Liberty University Online Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Cybersecurity

Liberty's online B.S. in Computer Science with a Cybersecurity focus is a 121-credit, fully online bachelor's with programming and cryptography courses. Tuition is $410 per credit for full-time students, which is $49,610 for all 121 credits, but you can transfer in up to 75% of the degree. Pick it over Liberty's Information Systems degree if you want to write code, not just manage security.

Liberty University is a private Christian (evangelical) university in Lynchburg, Virginia, with about 104,327 students and one of the country's largest online divisions. Courses run in 8-week terms, and some follow a full-semester schedule.

This is the computer science version of Liberty's online security offerings. It sits next to a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems with an Information Assurance focus, which is also fully online, and a residential Cybersecurity Sciences and Operations degree that isn't offered online.

The main difference is the home department. This degree has C++ and cryptography; the Information Systems degree is a business-school program with a security focus.

Liberty's 2026-2027 undergraduate rate is $410 per credit hour for full-time students. At 121 credits, that is $49,610 in tuition if you take every credit at Liberty.

Transfer credit changes the math. You can transfer in up to 75% of the degree total, so students with an associate degree or military training may pay for only a portion of the credits.

The Information Systems sibling lists a part-time rate of $475 per credit and a military rate of $250 per credit. Ask Liberty whether those rates also apply to this degree.

121 credits at $410 a credit comes to $49,610 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You want to write software and understand security, not only manage it.
• You already have college or military credits, since up to 75% of the degree can transfer in.
• You'd like short 8-week courses so you can focus on one or two classes at a time.
• You're comfortable studying at a Christian university.

Who Should Skip It

• You want a business and management angle; the Information Systems degree is built for that.
• You need a fixed live-class schedule; ask Liberty whether any sessions meet at set times.
• You want a published programmatic accreditation; none is listed for this degree.

The notable courses show a programming-first path. Advanced Programming Using C++ gives you a low-level language used in systems and security work. Network Architecture and Protocols explains how data moves, which you need before you can defend a network.

Technical Aspects of Computer Security and Modern Cryptography are the security core. Cryptography is the math behind encryption, and few online bachelor's programs name it as a course.

An optional internship lets you try the work in a real setting. Compare that with the Information Systems degree, whose notable courses are Network Security and Information Security Planning, and which ends with a required capstone project.

Courses the School Names

• Advanced Programming Using C++
• Network Architecture and Protocols
• Technical Aspects of Computer Security
• Modern Cryptography

Standout Features

• Transfer in up to 75% of the degree total

The program is 100% online with 8-week courses, and some courses follow a full-semester schedule. Federal data shows about 74% of Liberty undergraduates study fully online, so distance learning is the norm here.

Because the courses are short, a missed week matters more than in a 16-week term. Ask whether classes meet live or run on your own time, and check the weekly workload, since coding courses take real hours outside class. Ask for a sample weekly schedule.

Liberty is accredited by SACSCOC, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The Information Systems sibling is accredited by ACBSP, a business accreditor. Ask which certification exams the courses line up with.

Liberty's federal graduation rate is 65%, a school-wide number, and 99% of applicants are admitted.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• At 121 credits it is a long degree if you have little transfer credit.
• No programmatic accreditation or certification prep is listed.
• Ask whether classes are live or self-paced, since live-session requirements affect working students.
• The internship is optional, so nothing forces hands-on experience.
• The school is large, so you will need to be proactive to get one-on-one time with faculty.

• How many of my existing credits will transfer toward the 121?
• Which rate applies to me: full-time, part-time or military?
• Are the C++ and cryptography courses taught live or on my own schedule?
• What does the optional internship involve for an online student?
• How would I move to the Information Systems degree if I change my mind?

A private Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia with a large online division.

• Best Programs With Internships Rank 8 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Virginia Rank 4 of 5, bachelor's

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

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $410 per credit Score 53.2

Also at Liberty University, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Sciences and Operations (Residential) (bachelor's, on campus).

• Park University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Missouri Score 53.2

• Regent University

  B.S. in Cybersecurity

  Virginia $470 per credit Score 53.4

• SANS Technology Institute

  Bachelor of Science in Applied Cybersecurity

  Maryland Score 52.6

• University of Charleston

  Cybersecurity (Online Bachelor's Degree Completion)

  West Virginia $395 per credit Score 53.5