Penn State World Campus Online Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations

Penn State World Campus offers a full 120-credit bachelor's that is almost entirely online, with an internship option and a capstone built into the plan. It suits students who want a large public university's name on the diploma and a clear path into a master's later. The tuition is the main trade-off, and the published rate climbs once you pass 60 credits.

This is the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations, delivered through Penn State's online campus and supported by the College of Information Sciences and Technology. You complete 120 credits, and the degree includes a Cybersecurity Operations Option worth 22 credits.

Penn State World Campus has its own federal reporting unit, so its numbers describe online students rather than the on-campus population. About 98% of its students study exclusively online, and 13,774 students are enrolled across the university's online programs. The federal completion rate for transfer-in students is 45.5%, which is worth knowing if you plan to bring credits with you.

Penn State publishes $644 per credit for students with 59 or fewer credits and $692 per credit for students with 60 or more (2026-27). Students taking 12 to 19 credits in a semester can pay a flat block instead, listed at $7,833 or $8,455 per semester depending on where they are in the degree.

The program's total tuition comes to $77,280 for the 120 credits. That is higher than many online cybersecurity bachelor's programs, so the number deserves a close look against what you'd transfer in.

The flat semester rate matters if you can carry a heavier load. Taking 12 credits costs the same as taking 19, so the credits at the top of the range are effectively cheaper. The master's pathway also saves money, since up to 12 credits count toward both degrees.

120 credits at $644 a credit comes to $77,280 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• Students who want a bachelor's from a well-known public university and are comfortable studying online with a large peer group.
• Working adults who need an internship to break into the field and can't leave their job. The adviser can arrange alternate activities if your schedule won't flex.
• Students already thinking about a master's. Up to 12 credits can count toward both this degree and Penn State's online Master of Professional Studies in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations.
• Learners who want a defined operations focus, with the 22-credit option giving the degree a practical, day-to-day security bent.

Who Should Skip It

• Anyone on a tight budget who wants the lowest per-credit price. The published rate is $644 per credit up to 59 credits and $692 after that.
• People hoping for built-in certification prep. Ask which courses, if any, line up with an industry exam such as Security+.

The degree is 120 credits, and the program page names two pieces you can count on. The Cybersecurity Operations Option is 22 credits, and it is where the operations side of the degree's title shows up. The final piece is CYBER 440, a three-credit Cybersecurity Capstone, which Penn State describes as a culminating course with a practical exercise designed by the instructor.

The page also lists an internship, IST 495, that you complete alongside your online coursework. That's unusual for an online bachelor's, because many programs treat work experience as something you arrange yourself. Here the school builds it into the plan and has an adviser step in when your schedule can't adjust.

Check the current plan of study before you apply. Look at how many of the 120 credits are general education, how many are major courses, and which electives you can choose.

Standout Features

• Integrated B.S./MPS pathway lets up to 12 credits count toward both degrees
• Internship available alongside online coursework, with adviser-arranged alternatives

Penn State's online campus has its own federal data, and it shows a large online community. About 98% of its students are enrolled exclusively online, so you are among peers who also study at a distance rather than being a small remote group inside a campus program.

Ask an enrollment adviser about meeting times before you commit, especially if you work shifts.

The internship and capstone are the parts where online students most often feel the gap, because they depend on schedules and supervisors. Penn State's adviser-arranged alternatives are a practical answer to that.

Penn State is recognized by the NSA and DHS as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. That designation is stated on the page for the master's program, so treat it as a school-level recognition rather than something the bachelor's page confirms on its own.

If you want a credential like Security+ or CISSP, plan to study for it separately, and ask the department which courses overlap with those exam topics.

Federal data adds context. Graduates in this field from Penn State World Campus earn a median of $98,637 four years out, while the federal field median is $129,180.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The price is high for a bachelor's, with the full degree at $77,280 in published tuition.
• The rate rises from $644 to $692 per credit once you pass 60 credits, so transfer students pay the higher rate sooner.
• The federal completion rate for transfer-in students is 45.5%, so fewer than half finish within eight years.
• No programmatic accreditor or certification prep is named on the program page.
• Reported graduate earnings of $98,637 sit below the $129,180 field median.

• How many of my existing credits will transfer, and will they push me into the $692 rate sooner?
• Are classes live or on my own schedule, and how often do instructors expect me online at set times?
• How does the IST 495 internship work if I already have a full-time job in IT or a different field?
• What does the 22-credit Cybersecurity Operations Option include, and can I choose electives within it?
• If I continue into the online master's, which 12 credits double count, and when do I have to decide?
• Does any course in the plan prepare me for an industry exam, and which one?

Penn State's online campus, with degrees supported by the College of Information Sciences and Technology.

• Best Public University Programs Rank 10 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Programs With Internships Rank 5 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Pennsylvania Rank 1 of 2, bachelor's

• Master of Professional Studies in Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations

  M.P.S., Master's

  Fully Online $1,048 per credit Score 54.5

• Eastern Oregon University

  Bachelor in Cybersecurity (B.A., B.S. or B.A.S.)

  Oregon $338 per credit Score 58.3

• Ashford University

  Bachelor of Science in Cyber & Data Security Technology

  California $460 per credit Score 58.2

• Purdue University Global

  Online ExcelTrack Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Indiana Score 58.4

• University at Albany

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  New York $424.46 per credit Score 59.3