Best Online Master's in Cybersecurity With No GRE (2027)

• Highest Score79.4 out of 100

  Lowest Price$387 per credit

  Georgia Institute of Technology

  Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Georgia · M.S.

  Georgia Institute of Technology's M.S. Review
• Highest Graduate Earnings$148,833 median earnings

  Johns Hopkins University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  Maryland · M.S.

  Johns Hopkins University's M.S. Review
• Strongest CredentialsNSA CAE in Cyber Defense stated by the school

  Dakota State University

  Cyber Defense, MS

  South Dakota · M.S.

  Dakota State University's M.S. Review

A program makes this list when its admissions page drops the GRE requirement, or waives it under conditions the school states. We keep master's programs delivered online, and we read every admissions line from the school's own page.

The list is limited to 10 programs, so the order reflects our shared scoring of cost, earnings, completion and online experience. The methodology page explains each measure and where the data comes from.

• Master's level, delivered online
• GRE listed as not required, or waived under conditions we quote from the school
• Ranked on the shared methodology

Scores combine seven published factors. The methodology page shows each weight and rubric.

What Replaces the GRE on Your Application

Schools that drop the test usually lean on something else, and it helps to know which before you start. Georgia Tech accepts a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with the field varying by track, plus three references, essays and a resume. You may submit GRE or GMAT scores, but the school says they are not required.

Champlain asks for a regionally accredited bachelor's and recommends a 2.5 GPA. Bellevue sets its 2.5 GPA on your most recent 60 credit hours, and applicants below that can appeal for a program director review. That wording helps anyone whose early college years were rough.

Dakota State is the strictest on this list. It wants a bachelor's in computer science, computer engineering or software engineering, or a closely related field, with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Career changers from other majors will find Champlain and Bellevue more open to different backgrounds.

Saint Mary's asks for a 2.75 GPA, St Bonaventure wants a computer science, cybersecurity or similar degree with a 2.5 GPA, and Southern Maine asks for a 3.0 GPA plus experience in information technology or cybersecurity.

Johns Hopkins and Franklin both lean on prerequisites. Hopkins asks for prerequisite courses with a B- or higher, and Franklin expects programming and networking courses before or alongside the master's coursework. Budget time and tuition for those courses before you compare programs.

Comparing Tuition When Every School Quotes It Differently

Georgia Tech lists $387 per credit for U.S. students, and the 32-credit degree totals $12,384 with the online learning fee. That fee is $531 each semester when you take four or more credit hours, so a slower pace can change your final bill.

Champlain charges $608 per credit for the 2026 to 2027 year, and servicemembers, veterans and alumni pay $500. Dakota State charges $495.70 per credit for 30 credits, about $14,871, and non-residents add a $117.70 delivery fee in computer science courses.

Bellevue charges $680 for 36 credits, which comes to $24,480. Franklin charges $690 for 36 credits, which comes to $24,840, though new students get an automatic $2,000 Smart Start Scholarship. Johns Hopkins charges $5,620 for each of 10 courses.

Saint Mary's charges $775 for 33 credits, which comes to $25,575. St Bonaventure totals $24,150 for 30 credits, and National University charges $644 per credit plus a $135 fee per course. Southern Maine's e-tuition is $548 per credit with $107 in mandatory fees per credit. For context, the median online cybersecurity master's we track costs $737 per credit and $25,488 in total tuition.

Choosing a Specialty That Matches the Job You Want

Check the course titles before you check the price, because these ten programs prepare you for different jobs. Champlain's Digital Forensic Science degree covers Malware Analysis, Mobile Device Analysis and Incident Response and Network Forensics, and it ends in a capstone research thesis, which suits investigators. Dakota State lets you pick a technical or a security management and compliance specialization after a core that covers intrusion detection and incident response.

Georgia Tech offers Information Security, Cyber-Physical Systems and Policy tracks. Johns Hopkins requires a focus area, with options that include Space Cyber and Assured Autonomy. If policy or industrial systems interest you, those two name them directly.

Pace, Start Dates and Credit for What You Already Know

Franklin starts students five times a year with 6 or 12 week courses taken in any order, and it finishes in about 16 months. Up to 16 credits can transfer, and holding a CISSP, CEH, CRISC or CSSLP earns 4 credit hours toward specific courses. A working security analyst can cut real tuition this way.

Champlain runs 7 week terms alongside 15 week semesters, and students take one or two courses per term. Two courses per term finishes its Digital Forensic Science degree in about 10 months. The school also grants transfer credit for work experience and military training.

Johns Hopkins starts students three times a year, in August, January and May, and gives admission decisions in two to three weeks. Dakota State also starts three times a year. Georgia Tech starts twice a year and allows up to six years to finish, which is the most forgiving timeline here for parents and shift workers.

Saint Mary's starts six times a year and lists one year to finish. St Bonaventure runs seven-week courses and finishes in as little as 18 months, and National University runs four-week courses with an average finish of 24 months.