaps are. Network Defense and Countermeasures is the opposite: building walls and reacting when something gets through. Implementing Operating Systems Security covers hardening the computers themselves. Computer Forensics adds the evidence-gathering side.

Because this is a 60-credit A.A.S., the rest of the credits go to general education and supporting computer courses. Ask for the program map so you can see how many of the 60 credits are security classes and in what order you take them.

The program's NSA designation lasts through 2028, so ask what the school does to renew it.

Courses the School Names

• Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
• Computer Forensics
• Network Defense and Countermeasures
• Implementing Operating Systems Security

Standout Features

• Designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the NSA through 2028

The program is 100% online, but with a clear footnote: an online course may require on-campus visits for exams or hands-on labs, and may require proctored assignments. If you live far from Warner Robins, Macon or Milledgeville, that can matter more than the price.

Federal data shows 34% of the college's students are enrolled exclusively online, so most students still take at least some classes on campus. The college is large, with 11,527 students, so expect a mix of online and in-person learners.

Ask which cybersecurity courses carry the on-campus requirement, how many visits there are in a typical semester, and whether you can schedule testing at a proctoring site closer to home.

You would earn an Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity from a public technical college. The A.A.S. is a work-focused degree meant to get you into entry-level security and network jobs.

The college has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the NSA through 2028. That designation is valued by some federal employers and scholarship programs. Confirm that it applies to the degree you are enrolling in.

Federal data lists the college's graduation rate at 47%, a school-wide number that covers all programs and many part-time students. Ask which certification exams the courses line up with.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

• Out-of-state students pay $214 per credit, double the resident rate, for a $12,840 degree.
• Required fees of $450 per term for a full-time load come on top of tuition.
• Some online courses may require on-campus visits for exams or labs, which limits students far from central Georgia.

• Which cybersecurity courses require on-campus exams or labs, and how often?
• Can proctored exams be taken at a testing site near where I live?
• How much do fees add up to over a whole degree, not only per term?
• Do I qualify for HOPE, and how does it apply to this program?
• Which four-year schools accept the credits from this A.A.S.?
• How many of the 60 credits are cybersecurity courses?
• What certification exams do the ethical hacking and network defense courses prepare me for?

Public technical college in Warner Robins, Georgia, with campuses in Macon and Milledgeville, part of the Technical College System of Georgia.

• Best Online Cybersecurity Degrees Rank 3 of 10, associate
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• Best Public University Programs Rank 3 of 10, associate
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 3 of 10, associate
• Best Online Programs in Georgia Rank 2 of 8, associate

• Southern Arkansas University Tech

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• Albany Technical College

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• Community College of Baltimore County

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• Minnesota State College Southeast

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