Harrisburg Area Community College Online Cybersecurity (New Fall 26)

This is an affordable, fully online associate degree from a community college the National Security Agency has designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. It's built to transfer, with written guides to four bachelor's programs. The program is new for fall 2026, so there's no track record of graduates in this exact degree yet.

Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) is a public community college in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Its Cybersecurity Associate in Science (A.S.) is listed as New Fall 26, and the college says it offers the complete program entirely through distance education. Classes run in spring, summer and fall.

The A.S. is a transfer-style degree. That's different from an Associate of Applied Science, which is designed for going straight to work. The A.S. is designed so your credits carry into a four-year school.

HACC is a large school with 12,585 students, but only 46% of undergraduates take classes exclusively online, so you'll share the college with plenty of campus students.

The CAE-CD designation from the National Security Agency is the credential to look at. It's given to programs, not individuals, and employers in government and defense contracting often recognize it. It doesn't replace industry certifications such as Security+, which you'd study for separately.

The transfer guides are the other credential-like asset. HACC lists guides to Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, University of Maryland Global Campus, Southern New Hampshire University and Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg). A guide shows which of your classes the other school accepts.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You want the lowest-cost route into a cybersecurity bachelor's degree and plan to finish the last two years elsewhere.
• You live in Pennsylvania and can use the $290 per credit resident rate.
• You want a program the NSA recognizes as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD).
• You want to take a few classes at a time across spring, summer and fall while you work.

Who Should Skip It

• You live outside Pennsylvania and are comparing prices, since the out-of-state rate is $430 per credit before fees.
• You want a long record of graduates in this exact degree, because the program is brand new for fall 2026.
• You want to finish a bachelor's degree at one school with one application, without planning a transfer.

The college lists the program as Cybersecurity (New Fall 26), Associate in Science, and a distinguishing feature is its CAE-CD designation from the National Security Agency. That designation means the curriculum has been reviewed against federal standards for cyber defense, which is the practice of protecting networks and systems.

An A.S. blends security courses with the general education courses that four-year schools expect, such as writing and math. That makes it a stronger base for transfer than a purely technical certificate.

Because the program is new, ask HACC for its current course map and which classes are required in the first two terms.

Standout Features

• Designated by the National Security Agency as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD)
• Transfer guides to Harrisburg University, University of Maryland Global Campus, Southern New Hampshire University and Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Bloomsburg

HACC publishes 2026-27 rates per credit. A non-sponsored Pennsylvania resident pays $290 in tuition, an out-of-state student pays $430, and a sponsored district resident pays $189.75. Institutional, capital outlay and technology fees are added, bringing the all-in cost to $342.25 per credit for a Pennsylvania resident and $487.25 for an out-of-state student.

Federal data lists a per-credit charge of $361 for the school. Use HACC's own tuition page for your actual rate, and ask whether the online rate matches the campus rate.

The whole program is available through distance education, and the college offers classes in spring, summer and fall. That gives you three start points a year instead of waiting for one fall class.

Ask whether courses run on a set schedule or on your own time, and whether any proctored exams need a campus or testing center.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The program is new for fall 2026, so graduates in this exact degree are still to come.
• Fees add substantially to tuition, taking the Pennsylvania rate from $290 to $342.25 per credit.
• Out-of-state students pay $430 per credit in tuition, so the savings are mostly for Pennsylvania residents.
• An associate degree is a starting point, and many security roles ask for a bachelor's degree.

• How many credits does the A.S. require, and how many are cybersecurity courses?
• Do I qualify for the sponsored district rate of $189.75 per credit?
• Which transfer guide fits my target bachelor's program, and how many credits does it accept?
• Are any exams proctored on campus?
• Will the CAE-CD designation apply to this new degree for the whole program?
• Which industry certifications do the courses prepare me for, if any?

• Best Online Programs in Pennsylvania Rank 1 of 2, associate

• West Georgia Technical College

  Cybersecurity Associate of Applied Science

  Georgia $214 per credit Score 41.6

• West Virginia Junior College

  Cybersecurity

  West Virginia Score 42.3

• Herkimer County Community College

  Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics, A.S.

  New York $309 per credit Score 40.9

• Immaculata University

  Cybersecurity, A.S.

  Pennsylvania $250 per credit Score 40.2