Dakota State University Online Cyber Leadership and Intelligence, BS

Dakota State's Cyber Leadership and Intelligence bachelor's suits people who are more interested in the human and strategic side of cyber than in writing exploit code. At $373.80 per credit, it costs $44,856 for 120 credits, offers a Digital Forensics specialization or a World Affairs and Human Behavior specialization, and has a record of placing students in internships with federal labs and agencies.

Dakota State University (DSU) is a public university in Madison, South Dakota, with a college built around cyber. The Bachelor of Science in Cyber Leadership and Intelligence is 120 credits and available online or on campus. You can start in fall, spring or summer.

DSU also offers two other bachelor's degrees in this area, Cyber and Network Security and Cyber Operations, at the same per-credit price. The name of this one is the clue. It points toward leadership and intelligence work. If you want a degree focused on networks or operations, look at those two siblings instead.

The program describes hands-on training in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and open-source intelligence (OSINT), which is the practice of gathering information from public sources.

DSU charges $373.80 per credit for online undergraduate tuition for 2026 to 2027. Over 120 credits, the total is $44,856. That is a moderate price for an online bachelor's in this field, and it is a public university's rate.

One extra to watch: non-resident students pay a $117.70 delivery fee in computer science courses. How many of those you take depends on your plan, so ask the advisor to estimate it.

Current military students get a discounted rate and scholarships. All three DSU bachelor's in this area have the same published per-credit price, so cost will not be what separates them.

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

Who It Fits

• You are drawn to analysis, investigation and strategy. The OSINT and AI training fits people who like researching a problem.
• You want to choose between two specializations: Digital Forensics, or World Affairs and Human Behavior, which fits people interested in how people and nations act.
• You want an internship pipeline. Past students have interned at the Department of Homeland Security, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory and the United States Air Force.
• You are in the military. DSU says current military students receive a discounted tuition rate and have scholarships available.

Who Should Skip It

• You want to focus on hardening networks or on offensive operations. DSU's sibling degrees are the places to compare for that.
• You live outside South Dakota and take computer science courses. A $117.70 delivery fee is added for non-resident students in computer science (CSC) courses, so your real cost may be above the per-credit figure.
• You need certification exams built into the coursework.

The two specializations are the main structure the program publishes. Digital Forensics is for people who want to recover and examine evidence. World Affairs and Human Behavior pairs cyber with how governments, groups and individuals behave, which is the kind of background that intelligence work values.

The program also stresses hands-on training in AI technologies and OSINT. In practice that means learning how to collect and evaluate information from open sources, and how AI tools change that work.

Ask for the degree plan before applying. It shows how many credits fall under each specialization.

Standout Features

• Hands-on training in AI technologies and open-source intelligence (OSINT)

The degree is offered online or on campus, with starts in fall, spring and summer. Ask for a sample course to see whether online classes meet live.

Federal data shows 54% of DSU's undergraduates study exclusively online, which means about half of students are on campus or mixed. You may be in classes with both kinds of students.

The completion rate for students who transferred in is 44.5% over eight years. That is below some peers, so ask what tutoring and advising are available to online students, and plan your workload with that in mind.

You graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Leadership and Intelligence from a public university known for its cyber focus. Check accreditation and certification details with the school.

Federal data puts median earnings for DSU graduates in this field at $78,637. That reflects past graduates across the university's cyber degrees and varies by role and location.

The internship list is the strongest credential signal on the page. Organizations like Sandia and Los Alamos recruit for cleared and technical work, and a past internship there is something employers notice.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The non-resident computer science delivery fee of $117.70 adds to the per-credit price.
• Course titles, a capstone and certification exams are not part of the published summary, so ask for the degree plan.
• Only 54% of undergraduates study fully online, so the online community is smaller than at online-first schools.
• The 44.5% completion rate for transfer students is a reason to look closely at support services.

• Which courses in this degree carry the $117.70 delivery fee for non-residents, and how much would it add to my total?
• How do the Digital Forensics and World Affairs and Human Behavior specializations change my last two years?
• What exactly does the AI and OSINT training involve, and which courses teach it?
• How do online students get placed in internships such as the Department of Homeland Security or the Air Force?
• How does this degree differ from Cyber and Network Security and Cyber Operations in the courses I would take?
• What discount and scholarships are available for military students?

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

• Best Digital Forensics Degrees Rank 10 of 10, bachelor's
• Best for Military Students Rank 6 of 9, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in South Dakota Rank 3 of 4, bachelor's

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