undergradly.
Major · Computer & Information Sciences

Defend systems, audit risks, and keep networks from breaking

Computer and Information Systems Security prepares graduates to assess vulnerabilities, implement safeguards, and manage the auditing and maintenance of security infrastructure. About 17,600 degrees are awarded annually across 640 colleges, with programs available at both the associate and bachelor's level.

Schools offering
640
Annual completions
17,632
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$69k

About this major

Computer and Information Systems Security — offered under labels like IT Security, Information Assurance, Network Security, and Information Systems Auditing — prepares graduates to identify vulnerabilities in computer and network systems, recommend safeguard solutions, and manage the ongoing auditing and maintenance of security infrastructure. The CIP definition is specific: instruction covers computer architecture, networking, telecommunications, cryptography, security system design and auditing, applicable law and regulations, risk assessment and policy analysis, contingency planning, user access issues, and investigation techniques. This is not primarily a software development curriculum; it is organized around protection, compliance, and threat response.

The major attracts students who are drawn less to building systems from scratch and more to understanding how those systems fail — and how to stop those failures before they become incidents. The coursework rewards people who can hold technical detail alongside organizational context: knowing how a cryptographic protocol works matters, but so does understanding the regulatory environment that governs when and how it must be used. Comfort with both systems thinking and policy-level analysis is useful.

Scale and demand both point toward this field. About 17,600 degrees are awarded annually across 640 colleges — a smaller pool than Computer Science (over 50,000 completions) but a more targeted one. The flagship career destination, information security analyst, posts a 28.5% projected growth rate with a median wage of $124,910 — among the stronger combinations of growth and compensation in the technology sector. Bachelor's completers in this major report median five-year earnings near $84,407, with the senior trajectory extending to $171,200 for computer and information systems managers.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Computer and information systems managers $171k +15.2% Bachelor's degree
Network and computer systems administrators $97k -4.2% Bachelor's degree
Information security analysts $125k +28.5% Bachelor's degree
Computer network architects $130k +11.9% Bachelor's degree
Computer network support specialists $73k +1.8% Associate's degree
Database administrators $105k -0.7% Bachelor's degree
Database architects $136k +8.7% Bachelor's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$69k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$55k

Bachelor's

$84k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you find yourself more interested in how systems break than how they are built — if reading about a data breach or network intrusion makes you curious about what went wrong rather than bored by the technical detail. You may also fit well here if you're comfortable working at the intersection of technical controls and organizational policy, since this major explicitly covers regulatory compliance, risk assessment frameworks, and investigation procedures alongside cryptography and network defense. The job market data supports commitment: information security analysts show 28.5% projected growth with a $124,910 median wage, and the bachelor's-level earnings premium over the associate's credential runs about $29,000 per year at the five-year mark.

Think twice if you want to spend most of your time writing software or building new systems from the ground up — Computer Science or Computer Engineering will feel more aligned with that goal, and both have stronger five-year earnings at the bachelor's level. Think twice also if the compliance and governance side of the curriculum sounds tedious rather than relevant; policy analysis and applicable law are not elective add-ons here, they are core material. And if you're considering the associate's path primarily for speed, be clear-eyed that several of the most growth-oriented roles in this field — including information security analyst — list a bachelor's degree as the typical entry credential, making the associate's a meaningful entry point but a limited ceiling.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT 0 2,218 2,218
University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD 0 863 863
Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH 195 538 733
Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA 444 0 444
The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX 0 405 405
ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA 0 399 399
Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX 275 123 398
American Public University System Charles Town, WV 3 352 355
Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN 0 338 338
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 0 272 272
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Computer Science

50,272 completions/yr

Computer and Information Sciences, General

34,556 completions/yr

Information Technology

20,296 completions/yr

Information Science/Studies

10,334 completions/yr

Computer Engineering, General

9,312 completions/yr

Management Information Systems, General

7,648 completions/yr

Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications

3,699 completions/yr

Data Science, General

2,068 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do cybersecurity and information assurance majors actually study day-to-day?
Coursework covers computer architecture, networking fundamentals, cryptography, systems analysis, and security auditing and design. You spend time learning how attacks happen — from network intrusions to access control failures — and how to build defenses against them. Upper-division work typically moves into risk assessment, policy analysis, contingency planning, and investigation techniques. The CIP definition explicitly includes applicable law and regulations, which means compliance and governance are part of the curriculum, not just technical controls.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough for a cybersecurity career?
The degree level has a measurable impact here. Bachelor's completers in this major report median five-year earnings around $84,407, while associate's completers report about $55,083 — a gap of roughly $29,000. The highest-demand role in this field, information security analyst, lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry credential and posts a median wage of $124,910. An associate's can open doors to support roles like network support specialist ($73,340 median) or entry-level IT positions, but the ceiling is noticeably lower without a four-year credential.
What kinds of jobs do cybersecurity graduates end up in?
The most direct destination is information security analyst, where the median wage sits at $124,910 and projected job growth runs 28.5% — one of the fastest rates across all occupations tracked. Computer network architects ($130,390 median, 11.9% growth) and database architects ($135,980 median, 8.7% growth) are less common but high-earning paths. The senior trajectory is computer and information systems manager at $171,200, typically requiring significant experience to reach. Network and computer systems administrators ($96,800) represent a common mid-tier landing spot, though that occupation shows negative projected growth at -4.2%.
How competitive is the job market for cybersecurity graduates?
The job market for information security analysts is one of the stronger ones in tech — 28.5% projected growth puts it well above the average across all occupations. However, it's worth noting that not all adjacent roles are growing at the same rate: network and computer systems administrators show -4.2% projected growth, and database administrators -0.7%. The market rewards specialization. With about 17,600 completions per year across 640 colleges, the graduate pool is smaller than in Computer Science (over 50,000 completions), which means less crowding for the top security-specific roles.
Is this major the right fit, or should I look at Computer Science or IT instead?
This major is the most career-targeted of the cluster. If your goal is specifically to work in security, auditing, or information assurance, the dedicated program gets you there more directly than Computer Science (50,272 completions per year), which covers security as one elective track among many. Information Technology (20,296 completions) is a common alternative that's broader and often more flexible in job market fit. Computer Science has higher median earnings at the bachelor's level (~$105,888 vs. ~$84,407 here), but its curriculum is more theory-heavy and covers far more ground than security alone. The tradeoff is focus versus breadth.
What's a realistic earnings picture after a cybersecurity degree?
Five-year median earnings across degree levels run about $68,759. Bachelor's completers specifically land near $84,407 at that mark. The benchmark occupation — information security analyst — posts a $124,910 median wage, suggesting that graduates who land directly in security roles outpace the median meaningfully. The ceiling extends further: computer and information systems managers reach $171,200, though that typically reflects 10+ years of accumulated experience. Western Governors University produces more graduates in this field than any other institution (2,218 recent completions), which signals that online completion of this credential is well-established.