Best Online Cybersecurity Programs in South Dakota (2027)

• Bachelor's

  Top Score62.1 out of 100

  Dakota State University

  Cyber Operations, BS

  South Dakota · B.S.

  Dakota State University's B.S. Review

South Dakota's online cybersecurity offering is concentrated in one place. Dakota State University is a public university in Madison with a college built around cyber and computing, and it runs the Madison Cyber Labs where students practice offensive and defensive techniques.

National American University is a private for-profit school with a Rapid City campus and a fully online IT degree. There is no online associate degree based in the state, and the only master's is at DSU. If you want a wider choice at a level South Dakota does not cover, the national rankings include programs from schools in other states.

We list every online cybersecurity program based in South Dakota that we could confirm on a school's own pages, then order them with the same published method we use nationally. Tuition, credits, start terms, courses, residency rules and admission requirements come from each school's program and tuition pages, checked in October 2026. Read the full method on the methodology page.

• School based in South Dakota, program delivered online
• In-state rate shown when the school publishes one
• Scored on the same seven factors as every list and ranked inside its degree level

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

Choose the Dakota State Bachelor's That Fits Your Goal

DSU's three online bachelor's degrees share the same price and 120 credits, so the decision comes down to what you want to do. The Cyber Operations B.S. leans technical, with Introduction to Cyber, Malware Analysis, Offensive Network Security and Defensive Network Security, plus hands-on work in the Madison Cyber Labs.

The Cyber and Network Security B.S. fits people who want networking skills, since DSU is a Cisco Networking Academy with a path toward the CCNA. The Cyber Leadership and Intelligence B.S. offers Digital Forensics or World Affairs and Human Behavior specializations, with open-source intelligence and AI training.

Know the Difference Between Dakota State and National American

The National American B.S. in Information Technology is not a stand-alone cybersecurity major. Cybersecurity is one focus area, and you can also pick network administration, cloud computing, or artificial intelligence and machine learning. Its cyber courses include Internet Security, Network Security, Cybercrime and Information Systems, and Computer Forensics.

The path uses 135 quarter credits across 30 courses. Tuition starts at $380 per credit and steps down to $342 and then $323 as you earn credits, but every course adds a $100 technology fee. Ask the school how many courses you would take at each rate before you compare it to DSU.

Plan for Residency If You Want a Doctorate

Both DSU doctorates teach their coursework online, and both charge $548.75 per credit. The Cyber Defense Ph.D. is 72 credits, which comes to $39,510 in tuition. It can take three years full time or up to seven years part time, and the yearly residency is three on-site research seminars in Madison.

The Cyber Operations Ph.D. is 61 credits, or $33,473.75, with three residencies of about three days each. It asks for a computer science degree, and you must be a U.S. resident or hold a permanent resident card to apply. Price flights and lodging before you commit.

Check Admission Rules and Hidden Fees Before You Apply

The Cyber Defense M.S. asks for a bachelor's in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering or a closely related field, with a 3.0 GPA and no GRE. People coming from unrelated fields should ask DSU admissions what counts as closely related.

Fees matter at both schools. DSU adds a $117.70 delivery fee for non-resident students in computer science courses, and National American adds the $100 technology fee per course. The tuition pages at dsu.edu and national.edu list current rates, so confirm them with the school before you budget.