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Security systems administrator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a security systems administrator. Security systems administrators usually study computer information systems, computer science, or business. 57% of security systems administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 967 real security systems administrator resumes to see exactly what security systems administrator education sections show.
The most common colleges for security systems administrators are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.
There are also many online security systems administrator courses to help get the education required to be a security systems administrator.
There are certain security systems administrator certifications that you should consider. These security systems administrator certifications include Security 5 Certification and CompTIA Radio Frequency Identification (RFID+) Certification (CompTIA).
What education do you need to become a security systems administrator?
What degree do you need to be a security systems administrator?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Associate, 26%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a security systems administrator?
- Computer Science, 15%
- Business, 12%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for security systems administrators
| Security systems administrator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| DeVry University | 12.22% |
| University of Phoenix | 12.22% |
| Strayer University | 7.78% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.67% |
| ECPI University | 5.56% |
Best majors for security systems administrators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Information Systems | 15.3% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 15.1% |
| 3 | Business | 11.9% |
| 4 | Information Technology | 11.9% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 8.6% |
Best colleges for security systems administrators
The best colleges for security systems administrators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
A security systems administrator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for security systems administrators. 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 security systems administrators.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
7. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
10. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
20 best online courses for security systems administrators
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2. Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance
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...
3. Fundamentals of Unix and Linux System Administration
Master Linux/Unix System administration through a practical and hands on approach...
4. Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)
Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...
5. Linux Security and Hardening, The Practical Security Guide.
Secure any Linux server from hackers & protect it against hacking. The practical Linux Administration security guide...
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7. Advanced Linux System Administration
This course will teach you everything you need to know to be an Advanced system administrator...
8. Information Systems Security for Professionals: CISSP
Making Next Gen Information Security Leaders...
9. Essential Tools for Windows System Administrators
[Windows] [System Administration] Learn Windows Builtin Tools & Open Source Tools for Efficient System Administration...
10. ISO/IEC 27002:2022. Information security controls
Learn about the comprehensive set of information security controls proposed by ISO/IEC 27002:2022...
11. SAP Security Administration
SAP Security and Auditing...
12. Information Security Fundamentals - Cyber Security Bootcamp
A Beginners Awareness Guide on Information Security & Cyber Security to Keep Online and Offline Devices Safe!...
13. PowerShell for Active Directory Administrators
Use Power Shell to manage Active Directory users, computer, groups, security settings and more on Windows Server...
14. Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, GPO, R. Server Access
Training For Beginners - Become a Network Administrator in Microsoft Windows Server 2019 with Remote Server Access!...
15. Certified Information Systems Security Professional CISSP
Newest Version Released 2022...
16. Ethical Hacking: Network Security & Network Layer Attack
Learn Ethical Hacking with Network Security, Sniffing, Subnetting, Networking, Password Cracking & implement Mit M attack...
17. The Complete Cyber Security Course: Network Security!
Volume 2 : Network Security, Wi Fi Security, Wi Fi Hackers, Firewalls, Wireshark, Secure Networking. + Password Managers...
18. Certified Healthcare InfoSys Security Practitioner (CHISSP)
Certified Healthcare Information Systems Security Practitioner (CHISSP)...
19. Linux Administration: Build 5 Hands-On Linux Projects 2023
Learn Linux by Doing with 5 Projects: Docker, Secure Linux, Run Web and DNS Servers, Run a Mail System, Automate Linux...
20. AWS Security and Governance Administration for Professionals
In-Depth AWS Security Administration and Governance: Learn hands-on with certified industry professionals...
Top 10 most affordable universities for security systems administrators
The most affordable schools for security systems administrators are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for security systems administrators 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 security systems administrators.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Brigham Young University - Hawaii
Laie, HI • Private
In-state tuition
$5,560
Cost of attendance
18,043
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Cost of attendance
13,476
9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Cost of attendance
13,564
10. Trident University International
Cypress, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,240
Cost of attendance
17,912
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for security systems administrators
The hardest universities for security systems administrators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.
Some great schools for security systems administrators 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 security systems administrators 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
4. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
5. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
6. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
7. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for security systems administrators
The easiest schools for security systems administrators to get into are Nyack College, saint martin's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a security systems administrator 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 security systems administrators.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
74%
SAT average
1,061
9. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
10. Longwood University
Farmville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,065
Average security systems administrator salary by education level
| Security systems administrator education level | Security systems administrator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $87,244 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $76,964 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $84,648 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $77,808 |
Security systems administrator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025