Cybersecurity major
Cybersecurity: courses, careers, and where to study
Cybersecurity prepares graduates to defend networks, systems, and data, combining computing fundamentals with offensive and defensive security techniques and the policy frameworks that govern them.
A Cybersecurity major covers network security, cryptography, secure software engineering, digital forensics, incident response, risk management, and the legal and regulatory frameworks (NIST, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS) governing information security. Most programs share a foundational year with Computer Science before diverging into security-specific upper-division coursework.
Demand has outpaced supply for years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 33 % growth in information security analyst roles between 2023 and 2033, far above the 4 % average across all occupations. Cybersecurity graduates work in industry, financial services, healthcare, defense, and government.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Cybersecurity maps to CIP 11.1003, Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance, within the COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to assess the security needs of computer and network systems, recommend safeguard solutions, and manage the implementation, auditing, and maintenance of security devices, systems, and procedures. Includes instruction in computer architecture, programming, and systems analysis; networking; telecommunications; cryptography; security system auditing and design; applicable law and regulations; risk assessment and policy analysis; contingency planning; user access issues; investigation techniques; and troubleshooting.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Cybersecurity is awarded as
Of the 37,375 Cybersecurity credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate26%9,720
- Associate16%6,003
- Bachelor's31%11,611
- Graduate27%10,041
This is one of the fields where the answer genuinely depends on where you study: across the 47 states reporting it, certificates run from 1% of credentials in the 10th-percentile state to 58% in the 90th. Check the mix in your state before assuming which credential a program leads to. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Network and protocol security (TCP/IP, TLS, DNS security, firewalls, IDS/IPS)
- Cryptography fundamentals and applied use
- Penetration testing, ethical hacking, and red-team techniques
- Secure software development practices and code review
- Digital forensics and incident response
- Risk management frameworks (NIST CSF, ISO 27001) and governance
- Security operations center (SOC) workflows
- Cloud security (AWS, Azure, GCP)
Typical careers
- Cybersecurity Analyst
- Penetration Tester
- Security Engineer
- Incident Response Analyst
- Security Consultant
- CISO (career path)
Typical salary range: $72,000–$120,000 early-career (BLS, 2024 information security analysts median $124,910)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Cybersecurity, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,200 | 55,600 | +15.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Information Security Analysts | $124,910 | 16,000 | +28.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $96,800 | 14,300 | -4.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer Network Architects | $130,390 | 11,200 | +11.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $73,340 | 9,600 | +1.8% | Associate's degree |
| Database Architects | $135,980 | 4,000 | +8.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Database Administrators | $104,620 | 3,800 | -0.7% | Bachelor's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 7 of these 7 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Cybersecurity does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Cybersecurity major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Cybersecurity program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Cybersecurity department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Cybersecurity program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Cybersecurity credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Western Governors UniversityUT · 3,702
- University of Maryland Global CampusMD · 1,884
- Purdue University GlobalIN · 1,525
- Southern New Hampshire UniversityNH · 1,225
- Collin County Community College DistrictTX · 1,006
- Wilmington UniversityDE · 776
- MyComputerCareer at ColumbusOH · 723
- University of Phoenix-ArizonaAZ · 675
- American Public University SystemWV · 613
- California Institute of Arts & TechnologyCA · 544
- ECPI UniversityVA · 467
- Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusPA · 465
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Cybersecurity credentials were awarded
34 states have a distinct enough set of Cybersecurity colleges to be worth its own page.
- California60
- Pennsylvania47
- Texas45
- Illinois45
- New York42
- Georgia33
- Michigan30
- Florida28
- Maryland25
- Ohio25
- Minnesota24
- Massachusetts21
- Wisconsin20
- Virginia19
- Washington19
- South Carolina19
- New Jersey19
- Arkansas17
- Missouri16
- Indiana13
- West Virginia11
- Oregon11
- North Carolina10
- Alabama9
- New Mexico8
- Idaho8
- Louisiana8
- Kentucky7
- Connecticut6
- Kansas6
- District of Columbia5
- Oklahoma5
- Iowa5
- Maine5
Related majors
Computer Science
Computer Science combines the mathematical foundations of computation with practical software engineering, preparing graduates for careers in software, AI/ML, security, data, and research.
Information Technology
Information Technology (IT) focuses on applying computing systems to organizational needs, administering networks, supporting users, building business systems, and managing IT operations.
Data Science
Data Science combines statistics, programming, and domain expertise to turn raw data into decisions, drawing on machine learning, visualization, and data engineering.
Still deciding between Cybersecurity and something else?
These guides put Cybersecurityside by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Cybersecurity degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Computing & Math careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Cybersecurity degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Cybersecurity path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.