Old Dominion University Online Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

Old Dominion's online bachelor's is one of the most flexible and best-supported undergraduate options in the cyber field: eight-week terms, six start dates a year, no scheduled class meetings and a required internship course.

It pairs a public-university price of $453 per credit with an unusual three-part NSA designation. It suits a self-directed adult learner or a military member. It suits less well someone who needs live classes, since the format is built for independent study.

Old Dominion University is a public university in Norfolk, Virginia, with 23,743 students. Its online division delivers the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity entirely online, though only 32% of the university's students are enrolled exclusively online, so this is a program inside a large campus institution. The degree is 120 credit hours, taught in accelerated eight-week terms with six starts a year.

It also graduates a lot of cybersecurity students, about 249 awards a year in this field, which means a deep alumni pool and well-practiced teaching staff. The National Security Agency has designated ODU a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, Cyber Operations and Cyber Research, a combination few schools hold. Admission is relatively open, with a 90% admission rate.

The school also offers an online Master of Science in Cybersecurity as the next step.

Tuition is $453 per credit for out-of-state students and $443 for Virginia residents, effective Fall 2026 and subject to change. The in-state rate includes $281 standard tuition plus $162 in mandatory auxiliary tuition. Over 120 credits, that works out to $54,360 out of state and $53,160 in state.

Those totals assume you take all 120 credits, so prior learning credit, which costs 20% to 50% of the current tuition rate and cannot exceed 60 credit hours, can cut the bill in a real way. For comparison, ODU's online master's costs $662 per credit out of state and $672 in state for 30 credit hours.

120 credits at $453 a credit comes to $54,360 in tuition, before fees. At the in-state rate of $443, the same 120 credits come to $53,160.

Who It Fits

• Active duty service members and veterans, since a signed military pathway agreement may grant credit for military training and experience and active duty students may qualify for a discounted rate.
• Adults who need no fixed meeting times, because accelerated courses have no scheduled class sessions.
• Students with job experience who want to convert it into credit, up to 60 credit hours at 20% to 50% of the current tuition rate.
• Virginia residents, who pay $443 per credit hour.

Who Should Skip It

• Learners who need live lectures to stay on track. Courses are accessed and completed online without meeting times.
• Students who want a small, cohort-based program. ODU enrolls tens of thousands, and online students study inside that scale.
• Anyone expecting high early earnings from this specific school's data. See the earnings note below.

The major requirements include CYSE 450 Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing, CYSE 407 Digital Forensics and Cyber Law, so you get offensive, investigative and legal angles in one degree. Two capstone courses, worth 6 credits, close the program, and CYSE 368 Cybersecurity Internship appears among the requirements.

Few online bachelor's programs build an internship into the degree plan, and it gives you a way to practice before you graduate. The master's sibling at the same school is a separate 30-credit degree with four core and five elective courses and no thesis, so this bachelor's is the right start if you do not yet hold a bachelor's degree.

Courses the School Names

• Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing
• Digital Forensics
• Cyber Law

Standout Features

• Designated by the NSA as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, Cyber Operations and Cyber Research, per the school
• Free on-demand tutoring through Brainfuse
• Signed military pathway agreement that may grant credit for military training and experience

Courses follow an accelerated eight-week format with no scheduled meeting times, and you access materials and complete assignments online. Starts come six times a year, in fall, spring and summer, with two per term, so you rarely wait long to begin. ODU lists free on-demand tutoring through Brainfuse for online students, which helps when you are working at midnight.

Federal data shows a 46% overall graduation rate and 59.5% for transfer students, a more relevant number for adults finishing a degree. College Scorecard shows median earnings of $65,838 for ODU graduates in this field a few years after finishing, and those figures cover all graduates, including those who studied on campus.

You earn a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. The NSA designations in Cyber Defense, Cyber Operations and Cyber Research apply to the university, and they matter most when you apply for federal scholarships, recruiting events or defense-contractor jobs. The military pathway agreement may grant academic credit for service training. If employers in your area ask for Security+ or similar, plan to study for it on your own.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• Courses have no scheduled meetings, which demands self-discipline.
• The earnings figure of $65,838 is modest next to the field's $129,180 median, though the two measure different groups at different career stages.
• Rates are effective Fall 2026 and subject to change.
• Prior learning credit isn't free; it costs 20% to 50% of tuition.

• How does the CYSE 368 internship work for someone who is already employed full time?
• Which two capstone courses can I choose from?
• How do I apply for the military pathway credit, and what documents do I need?
• How much prior learning credit do students typically earn, and how is it assessed?
• Which eight-week start date fits my schedule best, and how many courses can I take per term?
• How would my credits carry into the online master's if I continue?

• Best Accelerated Online Programs Rank 8 of 10, bachelor's
• Best for Military Students Rank 9 of 9, bachelor's
• Best With Multiple Start Dates Rank 6 of 9, bachelor's
• Best Programs With Internships Rank 6 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Virginia Rank 1 of 5, bachelor's

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $662 per credit Score 62.5

• Stevenson University

  Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics, B.S.

  Maryland $470 per credit Score 55.9

• California Institute of Arts & Technology

  Applied Bachelor's Degree in Cybersecurity

  California $660 per credit Score 56.4

• Fort Hays State University

  Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Information Networking and Telecommunications (Cybersecurity)

  Kansas $275.65 per credit Score 55.4

• Colorado Technical University

  Bachelor of Science in Computer Science - Cybersecurity Engineering Concentration

  Colorado $340 per credit Score 55.2