Best Self-Paced Online Cybersecurity Degrees (2027)

• Bachelor's

  Top Score74.5 out of 100

  Western Governors University

  Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance

  Utah · B.S.

  Western Governors University's B.S. Review
• Master's

  Top Score65.4 out of 100

  Excelsior University

  Master of Science in Cybersecurity

  New York · M.S.

  Excelsior University's M.S. Review

A program qualifies when the school's own page describes it as asynchronous or self-paced and it is delivered fully online. The list covers every degree level we could verify, so bachelor's and master's programs appear together, and each is checked against the same published methodology. Pace, term format, credits, price and certification details come from school pages, checked in October 2026. Read the full approach on the methodology page.

• Asynchronous or competency-based format stated on a school page
• Delivered online
• Ranked on the shared methodology

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

Two Kinds of Self-Paced Study

Western Governors University is the purest version. Its programs are competency-based, so you move on as soon as you pass a course assessment. The bachelor's has 37 courses and the master's has 11. Tuition is a flat price per six-month term, and a new term can start on the first of any month.

Excelsior University, Yeshiva University and the University of New Haven take the asynchronous route. You never log in at a set hour, but courses still have start dates and deadlines. Excelsior starts courses every 8 weeks, which lets you take one at a time and rest between them.

Match the model to your habits. If you get strong in bursts and then stall, a competency model rewards you. If you work better with due dates, asynchronous courses keep you on track.

How Flat-Term Pricing Changes the Math

At Western Governors University you pay per six-month term, not per credit. The bachelor's costs $4,425 a term and the master's $4,925. Every course you finish inside a term costs you nothing extra, so a fast learner with security or IT experience can pay far less than someone who takes two courses a term.

The opposite is also true. If work or family slows you down, you pay the same price for each term whether you finish four courses or one.

Per-credit schools are simpler to predict. Excelsior University charges $715 a credit for its 30-credit master's, which comes to $21,450. The University of New Haven charges $1,185 a credit, or $35,550 for 30 credits. Estimate your own pace honestly before you compare the totals.

Check the Hands-On Side of a Self-Paced Degree

Cybersecurity employers care about what you can do, and independent study makes that harder to see. Ask each school how labs work when no one is in the room with you.

Yeshiva University is specific. Its Security Operations Center labs cover SIEM (security event monitoring), EDR/XDR (endpoint detection), identity management and cloud security. Western Governors University's bachelor's includes penetration testing and digital forensics coursework along with 16 industry certifications at no extra tuition.

Excelsior University offers in-person lab sessions through an optional hybrid format in St. Petersburg, Florida, but the fully online option has none. Ask what replaces them. Certification prep also matters. Several programs here point toward Security+, CISSP or CISM, which employers recognize.

Who Each Self-Paced Program Suits

If you already work in IT and want a bachelor's quickly, Excelsior University's transfer allowance and Western Governors University's course-by-course model both reward the credit and experience you bring. Excelsior doesn't require programming first, and Western Governors University's bachelor's teaches Python early on.

For a master's, Western Governors University fits working security professionals, and 63% of its graduates finish within 18 months. Yeshiva University suits someone who wants lab tools and a lower total. The University of New Haven fits future security managers, with a leadership course and a capstone about strategic planning.

If you're changing careers with no IT background, read each school's admission page first. Excelsior says a computer science or IT background isn't required.