Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

This 33-credit master's is the pricier option at $775 per credit, but it comes with a nonprofit school, six start dates a year, a one-year pace and two embedded graduate certificates. It is the program on this list with the clearest certification story, naming CompTIA, CISSP and CISM preparation. A strong fit for managers and technologists who want credentials stacked along the way.

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private nonprofit school in Winona, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Its online Master of Science in Cybersecurity is 100 percent online and requires no on-campus residencies. It is made up of 11 courses and 33 credit hours, and the school says students can finish in one year, though individual completion times vary.

Federal data shows 75% of the school's graduate students study exclusively online, and the 8-year completion rate for transfer students is 72%, which is high for an online master's.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Certification is where this program stands out. The school names CompTIA CySA+, Security+ and Network+ plus CISSP and CISM as certifications the program prepares you for. CISSP and CISM are advanced credentials that employers often tie to senior or management roles, so the program pairs well with a few years of experience.

The institution is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• Professionals who want to pick a management or technology focus. Embedded graduate certificates in Cybersecurity Management and Cybersecurity Technology let you earn a smaller credential along the way.
• Students planning to sit for Security+, CySA+, Network+, CISSP or CISM, since the school says the program prepares you directly for those exams.
• Applicants who would rather skip the GRE and GMAT. Neither is required, and the minimum is a 2.75 GPA on a 4.00 scale.

Who Should Skip It

• Students watching the price closely. At $775 per credit, this is more than the other master's programs reviewed here.
• Anyone who wants a designated federal cyber defense program, since the school highlights certification preparation instead.

The two tracks are the main structure. Cybersecurity Management is the path for people heading toward security leadership, policy and risk. Cybersecurity Technology is the path for hands-on practitioners. Each is an embedded online graduate certificate, which means the credits count toward both the certificate and the master's degree.

The school is an official CompTIA Authorized Academic Partner, which is a formal relationship with the certification body. The program page lists CompTIA CySA+, Security+ and Network+ alongside CISSP and CISM as the certifications it prepares for. Ask for the course map before you commit so you can see the individual courses.

Standout Features

• Embedded online graduate certificates in Cybersecurity Management and Cybersecurity Technology
• Official CompTIA Authorized Academic Partner

Tuition is $775 per credit, and the school estimates $25,575 for the 33-credit degree. A technology fee of $100 per term is added on top. Partner organizations can offer a 10 percent tuition savings, so if your employer has an agreement with the school, ask HR before you apply.

Compared with a public university's online rate, this is a premium. The trade is a faster schedule, six start dates and a school whose students finish at a high rate. If you take one year at face value, the technology fee is a small line item across a handful of terms.

33 credits at $775 a credit comes to $25,575 in tuition, before fees.

There are six start dates a year: September, October, January, March, May and June. The school advertises a one-year completion time, which means a pace of about three courses at a time depending on how terms are built. Ask whether that pace is realistic for someone working full time.

You never come to campus. Ask an advisor whether courses meet live or run asynchronously, and sit in on a sample course if you can.

• The $775 per credit rate makes this one of the more expensive ways to earn the degree.
• A $100 technology fee is charged each term.
• Course titles and capstone details are worth requesting before you enroll.
• A one-year finish means a heavy workload, and the school itself notes that individual times vary.

• What does the course sequence look like if I want to finish in one year, and how many courses run at once?
• Which courses prepare for CISSP and CISM, and do they require work experience first?
• How do the two embedded certificates affect which electives I take?
• Does my employer qualify for the 10 percent partner tuition savings?
• Are courses live or on my own schedule?
• What does the final project or capstone involve?

• Best Cybersecurity Management Degrees Rank 5 of 10, master's
• Best Accelerated Online Programs Rank 8 of 10, master's
• Best No-GRE Online Master's Rank 7 of 10, master's
• Best With Multiple Start Dates Rank 7 of 10, master's
• Best Programs With Certifications Rank 6 of 10, master's
• Best Online Programs in Minnesota Rank 1 of 4, master's

• American Public University System

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity Studies

  West Virginia $470 per credit Score 58.7

• National University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  California $644 per credit Score 58.3

• Pennsylvania Western University

  Professional Science Master's in Cybersecurity

  Pennsylvania $568 per credit Score 58.8

• St Bonaventure University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  New York $805 per credit Score 58.2