Red Rocks Community College Online Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity

Red Rocks Community College's B.A.S. in Cybersecurity is a 120-credit degree-completion bachelor's at $418 per credit for Colorado residents, with a Network Security Operations emphasis and certification prep in CompTIA and Cisco exams. It suits people who already hold an applied associate degree in cybersecurity and want a low-cost bachelor's in a public setting.

Red Rocks Community College is a public college in Lakewood, Colorado. This Bachelor of Applied Science is a degree-completion program, which means you can't start it as a first-year student. You must first complete a qualifying Associate of Applied Science degree in Cybersecurity or Secure Software Development, then declare the B.A.S.

That structure is the heart of the program. It's designed as the second half of a technical pathway, so the courses assume you already know the basics and move into operations, investigation and defense. The school also set up a Northrop Grumman cybersecurity apprenticeship program in 2019, a direct tie to a major defense employer.

Colorado resident tuition for the Cybersecurity B.A.S. is $417.85 per credit hour excluding fees, or $301.85 with the College Opportunity Fund stipend. At 120 credits the published tuition comes to $50,160, but your AAS credits are already behind you, so the amount you pay for the bachelor's years is far less.

Note that the published rate is for residents. Federal data shows an IPEDS charge of $694 per credit, which reflects a higher non-resident figure, so out-of-state students should ask for their rate. Fees are extra either way.

120 credits at $418 a credit comes to $50,160 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You've finished or are about to finish a qualifying AAS in Cybersecurity or Secure Software Development.
• You live in Colorado. The tuition figure on the school's page is the resident rate.
• You want hands-on operations work. Courses include Cyber Operations, Active Cyber Defense and Vulnerability Assessment II.
• You want help with certifications. The listed prep covers CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and Cisco CCNA.

Who Should Skip It

• You don't have an associate degree in a qualifying field. Admission requires completing the AAS first, so you'd start with that program instead.
• You need a program built exclusively for online students. The school says coursework can be completed in a traditional, hybrid or online format.

The upper-division courses push past fundamentals. Cyber Operations covers running defensive work, and Active Cyber Defense deals with hunting and responding to attackers on a live network. Cyber Threat Intelligence teaches you to gather and interpret information about who's attacking and how. Cyber Investigation and Forensics and Vulnerability Assessment II round out a technical, operations-focused sequence.

The degree lists one emphasis, Network Security Operations. It includes CNG 4080 Internship, worth 0 to 12 credits, and CNG 2080 Internship, 3 credits, is available as a lower-division elective. Ask whether the internship is required for your path and whether it can be completed at your own employer.

Courses the School Names

• Cyber Operations
• Cyber Investigation and Forensics
• Active Cyber Defense
• Cyber Threat Intelligence
• Vulnerability Assessment II

Standout Features

• Northrop Grumman cybersecurity apprenticeship program established by Red Rocks in 2019

The school says the coursework can be completed in traditional, hybrid or online format, and the program is classified as degree completion. That's more flexible than a program that is purely online, but it also means you should ask how much of the Network Security Operations emphasis is really available online and whether any labs or the internship require on-site time.

Federal data shows that 19% of Red Rocks undergraduates study exclusively online, so this is mostly a campus-based college with an online option. For a working adult in the Denver area, a hybrid mix may be an advantage, since you can use campus labs when you need them.

You earn a Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity. The school lists CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and Cisco CCNA as certification prep, which sit at the entry and networking level. They won't replace a security credential like Security+, so ask which exams the program's courses align with.

The Northrop Grumman apprenticeship program, established in 2019, is the employer connection to ask about. Federal data shows a graduation rate of 32% and an 8-year completion rate of 39% for transfer-in students, so ask how many students in the B.A.S. finish.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• You can't enter without a qualifying associate degree, which limits who the program serves.
• Completion is 39% for transfer-in students and the college graduation rate is 32%, both on the low side.
• Only 19% of undergraduates study exclusively online, and the school describes formats as traditional, hybrid or online, so confirm a fully remote path exists.
• The quoted tuition is the Colorado resident rate, and out-of-state students should expect to pay more.
• Only one emphasis, Network Security Operations, is listed.

• Which classes in my emphasis can be taken fully online?
• Is the internship required, and can I complete it at my current employer?
• How does the Northrop Grumman apprenticeship program select students?
• Which AAS degrees qualify, and do my credits transfer in full?
• What rate would I pay as a non-resident, and what fees apply?
• Which certification exams do the courses prepare me for?

• Best Degree Completion Programs Rank 6 of 9, bachelor's
• Best Online Programs in Colorado Rank 2 of 2, bachelor's

Also at Red Rocks Community College, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity (associate, hybrid).

• National American University

  Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, FOCUSED (Cybersecurity Focus Area)

  South Dakota $380 per credit Score 43.1

• Bluefield University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Virginia $420 per credit Score 42.8

• Platt College

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity (Degree Completion)

  California Score 42.8

• Syracuse University

  Bachelor of Professional Studies in Cybersecurity Administration

  New York $750 per credit Score 43.6