Saint Leo University Online Associate of Arts in Cybersecurity

Saint Leo's online A.A. in Cybersecurity is a 60-credit, two-year associate degree at $250 per credit, which comes to $15,000 in tuition. It's the lowest-cost way into Saint Leo's cybersecurity ladder, and it fits students who want a starting credential they can later build into the bachelor's and master's.

Saint Leo University is a private nonprofit school in Saint Leo, Florida, with about 9,692 students. Federal data shows 68% of its students are enrolled exclusively online, and its graduation rate is 45%. About 78% of applicants are admitted, so this is an accessible school rather than a highly selective one.

The associate degree is the entry point of a three-step path. Saint Leo also offers an online B.S. in Cybersecurity (120 credits at $425 per credit) and an online M.S. in Cybersecurity (30 credits at $785 per credit). Starting with the associate degree lets you test the field at the lowest per-credit price in that group.

Tuition is $250 per credit hour at the 2026-2027 WorldWide associate rate. Across 60 credits that's $15,000. Fees come on top: a $45 technology fee per online course and a $30 per credit course materials program, which you can waive by opting out.

Ask about the New Horizons Discount when you apply, since it's meant for students who enroll in the online associate degree.

The cost advantage is clear against the siblings: the B.S. costs $425 per credit and the M.S. costs $785 per credit.

60 credits at $250 a credit comes to $15,000 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• You're starting out. The associate degree is the front door, and the rate is $250 per credit, well below the school's bachelor's and master's rates.
• You want hands-on experience early. Saint Leo says internships and research projects are built into the curriculum.
• You plan to keep going. The same school offers the bachelor's and the master's, so your credits and your advisors stay in one place.
• You'd like a discount. Saint Leo's New Horizons Discount offers savings to students who enroll in the online associate degree.

Who Should Skip It

• You already have college credits or a bachelor's. The B.S. at $425 per credit or the M.S. at $785 per credit fits your level better.
• You want the shortest, cheapest path to a security job. A two-year associate degree is longer than a certificate, and 60 credits at $250 is $15,000 before fees.
• You want a school where most students finish. The federal completion rate for transfer-in students is 33.5%, so plan for support.

The program is 60 credit hours, designed to take about two years. Saint Leo describes internships and research projects as built into the curriculum, which is unusual for a two-year degree and gives you something concrete to show an employer.

How it differs from its siblings is worth knowing. The B.S. in Cybersecurity at Saint Leo is 120 credits, and its pages mention penetration testing and ethical hacking and describe students interning with Verizon, Tech Data Corporation and the Pasco County Sheriff's Department. The M.S. is 30 credits. The associate degree is the foundation: it gets you credit toward the bachelor's but stops before that more specialized material.

Standout Features

• New Horizons discount for students who enroll in the online associate degree

The associate degree is fully online and is described as an undergraduate online degree program that takes about two years. Because 68% of Saint Leo students study exclusively online, the school has plenty of experience supporting distance learners.

Ask how many courses you can take at a time and how the term calendar works. The technology fee is charged per online course, so your course load affects what you pay.

Saint Leo is a private nonprofit university, and the associate degree is an A.A., an Associate of Arts. That's different from an A.A.S., which is aimed at going straight to work, so ask an advisor how well the credits transfer if you plan to continue.

The path matters more than the title here. The associate credits are meant to count toward the bachelor's at the same school, and the internships built into the curriculum can serve as your first line of work experience. For context, the median pay for graduates in this field on the federal data we use is $129,180.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• The federal completion rate for transfer-in students is 33.5%, and the school's graduation rate is 45%.
• Fees add to the $15,000 tuition: $45 per online course, and $30 per credit for course materials unless you opt out.
• An associate degree alone is a modest credential in a field where many job postings ask for a bachelor's.

• How many of the 60 credits will transfer into Saint Leo's B.S. in Cybersecurity?
• What internships or research projects can I do, and are they available online?
• How much does the New Horizons Discount take off the total?
• What is the full cost with the per-course technology fee and the materials program?
• How many courses can I take at once, and how often do terms start?
• Can I bring in credits from earlier college work or military training?

• Best Programs With Internships Rank 6 of 10, associate
• Best Online Programs in Florida Rank 2 of 2, associate

• Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $425 per credit Score 37.4

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $785 per credit Score 38.3

• Coastal Pines Technical College

  Cybersecurity (CY13)

  Georgia Score 47.1

• Northcentral Technical College

  IT - Cybersecurity Specialist Associate Degree

  Wisconsin $236.18 per credit Score 47.3

• Germanna Community College

  Information System Technology - Cybersecurity

  Virginia $309.40 per credit Score 46.1

• Portland Community College

  Cybersecurity, Associate Degree

  Oregon $298 per credit Score 47.5