get a cheap Degree
Author: Stefan Waldvogel
How can you get a cheap (cybersecurity) degree?
Do you want a degree (in Cybersecurity)?
In this article, I show you a way to get a Bachelor's degree (in Cybersecurity) for about $3,000.
The first thing you should ask yourself is the question: "Do I need a degree?". If this question is yes for you, think about the cheapest or fastest way to get a degree.
In the US, everything is about researching. You can buy the same thing/knowledge for different prices. Degrees are an excellent example of this. It might be possible to get a degree for nearly free or spend $75,000.
Let me talk about the cheapest way.
This way is not the fastest, and it needs time to prepare. The cheapest way is a way via an online degree. One example is maybe WGU. Here, you take classes and exams at home. Online universities do not need fancy and expensive buildings, and therefore they have low costs.
Most people prefer WGU, but there are other online universities. At WGU, you have to take 34 classes, and you need maybe 2 to 3 years to do all. This is under $25,000 but still expensive and, for many, not affordable.
In this article, I show you a way to get a Bachelor's degree (in Cybersecurity) for about $3,000.
The first thing you should ask yourself is the question: "Do I need a degree?". If this question is yes for you, think about the cheapest or fastest way to get a degree.
In the US, everything is about researching. You can buy the same thing/knowledge for different prices. Degrees are an excellent example of this. It might be possible to get a degree for nearly free or spend $75,000.
Let me talk about the cheapest way.
This way is not the fastest, and it needs time to prepare. The cheapest way is a way via an online degree. One example is maybe WGU. Here, you take classes and exams at home. Online universities do not need fancy and expensive buildings, and therefore they have low costs.
Most people prefer WGU, but there are other online universities. At WGU, you have to take 34 classes, and you need maybe 2 to 3 years to do all. This is under $25,000 but still expensive and, for many, not affordable.
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Cut the costs
We want to cut the costs, and this is very easy. WGU allows you to transfer credits if you have an associate's degree or certifications. You find the list here: partners.wgu.edu/Pages/BSCSIA.aspx
If you live in an area with a Community College, you can take their classes. Community Colleges have one huge advantage: It is "simple" to get a scholarship, and you can pick between hundreds of them.
Go to your Community College (they have an office for scholarships and financial help) and learn more about this path. It could be you get an associate's degree for free or for a couple of hundred dollars. Pick (if possible) the matching modules for your wanted Bachelors's so you can transfer the credits.
If you study "WGU's Transfer Guidelines" you see you can skip classes if you have certifications. At your Community College, you most likely see classes for A+, Security+, Network+, CySA+, CCNA, and CEH. If you can get these courses and degrees for free via a scholarship, get it. The disadvantage is, you need a lot of time for it.
Let us assume you got an Associates's Degree for an affordable price, and you added all available certifications. How much is left?
The non-technical part looks like this:
We want to cut the costs, and this is very easy. WGU allows you to transfer credits if you have an associate's degree or certifications. You find the list here: partners.wgu.edu/Pages/BSCSIA.aspx
If you live in an area with a Community College, you can take their classes. Community Colleges have one huge advantage: It is "simple" to get a scholarship, and you can pick between hundreds of them.
Go to your Community College (they have an office for scholarships and financial help) and learn more about this path. It could be you get an associate's degree for free or for a couple of hundred dollars. Pick (if possible) the matching modules for your wanted Bachelors's so you can transfer the credits.
If you study "WGU's Transfer Guidelines" you see you can skip classes if you have certifications. At your Community College, you most likely see classes for A+, Security+, Network+, CySA+, CCNA, and CEH. If you can get these courses and degrees for free via a scholarship, get it. The disadvantage is, you need a lot of time for it.
Let us assume you got an Associates's Degree for an affordable price, and you added all available certifications. How much is left?
The non-technical part looks like this:
You covered 10 classes, but this is not all. You added maybe A+, Security+, Network+, CySA+, and you can remove:
C172, C393, C394, C480, C178, C836, C842
At home, you can take certifications like Pentest+ (harder), Project+ (simple), and you can even remove more classes. Overall you might eliminate 20 classes, and 15 are left. You can take 15 classes in a year (or a bit more or less).
WGU also offers scholarships up to $5,000 per person. -> If you take the cheapest possible path, a Bachelors's degree in Cybersecurity is about $3,000 to $4,000.
This value is affordable -> you combined the cheapest possible options. Some disadvantages: You need to plan this path in detail (this article shows the idea, but it is not a step-by-step guide). At a Community College, you can pick classes, and you should choose the matching courses for WGU. You have to go to offices and ask for financial help. If you get rejected, ask again... . You need more time compared to the full WGU path because at a Community College, you cannot speed up classes.
This is one path; I am sure there are more options. In the US, getting a full degree is not expensive. You want the degree checkbox for the lowest price.
You can substitute a lot of classes with "easy" certifications. This means the technical level for a Bachelors's is low.
Conclusion
Getting a degree in the US can be expensive, but it is up to you to find cheaper alternatives. With this path, you get an online degree. Does it matter for Cybersecurity? I do not think so because the focus for companies is work experience and hands-on.
A bachelor's in Cybersecurity does not mean you get a job or you are job-ready. The paper is really just one small piece for HR and a checkbox to pass the first screening (ATS).
It is up to you to add extra stuff to stand out.
C172, C393, C394, C480, C178, C836, C842
At home, you can take certifications like Pentest+ (harder), Project+ (simple), and you can even remove more classes. Overall you might eliminate 20 classes, and 15 are left. You can take 15 classes in a year (or a bit more or less).
WGU also offers scholarships up to $5,000 per person. -> If you take the cheapest possible path, a Bachelors's degree in Cybersecurity is about $3,000 to $4,000.
This value is affordable -> you combined the cheapest possible options. Some disadvantages: You need to plan this path in detail (this article shows the idea, but it is not a step-by-step guide). At a Community College, you can pick classes, and you should choose the matching courses for WGU. You have to go to offices and ask for financial help. If you get rejected, ask again... . You need more time compared to the full WGU path because at a Community College, you cannot speed up classes.
This is one path; I am sure there are more options. In the US, getting a full degree is not expensive. You want the degree checkbox for the lowest price.
You can substitute a lot of classes with "easy" certifications. This means the technical level for a Bachelors's is low.
Conclusion
Getting a degree in the US can be expensive, but it is up to you to find cheaper alternatives. With this path, you get an online degree. Does it matter for Cybersecurity? I do not think so because the focus for companies is work experience and hands-on.
A bachelor's in Cybersecurity does not mean you get a job or you are job-ready. The paper is really just one small piece for HR and a checkbox to pass the first screening (ATS).
It is up to you to add extra stuff to stand out.
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