Wilmington University Online Associate of Science in Cybersecurity

This is an NSA-validated, fully online associate degree built for working adults, with a clear path into Wilmington's bachelor's degree and a list of CompTIA and EC-Council certifications in its prep. At $439 per credit it costs more than a community college would, so it fits best if you want the certification-focused curriculum and a straight route to a four-year degree at the same school.

Wilmington University is a private university in New Castle, Delaware, serving working adults. Its Associate of Science in Cybersecurity is 60 credits and fully online. New classes start every 8 weeks, so you aren't waiting for a single fall start.

Wilmington offers three online cybersecurity degrees that stack. This associate degree is the first. The Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity is 120 credits, also $439 per credit, and the university says it has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cybersecurity by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Master of Science in Cybersecurity is 36 credits at $564 per credit.

The associate degree is the one to choose if you are starting, or if your goal is a first credential and a base for the bachelor's.

You would earn an Associate of Science in Cybersecurity from a program the school describes as NSA-validated. Two certifying bodies appear in the prep list: CompTIA and EC-Council. The degree does not by itself award them. You still sit for each exam and pay its fee.

Wilmington's federal graduation rate is 20%, and its measure for transfer students is 58%. The first is a school-wide figure that includes part-time and returning students, and the second tracks students who arrive with credits. Read them as context, and ask the program how many cybersecurity associate students finish.

Where this degree can lead: Cybersecurity Degree Jobs.

Who It Fits

• You want an associate degree that lines up with industry certifications, so you leave with both a degree and exam preparation.
• You plan to continue into Wilmington's B.S. in Cybersecurity. The school describes the associate program as NSA-validated and transferable into it.
• You work full time and need classes that start every 8 weeks.
• You are building a career in IT support or networking and want the security layer on top.

Who Should Skip It

• You want the lowest tuition. A public community college can cost much less per credit than $439.
• You are certain you'll attend a different four-year school. Ask how Wilmington's credits would transfer out.
• You want a degree with a strong graduation record. Wilmington's school-wide federal graduation rate is 20%, which is low.

The associate degree is built around certifications. You can earn CompTIA A+, Network+, Linux+ and Security+, and the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential is listed too. Together they cover the pieces of entry-level security work: how computers and networks run, how Linux systems are managed, and how attackers think.

That ladder is useful because the first three are foundations. A+ covers hardware and support, Network+ covers networks, and Security+ is a widely requested entry-level security credential. CEH builds on that by teaching attack techniques so you can defend against them.

The bachelor's page adds technical lab exercises led by active cybersecurity practitioners, and a Digital Forensics concentration. Ask for the associate program's course map to see the course titles.

Standout Features

• NSA-validated program that transfers into the B.S. in Cybersecurity

Tuition is $439 per credit. A typical 3-credit course costs $1,317. Across the full 60 credits, tuition comes to $26,340 before fees.

The bachelor's degree is 120 credits at the same $439 per credit, so moving up the ladder doesn't raise your rate. The master's is $564 per credit for 36 credits. Because credits carry over from the associate to the bachelor's degree, the associate years are not wasted money if you continue.

The federal data lists $419 per credit as a campus charge, a bit lower than Wilmington's online rate. Ask what fees are added each term and whether exam vouchers for the certifications are included or extra.

60 credits at $439 a credit comes to $26,340 in tuition, before fees.

The program is available fully online, with classes starting every 8 weeks. That frequency is the main selling point. If you miss a start, the next one is only two months away, and you can sit out a term without losing a year.

Federal data shows 79% of Wilmington's students are enrolled exclusively online, so the university is oriented toward distance learners and adults. Terms are short, which keeps each course focused but moves quickly.

Ask whether lab work is done through remote virtual machines and whether any proctored exam must happen at a test center.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

• A school-wide federal graduation rate of 20% is low, so ask about completion in this program specifically.
• At $26,340 in tuition, the associate degree costs more than many public community college options.
• Course titles come from the course map, so request it before you enroll.
• Certification exams are separate costs.

• Which courses prepare for A+, Network+, Linux+, Security+ and CEH, and are exam vouchers included?
• How many associate credits transfer into the B.S. in Cybersecurity?
• What fees are added to the $439 per credit?
• What share of cybersecurity associate students finish?
• How are the lab exercises delivered online?
• Can prior college credit or work experience lower the 60-credit requirement?

Private university in New Castle, Delaware, serving working adults.

• Best Accelerated Online Programs Rank 5 of 9, associate
• Best for Working Adults Rank 4 of 9, associate
• Best Programs With Certifications Rank 5 of 10, associate

• Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

  B.S., Bachelor's

  Fully Online $439 per credit Score 67.2

• Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  M.S., Master's

  Fully Online $564 per credit Score 49.8

• Southern New Hampshire University

  Associate of Science in Cybersecurity

  New Hampshire $354 per credit Score 54.4

• Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

  Cybersecurity Associate Degree

  Wisconsin Score 54.9

• Western Iowa Tech Community College

  Cyber Security and Digital Crime

  Iowa $234 per credit Score 55.1

• Georgia Military College

  Cybersecurity Associate of Science (Online)

  Georgia Score 55.2