Information security officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an information security officer. Information security officers usually study business, computer science, or computer information systems. 64% of information security officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 2,015 real information security officer resumes to see exactly what information security officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for information security officers are the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark and the Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark.

There are also many online information security officer courses to help get the education required to be an information security officer.

There are certain information security officer certifications that you should consider. These information security officer certifications include Certified Information Systems Security Professional - Architecture (CISSP) and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

What education do you need to become an information security officer?

What degree do you need to be an information security officer?

The most common degree for information security officers is bachelor's degree, with 64% of information security officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 64%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 12%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an information security officer?

You should major in business to become an information security officer. 19% of information security officers major in business. Other common majors for an information security officer include computer science and computer information systems.

Business, 19%

Computer Science, 14%

Computer Information Systems, 11%

Information Technology, 9%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for information security officers

Information security officers often get their degrees at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark, University of Phoenix, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for information security officers in the US based on their resumes.

Information security officer common college	Percentages
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark	18.82%
University of Phoenix	16.61%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.64%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	6.27%
Strayer University	4.80%

Show more common information security officer colleges

Best majors for information security officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	19.1%
2	Computer Science	13.8%
3	Computer Information Systems	10.8%
4	Information Technology	9.3%
5	Psychology	7.4%

Show more common information security officer majors

Best colleges for information security officers

The best colleges for information security officers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An information security officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for information security officers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become information security officers.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for information security officers

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The course is awarded The Best Free Online Courses of All Time, and Best Online Courses of the Year (2021 Edition) by Class Central (http://www.classcentral.com). --- Information systems (IS) are important assets to business organizations and are ubiquitous in our daily lives. With the latest IS technologies emerging, such as Big Data, FinTech, Virtual Banks, there are more concerns from the public on how organizations maintain systems’ integrity, such as data privacy, information security, the...

4. Managing Network Security

Almost every organization uses computer networks to share their information and to support their business operations. When we allow network access to data it is exposed to threats from inside and outside of the organization. This course examines the threats associated with using internal and external networks and how to manage the protection of information when it’s accessible via networks. In this course, a learner will be able to: ● Describe the threats to data from information communication...

5. Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)

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6. Information Security Fundamentals - Cyber Security Bootcamp

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A Beginners Awareness Guide on Information Security & Cyber Security to Keep Online and Offline Devices Safe!...

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8. Security Analyst

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9. ISO/IEC 27005:2022. Information security risk management

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Understand the framework proposed by ISO for managing information security risks in an organization...

10. ISO/IEC 27002:2022. Information security controls

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Learn about the comprehensive set of information security controls proposed by ISO/IEC 27002:2022...

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16. Zero Trust Security

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17. Information Security Awareness: An Introduction for UK SMEs

4.4

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Combating Security Threats and Cultivating Information Security Awareness...

18. Information Security Management Fundamentals for Non-Techies

4.6

(13,166)

Learn the Fundamentals of Information Security Management for Non-Techies...

19. Information Systems Security for Professionals: CISSP

4.5

(2,165)

Making Next Gen Information Security Leaders...

20. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

4.1

(1,311)

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)...

Top 10 most affordable universities for information security officers

The most affordable schools for information security officers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for information security officers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for information security officers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for information security officers

The hardest universities for information security officers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for information security officers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for information security officers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for information security officers

The easiest schools for information security officers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an information security officer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for information security officers.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average information security officer salary by education level

Information security officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $149,806 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, information security officers earn a median annual income of $135,704 compared to $114,767 for information security officers with an Associate degree.

Information security officer education level	Information security officer salary
Master's Degree	$149,806
Bachelor's Degree	$135,704
Some College/ Associate Degree	$114,767

Information security officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Information Security Officers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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