University of Mary Cybersecurity, B.S. (Online)

This is an online bachelor's in cybersecurity from a Catholic university in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it carries an NSA designation that few online programs can claim. The University of Mary is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) through 2030, students compete in the National Cyber League and CyberCon, and the degree can take 2.6 years with the Year-Round Campus calendar.

Ask for the price in writing before you apply.

The University of Mary is a private Catholic university in Bismarck, North Dakota. Its cybersecurity program sits inside the Gary Tharaldson School of Business, which runs a Cybersecurity Center.

This page covers the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, offered entirely online or through in-person evening classes. Mary also offers a Cybersecurity Foundations Certificate, a Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate and a minor in cybersecurity. Those are shorter options for people who don't need a full degree, while the B.S. is the complete bachelor's.

The business school home is worth noticing. It points toward a program that treats security as a management and risk topic as well as a technical one.

The best way to price this degree is to ask. Don't assume a figure from other online programs.

Here is how to get a clear answer. Ask admissions for the per-credit rate, the total number of credits in the degree, and every fee. Then ask what transfer credit the school accepts, because that can change the bill more than the rate.

Federal data lists a $680 per-credit charge for the school, which is a campus figure and may differ from the online rate. The 2.6-year path matters for cost too, since finishing sooner means fewer terms of fees.

Who It Fits

• You want an online bachelor's from a school the National Security Agency has designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.
• You like competition. Students take part in the National Cyber League and CyberCon, which are hands-on events where teams solve security challenges.
• You want to finish faster. The school advertises a bachelor's in 2.6 years with its Year-Round Campus calendar.
• You want mentoring from local business leaders through the Emerging Leaders Academy, which is useful if you plan to move into security management.

Who Should Skip It

• You need a published per-credit price before you talk to anyone. Request a written quote that lists the per-credit rate and every fee.
• You are looking for a program that lists a long set of named technical courses and certification exams. Mary's page leans on its designation, competitions and mentoring.
• You want a secular university. Mary is a Catholic institution.

Mary's program page puts recognition and practice up front, so that is where the degree shows its character.

The CAE-CD designation from the NSA is a review of a school's cyber defense curriculum, and Mary holds it through 2030. The Cybersecurity Center runs competitions, including the National Cyber League and CyberCon, which give you a place to use what you learn against real puzzles.

Because the degree lives in the business school, ask how much of the plan covers risk, policy and management versus hands-on technical work, and ask to see the full course sequence.

Standout Features

• Mentorship through the Emerging Leaders Academy with local business leaders
• NSA-designated National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) through 2030
• Participation in cyber competitions including the National Cyber League and CyberCon

You can earn the degree entirely online, or through in-person evening classes if you live near Bismarck. That is a real choice, and it means you can switch between formats if your life changes.

The 2.6-year timeline depends on the Year-Round Campus calendar, which means taking classes through the summer. Plan on a steady schedule rather than breaks between terms.

Federal enrollment data shows 12% of undergraduates at Mary study exclusively online, so most students are on campus. The online cybersecurity program is a smaller piece of the school, which makes it worth asking how online students join the competitions and the mentoring.

You earn a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity. The business school's accreditor is the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), which is a business accreditation, not a cybersecurity-specific one. The NSA CAE-CD designation is the field-specific recognition.

A CAE-CD designation can matter for federal scholarship and job programs that look for graduates of designated schools. Ask the school which programs accept its graduates.

Federal data shows a 67% graduation rate and a 75% admission rate across the university. Those are school-wide numbers, so treat them as background about the institution.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• You will need to request online tuition before you can compare cost with other schools.
• The university's accreditation named for this program is a business accreditor, so field-specific recognition comes from the NSA designation instead.
• Only 12% of undergraduates study fully online, so campus-based activities may be easier to join than the online equivalents.

• What is the per-credit price for the online degree, and how many credits does the B.S. require?
• What does the Year-Round Campus schedule look like in terms of how many classes at once?
• Can online students compete in the National Cyber League and CyberCon, and how?
• How do online students get matched with mentors in the Emerging Leaders Academy?
• How much of the curriculum is technical, and how much is business and risk?
• How many credits do you accept in transfer, and from which kinds of schools?

Private university in Bismarck, North Dakota with a Cybersecurity Center in its Gary Tharaldson School of Business.

• University of Baltimore

  Bachelor of Science in Cyber Forensics

  Maryland $1,139 per credit Score 32.3

• Hilbert College

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  New York $560 per credit Score 31.7

• Mercy University

  Cybersecurity

  New York $990 per credit Score 30.6

• Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity Operations and Management

  Pennsylvania Score 30.1