Champlain College Online BS in Computer Forensics & Digital Investigations

Champlain's online B.S. in Computer Forensics & Digital Investigations is built around evidence: collecting it, analyzing it and defending it. It's the stronger fit for aspiring investigators and incident responders who want a practicum and law-focused courses, and it's priced the same per credit as Champlain's cybersecurity bachelor's. Choose it for the forensics focus, not for a general security education.

This is a 120-credit bachelor's delivered through Champlain College Online, the online arm of a private nonprofit college in Burlington, Vermont. Classes run in 7-week terms alongside the college's 15-week semesters, and you take one to three courses per 7-week term.

Champlain also offers a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity at the same 120 credits and the same $342 per credit. This one points toward digital evidence and investigations, and its course list reads that way. If your target job title contains words like examiner, investigator or analyst, this is the version to read closely. If you'd rather harden networks, look at the sibling.

Champlain states that the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security have designated it a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education since 2006.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

For Fall 2026 through Summer 2027, tuition is $342 per credit, and a 120-credit degree comes to $41,040. Champlain adds a one-time $150 graduation fee.

Several discounts apply. Alumni, associate degree graduates, veterans and their families pay $297 per credit, and military servicemembers pay $250 per credit. Credit for prior learning and transfer credit for work experience and training can shorten the path, and every credit you transfer is a credit you don't pay $342 for. Ask the transfer team for an evaluation before you enroll, because it tells you how many credits you'd skip.

120 credits at $342 a credit comes to $41,040 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• Career changers who want to work with digital evidence for a law enforcement agency, a corporate security team or a legal office.
• Current police officers, paralegals and security staff who want a forensics degree that fits around a full-time schedule.
• Military servicemembers and veterans. Champlain lists a rate of $250 per credit for servicemembers and $297 for veterans and their families.
• Adults with college credits, work experience or military training, since Champlain awards credit for prior learning and experience and for work and military training.

Who Should Skip It

• Students who want the broadest possible security education. The cybersecurity bachelor's at the same school is the better match for general defense work.
• Anyone who needs the lowest possible per-credit price, since a community college route can cost less per credit before you transfer.
• People who dislike short terms. A 7-week pace moves quickly, and a missed week is a bigger share of the course.

The coursework is forensics from several angles. Notable courses include Malware Forensics, Digital Forensic Analysis and Operating System Forensics, which train you to pull evidence out of infected machines and file systems.

Two courses set it apart from a pure technical degree. Law of Searching & Seizing Digital Evidence covers what investigators can lawfully collect, and Criminal Investigation puts the technical work in the context of a case. That legal and procedural layer is what separates a forensic examiner whose findings hold up from one whose evidence gets thrown out.

The program also includes a Digital Forensic Practicum, which gives you applied work before you graduate.

Courses the School Names

• Malware Forensics
• Digital Forensic Analysis
• Operating System Forensics
• Law of Searching & Seizing Digital Evidence
• Criminal Investigation

Standout Features

• National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education since 2006 (stated for Champlain College)

Courses run in 7-week terms, and you choose how many to take, from one to three per term. Taking one while you work full time is realistic, and adding a second or third speeds up graduation.

Ask how much live participation to expect, since that shapes how you fit classes around work. The format also means a new term begins every seven weeks, so there's a regular point to speed up or slow down.

Champlain is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Employers will look at your coursework, the practicum and any hands-on evidence work you can describe in an interview.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

• At $41,040 for the full 120 credits, it costs more than public online options unless you bring transfer credit.
• The forensics focus is narrower than a general cybersecurity degree, which may limit your options if you later pivot to network defense.
• Fast 7-week terms leave little room to catch up after a bad week.
• Federal data shows a 58% completion rate at Champlain, so plan your schedule realistically.

• How many of my existing credits will transfer, and will military or work training count?
• What does the Digital Forensic Practicum involve, and do I arrange it or does the school?
• How does this degree differ day to day from the B.S. in Cybersecurity?
• Which forensic tools or lab environments do students actually use in the coursework?
• Are classes scheduled at set times, or can I complete everything on my own schedule within each week?

A private nonprofit college in Burlington, Vermont that delivers its online degrees through Champlain College Online.

• Best Online Cybersecurity Degrees Rank 1 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Online Bachelor's Programs Rank 1 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Digital Forensics Degrees Rank 1 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Affordable Online Programs Rank 6 of 10, bachelor's
• Best for Military Students Rank 1 of 9, bachelor's
• Best for Working Adults Rank 1 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Programs With Internships Rank 1 of 10, bachelor's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 1 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Vermont Rank 1 of 3, bachelor's

• Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $342 per credit Score 72.4

• Master of Science in Digital Forensic Science

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 75.1

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity Operations

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.7

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity Analytics

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.5

• Master of Science in Digital Forensic Analytics

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.3

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $608 per credit Score 70.1

Also at Champlain College, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (bachelor's, on campus).

• Western Governors University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance

  Utah Score 74.5

• Franklin University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Ohio $398 per credit Score 69.8

• Wilmington University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Delaware $439 per credit Score 67.2

• Norwich University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Vermont $415 per credit Score 65.3