University of Arkansas Grantham Online Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

This is an affordable, fully online bachelor's with monthly starts, a laptop included and Security+ and Network+ aligned courses. The tuition is $305 per credit, with a $50 per credit hour resource fee on top that covers textbooks and technology.

It suits adults who want a flexible start date and a hands-on, certification-oriented path, and it is accredited by a national accreditor, which matters if you plan to transfer or go on to graduate school.

University of Arkansas Grantham is a public online university in the University of Arkansas System, based in Little Rock. Its Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity is a 120-credit degree delivered fully online, and 100% of its students study online.

The design is built around entry-level certifications and practical labs. Courses are aligned with the CompTIA Network+ certification exam and the Security+ exam, and the courses include lab exercises.

The school provides a new laptop to all new and returning degree-seeking students at no additional cost, which removes one startup expense for a technical degree.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Undergraduate tuition is $305 per credit hour, which is $36,600 for 120 credits. A resource fee of $50 per credit hour covers textbooks and technology, so add that to your estimate. Military members and veterans in the Heroes program pay $250 per credit hour.

The laptop is included for degree-seeking students at no additional cost, and the resource fee replaces separate textbook purchases. Together those make the budget easier to predict than at schools that charge books separately.

To compare fairly with other schools, add the resource fee to the tuition rate, then subtract any credit you can transfer in.

120 credits at $305 a credit comes to $36,600 in tuition, before fees.

Who It Fits

• Working adults who want to start any month instead of waiting for a fall or spring term
• Military members and veterans, who pay $250 per credit hour through the Heroes program
• Students who need a laptop and want textbooks and technology covered by a flat resource fee
• Career changers who want Network+ and Security+ alignment inside a bachelor's degree

Who Should Skip It

• Students who need regional accreditation specifically, since the school is accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission (DEAC)
• Anyone who needs to finish in under three years, since the school lists 38 months to complete
• Learners who want advanced penetration-testing practice as the focus of the degree

The degree is 120 credits. Named courses include Cryptography, Linux Administration, Cloud Computing Security and Virtualization.

The list reads like an infrastructure-first security degree. Linux Administration and Virtualization teach you the systems you will be protecting. Cloud Computing Security covers a place where a lot of current security work happens. Cryptography is the theory course that explains how encryption protects data.

The Network+ and Security+ aligned courses include lab exercises, so some of your learning is hands-on, not only reading. The courses prepare you to sit those exams, but taking them is up to you.

Most courses start monthly, which means you can join the degree at many points in the year.

Courses the School Names

• Cryptography
• Linux Administration
• Cloud Computing Security
• Virtualization

Standout Features

• Network+ and Security+ aligned courses with lab exercises
• New laptop provided to degree-seeking students at no additional cost

Courses are delivered fully online, and most start monthly. The school estimates 38 months to complete, which is just over three years.

Federal data shows 100% of University of Arkansas Grantham undergraduates enroll exclusively online, so the whole institution is built around distance students. There is no campus majority to compete with for attention.

The lab exercises in the Network+ and Security+ aligned courses give you practice in the same domains as those exams. Check how the labs run, on your laptop or in a hosted environment, and how much time each week they take.

The university is institutionally accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission (DEAC). DEAC is a national accreditor, so if you plan to transfer to another school or apply to graduate programs later, ask those schools how they treat DEAC credits before you commit.

The listed certification preparation is CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+. These are the entry-level certifications many employers name in job postings. Federal data shows median earnings of $91,988 for graduates in this field, and a completion rate of 44.5% for students who transfer in, with a graduation rate of 43%.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

• DEAC is a national accreditor, which can matter for transfer and graduate school.
• The resource fee of $50 per credit hour is on top of the $305 tuition rate.
• A graduation rate of 43% means more than half of students do not finish, so plan your schedule honestly.
• The degree takes 38 months at the school's stated pace.

• Will graduate schools and employers in my area accept a DEAC-accredited degree?
• How do the lab exercises in the Network+ and Security+ courses run, and how many hours do they take each week?
• How many credits can I transfer in, and does the resource fee apply to transferred credits?
• Are Network+ and Security+ exam vouchers included, or do I pay separately?
• Does the free laptop have to be returned if I stop taking classes?
• How do I qualify for the Heroes program rate of $250 per credit hour?

A public online university in the University of Arkansas System.

• Best Online Cybersecurity Degrees Rank 6 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Online Bachelor's Programs Rank 6 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Affordable Online Programs Rank 3 of 10, bachelor's
• Best for Military Students Rank 3 of 9, bachelor's
• Best Public University Programs Rank 1 of 10, bachelor's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 6 of 10, bachelor's
• Best Programs With Certifications Rank 3 of 10, bachelor's

Also at University of Arkansas Grantham, but not counted here because they are not fully online: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (bachelor's, on campus).

• Norwich University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Vermont $415 per credit Score 65.3

• University of Maryland Global Campus

  Cybersecurity Technology Bachelor of Science

  Maryland $499 per credit Score 64.2

• Southern New Hampshire University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  New Hampshire $354 per credit Score 63.2

• Wilmington University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  Delaware $439 per credit Score 67.2