Dakota State University Online Cyber and Network Security, BS

This is a low-cost, fully online bachelor's degree from a public university known for cybersecurity, with a networking angle and a Cisco Networking Academy path toward the CCNA certification. At $373.80 per credit it costs well below most private online options. It suits you if you like how networks work, not only how they are attacked.

Dakota State University (DSU) is a public university in Madison, South Dakota, with a college built around cyber topics. Its Cyber and Network Security B.S. is 120 credits and can be taken 100% online or on campus, with starts in fall, spring and summer.

DSU has three online cybersecurity bachelor's degrees, and they point in different directions. Dakota State says Cyber Operations is designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations by the NSA's National Cryptologic University, and the program uses the Madison Cyber Labs, with courses such as Malware Analysis and Offensive Network Security.

Cyber Leadership and Intelligence adds specializations in Digital Forensics and in World Affairs and Human Behavior, plus open-source intelligence (OSINT) and AI training.

This degree is the networking-centered one, with the Cisco track at its core.

The 2026-2027 online undergraduate rate is $373.80 per credit. Over 120 credits, tuition comes to $44,856.

Non-resident students pay a $117.70 delivery fee in computer science (CSC) courses, which matters in a degree with many technical classes. Ask how many CSC courses your plan includes so you can estimate the extra cost.

Federal data lists a campus charge of $357 per credit, slightly lower than the online rate, so compare both when you decide. Current military students at DSU receive a discounted tuition rate, according to a sibling program page.

120 credits at $373.80 a credit comes to $44,856 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You want to understand how data moves across a network and how to protect it, a skill set that overlaps with network administration.
• You want a CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) path inside your degree, because DSU is a Cisco Networking Academy.
• You want a public-university price. Tuition for the 120 credits is $44,856.
• You want three starts a year, so a missed fall term doesn't cost you a year.

Who Should Skip It

• You want to focus on offensive security and exploit development. DSU's Cyber Operations degree is built around that.
• You want intelligence analysis, policy or forensics specializations, which belong to Cyber Leadership and Intelligence.
• You live out of state and take many computer science courses. A $117.70 delivery fee applies to non-resident students in those courses.

The degree sits between networking and security. The Cisco Networking Academy connection is the clearest detail: coursework follows a path toward the CCNA, a well-known credential that tests how you configure, route and troubleshoot networks.

The contrast with DSU's siblings shows who this degree is for. Cyber Operations goes toward malware analysis and attacking networks in a controlled lab. Cyber Leadership and Intelligence goes toward investigations and analysis of people and organizations. Cyber and Network Security keeps its focus on the network itself and its defense.

Ask the department for the complete course list and which classes are lab-based, since an online network course should still give you practice on real equipment or virtual labs.

Standout Features

• DSU is a Cisco Networking Academy, with a path toward CCNA certification

The program is offered entirely online or on campus, and you can start in fall, spring or summer. Federal data shows 54% of DSU's students are enrolled exclusively online, so online students share a campus culture with a large on-campus group.

DSU is a small university with 3,774 students, so you would be part of a community where cyber is the school's identity.

Ask whether labs run on virtual machines you reach from home, and whether the Cisco coursework requires any physical equipment.

You would earn a Bachelor of Science in Cyber and Network Security from a public university. The Cisco Networking Academy relationship points toward the CCNA, and you would still sit for the exam yourself.

DSU's federal graduation rate is 51%, and the measure for transfer students is 44.5%. Both are school-wide. Federal earnings data shows $78,637 for DSU graduates in this field.

DSU says its NSA designations belong to named programs. Ask whether this degree is covered before you assume it is.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The CAE designations highlighted at DSU belong to the Cyber Operations and Cyber Defense programs, not obviously this one.
• Non-resident students pay a $117.70 delivery fee in computer science courses.
• Federal earnings of $78,637 are modest compared with some other online bachelor's programs.
• Only 54% of students are fully online, so some resources are shaped around campus life.

• Which courses make up the Cisco Networking Academy track, and how many CCNA topics are covered?
• Is this degree covered by an NSA Center of Academic Excellence designation?
• How many CSC courses will I take, and what is the delivery fee total?
• Do online students use virtual labs or physical equipment?
• How do I move between this degree and Cyber Operations if I change my mind?
• What internship options exist for online students?

A public university in Madison, South Dakota, with a cyber-focused college.

• Best Online Programs in South Dakota Rank 2 of 4, bachelor's

• Cyber Operations, BS

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $373.80 per credit Score 62.1

• Cyber Leadership and Intelligence, BS

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $373.80 per credit Score 51.7

• Cyber Defense, MS

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $495.70 per credit Score 65.8

• Cyber Defense, Ph.D.

  Ph.D., Doctorate

  Online With Campus Requirements $548.75 per credit Score 51.8

• Cyber Operations, Ph.D.

  Ph.D., Doctorate

  Online With Campus Requirements $548.75 per credit Score 49.3

• University of Charleston

  Cybersecurity (Online Bachelor's Degree Completion)

  West Virginia $395 per credit Score 53.5

• Regent University

  B.S. in Cybersecurity

  Virginia $470 per credit Score 53.4

• Liberty University

  Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (IS), Information Assurance (IA)

  Virginia $410 per credit Score 53.2

• Park University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Missouri Score 53.2