Ferris State University Online Bachelor of Science in Information Security and Intelligence

Ferris State's Information Security and Intelligence B.S. is ABET-accredited in cybersecurity and, by the university's account, the only cybersecurity program in the United States with ABET accreditation that can be completed 100% online. If an engineering-style accreditation matters to you, that is the reason to look. It also has admission requirements stricter than most online programs, and the per-credit rate is on the higher side for a public school.

Ferris State University is a public university in Big Rapids, Michigan. Its Information Security and Intelligence program offers bachelor's and master's degrees online or on campus, so the online degree is taught by the same department as the campus one. The B.S. is, by the school's account, designated a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and a Center of Digital Forensic Academic Excellence.

Faculty bring extensive cybercrime investigation and digital forensics casework. About 15% of Ferris undergraduates study exclusively online, so most of the student body is on campus, and the program is also offered face-to-face and in HyFlex format with live remote or in-person attendance.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Three marks define this degree. Ferris says the program is accredited by ABET's Computing Accreditation Commission, which is the standard programmatic accreditation for computing. Ferris says it carries the NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense designation and is a Center of Digital Forensic Academic Excellence. Together they cover both the technical and the investigative side. Federal data puts median earnings for Ferris graduates in this field at $91,678.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• Students who want the ABET Computing Accreditation Commission stamp. ABET accreditation is a programmatic standard for computing degrees, and this online degree has it.
• Aspiring digital forensics and incident response analysts. Faculty casework and the forensics designation point straight at that work.
• Recent high school graduates or strong-GPA students who meet the entry bar. Admission calls for a 3.00 high school GPA, and the program asks for an essay.

Who Should Skip It

• Career changers with a low or older GPA. The requirements include a minimum 3.00 high school GPA, an ACT composite of 22 with ACT Math 22 or SAT Math 550, and a 750 to 1,000 word essay.
• Students watching tuition closely. General undergraduate tuition is $534 per credit hour for freshmen and sophomores and $582 for juniors and seniors, so compare it against other public programs before you commit.

The degree is built around five directions you can choose: penetration testing, digital forensics and incident response, data analytics, project management, or a foreign language. The foreign language option is unusual, and it pairs with the intelligence half of the program name. Penetration testing means legally attacking systems to find weak spots.

Digital forensics and incident response covers collecting evidence from compromised machines and containing a live breach. Data analytics and project management suit students who want to work with data or lead teams. Ferris also offers a master's degree in the same field, so this bachelor's is the undergraduate entry point, and an associate degree in the field is offered in a hybrid format.

Standout Features

• ABET-accredited in cybersecurity and the only cybersecurity program in the United States accredited by ABET to be delivered 100% online
• Designated a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and a Center of Digital Forensic Academic Excellence
• Faculty with extensive cybercrime investigation and digital forensics casework

Ferris prices by class standing. General undergraduate tuition, for U.S. residents and Canada, is $534 per credit hour for freshmen and sophomores and $582 for juniors and seniors. That means your cost rises when you reach upper-division courses, so a transfer student who enters as a junior pays the higher rate from the start.

Multiply the rate for each stage by the credits you need, and check whether other fees apply. The value case rests on the ABET accreditation and the forensics focus rather than on a low rate.

The degree is available fully online, and it is also offered in HyFlex format, where you can attend live remotely or in person. That flexibility helps if your schedule changes, and it means online students sit alongside on-campus peers in some classes.

Only about 15% of Ferris undergraduates are exclusively online, so the online cohort is smaller than at an online-first university. Ask how many of your classes meet at set times and how the HyFlex option works for a student who lives far away.

• The entry requirements are demanding, with a 3.00 high school GPA and test scores asked for on top of an essay.
• The 15% share of exclusively online undergraduates means the online cohort is small.
• Tuition rises from $534 to $582 per credit hour as you reach junior standing.

• Do the GPA and test requirements apply to transfer students and returning adults?
• How does HyFlex work for a fully online student, and are any sessions required live?
• Which of the five directions do most online students pick, and what jobs follow?
• Does the ABET accreditation apply to the online delivery of this degree?
• How does this bachelor's connect to Ferris's master's degree in the same field?

Public university in Big Rapids, Michigan. Its Information Security and Intelligence program offers its bachelor's and master's degrees online or on campus.

• Best Cybersecurity Management Degrees Rank 3 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Digital Forensics Degrees Rank 5 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Cybersecurity Engineering Degrees Rank 2 of 8, bachelor's
• Best Cyber Defense Degrees Rank 3 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Information Assurance Degrees Rank 2 of 6, bachelor's
• Best Cybersecurity and AI Degrees Rank 2 of 4, bachelor's
• Best Public University Programs Rank 5 of 10, bachelor's
• Best ABET Accredited Programs Rank 2 of 6, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Michigan Rank 1 of 6, bachelor's

• Master of Science in Information Security and Intelligence

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $817 per credit Score 56.1

Also at Ferris State University, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Information Security and Intelligence (associate, hybrid).

• American Public University System

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  West Virginia $360 per credit Score 62.1

• Dakota State University

  Cyber Operations, BS

  South Dakota $373.80 per credit Score 62.1

• Bellevue University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Nebraska $459 per credit Score 61.1

• Columbia Southern University

  Bachelor of Science in Information Systems and Cyber Security

  Alabama $278 per credit Score 61.0