Davenport University Online Bachelor of Science in Cyber Defense

Davenport's online Bachelor of Science in Cyber Defense stands out for what surrounds the coursework: labs, a required internship or field experience, a capstone, and an employment guarantee for qualifying students. It also costs more than public options. Non-Michigan students pay a net $716 per credit, so weigh that price against the support built in.

Davenport University is a private, not-for-profit university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a Global Campus for online students. The Bachelor of Science in Cyber Defense is at least 120 credits and can be taken fully online, on campus or in a hybrid format. Davenport is designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The university enrolls about 4,815 students, and 41% of them study exclusively online, so the online side is a real part of the school rather than an afterthought. You choose between two specialties: Information Assurance or Health Care Information Assurance.

The CAE-CDE designation from the NSA and DHS is the main program-level signal, and it is a credential worth asking employers about. Certification is a next step rather than a built-in outcome: courses align with exams like CISSP, but you'll still sit for them on your own. Note that CISSP also requires work experience, so most graduates start with entry-level credentials first.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• Students who want help landing the first job. Davenport offers an employment guarantee for qualifying students in this program, so read the terms and ask what qualifying means.
• Students interested in health care security. The Health Care Information Assurance specialty is uncommon and points toward hospitals, clinics and insurers.
• Michigan residents and out-of-state students who want a nonprofit school with simulated labs and a built-in internship or field experience.

Who Should Skip It

• Budget-first students. At $716 per credit net for non-Michigan residents, the tuition for 120 credits is $85,920, and Michigan residents pay $1,059 per credit, or $127,080.
• Students who want a master's-level program. Davenport's graduate cybersecurity degree is a separate program, covered below.
• Anyone hoping to finish in under four years without transfer credit. The degree is at least 120 credits, and finishing sooner means bringing credits in.

The notable courses lean practical. Windows Digital Forensics teaches evidence recovery on the platform most workplaces run. Information Security and Assurance covers policy, risk and controls. Python Scripting gives you the automation skill that shows up in most security job postings, and Linux Server Administration covers the systems many servers run.

Near the end, you complete a College of Technology capstone (TECH 497) and either an internship (TECH 490) or a field experience (TECH 489), unless the experiential learning requirement is met another way. Davenport also says its courses align with industry exams such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential.

Courses the School Names

• Windows Digital Forensics
• Information Security and Assurance
• Python Scripting
• Linux Server Administration

Standout Features

• Computer labs and simulated environments
• Designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the NSA and DHS
• Employment guarantee for qualifying students
• Internships with industry partners

Undergraduate online tuition is $1,059 per credit hour for Michigan residents. Non-Michigan residents pay a net $716 per credit hour after a $343 Davenport Tuition Grant. Across 120 credits, that works out to $127,080 for Michigan residents and $85,920 for everyone else.

Those are tuition totals only, so fees and books come on top. Transfer credit is the main lever: every credit you bring in saves you the per-credit rate, so request an evaluation before you apply.

120 credits at $716 a credit comes to $85,920 in tuition, before fees. At the in-state rate of $1,059, the same 120 credits come to $127,080.

The degree is offered through Davenport's Global Campus and can also be taken on campus or in a hybrid format, which helps if your plans might change. Ask the admissions team about term length and start dates before you plan around a calendar.

The labs and simulated environments are described as part of how you learn cybersecurity, and you should ask how online students reach them. Because the internship or field experience is part of the plan, expect at least one stretch that depends on an employer partner, not just your own login.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The price is high for a bachelor's degree. A Michigan resident pays $1,059 per credit, and the federal data puts median earnings for graduates at $73,487.
• The 8-year completion rate for transfer-in students is 53%, so about half of transfer students don't finish in that window.
• The employment guarantee applies only to qualifying students, and the details are on Davenport's site, not in the marketing headline.

• What does a student need to qualify for the employment guarantee, and what happens if I don't get a job?
• Which specialty, Information Assurance or Health Care Information Assurance, do most online students pick, and where do they work?
• How do online students complete the internship (TECH 490) or field experience (TECH 489)?
• How do I access the labs and simulated environments from home?
• How many transfer credits will Davenport accept, and what do they save me per credit?
• Does the Davenport Tuition Grant of $343 per credit last for the whole degree?

Private, not-for-profit university in Michigan with a Global Campus for online students.

• Best Cyber Defense Degrees Rank 8 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Information Assurance Degrees Rank 4 of 6, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Michigan Rank 5 of 6, bachelor's

• Master of Science in Information Assurance and Cyber Security

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $1,148 per credit Score 44.7

• Associate of Applied Science in Cyber Defense

  A.A.S., Associate

  Fully Online $716 per credit Score 44.4

• Grand Canyon University

  Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with an Emphasis in Cybersecurity

  Arizona $490 per credit Score 45.8

• Rasmussen University

  Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security

  Florida $332 per quarter credit Score 45.3

• Kennesaw State University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Georgia Score 46.8

• Western Michigan University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Michigan $685.50 per credit Score 44.7